[1] Maresca had co-written Dion's previous number-one hit, "Runaround Sue", but originally intended "The Wanderer" to be recorded by another group, Nino and the Ebb Tides.

The record was turned over by radio DJs who preferred "The Wanderer", which duly entered the US charts in December 1961 and rose to number 2 in early 1962 (behind "Duke of Earl" by Gene Chandler).

[9] In 2015, the Bethesda Softworks game, Fallout 4, was released, and advertised via a live-action clip of the protagonist and his dog walking through a wasteland, with "The Wanderer" playing in the background.

However, Dion filed a lawsuit claiming he was not informed it would be licensed, saying that it "...featured repeated homicides in a dark, dystopian landscape, where violence is glorified as sport.

The killings and physical violence were not to protect innocent life, but instead were repugnant and morally indefensible images designed to appeal to young consumers.

"[10] "The Wanderer" has been recorded by many other popular singers and bands, including Dee Snider, Gary Glitter, The Beach Boys, Leif Garrett (US number 49 in 1978),[12] Bruce Springsteen, Delbert McClinton, and Dave Edmunds.