When it comes to wedding music, some songs just stand the test of time.
According to data collected by wedding apparel site, The Black Tux, “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers ranked No. 1 in a 2025 study of best first dance songs at weddings. The tune, which was released in 1965, was reported to have played at 6.4 percent of receptions last year in a survey of 900 couples.
While the ranking also included more contemporary songs including John Legend‘s “All of Me,” which came in at No. 2 and Christina Perri‘s “A Thousand Years,” which landed at No. 9, other classic love songs, including “At Last” by Etta James and “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra, also made the list.
“Unchained Melody” made its debut in the 1960s and has managed to stay in the relevant in pop culture for decades as it was featured in the 1990 film ‘Ghost’ starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg.
It’s also been covered throughout the years by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Leann Rimes.
The singing duo, made up of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, also were responsible for the 1960 hits, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” and “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration.”
Related: 1960 Hit Ranked Among ‘Best Love Songs’ of All Time Became the Ultimate Wedding Anthem
When it comes to “Unchained Melody” though Hatfield was the lead singer and Medley was the producer.
“I was as excited as a producer than the guy who sang it, but Bobby killed it,” Medley shared in an interview on the Joe Pags show last year. “I was just thrilled to produce that song and Bobby did such an incredible job.”
Medley, for his part, went on to release other widely known hits, that perhaps would also be played at weddings, including “I’ve Had the Time of My Life,” which was in duet with Jennifer Warnes and made popular by the 1987 film ‘Dirty Dancing.’
Hatfield passed away in 2003 and Medley, 85, has continued to perform. Singer Bucky Heard has stepped in the place of Hatfield and the two perform as The Righteous Brothers.
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