I Believe in a Thing Called Love

"I Believe in a Thing Called Love"
Single by The Darkness
from the album Permission to Land
B-side	"Makin Out" "Physical Sex" "Out of My Hands"
Released	22 September 2003
Format	CD single, DVD single, 7" vinyl, digital download
Genre	Hard rock, glam metal
Length	3:40
Label	Must Destroy
Writer(s)	Justin Hawkins Dan Hawkins Ed Graham Frankie Poullain
Producer(s)	Pedro Ferreira
The Darkness singles chronology
"Growing on Me" (2003) "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (2003) "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)" (2003)

"I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is a song by English rock band The Darkness, released as the third single from their debut studio album, Permission to Land.

When released as a single in September 2003, it peaked at number two in UK Singles Chart, just behind The Black Eyed Peas' "Where Is The Love?". Lead singer Justin Hawkins performs much of the song in falsetto.

Like most of the band's tracks it is influenced by 1970s glam rock like T. Rex and Slade.

It was named the 276th best track of the 2000s by Pitchfork Media.^[1]

Background

"I Believe in a Thing Called Love" was originally issued as a 3-track EP in August 2002, however, as only a small number of copies were printed, it was ineligible to chart. The EP also included early versions of "Love On The Rocks With No Ice" and "Love Is Only A Feeling". When released as a single in September 2003, it was beaten to number one by The Black Eyed Peas' "Where Is the Love?".^[2] Lead singer Justin Hawkins performs much of the song in head voice. In March 2005, Q magazine placed "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" at number 47 in its list of the 101 Greatest Guitar Tracks. It is also placed 493 on The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born on Blender magazine. Most recently, it ranked at 276 of Pitchfork's 500 Top Tracks of the 2000s^[3] and was ranked number one for Classic Rock Magazine's list of "The Greatest Rock Songs Of The Noughties". The song was also named the 94th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.^[4] A live version of the song, recorded at Knebworth House in Knebworth, Hertfordshire in 2003, was featured as a B-side to the group's Christmas single, "Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)". The song peaked at #1 on the US iTunes rock chart and at #67 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart in February 2012, after Justin Hawkins appeared in a commercial during the Super Bowl XLVI.^[5] It has sold 647,000 copies in the U.S. as of February 2012.^[6]

Music video

The music video for the song was designed to launch the band onto the U.S. market.^[7] Directed by Alex Smith, the band are shown on a spaceship, performing and battling aliens and monsters.^[8][9]

In popular culture

This song was featured as a playable track on the music video games Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades; as source music in an episode of The Bill; and as part of the soundtrack for the film, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. The song was also featured on the original version of Singstar. It is featured in both Rocksmith and Rock Band 3 as downloadable content. The song was featured in a 2012 commercial during Super Bowl XLVI, for the Samsung Galaxy Note.^[10] This propelled the song to the number one spot on U.S. iTunes rock chart.^[11] The song also appeared in an Apple Music commercial featuring pop singer Taylor Swift in 2016.

Cover versions

• Jackie 'O' on the Almighty Ultimate Dance Party album (available on Rhapsody).
• Melanie C on tour in 2003.
• Hayseed Dixie on their 2004 album Let There Be Rockgrass.
• Damien Dempsey on the 2003 charity album Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 1.
• Shayne Ward as a contestant on The X Factor in 2005.
• Lemar on the 2007 BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge album.
• Artist Vs Poet on the 2010 compilation album Rockin' Romance II.
• Nitritt on their debut EP Gallery of Time.
• Johnny Robinson as a contestant on The X Factor in 2011.^[12]
• Brad Shoemaker at PAX East 2012.^[13]
• Panic! at the Disco in various live shows.^[14]
• Dylan Everett and Olivia Scriven on Degrassi in 2012.^[15]
• Swedish singer Edson in 2004.^[16]
• Adam Lambert and Chris Colfer in Glee episode "Frenemies", in 2014.
• Scott Bradlee and Postmodern Jukebox released a New Orleans jazz version of the song in 2015, featuring Maiya Sykes.
• Hanson covered the song on their Roots & Rock 'N' Roll EP in 2015.
• Delta Goodrem on her 2016 album Wings of the Wild.

Track listings

• CD single^[17]

1. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (Single Version) - 3:37
2. "Makin' Out" - 3:39
3. "Physical Sex" - 3:33

• Digital download^[18]

1. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" - 3:49

• Digital EP^[19]

1. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (Single Version) - 3:37
2. "Makin' Out" - 3:39
3. "Physical Sex" - 3:33
4. "Out of My Hands" - 3:33

• DVD single^[20]

1. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (Single Version) - 3:37
2. "Out of My Hands" - 3:33
3. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (Music Video) - 3:50

• 7" Vinyl^[21]

1. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (Single Version) - 3:37
2. "Makin' Out" - 3:39

Chart performance

References

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics