The Crystals' 1963 single "He's a Rebel" was an unexpected hit, reaching the top of the charts despite not featuring any of the group's original members.
- Despite its success, none of the original Crystals — Mary Thomas, Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenner, Barbara Alston, or Patricia Lee Lucas — performed on the track. Instead, it was sung by Darlene Love and her group, The Blossoms, under the name The Crystals.
- The song was written by Frankie Lymon, the former lead singer of The Teenagers, and his collaborator Morris Levy.
- "He's a Rebel" reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 1963, becoming the only chart-topper by the group.
The Crystals were a quintessential girl group from New York City, best known for their string of hits produced by Phil Spector in the early 1960s. This 1963 single marked a late-career release for the group during the period when Spector began to phase them out in favor of newer projects.
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