Unchained Melody

"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.