A Different Beat (song)

"A Different Beat"
Single by Boyzone
from the album A Different Beat
B-side	"Angel"
Released	2 December 1996 (1996-12-02) [1]
Studio	The Mothership (UK)
Length	4:10 (album version) 3:34 (radio edit)
Label	Polydor
Songwriters	Ronan Keating Stephen Gately Shane Lynch Keith Duffy Martin Brannigan Ray Hedges
Producers	Ray "Madman" Hedges Trevor Horn (radio edit)
Boyzone singles chronology
"Words" (1996) "A Different Beat" (1996) "Isn't It a Wonder" (1997)
Music video
"A Different Beat" on YouTube

"A Different Beat" is a song by Irish boy band Boyzone from their second studio album, A Different Beat (1996). The song was written by Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Shane Lynch, Keith Duffy, Martin Brannigan, and Ray Hedges, and it was produced by Hedges with additional production by Trevor Horn on the radio edit. It was released as the album's second single on 2 December 1996 by Polydor Records, becoming their only UK number-one hit to be co-written by members of the group.

In a 2025 interview band member Keith Duffy explained how the song was inspired and written to emulate Take That's 1995 hit "Never Forget" as an anthemic sounding closing song for the group's own concert finales. ^[2]

Critical reception

A reviewer from Music Week rated the song four out of five, describing it as a "dramatic epic, enriched by African chants". ^[3] Gerald Martinez from New Sunday Times viewed it as "anthemic". ^[4]

Track listings

• UK CD1 and Australian CD single ^[5]

1. "A Different Beat" (radio edit) – 3:34
2. "Angel" – 3:45
3. "A Different Beat" (remix) – 6:10

• UK CD2 ^[6]

1. "A Different Beat" (radio edit) – 3:34
2. "Angel" – 3:45
3. "Key to My Life" (live at Wembley) – 4:12
4. "A Different Beat" (remix) – 6:10

• UK cassette and European CD single ^{[7] [8]}

1. "A Different Beat" (radio edit) – 3:52 (3:24 on European CD)
2. "Angel" – 3:45

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the A Different Beat album booklet and the UK CD1 liner notes. ^{[5] [9]}

Studios

• Recorded and produced at The Mothership Studios (UK)
• Additional production and remixing at Horn Productions (radio edit)

Personnel

• Ronan Keating – writing
• Stephen Gately – writing
• Shane Lynch – writing
• Keith Duffy – writing
• Martin Brannigan – writing, arrangement
• Ray Hedges – writing, production (as Ray "Madman" Hedges), arrangement
• Tracy Ackerman – additional backing vocals
• Andy Caine – additional backing vocals
• Anne Dudley – string arrangement
• Trevor Horn – additional production and remixing (radio edit)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996–1997) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [10] 42 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [11] 37 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [12] 7 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [13] 18 Europe (European Hit Radio) [14] 28 France Airplay (SNEP) [15] 85 Germany (GfK) [16] 31 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [17] 36 Ireland (IRMA) [18] 2 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [19] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [20] 78 Scotland Singles (OCC) [21] 1 Spain (Top 40 Radio) [22] 24 UK Singles (OCC) [23] 1 UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [24] 7

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position UK Singles (OCC) [25] 53 Chart (1997) Position Lithuania (M-1) [26] 45

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [27]	Silver	200,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 30 November 1996. p. 45. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
2. "How the 'beat' for Boyzone's big show finale was inspired by Take That". Belfast Telegraph. 6 January 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
3. "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 23 November 1996. p. 24. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
4. Martinez, Gerald (18 January 1998). "Bryan Adams — unplugged wonder". New Sunday Times . p. 17. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
5. A Different Beat (UK CD1 & Australian CD single liner notes). Polydor Records. 1996. 573205-2.
6. A Different Beat (UK CD2 liner notes). Polydor Records. 1996. 573207-2.
7. A Different Beat (UK cassette single sleeve). Polydor Records. 1996. 573204-4.
8. A Different Beat (European CD single liner notes). Polydor Records. 1996. 573204-2.
9. A Different Beat (UK CD album booklet). Polydor Records. 1996. 533 876-2.
10. "Boyzone – A Different Beat". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
11. "Boyzone – A Different Beat" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
12. "Boyzone – A Different Beat" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
13. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 13, no. 51/52. 21 December 1996. p. 25. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
14. "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 14, no. 4. 22 February 1997. p. 21. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
15. "Top 100 French Radio Airplay". SNEP. 22 June 1997. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
16. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
17. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (16.1. '97 –22.1. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 17 January 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
18. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – A Different Beat". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
19. "Tipparade-lijst van week 10, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 19 March 2023.
20. "Boyzone – A Different Beat" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
21. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 14/12/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
22. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
23. "Official Singles Chart on 14/12/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
24. "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week . 21 December 1996. p. 17. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
25. "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. 18 January 1997. p. 25.
26. "LITHUANIA – Radio M-1 Top 100 of 1997". M-1. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
27. "British single certifications – Boyzone – A Different Beat". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 27 August 2020.