"Around the World" is the theme tune from the 1956 movie Around the World in 80 Days. In the film, only an instrumental version of the song appeared, although the vocal version has become the better known one. The song was written by Harold Adamson and Victor Young; Young died in 1956, several weeks after the film's release, and he received the Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture posthumously. Young's orchestral version was a #13 hit on the Billboard charts in 1957. The recording by Bing Crosby was the B-side of the Victor Young version in 1957, on Festival SP45-1274 in Australia, and was a joint charting success.
Recorded versions
The song has been recorded by, among others:
- Karen Akers
- John Arpin
- Nora Aunor
- Brook Benton (on the album "Endlessly" - 1959)
- Stanley Black
- Liam Burrows
- Alvin and the Chipmunks - in a speeded-up version for their song The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) (1958).
- The Chordettes - for their album Never on Sunday (1962).
- Nat King Cole - recorded August 8, 1957.
- Frank Sinatra - included in his album Come Fly with Me (1958)
- The Columbia Ballroom Orchestra
- Ray Conniff - included in the EP Ray Conniff Around the World (1963).
- Sam Cooke - included in his album Sam Cooke (1958)
- Bing Crosby (Billboard top hit (#25) in 1957, No. 5 hit in UK )
- Gracie Fields (No. 8 hit in UK