"Little Green Apples" is a song written byBobby Russell that became a hit for three different artists, with their three separate releases, in 1968. Originally written for and released by American recording artistRoger Miller, "Little Green Apples" was also released as a single by American recording artistsPatti Page andO. C. Smith that same year. Smith's version became a #2 hit on both theBillboard Hot 100 andBillboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles charts, while Miller's version became aTop 40 hit on the Hot 100 as well as theUK Singles Chart (and a #6 hit on theBillboard Country chart). Page's version became her last Hot 100 entry. The song earned Russell aGrammy Award forSong of the Year and forBest Country Song. In 2013, "Little Green Apples" was covered by English recording artistRobbie Williams featuring American recording artistKelly Clarkson, which became a top 40 hit in Mexico.
According toBuzz Cason, who partnered Bobby Russell in theNashville-based Rising Sons music publishing firm, Russell wrote both the songs "Honey" (a #1 hit forBobby Goldsboro in 1968) and "Little Green Apples" as "an experiment in composing", anticipating a potential market for true-to-life story songs...with more 'meat' in the lyrics [than was] standard" for current hits.[2] Russell wrote "Little Green Apples" forRoger Miller to record and Miller made the first recording of the song on January 24, 1968, in a session produced by Jerry Kennedy at Columbia Recording Studio Nashville.[3] Released as the lead single from the albumA Tender Look at Love, "Little Green Apples" afforded Miller his final Top TenC&W hit at #6 and also his finalTop 40 crossover reaching #39 on theHot 100 inBillboard. In the UK, Miller's "Little Green Apples" reached #19 in the spring of 1968 – when it also reached #46 in Australia – and in the spring of 1969 the track returned to the UK chart reaching #39.[4]
Patti Page recorded "Little Green Apples" for herC&W-oriented albumGentle on My Mind whosetitle cut shared theEasy Listening Top Ten with Roger Miller's "Little Green Apples". Page's version of the latter was released as a single in June 1968, reaching #12 Easy Listening and affording Page the final Hot 100 appearance of her career at #96.
O. C. Smith had recorded "Little Green Apples" at Columbia Studios LA forHickory Holler Revisited, the parent album of his Top 40 hit "Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp". The track "Main Street Mission" was originally issued as the follow-up single, but as Buzz Cason recalls "a disc jockey in Detroit played the album cut [by O. C. Smith] of 'Little Green Apples' one morning". That single spin triggered "such a reaction and rash of phone requests [as to] prompt [the deejay] to call Steve Popovich, head of promotion forColumbia in New York [City]",[5] and "Little Green Apples" replaced "Main Street Mission" as Smith's then current single. Smith's version was a #2 hit on the Hot 100, behind "Hey Jude" bythe Beatles,[6] and likewise peaked at #2 on theR&B chart inBillboard and wascertified Gold for domestic sales of one million units.[7] The song won its composer Bobby Russell the 1969Grammy Award for Song of the Year and theGrammy Award for Best Country Song.[8]
Monica Zetterlund in 1969 asGröna små äpplen, with Swedish lyrics written by ABBA's managerStig Anderson. Both the performance and the lyrics won SwedishGrammy awards.
