Unbelievable (EMF song)
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| "Unbelievable" | ||||
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| Single by EMF | ||||
| from the album Schubert Dip | ||||
| B-side | "EMF (live at The Bilson)" | |||
| Released | 1990 (UK) 1991 (US) |
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| Format | CD, 7", 12", cassette | |||
| Genre | Alternative dance | |||
| Length | 3:30 | |||
| Label | Parlophone (UK) EMI (US) |
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| Writer(s) | EMF | |||
| EMF singles chronology | ||||
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"Unbelievable" is a song written and recorded by EMF. It was released as a single in the UK in 1990, peaking in the UK Singles Chart at number three on 1 December 1990. It was the 32nd best-selling single of 1990 in the UK. In the United States, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 20 July, 1991; if one counts a #1 twice if it had two runs at the top (analogous to the official system of numbering U.S. presidents), it was the 1,000th #1 in Billboard history. It originally appeared on EMF's debut album Schubert Dip.
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[edit] Content of the song
The song contains samples of US comedian Andrew Dice Clay throughout the track, including the loud exclamation of "oh!" at the start of each chorus along with the words "you're unbelievable" spoken at the end of the first chorus. The track was produced by Ralph Jezzard
Furthermore, in the UK (where the band hailed from), the B-side of the single was a track called "EMF" which included the refrain: E! Ecstasy! M! Motherfucker, motherfucker! F! From us to you....
[edit] Track listings
- UK CD (CDR 6273)
- "Unbelievable" – 3:30
- "Unbelievable (The Cin City Sex Mix)" – 5:14
- "EMF (live at The Bilson)" – 3:53
- UK 7" (R 6273)
- "Unbelievable" – 3:30
- "EMF (live at The Bilson)" – 3:53
- US CD (E2-56210)
- "Unbelievable (single version)" – 3:30
- "Unbelievable (Cin City Sex Mix)" – 5:14
- "Unbelievable (Boot Lane Mix)" – 6:20
- "Unbelievable (House Mix)" – 4:26
- "Unbelievable (Hip Hop Mix)" – 4:10
- "EMF (live at The Bilson)" – 3:53
[edit] Charts
[edit] Peak positions
| Chart (1990/1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 8 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 20 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 6 |
| German Singles Chart | 9 |
| Irish IRMA Singles Chart | 5 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 12 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| End of year chart (1991) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] | 6 |
[edit] In popular culture
- The song was featured in the 1996 animated movie Space Jam.
- The trailer for the 2005 film Hoodwinked! used this song.
- In 2011 it was released as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band 3.
- The Chicago Wolves use it as one of their goal songs as of 2012.
- The song was also featured in the 2000 movie Coyote Ugly
[edit] Covers
"Unbelievable" has been covered by many other musical acts, including Tom Jones[2] and "Weird Al" Yankovic (briefly in the polka medley "Polka Your Eyes Out"). It was also covered by the Christian rock band Thousand Foot Krutch on their debut album Set It Off, but with markedly different lyrics. American grindcore band Anal Cunt covered "Unbelievable" on their Morbid Florist EP in 1993, and by Ashley Amphlett and the Metroheads. Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their 1991 album The Chipmunks Rock the House.
Spin Magazine recommended a cover version of this song by an artist known Femme Fatality in its November 2006 issue.
An altered version of the song, with the refrain "They're Crumbelievable", was used in a 2005 US television advertisement for Kraft Crumbles.[3]
It was also covered by German pop/rock band, The BossHoss, in Country/Western style, on their album Internashville Urban Hymns.
It was also covered by Filipino rock band Chicosci for the compilation 90's Music Comes Alive.
[edit] Records
Due to the amount of air time that "Unbelievable" has received since its release, it may be responsible for the most profanity ever heard over radio. The constant background vocal during the chorus saying "What the fuck was that?," which even appears in the lyrics in the CD booklet, was never edited. This is possibly because the background vocal appears incoherently, and most people dismiss it as undecipherable lyrics.[citation needed]
It was #31 on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders[when?] and #98 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.[when?]
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Works cited
- "EMF - The Band.com - The Official EMF Website". http://www.emf-theband.com/. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
- Ward, Celeste (2005-02-12). "Kraft uses 'Unbelievable' unbelievably". http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2005/12/admittedly_it_d.html. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- Anderson, Chris (2006-06-30). "Colbert on pop culture: It's Crumbelievable!". The Long Tail. http://www.longtail.com/the_long_tail/2006/08/colbert_on_pop_.html. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
[edit] External links
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| Preceded by "Rush Rush" by Paula Abdul |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single 20 July 1991 |
Succeeded by "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams |
