Unchained Melody

Many people love this famous song.

It started in a movie long ago.

A man named Alex North wrote the music. Hy Zaret wrote the words. The song is about missing someone you love.

Many singers have performed it. More than 670 singers have recorded it. Some people sing it in different languages.

A group called the Righteous Brothers made a very famous version. One singer sang very high notes. This helped the song become a hit.

The song is still loved today. It can be heard in many movies. It is a very special song for many people.

Many people love the song "Unchained Melody."

It started in 1955. Alex North wrote the music. Hy Zaret wrote the lyrics. The song was made for a movie about a prison. The words are about missing a person you love.

Many singers have made their own versions. Over 670 singers have recorded it. They have even sung it in different languages. In 1955, several versions were hits at once. This was a record in the United Kingdom.

The most famous version is by the Righteous Brothers. They recorded it in 1965. One singer, Bobby Hatfield, sang very high notes. He changed the melody in the last part. This version became a big hit in movies. It was used in the 1990 film Ghost. This helped the song become popular again.

Elvis Presley also sang the song. He performed it in 1977. Even more singers like Robson and Jerome have made hits with it. This song is a true classic.

The song "Unchained Melody" is a famous piece of music that many people love.

It is known for being a beautiful song about missing someone. The lyrics focus on a person who longs for a loved one they have not seen in a long, lonely time. This song has become a "standard," which means it is a song that many different artists choose to sing. Over 1,500 recordings have been made by more than 670 singers. People have even performed it in many different languages. It is one of the most recorded songs from the 20th century.

Creating the song involved a few important steps and people. Alex North wrote the music as a theme for a 1955 prison movie called "Unchained." He used a melody he had originally written back in the 1930s. Hy Zaret wrote the words for the song. Interestingly, the song does not actually use the word "unchained" in the lyrics. Zaret chose not to use that word because a producer asked him to. Instead, he focused on the feeling of waiting for a loved one. The song is written in the key of C major.

History shows that the song was a huge success very early on. In 1955, three different versions of the song were in the top 10 on the Billboard charts in the United States. These versions were by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, and Roy Hamilton. In the United Kingdom, the song set a record. Four different versions by Hibbler, Baxter, Jimmy Young, and Liberace were in the top 20 at the same time.

The song also sold many copies of sheet music. It stayed at number one on the sheet music charts for nine weeks in 1955.

The most well-known version was recorded by the Righteous Brothers in 1965. This version featured a solo by Bobby Hatfield. During the recording, Hatfield decided to change the melody in the final verse. He sang the line "I need your love" much higher than before. This change helped make his version very special. This recording became very popular again in 1990 after it was used in the movie "Ghost." In the UK, the song reached number one and stayed there for four weeks.

Many other famous singers have also shared their own versions of this melody. Elvis Presley performed the song in 1977 during a show in South Dakota. His version reached number six on the country charts in the US and Canada. Another famous version was by Robson and Jerome, which was the best-selling single of 1995 in the United Kingdom. This song connects many different types of music and eras together. Whether it is played on a movie soundtrack or by a famous singer, the melody remains very powerful. It continues to be a song that brings people together through music.

"Unchained Melody" is a famous musical standard from the 20th century.

A standard is a song that many different artists choose to record. This specific song is one of the most recorded pieces of music in history. The song's publishing administrator reports that over 1,500 recordings exist. These versions were created by more than 670 different singers. Artists have performed the melody in multiple languages across the world. It remains a powerful example of how a single melody can connect different generations of listeners.

The creation of the song involved a collaboration between two men. Alex North composed the music in 1954 for a prison film titled *Unchained*. North used a melody he had originally written during the 1930s. He then asked Hy Zaret to write the lyrics for the piece. Although the song is titled "Unchained Melody," the lyrics never actually use the word "unchained." Zaret refused a producer's request to include that specific word in the text. Instead, he wrote about a person pining for a lover during a "long, lonely time." The song is written in the key of C major. It also uses an unusual harmonic device where the bridge ends on the tonic chord rather than the usual dominant chord.

Early versions of the song saw massive success on music charts in 1955. In the United States, three different versions reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 10. These versions were recorded by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, and Roy Hamilton. Baxter's choral version reached number one on the U.S. charts. In the United Kingdom, the song set a major record. Four different versions by Hibbler, Baxter, Jimmy Young, and Liberace appeared in the top 20 simultaneously.

This was a record for any song at that time. The song also performed well in the sheet music market. It held the number one spot on the Billboard Best Selling Sheet Music chart for nine weeks.

The most famous version was recorded by the Righteous Brothers in 1965. This recording featured a solo by Bobby Hatfield. Interestingly, the song was originally intended to be the B-side of the single "Hung on You." However, radio DJs preferred the B-side and began playing "Unchained Melody" instead. This version became a jukebox standard due to Hatfield's unique vocal performance. During the third take of the recording, Hatfield decided to change the melody. He sang the line "I need your love" in the final verse much higher than the previous versions. This vocal choice became a defining feature of the song.

The Righteous Brothers' recording experienced a massive resurgence in 1990. This happened after the song was featured in the film *Ghost*. The success led to two different versions charting in the U.S. simultaneously. The duo released a new recording for Curb Records to meet the renewed interest. This re-recorded version reached number 19 on the charts and earned a Grammy Award nomination. Meanwhile, the 1965 original was reissued and topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart for two weeks. In the United Kingdom, the reissue reached number one and stayed there for four weeks. By 2017, the 1990 reissue had sold 1.17 million copies in the UK alone.

Other famous performers have also left their mark on the song. Elvis Presley performed a notable version during a 1977 show in South Dakota. This performance was recorded for his final television special. A single based on this live recording reached number six on the country charts in the U.S. and Canada. In 1995, the duo Robson and Jerome released a version that became the best-selling single in the UK that year. Their version helped launch their singing careers and became a major hit for Simon Cowell. These diverse performances show how the song adapts to different musical styles.

"Unchained Melody" connects to many different parts of the music industry. It demonstrates how a film soundtrack can launch a global hit. It also shows how a song can transition from sheet music to sound recordings. The song's history involves legal disputes regarding its authorship. A man named William Stirrat claimed he wrote the lyrics as a teenager in 1936. However, a court ruled in favor of the real Hy Zaret, Hyman Zaritsky. This ensured that Zaret received all the royalties from the song. Today, the song remains a vital part of popular music history.