Sounds Like a Melody: Difference between revisions

"Sounds Like a Melody"
"Sounds Like a Melody"
Single by Alphaville
from the album Forever Young
B-side	"The Nelson Highrise (Sector One: The Elevator)"
Released	May 14, 1984
Genre	Synth-pop
Length	4:45 (album version); 4:29 (7" single); 7:42 (12" maxi);
Label	WEA
Songwriter(s)	Marian Gold; Bernhard Lloyd; Frank Mertens;
Producer(s)	Orlando (Wolfgang Loos)
Alphaville singles chronology
Music video
	"Alphaville - Sounds Like a Melody (remastered 2020)" on YouTube

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"Sounds Like a Melody" is a song by German band Alphaville, released on May 14, 1984 as the second single from their debut album Forever Young.

The song was a big success in continental Europe and South Africa, reaching the top 10; it topped the charts in Italy and Sweden, and was certified gold in Germany.^[1]

Song background

Originally, Alphaville had planned to release "Forever Young" as their second single, to follow the success of "Big in Japan". However, record studio executives requested that Alphaville release an additional song between the two singles, and as a result "Sounds Like a Melody" was written and arranged in just two days. Of the experience, singer Marian Gold said "the whole affair felt like an insult to our naive hippie instincts. Writing music exclusively for the sake of commercial success seemed like the sell-out of our virtual beliefs. On the other hand, did this not open up possibilities for wonderful games to play in the brave new world of pop music?".^[2] This corporate pressure caused the band to dislike the song and they refused to play it live for over 10 years.^[2]

Track listings

7" single

"Sounds Like a Melody" – 4:29
"The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" – 3:14

12" maxi

"Sounds Like a Melody" (special long version) – 7:42
"The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" – 4:12

12" maxi Record Store Day 2020 yellow vinyl

"Sounds Like a Melody" (Grant & Kelly remix) - 8:33
"Sounds Like a Melody" (special long version remastered) - 7:43

The 7" version differs greatly from the version released later on the album.
The B-side is commonly referred to simply as "The Elevator", and a remix appears on 1999's Dreamscapes.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1984–1985)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[3]	3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[4]	10
France (SNEP)^[5]	10
Italy (FIMI)^[6]	1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[7]	6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[8]	8
Norway (VG-lista)^[9]	5
South Africa (Springbok Radio)^[10]	2
Spain (AFYVE)^[11]	5
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[12]	1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[13]	4
West Germany (GfK)^[14]	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1984)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[15]	19
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[16]	80
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[17]	80
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[18]	55
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[19]	15

Chart (1985)	Position
France (SNEP)^[20]	53

References

^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alphaville; 'Sounds Like a Melody')". Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
^ ^a ^b so80s presents Alphaville (CD liner notes). Alphaville. Blank & Jones (So 80s). 2014. SC0344.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "SINGOLI – I NUMERI UNO (1959-2006) (parte 3: 1980-1990)" (in Italian). It-charts.150m.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Alphaville - Sounds Like A Melody" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". VG-lista. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (A)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
^ "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
^ "Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "Jaaroverzichten 1984" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
^ "TOP – 1985". Top-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 February 2014.

[1] "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alphaville; 'Sounds Like a Melody')". Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 1 June 2014.

[notes-2] so80s presents Alphaville (CD liner notes). Alphaville. Blank & Jones (So 80s). 2014. SC0344.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[sc_Austria_Alphaville-3] "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[sc_Flanders_Alphaville-4] "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[sc_France_Alphaville-5] "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[6] "SINGOLI – I NUMERI UNO (1959-2006) (parte 3: 1980-1990)" (in Italian). It-charts.150m.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2013.

[sc_Dutch40_Alphaville_-_Sounds_Like_A_Melody-7] "Nederlandse Top 40 – Alphaville - Sounds Like A Melody" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[sc_Dutch100_Alphaville-8] "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[sc_Norway_Alphaville-9] "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". VG-lista. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[10] "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (A)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 3 July 2013.

[11] Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.

[sc_Sweden_Alphaville-12] "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[sc_Switzerland_Alphaville-13] "Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[sc_West_Germany_Alphaville-14] "Offiziellecharts.de – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 March 2019.

[15] "Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[16] "Jaaroverzichten 1984" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.

[17] "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 February 2014.

[18] "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.

[19] "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

[20] "TOP – 1985". Top-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 February 2014.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
 {{Infobox song
 | name       = Sounds Like a Melody
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 | artist     = [[Alphaville (band)|Alphaville]]
 | album      = [[Forever Young (Alphaville album)|Forever Young]]
-| B-side     = The Nelson Highrise (Sector One : The Elevator)
+| B-side     = The Nelson Highrise (Sector One: The Elevator)
-| released   = 1984
+| released   = May 14, 1984
 | recorded   =
 | studio     =
 | venue      =
-| genre      =
+| genre      = [[Synth-pop]]
 | length     = {{unbulleted list|4:45 (album version)|4:29 (7" single)|7:42 (12" maxi)}}
 | label      = WEA
@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 | next_title = [[Forever Young (Alphaville song)|Forever Young]]
 | next_year  = 1984
+| misc       = {{External music video|{{YouTube|sUz2DK-ucWc|"Alphaville - Sounds Like a Melody (remastered 2020)"}}}}
 }}
-"'''Sounds Like a Melody'''" is a song by the German group [[Alphaville (band)|Alphaville]], from the group's debut album ''[[Forever Young (Alphaville album)|Forever Young]]''. The [[Single (music)|single]] was released in 1984.
+"'''Sounds Like a Melody'''" is a song by German band [[Alphaville (band)|Alphaville]], released on May 14, 1984 as the second [[Single (music)|single]] from their debut album ''[[Forever Young (Alphaville album)|Forever Young]]''.
-The song was a big success in [[continental Europe]] and [[South Africa]], reaching the Top 10; it topped the charts in Italy and Sweden, and was certified Gold in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|title= Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alphaville; 'Sounds Like a Melody') |publisher= [[Bundesverband Musikindustrie]] |accessdate= 1 June 2014 |url= http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=Sounds+Like+a+Melody&strInterpret=Alphaville&strTtArt=single&strAwards=checked}}</ref>
+The song was a big success in [[continental Europe]] and [[South Africa]], reaching the top 10; it topped the charts in Italy and Sweden, and was certified gold in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|title= Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alphaville; 'Sounds Like a Melody') |publisher= [[Bundesverband Musikindustrie]] |accessdate= 1 June 2014 |url= http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=Sounds+Like+a+Melody&strInterpret=Alphaville&strTtArt=single&strAwards=checked}}</ref>
 ==Song background==
-Originally, Alphaville had planned to release "[[Forever Young (Alphaville song)|Forever Young]]" as their second single, to follow the success of "[[Big in Japan (Alphaville song)|Big in Japan]]". However, record studio executives requested that Alphaville release an additional song between the two singles, and as a result "Sounds Like a Melody" was written and arranged in just two days. Of the experience, singer [[Marian Gold]] said "the whole affair felt like an insult to our naive hippie instincts. Writing music exclusively for the sake of commercial success seemed like the sell-out of our virtual beliefs. On the other hand, did this not open up possibilities for wonderful games to play in the brave new world of pop music?"<ref name="notes">{{cite AV media notes|title= so80s presents Alphaville |type= CD liner notes |others= [[Alphaville (band)|Alphaville]] |publisher= [[Blank & Jones|Blank & Jones (So 80s)]] |year= 2014 |id= SC0344}}</ref> This corporate pressure caused the band to dislike the song and they refused to play it live for over 10 years.<ref name="notes"/>
+Originally, Alphaville had planned to release "[[Forever Young (Alphaville song)|Forever Young]]" as their second single, to follow the success of "[[Big in Japan (Alphaville song)|Big in Japan]]". However, record studio executives requested that Alphaville release an additional song between the two singles, and as a result "Sounds Like a Melody" was written and arranged in just two days. Of the experience, singer [[Marian Gold]] said "the whole affair felt like an insult to our naive hippie instincts. Writing music exclusively for the sake of commercial success seemed like the sell-out of our virtual beliefs. On the other hand, did this not open up possibilities for wonderful games to play in the brave new world of pop music?".<ref name="notes">{{cite AV media notes|title= so80s presents Alphaville |type= CD liner notes |others= [[Alphaville (band)|Alphaville]] |publisher= [[Blank & Jones|Blank & Jones (So 80s)]] |year= 2014 |id= SC0344}}</ref> This corporate pressure caused the band to dislike the song and they refused to play it live for over 10 years.<ref name="notes"/>
 ==Track listings==
-; 7" Single WEA
+; 7" single
 # "Sounds Like a Melody" – 4:29
 # "The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" – 3:14
-; 12" Maxi WEA
+; 12" maxi
-# "Sounds Like a Melody (Special Long Version)" – 7:42
+# "Sounds Like a Melody" (special long version) – 7:42
 # "The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" – 4:12
-; 12" Maxi [[Record Store Day]] 2020 Yellow vinyl
+; 12" maxi [[Record Store Day]] 2020 yellow vinyl
-# "Sounds Like a Melody (Grant & Kelly Remix)" - 8:33
+# "Sounds Like a Melody" (Grant & Kelly remix) - 8:33
-# "Sounds Like a Melody (Special Long Version Remastered)" - 7:43
+# "Sounds Like a Melody" (special long version remastered) - 7:43
-* The 7" and 12" versions differ greatly from the version released later on the album.
+* The 7" version differs greatly from the version released later on the album.
-* The B-side is commonly referred to simply as "The Elevator," and a remix appears on 1999's ''[[Dreamscapes]]''.
+* The B-side is commonly referred to simply as "The Elevator", and a remix appears on 1999's ''[[Dreamscapes]]''.
 ==Chart performance==
@@ Line 124: / Line 125: @@
 {{Authority control}}
-[[Category:1984 singles]]
 [[Category:1984 songs]]
+[[Category:1984 singles]]
 [[Category:Alphaville (band) songs]]
 [[Category:Number-one singles in Italy]]

v t e Alphaville
Marian Gold Bernhard Lloyd Frank Mertens Ricky Echolette
Studio albums	Forever Young Afternoons in Utopia The Breathtaking Blue Prostitute Salvation Catching Rays on Giant Strange Attractor Eternally Yours
Compilations	First Harvest 1984–92 So80s presents Alphaville
Video releases	Songlines
Singles	"Big in Japan" "Sounds Like a Melody" "Forever Young" "Jet Set" "Dance with Me" "Universal Daddy" "Jerusalem" "Red Rose" "Romeos" "Summer Rain" "Fools" "I Die for You Today" "Song for No One"
Related articles	Discography