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Born to Be Alive (song)

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"Born to Be Alive"
French 12-inch vinyl single
Single by Patrick Hernandez
from the album Born to Be Alive
B-side"I Give You Rendez-Vous" (UK)
"Born to Be Alive (Instrumental)" (various European countries)
"It Comes So Easy" (Japan)
"Too Many People" (elsewhere)
ReleasedNovember 1978
GenreDisco[1]
Length3:05 (European Single Version)
3:23 (Single version)
5:55 (Album Version)
7:42 (Extended Version)
LabelAquarius (most European countries)
Gem (UK)
Philips (Japan)
Columbia/CBS (elsewhere)
Songwriter(s)Patrick Hernandez
Producer(s)Jean Vanloo

"Born to Be Alive" is a song written by French singer Patrick Hernandez. It became a worldwide hit and reached number one on the US Billboard National Disco Action chart in early 1979. The song achieved gold status in the United States, Brazil, Germany and Italy, platinum in Australia and Canada, and silver in the United Kingdom.

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[40] Platinum 100,000^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[41] Gold 200,000[41]
Canada (Music Canada)[42] Platinum 150,000^
France — 1,400,000[43]
Germany (BVMI)[45] Gold 950,000[44]
Italy — 300,000[46]
Italy (FIMI)[47]
sales since 2009 		Gold 50,000‡
Netherlands — 100,000[48]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[49] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[50] Silver 250,000^
United States (RIAA)[51] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions and uses

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Disco Kings covered the song in 2005. Their version reached number seven in Finland, number 43 in France, number 66 in Austria and number 78 in Germany.[52] A music video set to the song using footage from Adolf Hitler's many rallies and speeches became a viral hit on the Internet.[53]

Elisapie featured an Inuktitut language translation of the song, "Inuuniaravit," on her 2023 album Inuktitut.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Adams, Bret. "Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  2. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 138. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. ^ "Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  4. ^ "Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4395." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 4403." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4410a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Billboard – Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 43. 27 October 1979. p. 80. ISSN 0006-2510.
  9. ^ "Billboard – Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 38. 22 September 1979. p. 62. ISSN 0006-2510.
  10. ^ "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70's" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  11. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Born to Be Alive". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  12. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 8 October 2023. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Born to Be Alive" in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
  13. ^ "Billboard – Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 39. 29 September 1979. p. 63. ISSN 0006-2510.
  14. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Patrick Hernandez - Born to Be Alive" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  15. ^ "Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  16. ^ "Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  17. ^ "Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive". VG-lista. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  18. ^ "Billboard – Hits Of The World". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 40. 6 October 1979. p. 68. ISSN 0006-2510.
  19. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (H)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  20. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  21. ^ "Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  22. ^ "Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  23. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  24. ^ a b "Born to Be Alive – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  25. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending October 6, 1979". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011.
  26. ^ "Record World Singles" (PDF). Record World. 29 September 1979. p. 149. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  27. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  28. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Patrick Hernandez - Born to Be Alive Re-Mix '88" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  29. ^ "Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive (Re-Mix '88)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  30. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1979". Kent Music Report. 31 December 1979. Retrieved 9 December 2019 – via Imgur.
  31. ^ "Jahreshitparade 1979" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  32. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1979" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  33. ^ "1979 Top 200 Singles". RPM. Vol. 32, no. 13. 22 December 1979. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  34. ^ "TOP – 1979" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  35. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  36. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1979" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  37. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1979". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  38. ^ "Top Audience Response Singles/LPs". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 51. 22 December 1979. p. 42. ISSN 0006-2510.
  39. ^ "Jahrescharts – 1979" (in German). Offiziellecharts.de. GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015.
  40. ^ "Hernandez Platinum for Australian Sales" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XLI, no. 32. 22 December 1979. p. 26 – via World Radio History.
  41. ^ a b Waack, William (4 August 1979). "Agenda". Jornal do Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). p. 4 – via National Library of Brazil.
  42. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive". Music Canada. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  43. ^ Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Fabrice Ferment (ed.). "TOP – 1979". 40 ans de tubes : 1960–2000 : les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD singles (in French). OCLC 469523661. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2023 – via Top-France.fr.
  44. ^ "West Germany - The Year in Review - Bellaphon". Billboard. 8 December 1979. p. G-16. Retrieved 11 March 2023 – via Google Books.
  45. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Patrick Hernandez; 'Born to Be Alive')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  46. ^ Barbiero, Ivano (13 July 1979). "Sette giorni in discoteca". La Stampa (in Italian). Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  47. ^ "Italian single certifications – Patrick Hernandez – Born to be Alive" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  48. ^ "MIDEM: Important Fair - Dutch" (PDF). Billboard. 24 January 1981. p. 91. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  49. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  50. ^ "British single certifications – Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  51. ^ "American single certifications – Patrick Hernandez – Born to Be Alive". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  52. ^ "Disco Kings – Born to Be Alive". Lescharts.com (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  53. ^ Rosenfeld, Gavriel D (2005). Hi Hitler!: How the Nazi Past is Being Normalized in Contemporary Culture. Cambridge University Press. p. 314. ISBN 9781316195291.
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