Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)

"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 12 October 1987 as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Savage (1987).

"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)"
Single by Eurythmics
from the album Savage
B-side	"Heaven" (LP Version)
Released	12 October 1987[1]
Recorded	1987
Genre	Synth-pop[2]
Length	4:40 (album version) 3:56 (single version)
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Annie Lennox David A. Stewart
Producer(s)	David A. Stewart
Eurythmics singles chronology
"Missionary Man" (1987) "Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)" (1987) "Shame" (1987)
Music video
"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)" on YouTube

Background

Writing

It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart. Although not released as a single in the United States, the track appeared as a double A-side of the 12 inch single for "I Need a Man", and received heavy rotation on MTV. It was a Top 20 hit in several European territories and also in Australia.

Style

The Savage album returned Eurythmics to a more electronic sound and the "Beethoven" vocals are performed mostly as spoken-word from Lennox, with the exception of the repeated phrase "I love to" throughout the track.

Music video

Lennox as the housewife

Lennox as the vixen

Music videos were produced for all twelve tracks on the Savage album, most of which were directed by Sophie Muller, and most of them with a shared concept featuring character(s) played by Lennox who display characteristics of dissociative identity disorder or split personalities.

As the first part of this loose narrative, the "Beethoven" video begins with Lennox portraying a repressed, middle-class housewife, knitting in her apartment. She exhibits characteristics of obsessive–compulsive disorder through her habitual cleaning and chopping of vegetables. The video also includes a mischievous little girl who has blonde hair, and a man who is wearing make-up and an evening gown, neither of whom are directly noticed by the housewife even though they are in her living room with her. These characters are seemingly components of a new character that the dowdy housewife becomes as she has a nervous breakdown and transforms herself into a blonde, overtly sexual vixen. In this newly liberated persona, she trashes the apartment that, as a housewife, she had kept meticulously clean. The video ends with her walking out into the street laughing.

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Pete Paisley of Record Mirror described it as "the strangest Lennox/Stewart song to date" and "totally loop-di-loop". He added, "Annie assumes a variety of singing voices over a typically brisk production from chum Dave. Impossible to tell what's going on. But let's just hope they make enough dosh from it never to have to do it again."^[3] Jerry Smith of Music Week praised it as a "striking track" with its "spoken verses and curiously catchy chorus".^[4]

Track listings

• 7-inch single (UK, GER, FR, SP, AUS)

1. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (7" Edit) – 3:59
2. "Heaven" (LP Version) – 3:24

• 12-inch (UK, GER, FR, SP, AUS)

1. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (Dance Mix) – 5:18
2. "Heaven" (LP Version) – 3:24
3. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (LP Version) – 4:48 *

• CD single (UK, GER)

1. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (7" Edit) – 3:59
2. "Heaven" (LP Version) – 3:24
3. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (Dance Mix) – 5:18

• CD single (JP)

1. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (7" Edit) – 3:59
2. "Heaven" (LP Version) – 3:24

• this version although labelled as "extended" on the single cover is actually the LP version.

Charts

Chart performance for "Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)"

Chart (1987–1988)	Peak position
Australia (Australian Music Report)[5]	13
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6]	28
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[7]	15
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[8]	5
Ireland (IRMA)[9]	11
Italy (Musica e dischi)[10]	8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[11]	10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12]	41
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13]	6
Norway (VG-lista)[14]	6
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[15]	23
Spain (AFYVE)[16]	18
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17]	9
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18]	19
UK Singles (OCC)[19]	25
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[20] with "I Need a Man"	6
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[21] with "I Need a Man"	13
West Germany (GfK)[22]	28

References

1. "Index: Releases". Record Mirror. 3 October 1987. p. 8. ISSN 0144-5804.
2. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Eurythmics". Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 135–136. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
3. Paisley, Pete (17 October 1987). "Singles". Record Mirror. p. 12. ISSN 0144-5804.
4. Smith, Jerry (17 October 1987). "A&R: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 22. ISSN 0265-1548. Retrieved 29 January 2023 – via World Radio History.
5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 105. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
6. "Eurythmics – Beethoven" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
7. "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 47. 28 November 1987. p. 18. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
8. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
10. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 2 June 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Eurythmics" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
11. "Eurythmics – Beethoven" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
12. "Eurythmics – Beethoven" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
13. "Eurythmics – Beethoven". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
14. "Eurythmics – Beethoven". VG-lista. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
15. "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts E". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
16. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
17. "Eurythmics – Beethoven". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
18. "Eurythmics – Beethoven". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
19. "Eurythmics: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
20. "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
21. "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Eurythmics – Beethoven" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 April 2020.