"
Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by
Alex North and lyrics by
Hy Zaret. North used the music as a
theme for the little-known prison film
Unchained, hence the name.
Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by
the Righteous Brothers. According to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists in multiple languages.