The Righteous Brothers er en amerikansk musikduo, oprindeligt dannet af Bill Medley og Bobby Hatfield, men nu bestående af Medley og Bucky Heard. Medley dannede gruppen sammen med Hatfield i 1963. De havde første gang optrådt sammen i 1962 i Los Angeles-området som en del af en femmandsgruppe kaldet the Paramours. De tog navnet the Righteous Brothers, da de blev en duo. Deres mest aktive indspilningsperiode var i 1960’erne og 1970’erne, og efter flere år uden aktivitet som duo blev Hatfield og Medley genforenet i 1981 og fortsatte med at optræde indtil Hatfields død i 2003. Udtrykket "blue-eyed soul" menes at være blevet opfundet af radioværten Georgie Woods fra Philadelphia i 1964, da han beskrev duoens musik.
Hatfield og Medley havde kontrasterende stemmelejer, hvilket hjalp dem med at skabe en karakteristisk lyd som duo. De havde begge vokal-vidde nok til at optræde som solister. Medley sang de dybe partier med sin basbarytonstemme, mens Hatfield tog de højere vokalpartier med sin tenor. Hans stemme nåede op i registeret for en kontratenor.
Efter halvandet år uden Top 40-placeringer på Billboard Hot 100 fik duoen deres store gennembrud med udgivelsen i slutningen af 1964 af det, der skulle blive deres signatursang, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" – en transatlantisk nummer ét produceret af Phil Spector, ofte betragtet som et af hans bedste værker og en milepæl i populærmusikken. Andre kendte hits inkluderer tre amerikanske Top 10-hits fra 1965 – "Just Once in My Life" samt coverversioner af "Unchained Melody" (også et stort hit i 1990 efter at være blevet brugt i filmen Ghost) og "Ebb Tide" – samt det enorme amerikanske nummer ét-hit fra 1966, "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration", plus comeback-hittet fra 1974, "Rock and Roll Heaven". Både Hatfield og Medley havde i en periode også deres egne solokarrierer. I 2016 gendannede Medley The Righteous Brothers sammen med Bucky Heard, og de fortsætter med at optræde som duo.
The Righteous Brothers blev optaget i Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i 2003 og i Vocal Group Hall of Fame i 2005. Rolling Stone placerede dem som nr. 16 på sin liste over de 20 største duoer nogensinde.
Medlemmer Nuværende medlemmer Bill Medley (1963–1968, 1974–1976, 1981–2003, 2016–nu) Bucky Heard (2016–nu)
Tidligere medlemmer Bobby Hatfield (1963–1971, 1974–1976, 1981–2003; død 2003) Jimmy Walker (1968–1971; død 2020)
Tidslinje
Diskografi
Album {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Titel ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Albumdetaljer ! scope="col" colspan="4"| Højeste hitlisteplacering ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:9em;"| Certificeringer |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| US ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| USR&B ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| AUS ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| CAN |- ! scope="row"| Right Now! | Released: 1963 Label: Moonglow Records Formats: Vinyl | 11 || 8 || — || —
! scope="row"| Some Blue-Eyed Soul | Released: 1964 Label: Moonglow Records Formats: Vinyl | 14 || — || — || —
! scope="row"| This Is New! | Released: 1965 Label: Moonglow Records Formats: Vinyl | 39 || — || — || —
! scope="row"| You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin''' | Released: 1965 Label: Philles Records Formats: Vinyl | 4 || 3 || — || —
! scope="row"| Just Once in My Life...| Released: 1965 Label: Philles Records Formats: Vinyl | 9 || 8 || — || —
! scope="row"| Back to Back| Released: 1965 Label: Philles Records Formats: Vinyl | 16 || — || — || —
! scope="row"| Soul & Inspiration| Released: 1966 Label: Verve Records Formats: Vinyl | 7 || 18 || — || — | US: Guld |- ! scope="row"| Go Ahead and Cry| Released: 1966 Label: Verve Records Formats: Vinyl | 32 || — || — || —
! scope="row"| Sayin' Somethin| Released: 1967 Label: Verve Records Formats: Vinyl | 155 || — || — || —
! scope="row"| Souled Out | Released: 1967 Label: Verve Records Formats: Vinyl | 198 || — || — || —
! scope="row"| Standards | Released: 1967 Label: Verve Records Formats: Vinyl | — || — || — || —
! scope="row"| One for the Road | Released: 1968 Label: Verve Records Formats: Vinyl | 187 || — || — || —
! scope="row"| Re-Birth(Bobby Hatfield and Jimmy Walker) | Released: 1969 Label: Verve Records Formats: Vinyl | — || — || — || —
! scope="row"| Give It to the People | Released: 1974 Label: Haven Records Formats: Vinyl | 27 || — || 83 || 27
! scope="row"| Sons of Mrs. Righteous | Released: 1975 Label: Haven Records Formats: Vinyl | — || — || — || —
! scope="row"| The Righteous Brothers(Bill Medley and Bucky Heard) | Released: 2016 Label: Rock Canyon Records Formats: Digital, CD | — || — || — || —
| colspan="8" style="font-size:9pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released to that country
Opsamlingsalbum Der er blevet udgivet mange opsamlingsalbums af The Righteous Brothers. Dette er et udvalg af opsamlingsalbum, der har opnået certificering. {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Titel ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Albumdetaljer ! scope="col" colspan="6"| Højeste hitlisteplaceirng ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Certificering |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| US ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| US Catalog ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| AUS ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| CAN ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| NLD |- ! scope="row"| The Righteous Brothers Greatest Hits | Released: November 30, 1967 (also reissued later on CD with more tracks) Label: Verve Records Formats: Vinyl, CD | 21 || — || — || — || 10 || 58 | Can: Guld US: Guld |- ! scope="row"| Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | Released: 1969 Label: Verve Records Formats: Vinyl, cassette, CD, digital download | 126 || — || — || — || — || —
! scope="row"| You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin| Released: 1982 (AUS) Label: J&B Records (JB 098) Formats: Vinyl, cassette | — || — || 40 || — || — || —
! scope="row"| Soul & Inspiration | Released: 1987 (AUS) Label: J&B Records (JB 323) Formats: Vinyl, cassette | — || — || 98 || — || — || —
! scope="row"| The Anthology 1962–1974 | Released: July 26, 1989 Label: Rhino Records Formats: Vinyl, cassette, CD, digital download | 178 || — || — || — || — || — | US: Guld |- ! scope="row"| Unchained Melody – Best of Righteous Brothers | Released: October 2, 1990 Label: Curb Records Formats: Cassette, CD, digital download | 161 || 1 || 5 || — || — || — | AUS: Platinum CAN: Platinum US: 2× Platinum |- ! scope="row"| The Very Best of the Righteous Brothers: Unchained Melody | Released: 1990 Label: Polydor (Verve) Formats: Vinyl, Cassette, CD, digital download | 31 || 14 || 38 || 11 || — || — | AUS: Platinum UK: Platin US: Guld |- | colspan="12" style="font-size:9pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released to that country
Singler {| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center; !rowspan=2|År !rowspan=2|Titler (A-side, B-side)<small>Both sides from same album except where indicated</small !colspan=4|Højeste hitlisterplacering ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:7em;"| Certifications !rowspan=2|Album |-style="font-size:smaller;" !width=30| USBillboard Top Pop Singles by Joel Whitburn !width=30| UK !width=30| CAN
!width=30| NLD |- |rowspan=3| 1963 |align=left| "Little Latin Lupe Lu"b/w "I'm So Lonely" | 49 | — | — | — | |align="left" rowspan="3"|Right Now! |- |align=left| "My Babe"b/w "Fee-Fi-Fidily-I-O" | 75 | — | — | —
|align=left| "Koko Joe"b/w "B-Flat Blues" | — | — | — | —
| rowspan="4"|1964 |align=left| "Try to Find Another Man"b/w "I Still Love You" (from This Is New!) | — | — | — | — | |align="left" rowspan="3"|Some Blue-Eyed Soul |- |align=left| "Bring Your Love to Me"b/w "If You're Lying, You'll Be Crying" (from This Is New!) | — | — | — | —
|align=left| "This Little Girl of Mine"b/w "If You're Lying, You'll Be Crying" (from This Is New!) | — | — | — | —
|align=left| "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"b/w "There's a Woman" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | UK: Silver |align="left"|You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin |- |rowspan=7| 1965 |align=left| "Bring Your Love to Me" /"Fannie Mae" | 83117 | — | — | — | |align="left"|Some Blue-Eyed Soul |- |align=left| "Just Once in My Life"b/w "The Blues" | 9 | — | 6 | — | |align="left"|Just Once in My Life |- |align=left| "You Can Have Her"b/w "Love or Magic" (from Right Now!) | 67 | — | 17 | — | |align="left" rowspan="2"|This Is New! |- |align=left| "Justine"b/w "In That Great Gettin' Up Mornin'" (from Right Now!) | 85 | — | 37 | —
|align=left| "Unchained Melody" /"Hung on You" (from Back To Back) | 447 | 14 — | 9 — | 8 — | |align="left"|Just Once In My Life |- |align=left| "For Your Love"b/w "Gotta Tell You How I Feel" (from This Is New!) | — | — | — | — | |align="left"|Some Blue-Eyed Soul |- |align=left| "Ebb Tide"b/w "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" | 5 | 48 | 5 | — | |align="left"|Back To Back |- |rowspan=8| 1966 |align=left| "Georgia on My Mind"b/w "My Tears Will Go Away" (from Some Blue-Eyed Soul) | 62 | — | — | — | |align="left"|Right Now! |- |align=left| "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration"b/w "B-Side Blues" (Non-album track) | 1 | 15 | 2 | — | US: Guld |align="left" rowspan="2"|Soul & Inspiration |- |align=left| "He" /"He Will Break Your Heart" | 1891 | — — | 17 — | —
|align=left| "Bring Your Love to Me" (second reissue)b/w "I Need a Girl" (from This Is New!) | — | — | — | — | |align="left"|Some Blue-Eyed Soul |- |align=left| "Go Ahead and Cry"b/w "Things Didn't Go Your Way" | 30 | — | 27 | — | |align="left"|Go Ahead and Cry |- |align=left| "On This Side of Goodbye"b/w "A Man Without a Dream" | 47 | — | 42 | — | |align="left"|Sayin' Somethin |- |align=left| "The White Cliffs of Dover"b/w "She's Mine, All Mine" | — | 21 | — | — | |align="left"|Back To Back |- |align=left| "Island in the Sun"b/w "What Now My Love" | — | 24 | — | — | |align="left"|Go Ahead and Cry |- |rowspan=4| 1967 |align=left| "Along Came Jones"b/w "Jimmy's Blues" | — | — | — | — | |align="left"|''Sayin' Somethin |- |align=left| "Melancholy Music Man"b/w "Don't Give Up on Me" | 43 | — | — | — | |align="left"|Non-album tracks |- |align=left| "Stranded in the Middle of No Place"b/w "Been So Nice" | 72128 | — | — | — | |align="left"|Souled Out|- |align=left| "My Darling Clementine"b/w "That Lucky Old Sun"Unreleased single | — | — | — | — | |align="left"|Standards|- | 1968 |align=left| "Here I Am"b/w "So Many Lonely Nights Ahead" | — | — | — | — | |align="left"|Souled Out|- | 1969 |align=left| "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"b/w "Let the Good Times Roll" (from The Righteous Brothers Greatest Hits, Vol. 2)UK reissue | — | 10 | — | — | |align="left"|The Righteous Brothers Greatest Hits|}