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TOP 1200 CHOICE TRACKS

#304 UNCHAINED MELODY The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers' recording of "Unchained Melody" is a track that has unexpectedly enjoyed an enviable longevity. The song owes its success to 2 different movies, separated by decades. Many discovered its brilliance in 1990, but few would know that it was written for another movie in 1955. 
The song originally started as a poem the teen William Stirrat composed for a girl he fancied. Around this time, he met Alex North. Stirrat wrote under the name Hy Zaret. Together, the 2 adapted his words into a song that was pitched to Bing Crosby. Stirrat was rejected by the girl and Crosby turned down the song. Years later, North offered the song for use in a prison drama. The title refers to the movie it was written for: 'Unchained'. The song was nominated for an Academy Award. It lost to the title tune from 'Love is a Many Splendoured Thing'. 
Todd Duncan sang the film version of "Unchained Melody". In 1955, the song became a global hit. Les Baxter scored a US #1 hit with his interpretation. Both that cover version and 1 by Al Hibbler went to #1 in Australia. Jimmy Young's remake topped the UK chart. 
In the 1960s, The Righteous Brothers were working with Phil Spector. Although the version he produced is credited to the duo, it is in fact a solo recording by 1 of the members: Bobby Hatfield. Following the #1 success of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", Spector saved what he considered the songs with potential for the other vocalist, Bill Medley. When "Unchained..."  was initially released in 1965, it was the B-side for "Hung On You". American radio chose to play both sides, with the former peaking at #4 there, while "Hung..." missed the Top 40.
The duo severed its ties with Spector and, the following year, scored a 2nd US #1, "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration". In 1967, The Righteous Brothers split. Following a reunion in 1974, they reached #3 in America with "Rock and Roll Heaven". Medley enjoyed an international #1 single with "(I've Had) The Time of my Life", a duet from 'Dirty Dancing' with Jennifer Warnes. 
In 1990, "Unchained..." was used in a key scene in the film 'Ghost', starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. The song was re-released in its wake and finally made the top of the British and Australian charts. That same year, the duo re-recorded a new version which followed the original into the US Top 20. Hatfield died suddenly while on a reunion tour with Medley in 2003. 

This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.
2 new songs are added each day (every 12 hours) with an expanded edition coming soon!