His cover of "Misty" made its first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the issue dated October 5, 1959, and peaked at number 12 during its 17 weeks there.

[9] This special Grammy Award category was established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance.

"The tempos are slow, the strings swell, and Mathis' vulnerable tenor, dripping with tender emotion yet never missing a beat, soars and swoops over all.

"[3] He also notes that after ten albums released in three years Mathis was "a recording veteran while still being fresh enough to give his performances real feeling.

The absence of cover versions demonstrated either that no one else felt Mathis's rendition could be bettered or that its charms seemed threadbare in less capable hands.