You Are Not Alone
Encyclopedia
"You Are Not Alone", released on the 10th of August 1995, is the second single from Michael Jackson
's album HIStory. The R&B
ballad's composition has been attributed R. Kelly
in response to difficult times in his personal life. He then forwarded a bare demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and decided to produce it with Kelly. Jackson's interest in the song was also linked to recent events in his personal life. However, the song has been faced with allegations of plagiarism by two Belgian songwriters. The song was later covered by R. Kelly
himself as a hidden track on his tenth studio album Love Letter (R. Kelly album)
.
The vast majority of critical reaction to "You Are Not Alone" was positive, although it did not attain unanimous praise. The song was the recipient of Grammy
and American Music Award nominations. The corresponding music video
, which featured Jackson and his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley
was also notable for its scenes of semi-nudity.
Commercially, the song was a significant success. It holds a Guinness World Record as the first song in the 37-year history of the Billboard Hot 100
to debut at number one; it was later certified platinum by the RIAA
. The song peaked highly in all major markets. "You Are Not Alone" was Michael Jackson's last number one hit song in the United States
during his lifetime. It was also the 800th number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100
pop singles chart.
ballad
about love and isolation. The song was written by R. Kelly and produced by Kelly and Jackson. Kelly wrote the song after the loss of close people in his life. Kelly was delighted to be able to work with his idol, explaining "I was psyched ... I feel I could have done his whole album. Not being selfish. I was just that geeked about it. It was an experience out of this world ... It's amazing to know that five years ago I was writing songs in a basement in the ghetto and now I'm writing for Michael Jackson ... I'd be a fool not to say it's a dream come true." Jackson contacted Kelly to see if he had any material available. Kelly forwarded a tape recording of the song and Jackson then agreed to work with Kelly on the piece. On the tape sent to Jackson, Kelly sung "You Are Not Alone" mimicking Jackson's vocal style, explaining, "I think I am him. I become him. I want him to feel that as well." Jackson found the interpretation amusing. They spent the last week of November 1994 together in the studio working on the track.
Jackson explained that he instantly liked the song, but listened to it twice before making his final decision. Although the song was written by Kelly, Jackson was adamant that the production should be a collaborative effort amongst the two musicians. The tape sent to him had no harmony or modulations, so Jackson added a choir in the final portion and added a sense of climax and structure to the final piece.
' or the first-rate R&B ballad 'You Are Not Alone' – manage to link the incidents of Jackson's infamous recent past to universal concepts like injustice or isolation. When he bases his music in the bluntness of hip-hop, Jackson sketches funky scenarios denouncing greed, blanket unreliability and false accusation". Jon Pareles of The New York Times
said that it was the only conventional love song on the new material on HIStory. He compared it to Mariah Carey
's song "Hero
" and said it "sounds like a surefire hit". In more recent years, Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic expressed the opinion that "You Are Not Alone" was amongst some the best songs Jackson ever released, calling the song seductive. The R&B critic and journalist Nelson George
described the song as lovely and supple.
Writer and journalist J. Randy Taraborrelli
wrote of the song in 2004, "[it] remains among Michael's best songs ... On listening to 'You Are Not Alone', one wonders how many times Michael tried to tell himself, during his most desperate and anguished times, that he did have support in his life, from a higher power, or even friends and family, whether he actually believed it or not". Fred Shuster of the Daily News of Los Angeles described it as the best song on the album. Conversely, while Steve Holsey of Michigan Chronicle
gave the album a positive review, he described the song as the worst on the album, calling the Kelly penned lyrics "trite" and below the standard set by Jackson's own lyrical skills. "You Are Not Alone" received an American Music Award nomination and a Grammy nomination both for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".
," which was the first song in the 37 year history of Billboard to debut at number five—where it peaked. It peaked at number one in the UK after a debut at number three in the prior week. The song also reached number one in Wallonia, France, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland. With the exception of Italy, it became a top ten hit in every major market.
The music video was directed by Wayne Isham
on July 2, 1995 and begins with a large number of paparazzi taking photographs of Jackson. The plot then centers around two locations: a temple where Jackson appears in an affectionate semi-nude scene with his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley
and a theater where Jackson performs the song to an empty hall. Jackson also appears alone in other locations such as deserts and mountain tops. The slightly extended version that appeared on HIStory on Film, Volume II
was notable for a scene where special effects were used to give Jackson white, feathery, almost angelic wings. The other version of the video is included on Number Ones and Michael Jackson's Vision
. The temple scenes were a homage to Maxfield Parrish's 1922 painting "Daybreak".
In one scene, Jackson originally appeared in complete nudity, but just before the video aired a decision was made to use special effects to remove or cover these aspects. Despite giving the song a positive review, Taraborrelli said of the video, "The only problem with 'You Are Not Alone' was the bizarre video for it, in which Michael and Lisa Marie frolic about semi-nude against an ethereal backdrop...The semi-nudity made no sense and was a bit disconcerting; one wished they would put their clothes back on". Afterward, Presley expressed regret about doing the video, saying she was "sucked up in the moment. It was kind of cool being in a Michael Jackson video. Come on!".
. The song was performed without the second verse. Jackson then performed the song at the Royal Brunei
concert in 1996 where it was performed as a complete song. Jackson also performed it during the HIStory World Tour
as a complete song, during which one lucky girl was allowed to dance with him on stage. Michael's next performance of "You Are Not Alone", which also turned out to be the song's last performance by Jackson himself occurred in 1999 during the two MJ & Friends concerts in Seoul
and Munich
. The song was performed without the second verse, similar to the "1995 MTV Awards" performance. The song was also due to be performed at the This Is It
concert series, however the shows were cancelled due to his untimely death.
!Country
! style="text-align:center;"|Certification
! style="text-align:center;"|Sales/shipments
|-
|align="left"|Austria
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|20,000
|-
|align="left"|France
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|250,000
|-
|align="left"|Germany
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|250,000
|-
|align="left"|New Zealand
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|7,500
|-
|align="left"|Switzerland
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|25,000
|-
|align="left"|United Kingdom
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|400,000
|-
|align="left"|United States
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|1,000,000
|}
Brazilian single
Japanese single
Cassette single
German single
Dutch single
Visionary single
of TV talent show The X Factor
in the United Kingdom released a cover version of the song on November 15, 2009 in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital
. The finalists premiered the song live on the November 15 edition of the programme; the single was available for digital download that day and a physical release followed the day after. The release of the song follows a similar occurrence a year earlier, when the final twelve acts from the fifth series
released a cover version of Mariah Carey's
"Hero" in aid of Help for Heroes
and raised over £
1 million.
are shown throughout the video.
|-
!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|UK Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|28
|-
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's album HIStory. The R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
ballad's composition has been attributed R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
in response to difficult times in his personal life. He then forwarded a bare demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and decided to produce it with Kelly. Jackson's interest in the song was also linked to recent events in his personal life. However, the song has been faced with allegations of plagiarism by two Belgian songwriters. The song was later covered by R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
himself as a hidden track on his tenth studio album Love Letter (R. Kelly album)
Love Letter (R. Kelly album)
Love Letter is the tenth studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly, released December 14, 2010 on Jive Records. It was written and produced entirely by Kelly...
.
The vast majority of critical reaction to "You Are Not Alone" was positive, although it did not attain unanimous praise. The song was the recipient of Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
and American Music Award nominations. The corresponding music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, which featured Jackson and his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley is an American singer and songwriter, also known as the "Princess of Rock and Roll". She is the only child of Elvis Presley, and daughter of Priscilla Presley.-Early life:...
was also notable for its scenes of semi-nudity.
Commercially, the song was a significant success. It holds a Guinness World Record as the first song in the 37-year history of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
to debut at number one; it was later certified platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. The song peaked highly in all major markets. "You Are Not Alone" was Michael Jackson's last number one hit song in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during his lifetime. It was also the 800th number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop singles chart.
Production and music
"You Are Not Alone" is a R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
about love and isolation. The song was written by R. Kelly and produced by Kelly and Jackson. Kelly wrote the song after the loss of close people in his life. Kelly was delighted to be able to work with his idol, explaining "I was psyched ... I feel I could have done his whole album. Not being selfish. I was just that geeked about it. It was an experience out of this world ... It's amazing to know that five years ago I was writing songs in a basement in the ghetto and now I'm writing for Michael Jackson ... I'd be a fool not to say it's a dream come true." Jackson contacted Kelly to see if he had any material available. Kelly forwarded a tape recording of the song and Jackson then agreed to work with Kelly on the piece. On the tape sent to Jackson, Kelly sung "You Are Not Alone" mimicking Jackson's vocal style, explaining, "I think I am him. I become him. I want him to feel that as well." Jackson found the interpretation amusing. They spent the last week of November 1994 together in the studio working on the track.
Jackson explained that he instantly liked the song, but listened to it twice before making his final decision. Although the song was written by Kelly, Jackson was adamant that the production should be a collaborative effort amongst the two musicians. The tape sent to him had no harmony or modulations, so Jackson added a choir in the final portion and added a sense of climax and structure to the final piece.
Critical reaction
'You Are Not Alone' received positive views from music critics. James Hunter of Rolling Stone noted that, "the excellent current single 'ScreamScream/Childhood
"Scream"/"Childhood" is the lead single from Michael Jackson's ninth studio album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I where "Scream" is the first song and "Childhood" is the tenth song on the second disc of the album HIStory Continues. The A-side, "Scream", is a duet with his younger sister...
' or the first-rate R&B ballad 'You Are Not Alone' – manage to link the incidents of Jackson's infamous recent past to universal concepts like injustice or isolation. When he bases his music in the bluntness of hip-hop, Jackson sketches funky scenarios denouncing greed, blanket unreliability and false accusation". Jon Pareles of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said that it was the only conventional love song on the new material on HIStory. He compared it to Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's song "Hero
Hero (Mariah Carey song)
"Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on October 19, 1993 by Columbia Records as the second single from Carey's third studio album, Music Box . Originally intended for Gloria Estefan, the song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff...
" and said it "sounds like a surefire hit". In more recent years, Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic expressed the opinion that "You Are Not Alone" was amongst some the best songs Jackson ever released, calling the song seductive. The R&B critic and journalist Nelson George
Nelson George
Nelson George is an African American author, columnist, music and culture critic, journalist, and filmmaker. He has been nominated twice for the National Book Critics Circle Award....
described the song as lovely and supple.
Writer and journalist J. Randy Taraborrelli
J. Randy Taraborrelli
John Randall Taraborrelli is an American journalist and biographer.Taraborrelli is an author known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures. He is a featured writer in several entertainment magazines in Canada, England, and Australia...
wrote of the song in 2004, "[it] remains among Michael's best songs ... On listening to 'You Are Not Alone', one wonders how many times Michael tried to tell himself, during his most desperate and anguished times, that he did have support in his life, from a higher power, or even friends and family, whether he actually believed it or not". Fred Shuster of the Daily News of Los Angeles described it as the best song on the album. Conversely, while Steve Holsey of Michigan Chronicle
Michigan Chronicle
The Michigan Chronicle is a weekly African-American run newspaper based in Detroit, Michigan. It was founded in 1936 by John Sengstacke, owner of the Chicago Defender. The first editor was Louis E. Martin, whom Sengestacke sent to Detroit on June 6, giving him a $5.00 raise above his $15-per-week...
gave the album a positive review, he described the song as the worst on the album, calling the Kelly penned lyrics "trite" and below the standard set by Jackson's own lyrical skills. "You Are Not Alone" received an American Music Award nomination and a Grammy nomination both for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".
Chart performance
Commercially, "You Are Not Alone" remains one of Jackson's best selling singles. It holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. First week sales were 120,000 copies, it was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of at least one million units within the US. It broke the record set by his previous single "Scream/ChildhoodScream/Childhood
"Scream"/"Childhood" is the lead single from Michael Jackson's ninth studio album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I where "Scream" is the first song and "Childhood" is the tenth song on the second disc of the album HIStory Continues. The A-side, "Scream", is a duet with his younger sister...
," which was the first song in the 37 year history of Billboard to debut at number five—where it peaked. It peaked at number one in the UK after a debut at number three in the prior week. The song also reached number one in Wallonia, France, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland. With the exception of Italy, it became a top ten hit in every major market.
Music video
Wayne Isham
Wayne Isham is an American music video director who has directed music videos of many popular artists; such as Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Roxette, Mötley Crüe, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Whitesnake, David Cook, Simple Plan, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys,...
on July 2, 1995 and begins with a large number of paparazzi taking photographs of Jackson. The plot then centers around two locations: a temple where Jackson appears in an affectionate semi-nude scene with his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley is an American singer and songwriter, also known as the "Princess of Rock and Roll". She is the only child of Elvis Presley, and daughter of Priscilla Presley.-Early life:...
and a theater where Jackson performs the song to an empty hall. Jackson also appears alone in other locations such as deserts and mountain tops. The slightly extended version that appeared on HIStory on Film, Volume II
HIStory on Film, Volume II
HIStory on Film, Volume II is a collection of music videos released by Michael Jackson in 1997 released by Sony Music Video Enterprises.-Side one:# Programme Start# HIStory Teaser Trailer - 3:58# "Billie Jean" - 5:05# "Beat It" - 4:56...
was notable for a scene where special effects were used to give Jackson white, feathery, almost angelic wings. The other version of the video is included on Number Ones and Michael Jackson's Vision
Michael Jackson's Vision
Michael Jackson's Vision is a deluxe DVD box set released on November 22, 2010. It includes three DVDs, featuring 4.5 hours of content of 42 music videos by Michael Jackson, with newly restored color and remastered audio. Michael referred to each of these productions as a "short film" and not a...
. The temple scenes were a homage to Maxfield Parrish's 1922 painting "Daybreak".
In one scene, Jackson originally appeared in complete nudity, but just before the video aired a decision was made to use special effects to remove or cover these aspects. Despite giving the song a positive review, Taraborrelli said of the video, "The only problem with 'You Are Not Alone' was the bizarre video for it, in which Michael and Lisa Marie frolic about semi-nude against an ethereal backdrop...The semi-nudity made no sense and was a bit disconcerting; one wished they would put their clothes back on". Afterward, Presley expressed regret about doing the video, saying she was "sucked up in the moment. It was kind of cool being in a Michael Jackson video. Come on!".
Live performances
Michael first performed "You Are Not Alone" at 1995 MTV Video Music Awards1995 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1995 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 7, 1995, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1994, to June 15, 1995. The show was hosted by Dennis Miller at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. David Sandlin was commissioned to design the program catalogue.TLC and Weezer were...
. The song was performed without the second verse. Jackson then performed the song at the Royal Brunei
HIStory World Tour
The HIStory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts and was attended by approximately 4.5 million fans, beating his previous Bad Tour...
concert in 1996 where it was performed as a complete song. Jackson also performed it during the HIStory World Tour
HIStory World Tour
The HIStory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts and was attended by approximately 4.5 million fans, beating his previous Bad Tour...
as a complete song, during which one lucky girl was allowed to dance with him on stage. Michael's next performance of "You Are Not Alone", which also turned out to be the song's last performance by Jackson himself occurred in 1999 during the two MJ & Friends concerts in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. The song was performed without the second verse, similar to the "1995 MTV Awards" performance. The song was also due to be performed at the This Is It
This Is It (Michael Jackson concerts)
This Is It was a planned series of fifty concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at The O2 Arena in London. They were scheduled to begin in July 2009 and continue through to March 2010. However, with all concerts sold out, Jackson died less than three weeks before the first concert date...
concert series, however the shows were cancelled due to his untimely death.
Plagiarism
In 2007, a Belgium court ruled that R. Kelly had plagiarized the 1993 song "If We Can Start All Over" when composing "You Are Not Alone". The court transferred rights of Jackson's hit to the twin composer brothers, Eddy and Danny Van Passel. The judgment is only recognized in Belgium and airplay of the hit has been banned in that nation.Peak positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
7 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
2 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
3 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
2 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
6 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 10 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 14 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
9 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
| Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
33 |
| French Digital Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
19 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
37 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
16 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
35 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs Hot Digital Songs The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of... |
17 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 21 |
Certifications
{| class="wikitable"!Country
! style="text-align:center;"|Certification
! style="text-align:center;"|Sales/shipments
|-
|align="left"|Austria
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|20,000
|-
|align="left"|France
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|250,000
|-
|align="left"|Germany
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|250,000
|-
|align="left"|New Zealand
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|7,500
|-
|align="left"|Switzerland
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|25,000
|-
|align="left"|United Kingdom
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|400,000
|-
|align="left"|United States
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|1,000,000
|}
Track listing
Canadian/United States single- "You Are Not Alone" – 4:56
- "You Are Not Alone" (radio edit) – 4:34
- "You Are Not Alone" (Franctified Club Mix) – 10:40
- "Scream Louder" (Flyte Tyme Remix) – 5:30
- "MJ Megaremix" – 10:33
Brazilian single
- "You Are Not Alone" (R. Kelly Remix Edit) – 4:30
- "You Are Not Alone" (Classic Club Edit) – 4:59
- "You Are Not Alone" (Jon B. Remix Edit) – 4:59
- "You Are Not Alone" (R. Kelly Remix) – 6:23
- "You Are Not Alone" (Jon B. Main Mix) – 6:55
- "Rock with You" (Frankie's Favorite Club Mix) – 7:45
Japanese single
- "You Are Not Alone" – 4:56
- "You Are Not Alone" (radio edit) – 4:34
- "You Are Not Alone" (Franctified Club Mix) – 10:40
- "You Are Not Alone" (R. Kelly Mix) – 6:23
- "You Are Not Alone" (Franctified Club Mix Edit) – 7:40
- "You Are Not Alone" (Jon B.Jon B.Jon B. is a Grammy nominated American R&B singer and songwriter.-Early life:...
Main Mix) – 6:55 - "You Are Not Alone" (Jon B. Padapella Mix) – 6:55
Cassette single
- "You Are Not Alone" – 4:56
- "Scream Louder" (Flyte Tyme Remix) – 5:30
German single
- "You Are Not Alone" – 4:56
- "You Are Not Alone" (radio edit) – 4:34
- "You Are Not Alone" (Franctified Club Mix) – 10:40
- "You Are Not Alone" (Classic Club Mix) – 7:40
- "You Are Not Alone" (Jon B.Jon B.Jon B. is a Grammy nominated American R&B singer and songwriter.-Early life:...
Main Mix) – 6:55 - "You Are Not Alone" (Jon B. Padapella Mix) – 6:55
- "MJ Medley Aus Dem Vivawettbewerb" – 5:00
Dutch single
- "You Are Not Alone" – 4:56
- "You Are Not Alone" (radio edit) – 4:34
- "You Are Not Alone" (Franctified Club Mix) – 10:40
- "You Are Not Alone" (Classic Club Mix) – 7:40
- "You Are Not Alone" (Jon B.Jon B.Jon B. is a Grammy nominated American R&B singer and songwriter.-Early life:...
Main Mix) – 6:55 - "You Are Not Alone" (Jon B. Padapella Mix) – 6:55
- "Magic Michael Jackson Mix" – 4:26
Visionary single
- CD side
- "You Are Not Alone" (radio edit) – 4:34
- "You Are Not Alone" (Classic Club Mix) – 7:36
- DVD side
- "You Are Not Alone" (music video) – 5:35
The X Factor UK 2009 finalists version
The final twelve acts from the sixth seriesThe X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
of TV talent show The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in the United Kingdom released a cover version of the song on November 15, 2009 in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children is a children's hospital located in London, United Kingdom...
. The finalists premiered the song live on the November 15 edition of the programme; the single was available for digital download that day and a physical release followed the day after. The release of the song follows a similar occurrence a year earlier, when the final twelve acts from the fifth series
The X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
released a cover version of Mariah Carey's
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
"Hero" in aid of Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes is a British charity launched on 1 October 2007 to help provide better facilities for British servicemen and women wounded since September 11, 2001. It was founded by Bryn Parry OBE and his wife Emma Parry OBE after they visited soldiers at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham...
and raised over £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million.
Music video
The video is very similar to the video of the cover version of the charity single of the year before. It shows various contestants performing their part in front of a plain black background, then shows the 12 finalists together performing the song in front of a screen of photos. Photos and video footage of the finalists at the Great Ormond Street HospitalGreat Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children is a children's hospital located in London, United Kingdom...
are shown throughout the video.
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 10 |
End-of-year charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"|-
!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
| style="text-align:center;"|28
|-