Rock
Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs’ “Stay” (1960) is noted for its brevity: at 1 minute 36 seconds, it’s the shortest song ever to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Williams came up with the melody in the studio, and the doo-wop ballad became a hit. It sold millions of copies and has been covered many times, famously by The Hollies and in the movie *Dirty Dancing*, introducing it to new generations.