"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (sometimes called "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow") is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The Shirelles first recorded it in 1960 for their album Tonight's the Night. The song was released as a single that November and became the first song by a girl group to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Over time, many other artists have recorded the song, including Carole King, who included it on her 1971 album Tapestry.

The Shirelles' version

In 1960, the American girl group the Shirelles released the first version of the song as Scepter single 1211. The B-side of the single was "Boys," and both songs were included on their debut album Tonight's the Night. The first pressing of the single was labeled "Tomorrow," but the song was later made longer. When first presented with the song, lead singer Shirley Owens believed it was "too country," but she agreed to record it after a string arrangement was added. Session musicians on the recording included Paul Griffin on piano and Gary Chester on drums. Owens later shared on Jim Parsons' radio program Shake Rattle Showtime that some radio stations banned the record because they thought the lyrics had adult themes. The song follows the AABA musical structure.

The song reached No. 1 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart, No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart, and No. 4 on the UK singles chart. It also reached No. 3 in New Zealand.

The song was ranked No. 126 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2017, Billboard named the song No. 3 on its list of the "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time."

In 1999, the song was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame. Sales and streaming figures are based only on certification data.

In 1960, Bertell Dache recorded an answer song titled "Not Just Tomorrow, But Always," which was arranged by Carole King. The Satintones, an early Motown group, also recorded an answer song called "Tomorrow and Always" (in two versions). Their song used the same melody as the original but did not initially credit King and Gerry Goffin. After a threat of legal action, later versions of the record included proper credit. Eventually, the song was removed and replaced with "Angel," which had the same B-side "A Love That Can Never Be." The Satintones’ versions are included in the box set The Complete Motown Singles, Volume 1: 1959–1961.

Carole King version

In 1971, Carole King, the songwriter of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," recorded the song for her second studio album, Tapestry. Joni Mitchell and James Taylor provided background vocals on separate tracks. King's version of the song was performed at a slower tempo. David Hepworth described it as "more like a mature woman seeking fairness in a relationship" rather than "a trembling virgin asking for kindness." The song received frequent airplay on rock radio stations because of the album's popularity.

The song became a regular part of King's live performances. James Taylor performed his part again during the 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour, which King and Taylor shared with fans.

In the 2013 Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, the song appears four times: once during its creation, once when King recorded a demo, once when the Shirelles performed it, and once when King sang and played it during a difficult period in her marriage to Goffin. This is the only song in the musical that appears this many times.

• Carole King – piano, vocals
• Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar – acoustic guitar
• Russ Kunkel – drums
• Charles "Charlie" Larkey – bass guitar
• Joni Mitchell – background vocals
• James Taylor – acoustic guitar, backing vocals

Notable cover versions

• The Four Seasons included a cover on their compilation album Edizione D'Oro: The 4 Seasons Gold Edition – 29 Gold Hits. The song reached number 15 on the Cash Box chart and number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968.
• Linda Ronstadt released a version on her 1970 album Silk Purse. It reached number 98 on the Cash Box chart and number 111 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.
• Roberta Flack's version from her album Quiet Fire reached number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972 as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow."
• Smokey Robinson recorded a version for his 1973 album Smokey. This cover was later sampled on the Kanye West song "Devil in a New Dress" from his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
• Melanie included a version on her album Madrugada, which reached number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973 and reached the top 40 in the United Kingdom in 1974.
• Dana Valery recorded a dance version that reached number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976.
• The Michael Stanley Band included a version for their 1977 live album Stage Pass, recorded at Cleveland's Agora Ballroom.
• Dave Mason recorded the song in 1978 for his album Mariposa de Oro. His version reached number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was his last top 40 hit on that chart.
• Ram & Tam had a hit on the UK reggae chart, reaching number 25 with their version in late 1979. They included it on their 1986 album Love & Life.
• Dionne Warwick recorded her version for her 1983 album How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye, which featured the original Shirelles on guest vocals.
• Laura Branigan covered the song for her 1984 album Self Control. It was a piano version, and in concerts and television appearances throughout her career, Branigan played the piano for the song.
• The Bee Gees covered the song in contribution to the 1995 tribute album Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King.
• Amy Winehouse sang a version for the 2004 film Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, which was included on the European edition of the soundtrack album. The song also appeared on Winehouse's posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures in 2011.
• Kelly Clarkson was inspired by Winehouse's style to perform the song herself on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
• Leslie Grace released a bachata version in 2012, which became her debut single. Her version reached number one on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart and number one on the Latin Airplay chart, making her the youngest female artist to achieve this. She also released a dance version for her 2013 self-titled album, Leslie Grace.
• Kamasi Washington covered the song on his 2018 LP The Choice.
• Taylor Swift performed the song in honor of King at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
• Brian Fallon recorded a cover of the song for the movie Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, featuring Madi Diaz.