Number 22 on BMI's list of the most played 100 songs on television and radio of the 20th century, "Cherish" remains a classic of the era, and is still to this day played at countless weddings and anniversaries. Written by Association member Terry Kirkman, the song was strongly inspired by the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin." This song contains a similar tempo and stately grace. The movement in the harmonic changes also have a palpable big-band jazz influence as well, and this surely comes from Kirkman's Stan Kenton leanings. Sweet and sentimental, the lyrics have a quality that is easy to relate to, indeed was part of its appeal. Although the song had a three-week run at the top spot on the pop charts, it almost didn't come out as a single. Producer Curt Boettcher, feeling that the long running time (3:30) would discourage radio play, put down the incorrect, shorter time of three minutes even on the label, and that did the trick, sending the group on a brief but satisfying run in the Top 40 charts.
Cherish
The Association
Genre
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Song Review by Matthew Greenwald
Appears On
| Year | Artist/Album | Label | Time | AllMusic Rating | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1966 | Rhino / Warner Records | 3:29 | ||||
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1968 | Warner Bros. | 3:29 | ||||
![The Association [1981]](https://cdn-gce.allmusic.com/images/no_image/album_300x300.png) |
1981 | Warner Bros. | |||||
|
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1986 | Pair | 0:00 | ||||
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1988 |
Various Artists
|
Roulette Records | ||||
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1990 |
Various Artists
|
Dominion | 3:24 | |||
![Super Box of Rock [1992]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=MN7OJjEosg9PGjHqdOlwKxyhM-OFI8zG4l-qVpXXB1I=&f=2) |
1992 |
Various Artists
|
Dominion | 3:23 | |||
 |
1993 |
Various Artists
|
Dominion / K-Tel Distribution | 3:23 | |||
![The Sensational 60's, Vol. 2 [Dominion]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=o0ql2sKzd1P6hPm8aVzv_oAf7E_1E-2MlBBPmPAXRBU=&f=2) |
1993 |
Various Artists
|
Dominion | 3:02 | |||
 |
1993 |
Various Artists
|
K-Tel Distribution | 3:24 | |||
 |
1993 |
Various Artists
|
Dominion / K-Tel Distribution | ||||
 |
1995 |
Various Artists
|
Rhino | ||||
 |
1996 |
Various Artists
|
Rhino / JCI Associated Labels | 3:26 | |||
 |
1997 |
Various Artists
|
Retro Music | 3:21 | |||
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1997 |
Various Artists
|
Compose Records | 3:23 | |||
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1997 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy Distribution / Madacy | 3:25 | |||
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1997 |
Various Artists
|
Quality Music / Quality | 3:00 | |||
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1997 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:23 | |||
 |
1997 |
Various Artists
|
Columbia River Entertainment Group | ||||
 |
1997 |
Various Artists
|
Excelsior Recordings | 3:23 | |||
 |
1998 |
Various Artists
|
CMM Music | 3:22 | |||
 |
1998 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy Distribution / Madacy | 3:23 | |||
 |
1998 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair / Number 1 Hits | 3:25 | |||
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1998 | Priority Records | 3:25 | ||||
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1998 |
Various Artists
|
Vanguard | 3:27 | |||
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1998 |
Various Artists
|
Rhino | 3:24 | |||
 |
1999 |
Various Artists
|
Varèse Sarabande / Varese | 3:16 | |||
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1999 |
Various Artists
|
Double Play Records | 3:22 | |||
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1999 |
Various Artists
|
Rhino | 3:24 | |||
 |
1999 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:23 | |||
 |
2000 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy Distribution / Madacy | 3:23 | |||
 |
2000 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair | 3:21 | |||
 |
2000 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy Distribution / Madacy | 3:23 | |||
 |
2000 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair | 3:25 | |||
 |
2000 | Purple Pyramid / Cleopatra | 3:26 | ||||
|
|
2000 |
Various Artists
|
Dominion / K-Tel Distribution | 3:21 | |||
 |
2000 |
Various Artists
|
Top Sail Productions | 3:28 | |||
|
|
2000 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy Distribution | ||||
 |
2001 |
Various Artists
|
Legacy | 3:26 | |||
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2001 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair | 3:23 | |||
![Love Is Forever [Box Set]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=oMEgPRaoE3Jxe4bICg4ydt_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=&f=2) |
2001 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair | 3:23 | |||
 |
2001 |
Various Artists
|
Direct Source | 3:22 | |||
 |
2001 |
Various Artists
|
Rhino | 3:26 | |||
 |
2001 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:22 | |||
![The Sixties Groovy Hits [2002]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=yZ0M0FtHwLjXcLDPyVIgTt_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=&f=2) |
2002 |
Various Artists
|
Deuce Boxed Sets | 3:24 | |||
![Greatest Hits [Warner Japan]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=mTwQ5broTEdRtE-dl1I0pypQg_7iAU1wjqLgK_xGXts=&f=2) |
2002 | Japanese Import | 3:26 | ||||
![Jukebox Hits 1966 [Madacy 2 CD]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=fCLm-2GJBsb5IhEL2VY9QQSijaXJlYnq0St31qpAJWo=&f=2) |
2002 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy Distribution / Madacy | 3:23 | |||
![Cherish [Original Soundtrack]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=gE9P-kRHBTccL5WJjK0GOFWnbEN5fCjifro6xhIBuB4=&f=2) |
2002 |
Original Soundtrack
|
New Line Records | 3:27 | |||
 |
2002 | Rhino / Warner Music | 3:27 | ||||
 |
2002 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair | 3:24 | |||
 |
2003 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy Distribution / Madacy | 3:26 | |||
![21 Winners: Jukebox Hits of the '60s [2003]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=tnXyQjPt1cMB2qzkmWz3TYAf7E_1E-2MlBBPmPAXRBU=&f=2) |
2003 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:22 | |||
![Soft Rock Classics [Direct Source]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=gGTvHjKDQHGWSS11ZxLAe9_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=&f=2) |
2003 |
Various Artists
|
Direct Source | 3:22 | |||
![#1 Pop Hits of the 60s & 70s [Madacy Box]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=ALbJLk7Ek_ASGvHMOch05FWnbEN5fCjifro6xhIBuB4=&f=2) |
2003 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:24 | |||
 |
2003 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy Distribution / Madacy | 3:23 | |||
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2003 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:23 | |||
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2004 |
Various Artists
|
Time / Life Music | 3:27 | |||
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2004 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair | 3:23 | |||
 |
2004 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair | 3:22 | |||
![Happy Days of the 60s [2-CD]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=5AsyVwLQ_eblkbsdLAdGsASijaXJlYnq0St31qpAJWo=&f=2) |
2004 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:24 | |||
 |
2004 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:22 | |||
![Straight from the Heart [Box Set]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=bv94GzgxBazO3KbWd1oSlVWnbEN5fCjifro6xhIBuB4=&f=3) |
2004 |
Various Artists
|
Universal Special Products | 3:28 | |||
![Ultimate Love [Madacy]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=GTEnf1vDsG2h014Z-MO8fVWnbEN5fCjifro6xhIBuB4=&f=3) |
2004 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:23 | |||
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2004 |
Various Artists
|
United Audio Entertainment | 3:22 | |||
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2004 |
Various Artists
|
Time / Life Music | 3:25 | |||
![Golden Era of the 60's [Bonus DVD]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=hK8uCKiRvduh8xS3Ti1eND6KsMttLlyBmmVTZ6_CLs0=&f=2) |
2005 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:20 | |||
 |
2005 | Rhino / Warner Bros. | 3:29 | ||||
 |
2005 |
Various Artists
|
Time / Life Music | 3:25 | |||
 |
2005 |
Various Artists
|
ITH / Rhino / Warner Bros. | 3:30 | |||
 |
2005 |
Various Artists
|
United Multi License | 3:23 | |||
![1960's Happy Days [2005 #2]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=DygX48Si-aYx56bPMgNskg4Q1ghY8VaPylnm7PwcKNY=&f=2) |
2005 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:23 | |||
 |
2005 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair | 3:22 | |||
 |
2006 |
Various Artists
|
Style Records | 3:23 | |||
 |
2006 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:26 | |||
 |
2006 |
Various Artists
|
St. Clair | 3:23 | |||
![#1 Hits of the 50s and 60s [Madacy]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=oljkukKMH03pdRdUXZs2k1WnbEN5fCjifro6xhIBuB4=&f=2) |
2006 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy | 3:21 | |||
 |
2006 |
Various Artists
|
Rhino | 3:26 | |||
 |
2007 |
Various Artists
|
Laserlight | 3:23 | |||
 |
2007 |
Various Artists
|
Direct Source | 3:26 | |||
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2007 |
Various Artists
|
Madacy Distribution / Madacy | 3:25 | |||
![Lifetime of Romance [Time Life Box Set]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=bs304Dd35ux9aKSkTkYGqw4Q1ghY8VaPylnm7PwcKNY=&f=2) |
2007 |
Various Artists
|
Time / Life Music | 3:25 | |||
 |
2008 | Suite 102 | |||||
 |
2011 | Rhino Flashback | 3:26 | ||||
 |
2012 |
Various Artists
|
Time Life / Time / Life Music | 3:25 | |||
 |
2015 |
Various Artists
|
Ace | 3:14 | |||
![Summer of Love [2017]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=ZvPipoQzwrYY7IwUMJm6MB_TZlp6n_cq-Emr2zx15tU=&f=2) |
2017 |
Various Artists
|
Rhino | 3:27 | |||
 |
2017 | 3:25 | |||||
 |
2020 | Dockland Music | 3:24 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Spectrum Music | 3:24 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Time Life / Time / Life Music | 3:25 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Columbia River Entertainment Group | |||||
 |
Various Artists
|
StarVista / Time / Life Music | 3:24 | ||||
 |
Karaoke
|
Sybersound Records | 3:36 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
StarVista | 3:26 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Time Life | 3:25 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Time Life | 3:26 | ||||
![Time Life Presents: Greatest Love Songs of the 60's [5 Discs]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=uNyI9VxwYKb38cZ9Niq34A4Q1ghY8VaPylnm7PwcKNY=&f=2) |
Various Artists
|
Time / Life Music | 3:25 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Warner Music | 3:30 | ||||
 |
Various Artists
|
Dockland Music | 3:24 |