I'm Alive (Electric Light Orchestra song)

{{Infobox song

| name = I'm Alive

| cover = ELO I'm Alive single cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| album = Xanadu

| B-side = Drum Dreams

| released = 16 May 1980{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1980/Music-Week-1980-05-17.pdf|title=Music Week|page=44}}

| recorded = 1980

| studio = Musicland, Munich, Germany

| genre = Pop

| length = 3:45

| label = * Jet (UK)

MCA (US)

| writer = Jeff Lynne

| producer = Jeff Lynne

| prev_title = Confusion

| prev_title2 = Last Train to London

| prev_year = 1980

| next_title = Xanadu

| next_year = 1980

}}

"I'm Alive" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released as a single in May 1980. It is featured in a sequence near the beginning of the feature film Xanadu. The song also appears on the soundtrack album Xanadu.

Background

In the film the song is heard as the Muses emerge from a graffiti-like portrait; Olivia Newton-John, playing Kira (Terpsichore), emerges last. The film's version of the song contains a fairly lengthy instrumental introduction, a small segment of which is used for the album version.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

The single's B-side, "Drum Dreams", is also featured in the film at the beginning of the Xanadu nightclub grand opening scene and segues into the movie title song. "Drum Dreams" was also used as the B-side of the "All Over the World" single.

Reception

Cash Box said that it has "adept movement from electronically treated vocals to Lynne's lead".{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=May 24, 1980|page=21|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2022-01-01|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1980/CB-1980-05-24.pdf}} Record World said that "keyboard magic abounds with a Beatlesque melody line & heavenly falsetto choruses".{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=May 24, 1980|accessdate=2023-02-20|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/80s/80/RW-1980-05-24.pdf}}

Personnel

Jeff Lynne - lead and backing vocals, electric guitars, keyboards, synthesizers
Bev Bevan - drums, percussion
Richard Tandy - pianos, synthesizers, keyboards
Kelly Groucutt - bass guitar, backing vocals
Louis Clark - strings

Chart performance

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (1980) ! style="text-align:center;"\|Peak position
Australia Kent Music Report{{Cite book\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992\|last=Kent\|first=David\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|publisher=Australian Chart Book\|location=St Ives, NSW\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|27
Canadian RPM Top Singles{{cite web\|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0204a.pdf\| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - July 26, 1980}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 10
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary{{cite web\|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0222.pdf\| title=RPM Top 50 AC - August 23, 1980}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|15
Dutch GfK chart{{cite web \|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Electric+Light+Orchestra&titel=I%27m+Alive&cat=s \|title=dutchcharts.nl - Electric Light Orchestra - I'm Alive \|access-date=November 28, 2009\|language=nl}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 38
French SNEP Singles Chart \| style="text-align:center;"\| 9
German Media Control Singles Chart{{cite web\|url=http://www.officialcharts.de/artist.asp?name=Electric+Light+Orchestra&country=de \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912205303/http://www.officialcharts.de/artist.asp?name=Electric+Light+Orchestra&country=de \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=September 12, 2014 \|title=charts.de - Electric Light Orchestra \|publisher=charts.de \|access-date=April 22, 2013}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 16
Irish Singles Chart{{cite web\|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement \|title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know \|publisher=Irishcharts.ie \|access-date=March 6, 2013 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602061251/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement \|archive-date=June 2, 2009 \|df=mdy-all}} Enter Electric Light Orchestra in the Search by Artist field, then click Search. \| style="text-align:center;"\| 10
Italy{{cite web \|url=https://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yends/hpe1980.htm \|title=Electric Light Orchestra - I'm Alive \|access-date=January 27, 2022}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 24
New Zealand Singles Chart{{cite web \|url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Electric+Light+Orchestra&titel=I%27m+Alive&cat=s \|title=Electric Light Orchestra - I'm Alive \|access-date=November 28, 2009}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 32
Norwegian Singles Chart{{cite web \|url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Electric+Light+Orchestra&titel=I%27m+Alive&cat=s \|title=norwegiancharts.com - Electric Light Orchestra - I'm Alive \|access-date=November 28, 2009}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 3
South Africa (Springbok){{cite web\|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(E).html \|title=South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (E) \|publisher=Rock.co.za \|access-date=April 29, 2013}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 9
UK Singles Chart{{cite web \| url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/electric%20light%20orchestra/ \| title= Electric Light Orchestra \| publisher=Official Charts Company \| access-date=March 5, 2013}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 20
US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web\|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/electric-light-orchestra-mn0000163229/awards \|title=Electric Light Orchestra - Awards \|publisher=AllMusic \|access-date=March 5, 2013}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 16
US Billboard Adult Contemporary{{cite book\|first= Joel \|last= Whitburn \|author-link= Joel Whitburn \|year= 1993 \|title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 \|publisher= Record Research \|page=79}} \|align="center"\|48
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles{{cite web\|title=CASH BOX Top 100 Singles\|url=https://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19800719.html\|date=19 July 1980\|website=cashboxmagazine.com\|access-date=11 January 2021}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 14
US Record World Singles{{cite web\|last=Hawtin \|first=Steve \|url=http://tsort.info/music/3evwrf.htm \|title=Song artist 171 - Electric Light Orchestra \|publisher=Tsort.info \|access-date=May 2, 2013}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 14
US Radio & Records (R&R){{cite web\|url=http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/elo.htm \|title=ELO \|website=Wweb.uta.edu \|access-date=2016-10-16}}{{cite web\|url=http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/chart.html \|title=Charts \|website=Wweb.uta.edu \|access-date=2016-10-16}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 12

class="wikitable sortable"

Chart (1980)

! style="text-align:center;"|Peak
position

Australia Kent Music Report{{Cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, NSW|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}

| style="text-align:center;"|27

Canadian RPM Top Singles{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0204a.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - July 26, 1980}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 10

Canada RPM Adult Contemporary{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0222.pdf| title=RPM Top 50 AC - August 23, 1980}}

| style="text-align:center;"|15

Dutch GfK chart{{cite web |url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Electric+Light+Orchestra&titel=I%27m+Alive&cat=s |title=dutchcharts.nl - Electric Light Orchestra - I'm Alive |access-date=November 28, 2009|language=nl}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 38

French SNEP Singles Chart

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

German Media Control Singles Chart{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.de/artist.asp?name=Electric+Light+Orchestra&country=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912205303/http://www.officialcharts.de/artist.asp?name=Electric+Light+Orchestra&country=de |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 12, 2014 |title=charts.de - Electric Light Orchestra |publisher=charts.de |access-date=April 22, 2013}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 16

Irish Singles Chart{{cite web|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know |publisher=Irishcharts.ie |access-date=March 6, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602061251/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |archive-date=June 2, 2009 |df=mdy-all}} Enter Electric Light Orchestra in the Search by Artist field, then click Search.

| style="text-align:center;"| 10

Italy{{cite web |url=https://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yends/hpe1980.htm |title=Electric Light Orchestra - I'm Alive |access-date=January 27, 2022}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 24

New Zealand Singles Chart{{cite web |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Electric+Light+Orchestra&titel=I%27m+Alive&cat=s |title=Electric Light Orchestra - I'm Alive |access-date=November 28, 2009}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 32

Norwegian Singles Chart{{cite web |url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Electric+Light+Orchestra&titel=I%27m+Alive&cat=s |title=norwegiancharts.com - Electric Light Orchestra - I'm Alive |access-date=November 28, 2009}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

South Africa (Springbok){{cite web|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(E).html |title=South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (E) |publisher=Rock.co.za |access-date=April 29, 2013}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

UK Singles Chart{{cite web | url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/electric%20light%20orchestra/ | title= Electric Light Orchestra | publisher=Official Charts Company | access-date=March 5, 2013}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 20

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/electric-light-orchestra-mn0000163229/awards |title=Electric Light Orchestra - Awards |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=March 5, 2013}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 16

US Billboard Adult Contemporary{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |author-link= Joel Whitburn |year= 1993 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 |publisher= Record Research |page=79}}

|align="center"|48

US Cash Box Top 100 Singles{{cite web|title=CASH BOX Top 100 Singles|url=https://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19800719.html|date=19 July 1980|website=cashboxmagazine.com|access-date=11 January 2021}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 14

US Record World Singles{{cite web|last=Hawtin |first=Steve |url=http://tsort.info/music/3evwrf.htm |title=Song artist 171 - Electric Light Orchestra |publisher=Tsort.info |access-date=May 2, 2013}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 14

US Radio & Records (R&R){{cite web|url=http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/elo.htm |title=ELO |website=Wweb.uta.edu |access-date=2016-10-16}}{{cite web|url=http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/chart.html |title=Charts |website=Wweb.uta.edu |access-date=2016-10-16}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 12

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable"

!Chart (1980)

!Rank

Italy (FIMI)

|align="center"|84

US Opus

|align="center"|80

=Certifications=

class="wikitable"
Country ! Certifications (sales thresholds)
US (RIAA){{cite web \|url={{Allmusic\|class=artist\|id=p4177\|pure_url=yes}} \|title=Electric Light Orchestra > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles \|publisher=Allmusic \|access-date=2009-11-28}} \| Gold

class="wikitable"

Country

! Certifications
(sales thresholds)

US (RIAA){{cite web |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p4177|pure_url=yes}} |title=Electric Light Orchestra > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles |publisher=Allmusic |access-date=2009-11-28}}

| Gold

References

Category:1980 singles

Category:Electric Light Orchestra songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Jeff Lynne

Category:Songs from Xanadu (film)

Category:Songs written by Jeff Lynne

Category:1980 songs

Category:Jet Records singles

Category:MCA Records singles