"Forever Young" | ||||
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Single by Alphaville | ||||
from the album Forever Young | ||||
B-side | "Welcome to the Sun" | |||
Released | 20 September 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1984 | |||
Studio | Studio 54 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | WEA | |||
Composer(s) | ||||
Lyricist(s) | Marian Gold | |||
Producer(s) |
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Alphaville singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Forever Young" (version 1) "Forever Young" (version 2) |
"Forever Young" is a song by German synth-pop band Alphaville from their 1984 debut studio album of the same name. The single was successful in Scandinavia and in the European German-speaking countries in the same year.
The single achieved more success in the United States than in the United Kingdom, but it failed to reach the American top 40 despite three separate US single releases. Though not the group's highest-charting single in Europe, "Forever Young" was one of the band's signature songs and has been covered by numerous artists. It also formed the basis of Jay-Z's song "Young Forever". "Forever Young" is written in the key of C major. [1]
In a 2022 interview, Alphaville lead singer Marian Gold said that it was "a great privilege" to have "Forever Young", as well as "Big in Japan", in "their luggage" when touring, and that he was grateful to be able to perform these songs. [2]
Intended to be an upbeat dance song, producer Andreas Budde recommended paring the song down to a sparse synth-pop ballad. [3] : 48:37
Marian Gold originally wrote the third verse to evoke a "fascistic feeling" of the adoration of the crowd: [3] : 51:28
- Can you imagine how we won the war?
- Little fascist lady she loves you so
- Following her leader, she's getting in tune
- The music's played by the madmen
However, for the final recording, record executives pushed for a change, resulting in: [3] : 51:49
- Can you imagine when this race is won
- Turn our golden faces into the sun
- Praising our leaders we're getting in tune
- The music's played by the madmen
Gold calls the replacement "turn our golden faces into the sun" the worst lyric in the song. [3] : 52:01
Not a native English speaker, Gold received pronunciation instruction from producer Colin Pearson. [3] : 52:55 The band had decided that the word "dance" in the first line should be pronounced /dɑːns/ in order for the song to sound British, but Gold would forget and sing the American pronunciation /dæns/. [3] : 54:20
Originally released by Alphaville as a single in 1984, "Forever Young" was available in both its original mix and in a dance version, entitled the "Special Dance Mix". Over the years, the band has released several remixes and demo versions of the song.
In the US, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 95 in the week of 23 March 1985, peaking at number 93 the following week, before dropping off the chart following a four-week run; it also peaked at number 32 on the Hot Dance/Disco Club Play chart on 30 March. [4] [5] [6] When re-released in 1988, the song was more successful in the US, peaking at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 in a total run of 14 weeks.
The song's music video, directed by Brian Ward, shows the band performing in one of the halls at Holloway Sanatorium in Virginia Water, England. A number of people from children to the elderly, dressed in ragged finery, awake to watch the band, then walk through a diamond-shaped glowing portal.
The song plays at the end and credits of the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode "Underage Drinking: A National Concern".
The original album version has also appeared on the following official Alphaville releases:
The "Special Dance Version" and the B-side "Welcome to the Sun" were both included on so80s presents Alphaville (2014).
This song has been released several times in various forms, including remixes and demos, on:
Chart (1984–1985) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report) [7] | 47 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [8] | 22 |
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [9] | 62 |
Europe (European Top 100 Singles) [10] | 18 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [11] | 24 |
France (SNEP) [12] | 13 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [13] | 18 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [14] | 19 |
Norway (VG-lista) [15] | 3 |
South Africa (Springbok Radio) [16] | 7 |
Spain (AFYVE) [17] | 14 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [18] | 1 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [19] | 3 |
UK Singles (OCC) [20] | 98 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [21] | 65 [lower-alpha 1] |
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [21] | 32 |
West Germany (Official German Charts) [22] | 4 |
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
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Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [23] | 42 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [24] | 105 |
Greece International (IFPI) [25] | 96 |
Lithuania (AGATA) [26] | 99 |
Portugal (AFP) [27] | 179 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [28] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [29] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [30] | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [31] | Platinum | 10,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [32] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [33] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
In 2001, Alphaville released a new set of remixes in a "limited fan edition" called "Forever Young 2001". This single contained three music tracks, one spoken word track, and a PC-only track.
This CD was released to fans for free, only postage needed to be paid. The names of every fan who had requested a copy were printed on the inside cover. Copies were hand-signed by the band. The remixes that appear on the single have not appeared on other releases.
The cover is a still image from the video, which was created by The Cartoon Saloon.
CD single
CD promo single
Released in 2006, this CD contains two new remixes by notable remix artist Bill Hamel. It also includes a digitally remastered version of the original album version of the song. The remix reached number 31 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, peaking higher than the original version in 1986, which only charted at number 47. [35]
CD single
"Forever Young" | ||||
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Single by Interactive | ||||
Released | 1994/2001 (Germany) 2003 (UK) | |||
Genre | Dance Happy Hardcore | |||
Length | 3:40 (original version) 3:28 (Kosmonova version) | |||
Label |
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Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Interactive singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Forever Young" on YouTube |
In 1994, German electronic group Interactive released a cover of "Forever Young" which reached number seven in Germany and number ten in both Denmark and the Netherlands. It also made the top 20 in five other countries and on the Eurochart Hot 100, the song reached number 34. This electronic dance version does not contain most of the song's lyrics and only includes a slightly modified chorus as the sole vocals. In 2002, German DJ and music producer Kosmonova remixed their version of "Forever Young". The remix peaked at number 21 in Germany and number 37 in the UK.
The music video for "Forever Young" was directed by Basil Schlegel. [36] It features kids attending and partying in a night club.
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [51] | Gold | 35,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Forever Young" | ||||
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Single by Youth Group | ||||
from the album Casino Twilight Dogs | ||||
Released | 6 March 2006 [54] | |||
Recorded | 2005 | |||
Length | 4:33 | |||
Label | Ivy League | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Youth Group singles chronology | ||||
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In 2005, Australian rock band Youth Group were asked by the producers of the American television series The O.C. to record a version of "Forever Young" for use in the show, following a positive response to the use of their single "Shadowland" in a previous episode. Their version of "Forever Young" was used in the show and the show's trailers and was included on the soundtrack album Music from the OC: Mix 5 . Released as a single in Australia on 6 March 2006, the song reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart for two weeks. The track was included on Youth Group's third studio album, Casino Twilight Dogs , released later that year.
Australian CD single [55]
Chart (2006–2009) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [56] | 1 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [57] | 7 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [58] | 44 |
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) [59] | 10 |
US Pop 100 ( Billboard ) [60] | 76 |
Chart (2006) | Position |
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Australia (ARIA) [61] | 7 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [62] | 5× Platinum | 350,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Forever Young" | ||||
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Single by Cash Cash | ||||
Released | 8 March 2010 | |||
Genre | Pop rock • pop punk | |||
Length | 3:39 | |||
Label | Universal | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Cash Cash | |||
Cash Cash singles chronology | ||||
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In 2010, American electronic music group Cash Cash released a cover of the song. It was released on 8 March 2010 through Universal Records. [63] [64] The song was serviced to radio in the United States on 12 May 2010. [65]
Credits adapted from AllMusic. [66]
A music video for the song was released via YouTube on 29 June 2010. [67] As of 2014, the video has since been removed. [68]
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
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US Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (Billboard) [69] | 34 |
"Forever Young" | ||||
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Single by Becky Hill | ||||
Released | 13 November 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2020 | |||
Studio | Sarm West (London) | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 2:58 | |||
Label |
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Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Charlie Hugall | |||
Becky Hill singles chronology | ||||
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In 2020, British singer Becky Hill released a cover version of the song. It was released on 13 November 2020 by Polydor Records and Eko Records. [70] The song was selected as the soundtrack to the 2020 McDonald's Christmas advert in the UK.
The song raised money for FareShare, in which McDonald's donated five million meals for charity. Hill also donated 10p from every download, going to food charity FareShare. [71] She said on her Twitter account, "'forever young' is bigger than just a nice christmas advert & song. @mcdonaldsuk has committed to funding @fareshareuk to redistribute over 5 million meals by April 2021 to families in need. at least 10p of every download goes towards a great cause. no child should be hungry". [72]
Credits adapted from Tidal. [73]
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
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UK Singles (OCC) [74] | 35 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI) [75] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Alphaville is a German synth-pop band formed in Münster in 1982. They gained popularity in the 1980s. The group was founded by singers Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd, and Frank Mertens. They achieved chart success with the singles "Forever Young", "Big in Japan", "Sounds Like a Melody", "The Jet Set", and "Dance with Me". Gold remains the only continuous original member of Alphaville. They took their name from Jean-Luc Godard's film of the same name.
Forever Young is the debut studio album by German synth-pop band Alphaville. It was released on 27 September 1984 by Warner Music Group. Four singles supported the album, "Big in Japan", "Sounds Like a Melody", "Forever Young", and "Jet Set". The album charted well, hitting the Top 20 in six European countries and reaching number 1 in Norway and Sweden. Alphaville followed up with their second album in 1986 with the release of Afternoons in Utopia.
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"Silence" is a song by Canadian electronic music group Delerium featuring Canadian singer and co-writer Sarah McLachlan, first released as a single in May 1999. Over the years, its remixes have been hailed as one of the greatest trance songs of all time, over two decades after its initial release. The Tiësto remix of the song was voted by Mixmag readers as the 12th-greatest dance record of all time.
"Missing" is a song by English musical duo Everything but the Girl, taken from their eighth studio album, Amplified Heart (1994). It was written by the two band members, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, and was produced by Watt and John Coxon. It was taken as the second single off the album on 8 August 1994 by Blanco y Negro Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. It initially did not achieve much success until it was remixed by Todd Terry and re-released in 1995, resulting in worldwide success, peaking at or near the top of the charts in many countries. The release of the remixed version of "Missing" gave an indication of the band's future experimentation with more electronic dance music on subsequent albums.
"Self Control" is a song by Italian singer Raf, released in 1984. It was written by Giancarlo Bigazzi, Steve Piccolo and Raf, and arranged by Celso Valli. The track topped the charts in Italy and Switzerland, and started the explosion and dominance of Italo disco-style recordings in continental European charts during the 1980s.
"He's the Greatest Dancer" is a 1979 song by the American vocal group Sister Sledge. Released on February 3, 1979, the song was written and composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, and recorded for the group's successful 1979 album We Are Family. Billboard named the song No. 66 on its list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time."
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"Wrapped" is a song written by the Peruvian singer and songwriter Gian Marco and sung by Gloria Estefan, released as the first single from her tenth studio album Unwrapped. The single returned commercial success to Gloria, having charted in various countries.
"Sounds Like a Melody" is a song by the German group Alphaville, from the group's debut album Forever Young. The single was released in 1984.
"Big in Japan" is the debut single of the German synth-pop band Alphaville from their 1984 album Forever Young.
"Can't Believe It" is a single by American singer T-Pain. It was released on July 29, 2008, as the first official single from T-Pain's album Thr33 Ringz. The song features rapper Lil Wayne, marking the second collaboration between T-Pain and Lil Wayne being released as a single.
Interactive is a German electronic music group, founded in 1990. They are best known for their 1992 single "Who Is Elvis" which reached No. 12 in Germany, and for their 1994 cover version of Alphaville's "Forever Young", which reached No. 7 in Germany, while also making the top 20 in several other countries. Interactive released two studio albums, Intercollection in 1991 and Touché in 1995. Their last released work was the 1998 single "Fanatic". In 2002, Kosmonova remixed their version of "Forever Young".
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"Can We Pretend" is a song recorded by American singer Pink for her eighth studio album, Hurts 2B Human (2019). The track was initially released as the second promotional single on April 11, 2019, but later sent to radio on June 21, 2019, as the album's second single. It was the most added single to radio in Australia a month prior.
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