Stand by Me

Ben E. King’s 1961 soul classic “Stand by Me” was co-written with Leiber & Stoller. The heartfelt plea (“Darling, stand by me”) became King’s signature song. It was featured as the title track of the 1986 movie *Stand by Me*, introducing it to new audiences:contentReference[oaicite:93]{index=93}. King’s original was later preserved in the National Recording Registry as culturally significant:contentReference[oaicite:94]{index=94}. The song has since been covered hundreds of times.