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"Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)" is a 1960 song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. Recorded by Orbison, it became his first major hit. As an operatic rock ballad, it was a sound unheard of at the time, and is seen as a seminal event in the evolution of Rock and Roll. Released as a 45rpm single by Monument Records in May, 1960, "Only The Lonely" went to Number 2 on the United States Billboard pop music charts and to No. 1 in the United Kingdom.