"Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" is a rhythm and blues and soul song written by Bert Berns, Solomon Burke and Jerry Wexler. Burke first claimed sole authorship but agreed to share credit, and Wexler said the three wrote it together in Berns's apartment. Burke recorded it under Berns's production at Atlantic Records on May 28, 1964, and the single was released that July. It missed the US top 40, peaking at No. 58. Burke said it began as a church offering march played with tubas, trombones and bass drum, and the first take was judged too fast before engineer Tommy Dowd said to cut it.
Burke sings the opening like a black preacher's sermon offering salvation, a delivery Dave Marsh heard as a lay-preacher testimony. The Rolling Stones recorded it in January 1965 for The Rolling Stones No. 2, and Wilson Pickett's 1966 version on The Wicked Pickett reached No. 29 pop and No. 19 R&B in early 1967. The Blues Brothers performed it in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Mick Jagger performed it at the 2011 Grammys in honour of Burke.
