Ben E. King was a giant of American soul, first as the voice of The Drifters and then as a solo artist, and he co-wrote and sang one of the most enduring songs in popular music. "Stand by Me", released in 1961, is a tender, eternal plea for companionship that has been covered countless times and was lifted again by the 1986 film that took its name.
King had a long and respected career with other fine records, but on streaming nothing comes close to his signature song. It is the kind of standard that transcends any one era.
"Stand by Me" sits near 1.6 billion plays, while his next most-streamed solo track trails far behind. That puts the ratio above 9, well past our 5.0 line.
By our measure Ben E. King is a certified one-hit wonder, with the firm streaming-era caveat we apply to every artist of his generation: figures from the radio and vinyl age look quieter now because so much of their listening was never streamed. Even so, one timeless song carries his name today. Few artists, one-hit wonder or not, can claim a record so deeply woven into the fabric of popular music.