Wonderful Life (Hurts song)

"Wonderful Life"
Single by Hurts
from the album Happiness
B-side "Affair"
Released 3 May 2010
Format CD single, digital download, 7" single, 12" single
Genre Synthpop, new wave
Length 4:14
Label Major Label, RCA
Writer(s) Hurts, Joseph Cross
Producer(s) Hurts, Joseph Cross, Jonas Quant
Hurts singles chronology
"Better Than Love"
(2010)		 "Wonderful Life"
(2010)		 "Stay"
(2010)

"Wonderful Life" is a song by English synthpop duo Hurts from their debut album, Happiness. It was released as their debut single in Denmark on 3 May 2010, and was released as their second single in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2010. The song peaked at number two in Germany, and reached top ten positions in Denmark, Switzerland, Poland and Austria. It also charted in Belgium.

Background

In an interview with entertainment website Digital Spy lead singer Theo Hutchcraft said of the song: "It's basically based on two extremes: the first being a man who wants to kill himself and the second being love at first sight. He's standing on the bridge about to jump and he's stopped by a woman. They see each other and fall in love. She basically says, 'Come with me, it's all going to be fine'. The song only offers a snippet of someone's life, so we don't know what happens at the end of it."[1]

Critical reception

"Wonderful Life" was well received from music critics. Digital Spy gave the song five out of five stars writing: "Over noirishly simmering synths, frontman Theo Hutchcraft tells the story of a suicidal man saved from jumping off the Severn Bridge by the strike of love at first sight. The rest, quite frankly, speaks for itself. Classy video? Check. Haunting vocals? You got 'em. Epic instrumental breakdown two-thirds of the way through? Seriously, it's all here."[2] The Guardian reviewer Paul Lester wrote: "Wonderful Life is a heart-piercing future classic. Close your eyes and you're transported back to 1987, with the pristine production and melodies."[3] Fraser McAlpine of BBC Chart Blog gave the song four out of five stars and described it as a sad song with "bitterly optimistic lyrics".[4] Brent DiCrescenzo from Time Out Chicago gave "Wonderful Life" four out of five stars and called it a "immaculately crafted, melodramatic pop song[s]"[5] Sarah Walters of City Life gave the song three out of five stars. She felt the song was "a product of the 1980s", and wrote, "There are countless debts in here: the sentimental synth of the Pet Shop Boys or Fiction Factory, the dancefloor savvy of The Beloved, the emotional lyrical arch China Crisis or the dashes of saxophone used by Spandau Ballet and Black".[6] (Coincidentally, Black had a hit with a song of the same title).[7] Altsounds.com gave the song a favourable review, stating: "It isn't ground-breaking by any means but it is a good example of pop music done well. Sure the lyrics aren't the greatest [...] but the chorus is good and will rattle around in your brain for quite a few hours after you have finished listening to it."[8]

Track listing

  • Danish digital download
  1. "Wonderful Life" – 4:14
  • UK CD single
  1. "Wonderful Life" – 4:16
  2. "Affair" – 6:26
  • UK digital download
  1. "Wonderful Life" (Radio Edit) – 3:34
  2. "Wonderful Life" (Mantronix Remix) – 5:11
  3. "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix) – 6:43
  4. "Wonderful Life" (Freemasons Remix Radio Edit) – 3:23
  5. "Wonderful Life" (Freemasons Extended Mix) – 8:28
  • UK 7" vinyl
  1. "Wonderful Life" – 4:16
  2. "Wonderful Life" (Mantronix Remix) – 5:11
  • UK 12" picture vinyl
  1. "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix) – 6:43
  2. "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix Instrumental)
  • German digital download
  1. "Wonderful Life" – 4:16
  2. "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix) – 6:43
  3. "Wonderful Life" (Lexy Remix) – 7:22
  4. "Wonderful Life" (Mantronix Remix) – 5:11
  • German CD single
  1. "Wonderful Life" – 4:14
  2. "Wonderful Life" (Arthur Baker Remix) – 6:43

Personnel

Source:[9]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 27
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[12] 8
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[13] 15
Denmark (Tracklisten)[14] 8
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 15
Germany (Media Control Charts)[16] 2
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[17] 4
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 38
Israel (Media Forest)[19] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 83
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 20)[21] 1
Poland (Dance Top 50)[22] 37
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[23] 14
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 30
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[26] 21

Year-end charts

Chart (2010) Position
Austrian Singles Chart[27] 29
European Hot 100 Singles[28] 50
German Singles Chart[29] 8
Hungarian Airplay Chart[30] 71
Swiss Singles Chart[31] 31
Chart (2011) Position
Hungarian Airplay Chart[32] 91
Israeli Airplay Chart[33] 6

Certifications

Country Certifications
Austria Gold[34]
Germany 3× Gold[35]

Release history

Region Date Format
Denmark 3 May 2010 Digital download
Germany 30 July 2010[36]
6 August 2010[37] CD single
United Kingdom 22 August 2010[38] Digital download
23 August 2010[39] CD single

References

  1. ↑ Balls, David (27 December 2009). "Music - Interview - Ones To Watch: Hurts". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  2. ↑ Copsey, Robert (23 August 2010). "Music - Singles Review - Hurts: 'Wonderful Life'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  3. ↑ Lester, Paul (27 July 2009). "New band of the day – No 593: Hurts". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  4. ↑ McAlpine, Fraser (15 January 2010). "Chart Blog: Hurts - 'Wonderful Life'". BBC Music. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  5. ↑ DiCrescenzo, Brent. "Tracks | Hurts - Wonderful Life | Summer Camp - Round the Moon | Music review". Time Out Chicago. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  6. ↑ Walters, Sarah. "Single Review: Hurts - Wonderful Life - Releases - Music". Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  7. ↑ Lester, Paul (27 July 2009). "Hurts (No 593)". The Guardian (London).
  8. ↑ "Hurts - Wonderful Life [Single]". Altsounds.com. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  9. ↑ Wonderful Life (liner notes). Hurts. Sony. 2010.
  10. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Hurts – Wonderful Life" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Hurts – Wonderful Life" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Hurts – Wonderful Life" (in French). Ultratip.
  13. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201039 into search.
  14. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Hurts – Wonderful Life". Tracklisten.
  15. ↑ "Hurts: Wonderful Life" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  16. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Hurts > Wonderful Life – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  17. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  18. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 36, 2010". Irish Singles Chart.
  19. ↑ "Hurts – Wonderful Life Media Forest". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest.
  20. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Hurts – Wonderful Life" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. ↑ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 20.
  22. ↑ "Dance Chart :: Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video" (in Polish). ZPAV. 2011-01-01. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
  23. ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201041 into search.
  24. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Hurts – Wonderful Life". Singles Top 60.
  25. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Hurts – Wonderful Life". Swiss Singles Chart.
  26. ↑ "Hurts: Artist Chart History" UK Singles Chart.
  27. ↑ "Jahreshitparade 2010" (in German). IFPI Austria. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  28. ↑ "2010 Year End Charts – European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  29. ↑ "VIVA Single Jahrescharts 2010" (in German). Media Control. Viva. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  30. ↑ "MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 2010" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  31. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2010". Media Control. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  32. ↑ "MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 2011" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  33. ↑ "Media Forest: Yearly airplay chart - 2011". mediaforest.biz. 2011-12-30.
  34. ↑ "Gold & Platin" (in German). IFPI Austria. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  35. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Hurts; 'Wonderful+Life')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  36. ↑ "Wonderful Life: Hurts" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  37. ↑ "Wonderful Life: Hurts" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  38. ↑ "Wonderful Life: Hurts". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  39. ↑ "Wonderful Life: Hurts". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2010.

External links