Watch A Criminally Underrated Performance Of Badfinger for “Without You” In 1972

The tragedy that befell the members of the then-rising band named Badfinger quickly became one of the most depressing moments in the history of rock. Through no fault of their own, they became entangled to the nasty corporate disputes that had happened inside Apple, The Beatles’ label. But, inside the span of their career, they managed to create some of the most memorable songs, and “Without You” is one of them.

No, it wasn’t Harry Nilsson’s original hit, nor was Mariah Carey’s—although their versions were the most popular upon its release. Written by Tom Evans and Pete Ham, it’s a power ballad with smooth instrumentation and heartbreaking lyrics. Paul McCartney once referred to the track as “the killer song of all time.” He is not wrong about that.

Inside this 1972 underrated performance of Badfinger below, you can definitely feel the budding power that the song provides. It’s not as fancy as Carey’s, not more refined like Nilsson’s. But by far, the originality and the rawness of vocals make it all so perfect. It’s unfortunate that the band never got the credit it long deserved in the first place.

You can watch their performance of “Without You” below.