Some songs never lose their popularity no matter how much time passes by and are simply
meant to last forever. One such tune is Unchained Melody. Not many know that the song was
first written for the film Unchained, which is a story about a prisoner who is torn between
two choices; to finish his sentence or to escape prison and see his family.
With the music written by Alex North and the lyrics by Hy Zaret, Unchained Melody is one of
the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by The Righteous Brothers.
It regained its popularity after it was featured in the film Ghost in 1990. The scene in
which Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore make pottery together while the song is on in the background is considered iconic by many.
One of the videos of The Righteous Brothers’ rendition has been seen over 76 million times.
“I swear I can feel the chills going up and down my back when he hits those high notes.
I feel like crying knowing that this amazing man is gone,” one fan commented under the video.
Elvis Presley was another prominent artist who gave Unchained Melody new life.
The perfect combination of this song and Elvis’ out-of-this-world vocal abilities
triggered deep emotions whenever he performed it.
In the video below, the legendary Unchained Melody is played by several different
orchestras which all go with their own versions, creating an enchanting rendition.
All the participants are in uniforms so we get to see the “soft” side of the members
of the military personnel. The sound of sousaphones, drums, clarinets, horns and more
only add to the beauty of the performance which takes place in a full stadium in Bremen, Germany, in 2002.