| Maybe | |
| Cover: | Maybe (The Chantels record label).jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | the Chantels |
| Album: | We Are the Chantels |
| B-Side: | Come My Little Baby |
| Released: | December 1957 |
| Recorded: | October 16, 1957 |
| Venue: | a church in Midtown Manhattan |
| Length: | 2:54 |
| Label: | End |
| Prev Title: | He's Gone |
| Prev Year: | 1957 |
| Next Title: | Every Night (I Pray) |
| Next Year: | 1958 |
| Maybe | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | the Shangri-Las |
| Album: | Leader of the Pack |
| B-Side: | Shout |
| Released: | December 1964 |
| Length: | 2:35 |
| Label: | Red Bird |
| Producer: | Shadow Morton |
| Prev Title: | Give Him a Great Big Kiss |
| Prev Year: | 1964 |
| Next Title: | Out in the Streets |
| Next Year: | 1965 |
| Maybe | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | The Three Degrees |
| Released: | 1966 |
| Length: | 2:35 |
| Label: | Red Bird |
| Producer: | Shadow Morton |
| Prev Title: | Give Him a Great Big Kiss |
| Prev Year: | 1964 |
| Next Title: | Out in the Streets |
| Next Year: | 1965 |
| Maybe | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Janis Joplin |
| Album: | I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! |
| B-Side: | Work Me, Lord |
| Released: | September 11, 1969 |
| Recorded: | June 16–26, 1969 |
| Studio: | Columbia Records Studios, New York City, New York |
| Genre: | Blues rock |
| Length: | 3:41 |
| Label: | Columbia Records |
| Producer: | Gabriel Mekler |
| Maybe | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | The Three Degrees |
| Album: | Maybe |
| Released: | July 1970 |
| Label: | Roulette |
"Maybe" is a song with words and music originally credited to End Records owner George Goldner and "Casey". The co-writing credit was later transferred to Richard Barrett. Arlene Smith, lead singer of the Chantels, is believed to be an uncredited co-writer. The song was first recorded by the Chantels on October 16, 1957, in a doo-wop style with Barrett playing piano, and released in December 1957. It climbed the charts in January 1958, reaching No. 15 in the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in the Billboard R&B chart. It was subsequently described as "arguably, the first true glimmering of the girl group sound".[1] Rolling Stone ranked it No. 199 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[2] It was also included in Robert Christgau's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in (1981).[3]
Billboard named the song No. 60 on its list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[4]
The song was also covered by The Three Degrees in 1966, Janis Joplin on her I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! album in 1969, and again by The Three Degrees in 1970.
Miguel Matute Project recorded a version in 2019 with Monica Mayen on vocals, included in the album "Desde Adentro y Otros Asuntos".
The original Chantels recording was included on the 1963 compilation album Golden Goodies Vol. 3 (Roulette R-25218). The song also appears on the 1973 compilation Rock 'N' Soul 1958 (ABCX-1958), and on the 1975 compilation More American Graffiti (MCA2-8007).