Sounds Like a Melody

{{Infobox song

| name = Sounds Like a Melody

| cover = Sounds like a melody.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Alphaville

| album = Forever Young

| B-side = The Nelson Highrise (Sector One: The Elevator)

| released = May 14, 1984

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Synth-pop

| length = {{unbulleted list|4:45 (album version)|4:29 (7" single)|7:42 (12" maxi)}}

| label = WEA

| writer = {{hlist|Marian Gold|Bernhard Lloyd|Frank Mertens}}

| producer = Orlando (Wolfgang Loos)

| prev_title = Big in Japan

| prev_year = 1984

| next_title = Forever Young

| next_year = 1984

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|sUz2DK-ucWc|"Sounds Like a Melody"}}}}

}}

"Sounds Like a Melody" is a song by German synth-pop band Alphaville, released on May 14, 1984 as the second single from their debut album Forever Young.

The song was a big success in continental Europe and South Africa, reaching the top 10; it topped the charts in Italy and Sweden, and was certified gold in Germany.{{cite web|title= Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alphaville; 'Sounds Like a Melody') |publisher= Bundesverband Musikindustrie |accessdate= 1 June 2014 |url= http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=Sounds+Like+a+Melody&strInterpret=Alphaville&strTtArt=single&strAwards=checked}}

Song background

Originally, Alphaville had planned to release "Forever Young" as their second single, to follow the success of "Big in Japan". However, record studio executives requested that Alphaville release an additional song between the two singles, and as a result "Sounds Like a Melody" was written and arranged in just two days. Of the experience, singer Marian Gold said "the whole affair felt like an insult to our naive hippie instincts. Writing music exclusively for the sake of commercial success seemed like the sell-out of our virtual beliefs. On the other hand, did this not open up possibilities for wonderful games to play in the brave new world of pop music?".{{cite AV media notes|title= so80s presents Alphaville |type= CD liner notes |others= Alphaville |publisher= Blank & Jones (So 80s) |year= 2014 |id= SC0344}} This corporate pressure caused the band to dislike the song and they refused to play it live for over 10 years.

Track listings

; 7" single

"Sounds Like a Melody" – 4:29
"The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" – 3:14

; 12" maxi

"Sounds Like a Melody" (special long version) – 7:42
"The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" – 4:12

; 12" maxi Record Store Day 2020 yellow vinyl

"Sounds Like a Melody" (Grant & Kelly remix) - 8:33
"Sounds Like a Melody" (special long version remastered) - 7:43

The 7" version differs greatly from the version released later on the album.
The B-side is commonly referred to simply as "The Elevator", and a remix appears on 1999's Dreamscapes.

Chart performance

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1984–1985)

!Peak
position

{{singlechart|Austria|3|artist=Alphaville|song=Sounds Like A Melody|accessdate=20 July 2013}}

{{singlechart|Flanders|10|artist=Alphaville|song=Sounds Like A Melody|accessdate=20 July 2013}}

{{singlechart|France|10|artist=Alphaville|song=Sounds Like A Melody|accessdate=20 July 2013}}

Italy (FIMI){{cite web|title= SINGOLI – I NUMERI UNO (1959-2006) (parte 3: 1980-1990) |publisher= It-charts.150m.com |url= http://it-charts.150m.com/numeriuno-1980.htm |accessdate= 3 July 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 3 March 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174850/http://it-charts.150m.com/numeriuno-1980.htm |language= it}}

|align="center"|1

{{singlechart|Dutch40|6|artist=Alphaville - Sounds Like A Melody|accessdate=20 July 2013}}

{{singlechart|Dutch100|8|artist=Alphaville|song=Sounds Like A Melody|accessdate=20 July 2013}}

{{singlechart|Norway|5|artist=Alphaville|song=Sounds Like A Melody|accessdate=20 July 2013}}

Quebec (ADISQ){{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129063315/http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|url=http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|title=Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec|publisher=BAnQ|date=12 July 1997|access-date=27 April 2025|archive-date=29 November 2015|language=fr|url-status=dead}}

|align="center"|50

South Africa (Springbok Radio){{cite web|title= South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (A) |website= Rock.co.za |accessdate= 3 July 2013 |url= http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(A).html}}

|align="center"|2

Spain (AFYVE){{cite book|first= Fernando |last= Salaverri |title= Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |edition= 1st |date= September 2005 |publisher= Fundación Autor-SGAE |location= Spain |isbn= 84-8048-639-2 |language= es}}

|align="center"|5

{{singlechart|Sweden|1|artist=Alphaville|song=Sounds Like A Melody|accessdate=20 July 2013}}

{{singlechart|Switzerland|4|artist=Alphaville|song=Sounds Like A Melody|accessdate=20 July 2013}}

{{singlechart|West Germany|3|artist=Alphaville|song=Sounds Like A Melody|songid=1122|accessdate=26 March 2019}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1984)

!Position

Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40){{cite web|title= Jahreshitparade 1984 |publisher= Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien |accessdate= 20 July 2013 |url= http://www.austriancharts.at/1984_single.asp |language= de}}

|align="center"|19

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders){{cite web|title= Jaaroverzichten 1984 |publisher= Ultratop. Hung Medien |accessdate= 1 February 2014 |url= http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1984 |language= nl}}

|align="center"|80

Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|title= Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984 |publisher= Dutch Top 40 |accessdate= 1 February 2014 |url= http://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1984 |language= nl}}

|align="center"|80

Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|title= Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984 |publisher= Single Top 100. Hung Medien |accessdate= 1 February 2014 |url= http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1984&cat=s |language= nl}}

|align="center"|55

Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade){{cite web|title= Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984 |publisher= Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien |accessdate= 20 July 2013 |url= http://hitparade.ch/year.asp?key=1984 |language= de}}

|align="center"|15

class="wikitable"

!Chart (1985)

!Position

France (SNEP){{cite web|title= TOP – 1985 |website= Top-france.fr |accessdate= 1 February 2014 |url= http://www.top-france.fr/html/annuel/1985.htm |language= fr}}

|align="center"|53