The 1990 film Ghost turned 35 this past weekend and, along with being the highest-grossing film of that year, it also surged “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers back into the Billboard charts. Featured in the iconic scene where Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore romantically throw pottery, the movie featured both The Righteous Brothers’ version of the song and an instrumental. Initially released in 1965, “Unchained Melody” was considered the throwaway B-side song on the A-side single “Hung on You”. “Hung on You” failed to gain much interest, and DJs decided to play “Unchained Melody instead. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965 and then reached the top of the Adult Contemporary chart for two weeks in 1990 and #19 on the Hot 100. The Righteous Brothers recorded a new version of the song, which also charted, making them the first act in music history to have two versions of the same song in the Billboard Hot 100. You can listen to the song below.
