Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite

The song was originally released by the R&B doo-wop group The Spaniels in March 1954.[1][6] The original version peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's "Rhythm and Blues Records" chart of "Best Sellers in Stores",[7][8] No. 5 on Billboard's "Rhythm and Blues Records" chart of "Most Played in Juke Boxes",[9] and No. 3 on Cash Box's Rhythm & Blues Top 15.[10]

The Spaniels' version was ranked No. 20 on Billboard's ranking of "1954's Top R&B Records according to Retail Sales" and No. 15 on Billboard's ranking of "1954's Top R&B Records according to Juke Box Plays".[11] It was also ranked No. 16 in Cash Box's ranking of "1954's Top R&B Records as Voted in the Cash Box Poll".[12]

The best-selling version of the song was recorded by the McGuire Sisters in 1954.[13] Their version reached No. 8 on Billboard's chart of "Best Sellers in Stores",[14] No. 7 on Billboard's chart of "Most Played in Juke Boxes",[14] and No. 9 on Billboard's chart of "Most Played by Jockeys".[15] A million copies of the McGuire Sisters' single were sold.[16][1]

The McGuire Sisters' version was ranked No. 21 on Billboard's ranking of "1954's Top Popular Records according to Juke Box Plays".[17] It was also ranked No. 33 in Cash Box's ranking of "1954's Top Pop Records as Voted in the Cash Box Poll".[18]

It was also recorded in 1954 by country music duo Johnnie & Jack,[19] whose version reached No. 3 on Billboard's "Country & Western Records" chart "Most Played by Jockeys",[20] No. 4 on Billboard's "Country & Western Records" chart "Best Sellers in Stores",[20] No. 4 on Billboard's "Country & Western Records" chart "Most Played in Juke Boxes",[21] No. 4 on Cash Box's chart of "The 10 Top Folk & Western Best Sellers",[22] No. 4 on Cash Box's chart of "The Ten Folk and Western Disk Jockeys Played Most This Week",[23] and No. 4 on Cash Box's chart of "Hillbilly, Folk & Western Juke Box Tunes".[24]

Johnnie & Jack's version was ranked No. 20 on Billboard's ranking of "1954's Top C&W Records according to Retail Sales" and No. 21 on Billboard's ranking of "1954's Top C&W Records according to Juke Box Plays".[25] It was also ranked No. 17 in Cash Box's ranking of "1954's Top Country Records as Voted in the Cash Box Poll".[26] It was used by NTV in Tokyo, Japan from 2001 to 2008 when the broadcasting in a day ended and not having the [NNN24].

Sunny Gale also released a version in 1954, which reached No. 27 on Billboard's chart of "Best Sellers in Stores".[14]

The song reached No. 8 on the Cash Box Top 50, in a tandem ranking of the McGuire Sisters, Sunny Gale, the Spaniels, Johnnie & Jack, Ella Mae Morse, and Gloria Mann & Carter Rays' versions, with the McGuire Sisters and Sunny Gale's versions marked as bestsellers,[27] while reaching No. 5 on Cash Box's Top Ten Juke Box Tunes chart,[28] and No. 7 on Cash Box's chart of "The Ten Records Disk Jockeys Played Most This Week", in a tandem ranking of the McGuire Sisters and Sunny Gale's versions.[29] The song also reached No. 8 on Billboard's "Honor Roll of Hits", with the McGuire Sisters, the Spaniels, and Sunny Gale's versions listed as best sellers.[30]

The Spaniels re-recorded the song in 1969 for Buddah Records; however, the title was shown as "Goodnight Sweetheart" and the songwriting misattributed to Ray Noble, Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Rudy Vallee, implying they covered the 1930s standard.[31][32]

The song became well known again in the late 1970s as the closing song performed by Sha Na Na on their weekly variety show, as well as because of its appearance in the 1973 movie American Graffiti.

In 1975, Australian band Ol' 55 released a version as their debut single. The song peaked at number 95 on the Kent Music Report.

In the late 1980s it was used again as a lullaby in the major hit film Three Men and a Baby.

For many years, Dick Biondi played the song at the end of every show on Chicago's 94.7 WLS-FM.[33]