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A Different Beat (song)

{{Short description|1996 single by Boyzone}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}

{{Infobox song

| name = A Different Beat

| cover = Boyzone A Different Beat.jpeg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Boyzone

| album = A Different Beat

| B-side = Angel

| released = {{start date|1996|12|2|df=y}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-11-30.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=45|date=30 November 1996|access-date=5 July 2021}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length =

  • 4:10 (album version)
  • 3:34 (radio edit)

| label = Polydor

| writer = Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Shane Lynch, Keith Duffy, Martin Brannigan, Ray Hedges

| producer = Ray Hedges, Trevor Horn

| prev_title = Words

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = Isn't It a Wonder

| next_year = 1997

}}

"A Different Beat" is a song by Irish boy band Boyzone from their second studio album of the same name (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.{{cite website|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/entertainment/how-the-beat-for-boyzones-big-show-finale-was-inspired-by-take-that/a1301597550.html|title=How the ‘beat’ for Boyzone’s big show finale was inspired by Take That|publisher=Belfast Telegraph|date=6 January 2025|accessdate=6 January 2025}}

Critical reception

A reviewer from Music Week rated the song four out of five, describing it as a "dramatic epic, enriched by African chants".{{cite magazine|url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-11-23.pdf |title= Reviews: Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= 23 November 1996 |page= 24 |accessdate= 5 October 2021}} Gerald Martinez from New Sunday Times viewed it as "anthemic".{{cite magazine|first=Gerald|last=Martinez|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-YVAAAAIBAJ|title=Bryan Adams — unplugged wonder|magazine=New Sunday Times|date=18 January 1998|page=17|accessdate=21 October 2021}}

Track listings

  • UK CD1 and Australian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=A Different Beat|others=Boyzone|year=1996|type=UK CD1 & Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records|id=573205-2}}
  1. "A Different Beat" (radio edit) – 3:34
  2. "Angel" – 3:45
  3. "A Different Beat" (remix) – 6:10
  • UK CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=A Different Beat|others=Boyzone|year=1996|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records|id=573207-2}}
  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{{cite AV media notes|title=A Different Beat|others=Boyzone|year=1996|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Polydor Records|id=573204-4}}{{cite AV media notes|title=A Different Beat|others=Boyzone|year=1996|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records|id=573204-2}}
  1. "A Different Beat" (radio edit) – 3:52 (3:24 on European CD)
  2. "Angel" – 3:45

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (1996–1997)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|42|artist=Boyzone|song=A Different Beat|rowheader=true|access-date=29 June 2018}}
{{single chart|Austria|37|artist=Boyzone|song=A Different Beat|rowheader=true|access-date=29 June 2018}}
{{single chart|Flanders Tip|7|artist=Boyzone|song=A Different Beat|rowheader=true|access-date=29 June 2018}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-12-21.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=51/52|page=25|date=21 December 1996|access-date=27 August 2020}}

|18

scope="row"|Europe (European Hit Radio){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1997/MM-1997-03-01.pdf|title=EHR Top 40|magazine=Music & Media|volume=14|issue=4|date=22 February 1997|page=21|access-date=10 April 2024}}

|28

{{single chart|Germany|31|artist=Boyzone|song=A Different Beat|songid=28533|rowheader=true|access-date=29 June 2018}}
scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2950035#page/n1/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (16.1. '97 –22.1. '97)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=16|date=17 January 1997|access-date=27 August 2020}}

|36

{{single chart|Ireland2|2|song=A Different Beat|rowheader=true|access-date=29 June 2018}}
scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade){{cite web |url=https://www.top40.nl/tipparade/1997/week-10|title=Tipparade-lijst van week 10, 1997|lang=dutch| publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=19 March 2023}}

|8

{{single chart|Dutch100|78|artist=Boyzone|song=A Different Beat|rowheader=true|access-date=29 June 2018}}
{{single chart|Scotland|1|date=19961214|rowheader=true|access-date=29 June 2018}}
{{single chart|UK|1|date=19961214|rowheader=true|access-date=29 June 2018}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (1996)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Singles 1996|magazine=Music Week|page=25|date=18 January 1997}}

|53

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Boyzone|title=A Different Beat|award=Silver|relyear=1996|certyear=2013|id=186-1728-1|access-date=27 August 2020}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Boyzone}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Different Beat}}

Category:1996 singles

Category:1996 songs

Category:Boyzone songs

Category:Number-one singles in Scotland

Category:Polydor Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Ray Hedges

Category:Song recordings produced by Trevor Horn

Category:Songs written by Keith Duffy

Category:Songs written by Martin Brannigan

Category:Songs written by Ray Hedges

Category:Songs written by Ronan Keating

Category:Songs written by Shane Lynch

Category:Songs written by Stephen Gately