There are fantastic song covers by well-known musical performers, yet many people prefer to stay with the original.

Even still, occasionally everyone agrees that one version is the best—and that might be the case with The Righteous Brothers’ performance of “Unchained Melody.”

Many people were captivated by the simple but charming melody of the song “Unchained Melody,” composed by Alex North and penned by Hy Zaret.

This song was created for the not-so-famous prison picture Unchained, which was released in 1955.

When he recorded his own version of the song for the movie’s soundtrack, Todd Duncan got the honor of being the first person to sing it.
In the years that followed, the song gained popularity and became a musical classic.

According to the song’s publishing administrator, over 670 musicians have made over 1,500 recordings of “Unchained Melody” in various languages.
The song’s popularity grew further, with several versions becoming chart-toppers.

Some of the most popular renditions of the song, which has hundreds of distinct recordings, are by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, and Roy Hamilton.

Liberace and Jimmy Young also had popular versions of the song that were in the UK’s top 20 charts at the same time as Hibbler and Baxter’s.
The song’s popularity did not end there, particularly with one specific recording that captured everyone’s hearts.

When the Righteous Brothers released their own version in 1965, they won everything.

The Righteous Brothers, a musical team made up of vocalists Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, reinvented and popularized the song.
They released their rendition of the song later that month, in July 1965, and it quickly became a jukebox staple. Hatfield altered parts of the melodies, particularly in the closing lines, in their rendition. In 1965, The Righteous Brothers’ rendition peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and scored 14th on the UK charts.

In addition, the pair re-recorded another version in 1990, which was utilized as the music for the hit movie Ghost.
Both versions, old and new, charted in the United States and reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom that year.

Most of the lead vocals were done by Bobby Hatfield, and he even sang a solo part on the first recording.

However, since The Righteous Brothers had agreed to include at least one solo piece on each album, they had to select who should be given credit for the song.
Both Hatfield and Medley wanted to perform the song, but Hatfield had a better chance. Hatfield’s voice has been the only one heard on the recording since then, along with Medley’s piano accompaniment.

The Righteous Brothers were recognized for having different vocal ranges, with Medley singing much of the lower register and Hatfield singing most of the upper register.

Hatfield’s tenor voice elevated their rendition of “Unchained Melody” to new heights.
Hatfield’s stunning solo of the song may be heard on The Andy Williams Show in 1965.

In this song, you can’t get enough of Hatfield’s heavenly voice!
The Righteous Brothers have had several successes over the years, but this is one that everyone keeps returning to. Nonetheless, performances like this one demonstrate why!