Cry Me a River - Julie London - MP3 instrumental karaoke

Perhaps one of the most emblematic examples of the "torch song," a type of song often associated with lost or unrequited love, the bluesy jazz ballad "Cry Me a River" was composed by American songwriter Arthur Hamilton in 1953. He had been contacted by actress and singer (and former high school classmate) Julie London on behalf of her then-husband Jack Webb, who was looking for songs for the soundtrack of the crime musical Pete Kelly's Blues. Originally written with Ella Fitzgerald in mind, "Cry Me a River" was first recorded by Julie London in 1955 after the song got dropped from the film. Soon enough, London's version became a best-seller after being featured in the musical comedy The Girl Can't Help It, reaching Number 9 on the US charts and Number 22 in the United Kingdom. In the following years, "Cry Me a River" was covered by a whole host of artists, including Joe Cocker, Rick Astley, and Michael Bublé. In 2016, it was inducted into the National Recording Registry.