9. Oh Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison and Bill Dees
Original Release: 1964
“Oh, Pretty Woman” did not start out with any massive sales to speak of in 1964. Despite this, it would go on to find explosive success after it was featured extensively in the 1990 feature film Pretty Woman. Of course, the movie also adapted its name from the song itself, and sales have never really dipped since its release.
UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: Photo of Roy ORBISON; Roy Orbison performing, in a recording studio (Photo by RB/Redferns)
Bill Dees (was an American musician known for his songwriting collaborations with singer Roy Orbison) confirmed in 2012 that he was still earning around $100,000 to $200,000 a year in royalties from the track, some 50 years after he originally wrote it. It is valued at around $19.75 million today.