Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (youtube.com)

38 years ago? O-U-C-H ...

Elisabeth Shue walking on the beach to the opening notes of that song…. Core 80s movie memory. ❤️🎵

So… in 1988, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin spent 2 weeks at #1 on the US #Billboard #Top40… Curious about who knocked him out of the top spot? It was Def Leppard with “Love Bites.” #BobbyMcFerrin #DontWorryBeHappy #DefLeppard #LoveBites #OneHitWondered #MusicSky

Bobby McFerrin’s career is a testament to his boundless musical curiosity... Sure, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" secured his place in pop culture history, but his true legacy is demonstrating the infinite possibilities of the human voice. #BobbyMcFerrin #DontWorryBeHappy #OneHitWondered #MusicSky

Bobby McFerrin went on to conduct orchestras including the New York, Vienna & London Philharmonics and the Chicago Symphony. He was also the creative chair of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, from 1994 - 1999. #OneHitWondered #MusicSky

Bobby McFerrin never chased another pop hit... Instead, Bobby moved deeper into jazz, improvisation & classical music, eventually becoming a 10-time Grammy winner (McFerrin also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023). #BobbyMcFerrin #Grammys #OneHitWondered

"Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin made history as the first (and, so far, only) a cappella single ever to sit atop the #Billboard #Top40... It swept the 1989 Grammy Awards (winning the awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance). #OneHitWondered

Inspired by a famous quote from Indian mystic Meher Baba, Bobby McFerrin recorded "Don't Worry, Be Happy." Featured on the soundtrack for Cocktail, the reggae-infused single was created with multitracked vocal sounds & his body percussion… not a single instrument was used. #OneHitWondered #MusicSky

Bobby trained as a pianist before discovering his true instrument: his voice. He redefined vocal performance by using his 4-octave range and some chest percussion, performing completely solo vocal concerts… no backing instruments, no loops, just a microphone & his body. #OneHitWondered #MusicSky

Music is in Bobby McFerrin’s DNA... His father, Robert McFerrin Sr., was the first African-American male soloist at the Metropolitan Opera. Famously, McFerrin Sr. dubbed the singing voice for Sidney Poitier's portrayal of Porgy in the 1959 film Porgy and Bess. #RobertMcFerrinSr #OneHitWondered

Bobby McFerrin is a genuine US #OneHitWonder by the #Billboard #Hot100 measuring stick... His only chart entry was one of the most unlikely #1 singles of the ‘80s (or any other decade, really): the reggae-infused, entirely a cappella “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” #BobbyMcFerrin #OneHitWondered