"Unbelievable" is a song written and recorded by British band EMF, originally appearing on their debut album, ''

Schubert Dip ''Schubert Dip'' is the debut album by British rock band EMF, released on Parlophone Records on 7 May 1991. It features the worldwide hit single " Unbelievable" which reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The name of the album is ...

'' (1991). It was released as a single in the UK in October 1990, peaking at number three 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 ...

on 1 December 1990. It was the 32nd-best-selling single of 1990 in the UK, and a top 10 hit also in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. In the United States, it hit number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1991. The song was produced by

Ralph Jezzard Ralph Jezzard (born 16 January 1966 in South London) is a British music producer based in London, England. History Jezzard started playing in bands at the age of 14 including Case. At 16 he started working at Wickham Studios in South London ...

, and contains samples of US comedian

Andrew Dice Clay Andrew Dice Clay (born Andrew Clay Silverstein; September 29, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s with a brash, deliberately offensive persona known as "The Diceman". In 1990, he became the fi ...

and a

Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxist-Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, Califo ...

member shouting "What the fuck?"

Background and release

Guitarist and principal songwriter of the band,

Ian Dench Ian Alec Harvey Dench (born 7 August 1964) is an English songwriter and musician. He was the guitarist and principal songwriter for EMF, who scored a major international hit reaching number 1 in the United States with " Unbelievable" in 1991. ...

, has stated that the melody to the song came into his head as he was riding on his bike. Still obsessed by his girlfriend who had dumped him, the idea came to him while on his way home. Dench had learned to play classical guitar and also loved the

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

. The guitar riff in the song goes from blues mode to

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...

mode, "like the two conflicting sides of his life", as he told in an interview with ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''. Singer James Atkins had suggested to do

Chicago house Chicago house refers to house music produced during the mid to late 1980s within Chicago. The term is generally used to refer to the first ever house music productions, which were by Chicago-based artists in the 1980s. History and origins Disco ...

and

Detroit techno Detroit techno is a type of techno music that generally includes the first techno productions by Detroit-based artists during the 1980s and early 1990s. Prominent Detroit techno artists include Juan Atkins, Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May, Jeff Mil ...

, but Dench went for crossover indie/dance music. The band made a four-track demo and were invited to London by the record labels. Instead the band suggested that they should come to witness the band perform live in the

Forest of Dean The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to the n ...

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

Island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

and

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

wanted to sign them. The latter drew the longest straw. The “Oh” sample comes from US comedian

, that was released on

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

. The band therefore had to get hold of anyone in the Def Jam office to clear the sample. They were flown to Los Angeles to meet EMI. Dench then happened to see

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...

, founder of Def Jam, in a bar. He answered, “Fax my office in the morning” and did it for free. Another sample in the song is of a member of

shouting "What the fuck?" "Unbelievable" was released on 22 October 1990 as the first single from ''

''. The band drew inspiration from American hip-hop for their fashion style, using their first advance to buy really big dodgy puffer jackets like

East 17 East 17 are an English pop boy band started by Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell in 1991. As of 2020, the group consists of Coldwell, Robbie Craig, and Joe Livermore. East 17 have undergone multiple lineup changes, ...

Chart performance

"Unbelievable" was very successful on the charts across several continents. In Europe, the song entered the top 10 in Belgium (4), Germany (9), Ireland (5), the Netherlands (6), Norway (8), Spain (6), Sweden (9), Switzerland (3), and the UK. In the latter, it peaked at number three on the

in its fifth week, on November 25, 1990. The song spent two weeks at the number two position before dropping to number six, seven and ten the following weeks. The single was also a top 10 hit on the

Eurochart Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...

, peaking at number eight in December 1990. Outside Europe, "Unbelievable" was a top 20 hit in New Zealand (12), while entering the top 10 also in Australia (8). In the US, the song achieved huge success, charting on four different ''Billboard'' charts; number one on the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, number nine on the

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart, number five on the

Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales In the issue dated March 16, 1985, '' Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...

chart and number three on the

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

chart. It also hit number one on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100. In Canada, "Unbelievable" reached number four on the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Top Singles chart and number three on the ''RPM'' Dance/Urban chart. The single earned a gold record in Australia (35,000), Canada (50,000) and the United States (500,000), and a silver record in the United Kingdom (200,000).

Critical reception

In 2018, Bill Lamb from

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...

noted that the song "mixed intoxicating rhythms, sweet high vocals from lead singer James Atkin, and rousing shouts to storm to the top of the pop charts." In his review of ''

'',

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 ...

editor Alex Henderson described the song as "so insanely infectious", remarking its "dizzying infectiousness". Upon the release,

J.D. Considine J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977. Background J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...

from ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

'' felt the group's material appeals as much to the brain as the body, so that songs such as "Unbelievable" "end up danceable, hummable, and utterly irresistible."

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

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 ...

'' declared it as a "insinuating,

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

-influenced rave. Scratchy, neopsychedelic guitar riffs nicely contrast track's hip hop groove, promising extensive exposure here at both club and radio levels." John Earls from ''

Classic Pop Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...

'' called it "mighty". Annette Petruso from ''

The Michigan Daily ''The Michigan Daily'' is the weekly student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other stu ...

'' stated that the boys from the

"have created an undeniably perfect pop single with the ultra-simple, ultra-catchy and ultra-overplayed "Unbelievable"." Andrew Collins from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' complimented it as a "special record", writing, "It's their first, and it's crunchier than the breakfast cereal

Start Start can refer to multiple topics: *Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air * Starting lineup in sports *Standing start, and rolling start, in an auto race Acronyms *St ...

. Sex-flavoured bass, hoppity drums, unfettered guitar, and a shouting sample that might be stupid old

for all I know — yes, it's got the lot. Drenched in all the same juices that make PWEI so cool, it even sounds like five people were involved in its construction. I believe."

Music video

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

was produced to promote the single, directed by American music video director

Josh Taft Josh Taft is an American music video director. He has directed music videos for Alice in Chains ("Would?"), Stone Temple Pilots ("Sex Type Thing", "Plush", and " Lady Picture Show"), Nas (" The World Is Yours"), A Tribe Called Quest ("Award T ...

. It received

heavy rotation In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time. However, they are not completely sh ...

MTV Europe MTV Global (formerly as MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV, a 24-hour music and entertainment TV channel that began broadcasting on August 1, 1987, as part of the worldwide MTV network. Initially, MTV serve ...

Impact and legacy

The song was ranked no. 31 on VH1's "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders" in 2002 and no. 98 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s" in 2007. Australian music channel Max placed it at number 547 in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2011. ''

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 ...

'' listed "Unbelievable" at number 12 in their "20 Biggest Songs of the Summer: The 1990s" list in July 2014. In 2020,

Cleveland.com ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of Ma ...

listed it at number 41 in their ranking of the best ''Billboard'' Hot 100 No. 1 song of the 1990s.

Formats and track listings

* UK 7" (R 6273) #"Unbelievable" – 3:30 #"EMF" (live at The Bilson) – 3:53 * UK CD (CDR 6273) #"Unbelievable" – 3:30 #"Unbelievable" (The Cin City Sex Mix) – 5:14 #"EMF" (live at The Bilson) – 3:53 * US CD (E2-56210) #"Unbelievable" (single version) – 3:30 #"Unbelievable" (Cin City Sex Mix) – 5:14 #"Unbelievable" (Boot Lane Mix) – 6:20 #"Unbelievable" (House Mix) – 4:26 #"Unbelievable" (Hip Hop Mix) – 4:10 #"EMF" (live at The Bilson) – 3:53

Charts and sales

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1990 songs 1990 debut singles 1991 singles Australian rules football culture Australian rules football songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles EMF (band) songs EMI Records singles Parlophone singles