Forever Young (Alphaville Song)

"Forever Young" is a song by German synth-pop band Alphaville released as the third single from the song's titular debut album. The single was successful in Scandinavia and in the European German-speaking countries in the same year.

The single has been covered by numerous artists. It also formed the basis of Jay-Z's song " Young Forever". "Forever Young" is written in the key of C major.

In a 2022 interview, Alphaville lead singer Marian Gold said that it is "a great privilege" to have "Forever Young", as well as " Big in Japan", in "their luggage" when touring, and that he is grateful to be able to perform these songs.

Alphaville versions

Original 1984 version

Background and video

Intended to be an upbeat dance song, producer Andreas Budde recommended paring the song down to a sparse synth-pop ballad.Christopher Müller
''Never Grow Up - The Story of Forever Young'' (video documentary).
Warner Music Group Germany Holding, 2019.

Marian Gold originally wrote the third verse to evoke a "fascistic feeling" of the adoration of the crowd:

:Can you imagine how we won the war?
:Little fascist lady she loves you so
:Following her leader, she's getting in tune
:The music's played by the madmen

However, for the final recording, record executives pushed for a change, resulting in:

:Can you imagine when this race is won
:Turn our golden faces into the sun
:Praising our leaders we're getting in tune
:The music's played by the madmen

Gold calls the replacement "turn our golden faces into the sun" the worst lyric in the song.

Not a native English speaker, Gold received pronunciation instruction from producer Colin Pearson. The band had decided that the word "dance" in the first line should be pronounced in order for the song to sound British, but Gold would forget and sing the American pronunciation .

Originally released by Alphaville as a single in 1984, "Forever Young" was available in both its original mix and in a dance version, entitled the "Special Dance Mix". Over the years, the band has released several remixes and demo versions of the song.

In the US, the song debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 95 in the week of 23 March 1985, peaking at number 93 the following week, before dropping off the chart following a four-week run; it also peaked at number 32 on the Hot Dance/Disco Club Play chart on 30 March. When re-released in 1988, the song was more successful in the US, peaking at number 65 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in a total run of 14 weeks.

The song's music video, directed by Brian Ward, shows the band performing in one of the halls at Holloway Sanatorium in Virginia Water, England. A number of people from children to the elderly, dressed in ragged finery, awake to watch the band, then walk through a diamond-shaped glowing portal.

Reception

In 1987, the song topped yearly retrospective lists in San Francisco's KITS "Live 105" and New Jersey's WPST 94.5 radio stations, with ''Billboard'' calling it "the modern rock equivalent of 'Stairway to Heaven'". "Forever Young" was top on both lists, beating out songs like U2's " Pride (In the Name of Love)", New Order's " Blue Monday" and the Smiths' " How Soon Is Now?".

The song was used for the end credits of the ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' episode "Underage Drinking: A National Concern".

In the mid-2020s, the song gained widespread usage in Youtube shorts. Frequently used as a backdrop for AI-generated videos of celebrities and other famous people being de-aged as the videos travel backwards through their lives.

In 2024, "Forever Young" gained wide popularity on the social media app TikTok, 40 years after the song's release. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in the United States, and stayed there for 10 weeks.

Track listings

*7-inch single
# "Forever Young" – 3:45
# "Welcome to the Sun" – 3:09

*12-inch maxi single
# "Forever Young" (special dance version) – 6:06
# "Forever Young" – 3:45
# "Welcome to the Sun" – 3:09

* "Welcome to the Sun" also appeared (in a remix and a re-recording) on 1999's '' Dreamscapes''.

Other releases

The original album version has also appeared on the following official Alphaville releases:
* '' Alphaville Amiga Compilation'', 1988
* '' Alphaville: The Singles Collection'', 1988
* '' First Harvest 1984–92'', 1992

The "Special Dance Version" and the B-side "Welcome to the Sun" were both included on '' so80s presents Alphaville'' (2014).

Forever Young 2001

In 2001, Alphaville released a new set of remixes in a "limited fan edition" called "Forever Young 2001". This single contained three music tracks, one spoken word track, and a PC-only track.

This CD was released to fans for free, only postage needed to be paid. The names of every fan who had requested a copy were printed on the inside cover. Copies were hand-signed by the band. The remixes that appear on the single have not appeared on other releases.

The cover is a still image from the video, which was created by the Cartoon Saloon.

Track listings

CD single
# "Forever Young" (F.A.F's Diamonds in the Sun mix) – 3:56
#* Remixed by: F.A.F
# "Forever Young" (Factory mix) – 4:21
#* Remixed by: José Alvarez-Brill
# "Forever Young" (original demo 1983) – 4:43
# "Thank You" (spoken version) – 3:44
# "Forever Young" (Magix PlayR) (PC only)

* The track "Thank You" consisted of then-member Bernard Lloyd thanking the fans, while speaking over one of his "favorite tracks", which was a remix of "Lassie Come Home", as it was to appear on the 2001 remix album '' Forever Pop''.
* The Magix PlayR track was a PC-only application that allowed fans to customize the FAF remix to their liking.

CD promo single
# "Forever Young" (F.A.F's Diamonds in the Sun mix) — 3:56

* This promotional CD was produced in a strictly limited run of 500 copies and not sold commercially.

Forever Young the Remix

Released in 2006, this CD contains two new remixes by notable remix artist Bill Hamel. It also includes a digitally remastered version of the original album version of the song. The remix reached number 31 on the Australian ARIA singles chart, peaking higher than the original version in 1986, which only charted at number 47.

Track listing

CD single
# "Forever Young" (Hamel album mix) – 4:58
# "Forever Young" (Bill Hamel club mix) – 7:39
# "Forever Young" (remastered original version) – 3:47

Charts

Certifications

Laura Branigan version

In 1985, Laura Branigan covered "Forever Young" for her album '' Hold Me''.

She then went on to sing it as either the encore or the final track of her live performances for years.

Interactive version

In 1994, German electronic group Interactive released a cover of "Forever Young" which reached number seven in Germany and number ten in both Denmark and the Netherlands. It also made the top 20 in five other countries and on the Eurochart Hot 100, the song reached number 34. This electronic dance version does not contain most of the song's lyrics and only includes a slightly modified chorus as the sole vocals. In 2002, German DJ and music producer Kosmonova remixed this version of "Forever Young". The remix peaked at number 21 in Germany and number 37 in the UK.

Music video

The music video for "Forever Young" was directed by Basil Schlegel. It features kids attending and partying in a night club.

Track listing

* CD maxi (Germany)
#"Forever Young" (radio edit) – 3:40
#"Forever Young" (extended version) – 5:59
#"Mobilé" – 5:04
#"Waves of Balah" – 5:44

Charts

Certifications

Youth Group version

In 2005, Australian rock band Youth Group were asked by the producers of the American television series '' The O.C.'' to record a version of "Forever Young" for use in the show, following a positive response to the use of their single "Shadowland" in a previous episode. Their version of "Forever Young" was used in the show and the show's trailers and was included on the soundtrack album '' Music from the OC: Mix 5''. Released as a single in Australia on 6 March 2006, the song reached number one on the ARIA singles chart for two weeks. The track was included on Youth Group's third studio album, '' Casino Twilight Dogs'', released later that year.

Track listing

Australian CD single
# "Forever Young" – 4:33
# "Someone Else's Dream" – 2:36
# "Forever Young" (edit) – 3:26

Charts

Certifications

Cash Cash version

In 2010, American electronic music group Cash Cash released a cover of the song. It was released on 8 March 2010 through Universal. The song was serviced to radio in the United States on 12 May 2010.

Background

Jean Paul Makhlouf stated that group chose to cover the song because "the idea of being forever young is just awesome," which was the reason why the group first formed. They were also inspired to cover the song due to the "many amazing memories" the band has made, such as recording a their debut studio album, hearing their song on the radio, touring the US and meeting fans across the world. Makhlouf also added:

I'll always be a teenager at heart. Of course there's a time for work, but you can't forget about the play. I always make sure I keep a good balance of the two.

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.
* Cash Cash – primary artist
* Bernhard Lloyd – composer
* Frank Mertens – composer
* Marian Gold – composer, lyricist

Music video

A music video for the song was released via YouTube on 29 June 2010. As of 2014, the video has since been removed.

Charts

Becky Hill version

In 2020, British singer Becky Hill released a cover version of the song. It was released on 13 November 2020 by Polydor Records and Eko Records. The song was selected as the soundtrack to the 2020 McDonald's Christmas advert in the UK.

Background

The song raised money for FareShare, in which McDonald's donated five million meals for charity. Hill also donated 10p from every download, going to food charity FareShare. She said on her Twitter account, "'forever young' is bigger than just a nice christmas advert & song. @mcdonaldsuk has committed to funding @fareshareuk to redistribute over 5 million meals by April 2021 to families in need. at least 10p of every download goes towards a great cause. no child should be hungry".

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.
* Charlie Hugall – producer, mixer, recording engineer, studio personnel
* Bernhard Lloyd – composer
* Frank Mertens – composer
* Marian Gold – composer, lyricist
* Adam Rust – associated performer, keyboards
* Becky Hill – associated performer, vocals
* Matt Colton – mastering engineer, studio personnel

Charts

Certifications

David Guetta and Ava Max version

In October 2024, a version with French DJ and producer David Guetta and American singer Ava Max was released, featuring new verses.

Background

The original version of "Forever Young" went viral on the video-sharing platform TikTok in September 2024, sending the song to the top of the TikTok ''Billboard'' Top 50 chart on 5 October 2024. On 7 October 2024, Max performed the extended version of Guetta's version of the song in Ibiza, Spain alongside Guetta. On October 14, she released the official announcement for its release. The track inspired over 3 million TikTok creations.

Guetta's EDM version of "Forever Young" adds Ava Max's vocals for the new verses. Throughout mid-2024, it became a staple at Guetta's F* Me I'm Famous! residency at Ushuaïa Ibiza, with Max joining Guetta onstage for a sold-out and end-of-season performance in September.

Credits and personnel

*David Guetta – producer, programming
*Alphaville – vocals
*Marian Gold – vocals, songwriter
*Bernhard Lloyd – songwriter
*Frank Mertens – songwriter
*Shawn Carter – songwriter
*Ava Max – vocals
*Jakke Erixon – producer, programming
*Timofey Reznikov – producer, mixing engineering, mastering engineering, programming

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Samples and covers

*In 2008, Czech singer Karel Gott and German rapper Bushido performed a duet called "Für immer jung" (Forever Young), released on Bushiso's album " Heavy Metal Payback".
*In 2009, American rapper Jay-Z sampled a reworked 1992 version of the Wayne Wonder cover (which now featured Buju Banton and Stone Love) for his album '' The Blueprint 3''. Retitled " Young Forever", Jay-Z's rap version featured Mr Hudson and reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
*In 2019, Undressd released a cover that charted in Sweden peaking at number 40 on Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish singles chart.
*Also in 2019, Frederick Lloyd, under his "Ursine Vulpine" alias, recorded a cover of the song. His cover was featured in the trailer to the 2019 film '' Gemini Man'' as well as the 2021 video game ''New World''.
*At the end of 2019, a version of the song by American singer-songwriter Andrea von Kampen, was recorded for the Hafod Hardware Christmas advertisement.
*In 2023, American singer Anastacia covered "Forever Young" for her studio album '' Our Songs''.

See also

* List of ''Billboard'' number-one dance songs of 2025

Notes

References

External links

*

{{authority control

1984 songs
1984 singles
1994 singles
2001 singles
2006 singles
2010 singles
2020 singles
2024 singles
ARIA Award-winning songs
Alphaville (band) songs
Ava Max songs
Cash Cash songs
Becky Hill songs
Blow Up singles
David Guetta songs
Number-one singles in Australia
Number-one singles in Romania
Number-one singles in Sweden
Songs about nuclear war and weapons
Songs written by Marian Gold
Songs written by Bernhard Lloyd
Songs written by Frank Mertens
Warner Music Group singles
Ivy League Records singles
Polydor Records singles
Songs containing the I–V-vi-IV progression
1980s ballads
Synth-pop ballads