"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
Single by Bee Gees
from the album Size Isn't Everything
B-side"Decadance"
Released15 November 1993 (1993-11-15)
Length
  • 5:06 (album)
  • 3:56 (single edit)
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bee Gees[1]
Bee Gees singles chronology
"Paying the Price of Love"
(1993) 		"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
(1993) 		"How to Fall in Love, Part 1"
(1994)

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is a song by the Bee Gees, released on 15 November 1993 as the second single from their 20th studio album, Size Isn't Everything (1993). It peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and number six in Ireland. This song would be the band's highest-charting single in the UK during the 1990s, giving them a UK top-five single in four consecutive decades: the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. A music video, filmed in New York, was also released for this song.

Critical reception

Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song three out of five, complimenting it as a "pleasant ballad".[2]

Commercial performance

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" made its debut on the UK Singles Chart at number 38 on 27 November. The song continued to climb the chart, entering the top 10 on 11 December. The song reached a peak of number 4 on Christmas Day 1993, where it remained for two consecutive weeks. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" spent six weeks within the UK top 10 and 14 weeks in the top 100.[3] In terms of its length of stay on the chart and its peak position, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" was the bands most successful single since their 1987 number one "You Win Again".

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Silver 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 15 November 1993
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Polydor [26]
Japan 20 December 1993 Mini-CD [27]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Bee Gees – For Whom the Bell Tolls" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  2. ^ Jones, Alan (20 November 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 14. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  3. ^ for whom the bell tolls | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company
  4. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls (UK CD1 liner notes). Bee Gees. Polydor Records. 1993. PZCD 299, 859 961-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Bee Gees. Polydor Records. 1993. PZ 299, 859 961-1.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls (UK CD2 liner notes). Bee Gees. Polydor Records. 1993. PZDD 299, 859 959-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls (UK cassette single sleeve). Bee Gees. Polydor Records. 1993. POCS 299, 859 959-4.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls (Australasian CD single liner notes). Bee Gees. Polydor Records. 1993. 859959-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls (European CD single liner notes). Bee Gees. Polydor Records. 1993. 855 010-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Bee Gees. Polydor Records. 1993. PODP-1089.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls (US CD single liner notes). Bee Gees. Polydor Records. 1993. 855 332-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls (US cassette single sleeve). Bee Gees. Polydor Records. 1993. 855 332-4.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2428." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  14. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2429." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 3. 15 January 1994. p. 15. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Bee Gees – For Whom the Bell Tolls" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  17. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (23.–29.12.'93)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 23 December 1993. p. 38. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  18. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – For Whom the Bell Tolls". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  19. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  20. ^ "Bee Gees – For Whom the Bell Tolls" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Bee Gees Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  23. ^ "Bee Gees Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
  25. ^ "British single certifications – Bee Gees – For Whom the Bell Tolls". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  26. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 13 November 1993. p. 25.
  27. ^ "誰がために鐘は鳴る | ビージーズ" [For Whom the Bell Tolls | Bee Gees] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
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