Written in 1955 for a film by the same name, "Unchained Melody" has become a standard classic and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century. Written by composer Alex North and lyricist Hy Zaret, the word "unchained" actually does not appear in the song.
A prolific tune, "Unchained Melody" has been the subject of over 1,500 recordings by more than 600 singers. In 1965, ten years after the release of the original, one of these recordings was that by the duo The Righteous Brothers. The vocals on the cover are performed by Bobby Hatfield, who won a coin toss against partner Bill Medley to sing lead. The cover by the duo is considered the best-known or most popular version of the song and even went on to be a jukebox standard.
"Unchained Melody" was released as the B-side to the single "Hung on You." However, multiple radio DJs at the time disregarded "Hung on You" and opted to play "Unchained Melody" instead. Thanks mostly to the radio play, the song reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1990, the version by The Righteous Brothers reentered the charts due to its inclusion in the hit movie, Ghost.Because of some licensing issues, the duo opted to rerecord the song, and the new version also entered the charts. The new version was received well, peaked at number 19 on the charts, and was nominated for a Grammy.
While the Righteous Brothers version has gone on to be considered the definitive version of the song, several other notable covers have been recorded over the years. "Unchained Melody" has been recorded by Elvis, Gareth Gates, Anne Wilson, U2, Barry Manilow, and Cyndi Lauper.
In 2004, Rolling Stone listed the version of "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers among their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." The Songwriters Hall of Fame also honored the song with a Towering Song award in 2007.
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