"Alone" is a song composed by

Billy Steinberg William Endfield Steinberg (born February 26, 1950) is an American songwriter. He achieved his greatest success in the 1980s with songwriting partner Tom Kelly; together they wrote or co-wrote the No. 1 hits " Like a Virgin" by Madonna (1984), ...

and Tom Kelly, who recorded it under the name i-Ten on their 1983 album '' Taking a Cold Look''. It was later recorded by actress Valerie Stevenson and actor

John Stamos John Phillip Stamos ( ; born August 19, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He first gained recognition for his contract role as Blackie Parrish on the ABC television soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he was nominated for the Da ...

on the original soundtrack of the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

'' in 1984. American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

covered it on their 1987 album ''

Bad Animals ''Bad Animals'' is the ninth studio album by American rock band Heart, released on June 6, 1987, by Capitol Records. The album continues the mainstream hard rock style from the band's 1985 self-titled release, all while enjoying similar succ ...

,'' and this version reached number one in the US and Canada. In 2007

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

recorded it for her album ''

Taking Chances ''Taking Chances'' is the tenth English-language and twenty-third studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released by Columbia Records on 7 November 2007. Dion returned to the music scene after almost five years of performing ''A New Day...' ...

''. In 2010

Alyssa Reid Alyssa Ashley Reid (born March 15, 1993) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her career began in 2008 on ''The Next Star''. She rose to fame in 2011, following the release of her single " Alone Again". From 2018-2020, she released music under the ...

used the music and lyrics for the chorus of her song '' Alone Again.''

Original Steinberg and Kelly version

''Alone'' is a

rock ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cu ...

composed by

and Tom Kelly, who recorded it under the name i-Ten on their 1983 album '' Taking a Cold Look''. It was included on the album as the third track on side one and was not recorded as the title track of the album. It debuted inauspiciously and I-Ten did not record any other albums prior to disbanding.

''Dreams'' version

In late 1984, actress Valerie Stevenson and actor

covered the song for the

Sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

'' under their roles as Lisa Copley and Gino Minelli. It appeared on the episode of the same name where the band perform the song for Frank and Louise's anniversary party. It is the earliest cover of the song. In that episode, Frank and Gino write a poem and turn it into a song. The episode aired on November 7, 1984. The song was released as a single that same day, but did not chart.

Heart version

released the song as the first single from their ninth studio album, ''

,'' in May 1987. Their version is a

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...

that begins with a piano line and a subdued vocal from

Ann Wilson Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in th ...

, leading to a synth-led hard-rock chorus. Tom Kelly, the song's coauthor and himself an experienced session singer, provided the high harmony parts on the record. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that it's "a potent, emotion-drenched rock ballad that features Ann Wilson’s signature billowing, riveting vocal performance." "Alone" spent three weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in July 1987. It ranked No. 2 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Year-End Top Pop Singles of 1987. It is also Heart's most successful single in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at No. 3 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in June. It is the band's only song to peak inside the UK Top 5. The song was also a global hit, reaching No. 1 in Canada, the top five in Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland, the top ten in Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands as well as the top twenty in West Germany. An "unplugged" version of the song later appeared on Heart's 1995 album ''The Road Home.'' An extended version of "Alone" (5:30 long) was included on the Japanese 3" mini-CD of Heart's third single from ''Bad Animals,'' " There's the Girl".

Music video

The video for the song was directed by

Marty Callner Marty Callner (born 1950 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American television director, who has made music videos, comedy specials, concert specials, and television shows, in a career spanning from 1977 to present day. He is the creator of HBO's '' Ha ...

, and was released in June 1987. It starts with Ann at the top of a balcony singing to Nancy, who is at the bottom (similar to the famous "Romeo & Juliet" scene). Ann is then seen in all black, including a funeral veil and gown. The two sisters are then seen performing the refrain to an audience on stage, when Nancy's piano collapses at the first bang of the chorus. During the second verse, a broken-down and dilapidated set is seen, with Nancy playing the piano within it. Nancy is then seen riding atop a black horse and jumping out on stage with her guitar as the instrumental section kicks in. It then shows Ann, in the all-black outfit within the broken set and thereby resembling a witch, before cutting directly back to the stage performance as the song reaches its climax. As the song fades out, a shot of Ann and Nancy together is shown, with each one looking directly into each other's eyes, before finally finishing with a quick shot of Ann's face as the screen goes black.

Personnel

Heart

– lead vocals, background vocals * Nancy Wilson – rhythm guitar, piano, background vocals *

Howard Leese Howard M. Leese (born June 13, 1951, in Hollywood, California, United States) is an American guitarist, record producer, and musical director who played with Heart as guitarist and keyboardist for 23 years (1975 through 1998). He continues to rec ...

– lead guitar, keyboards, background vocals *

Mark Andes Mark Andes (born February 19, 1948) is an American musician, known for his work as a bassist with Canned Heat, Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart, and Mirabal. Early life Andes was born in Philadelphia, but grew up in Los Angeles, one of ...

– bass guitar *

Denny Carmassi Denny Carmassi (born April 30, 1947) is an American drummer most notable for playing with many rock bands. Biography Carmassi was born into a family of drummers; his father, his uncle, and his brother each played the drums. Some of Denny's e ...

– drums

Additional musicians

* Mike Moran – synthesizers * Tom Kelly – background vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications and sales

Celine Dion version

covered "Alone" for her tenth English-language

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, ''

'' (2007). It was released as the second

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom in 2008. Produced by

Ben Moody Benjamin Robert Moody II (born January 22, 1981) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as co-founder, former guitarist and co-songwriter of rock band Evanescence from its inception in 1995 to his departure in ...

, ex-member of

Evanescence Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording independent EPs as a duo in the late 90's, and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut s ...

, the song divided music critics. While some picked it as one of the best tracks on ''Taking Chances'', others thought that the cover was too similar with the original.

Background and release

Dion covered "Alone" in 2007 for her tenth English studio album, ''

,'' released that year. The version was produced by

, former member of rock band

. Dion's version features tinkling pianos and enveloping strings. It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom. The digital single release in the UK on May 5, 2008, was coincided with the British leg of the

Taking Chances World Tour The Taking Chances World Tour is the ninth concert tour by Canadian singer Celine Dion, in support of her thirteenth French-language and twenty-second studio album ''D'elles'' (2007). tenth English-language and twenty-third studio album ''Taking ...

. In October 2008, "Alone" was included on the European version of '' My Love: Essential Collection.'' A live version was included in the '' Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert'' CD/DVD.

Critical reception

Music critics were divided on "Alone".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

picked the song as one of the best tracks on ''Taking Chances,'' and wrote that "Celine attempts to snatch Heart's 'Alone' from

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...

and cribs from

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

's operatic rock, two blatant thieveries that, when combined with the quartet of explicit changeups, gives ''Taking Chances'' a vaguely desperate vibe, as if Celine needs to prove that she still reigns supreme among all divas".Erlewine, Stephen (November 17, 2007
Taking Chances - Review | Allmusic

Rovi Corporation TiVo Corporation, formerly known as the Rovi Corporation and Macrovision Solutions Corporation, was an American technology company. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the company is primarily involved in licensing its intellectual property ...

'' Retrieved February 28, 2011. Sarah Rodman wrote for ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' that "Enlisting former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody adds little; in fact, the carbon-copy arrangement doesn't pack as much windswept melodramatic punch as Dion's own '

It's All Coming Back to Me Now "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" is a power ballad written by Jim Steinman. According to Steinman, the song was inspired by ''Wuthering Heights'', and was an attempt to write "the most passionate, romantic song" he could ever create. ''The Sunda ...

.' Great vocal, terrific melody, a fine rendition, but 'Alone' is already indelibly stamped by Heart's

". ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'' editor Ashante Infantry called this song "sentimental, cringe-worthy diva track". Chuck Taylor of ''

'' called it "a rowdy cover". Rob Sheffield of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' gave the song a negative review, writing: "That's nothing compared to Dion shrieking the ten millionth version of Heart's 'Alone' (mad pitchy, dog!), produced by ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody –

Amy Lee Amy Lynn Hartzler (; born December 13, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the co-founder, lead vocalist, and lead songwriter of the rock band Evanescence. Alongside her contributions with the band, Lee has also particip ...

, meet the fugliest bullet you ever dodged".

Commercial performance

The song debuted on November 24, 2007, at No. 85 on the

. It spent two weeks on the chart. After selling 12,535 copies, it entered the US

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

at No. 24 and

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

at No. 57. It entered the

Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and known by its current name since October 2007, based on sales data from the Swedish R ...

, due to strong digital sales, and peaked at No. 52.

Music video and live performances

The music video was taken from Dion's

TV special ''

That's Just the Woman in Me ''That's Just the Woman in Me'' is a one-off American television special by the Canadian singer Celine Dion that was broadcast by CBS on 15 February 2008 and was recorded at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on 12 January 2008. The ...

'' and released on March 8, 2008.Celine's "Alone" Music Video - Now Inside TeamCeline!
. Retrieved March 7, 2008. Dion promoted "Alone" at that time in France, performing it on ''

Star Academy ''Star Academy'', called ''Operación Triunfo'' ("Operation Triumph") in Spanish-speaking countries, is a highly successful television pop music talent contest with viewer voting and reality show elements. Format There are many versions of t ...

''. On November 23, 2007, she went to the American talkshow '' The View'' to perform "Taking Chances" as well as "Alone". Dion performed the song during most dates of her ''

;'' the performance was included in the '' Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert'' CD/DVD.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

External links

*
Heart - Alone (Official Music Video)
* {{authority control 1983 songs 1987 singles 2001 singles 2008 singles 1980s ballads Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Capitol Records singles Celine Dion songs Columbia Records singles Epic Records singles Hard rock ballads Heart (band) songs Music videos directed by Marty Callner Rock ballads RPM Top Singles number-one singles Song recordings produced by Ron Nevison Songs about loneliness Songs written by Billy Steinberg Songs written by Tom Kelly (musician) Songs containing the I–V-vi-IV progression Warmen songs pt:Alone (canção de Heart)