"Born to Be Alive" | |
---|---|
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) |
Released | November 1978 |
Genre | Disco[1] |
Length | 3:05 (European Single Version) 3:23 (Single version) 5:55 (Album Version) 7:42 (Extended Version) |
Label | Aquarius (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.
Original version[edit]
|
Born to Be Alive (re-mix '88)[edit]
Year-end charts[edit]
|
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] |
Netherlands | — | 100,000[47] |
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] | Silver | 250,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[49] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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.[50] A music video set to the song using footage from Adolf Hitler's many rallies and speeches became a viral hit on the Internet.[51]
Elisapie featured an Inuktitut translation of the song, "Inuuniaravit," on her 2023 album Inuktitut.[52]
An up and coming jamband quartet named "Off World Vehicle" covered the song during a show in Atlanta Georgia at Aisle 5 on May 26th 2023. Their rendition lasted over 10 minutes and included all parts of the original extended single release of the track from 1979OWVband.[53]