"More Than This" is a 1982 single by the English rock band Roxy Music. It was released as the first single from their final album, Avalon, and was the group's last Top 10 UK hit (peaking at #6). Although it only reached #102 (on Billboard's Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart) in the United States, it remains one of Roxy Music's best-known songs in America.
The American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs released a successful cover version in 1997 which peaked at #25, and British singer Emmie released a dance cover version which reached #5 in the UK in January 1999.
The song was written by the lead singer Bryan Ferry, who has stated in interviews that he began writing the songs for Avalon while on the western coast of Ireland, which he believes contributed to the dark melancholy of the album.
"More Than This" is somewhat unusual for a pop song in that Ferry's lead vocals end at 2:45 minutes, leaving the last 1:45 minutes as a synthesizer-driven instrumental.
In 1997, a cover performed by 10,000 Maniacs with Mary Ramsey singing the lead became a US hit when it reached 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The video for the cover was filmed at House on the Rock.
Emmie's cover of "More Than This" reached #5 in the UK charts in early 1999.
Jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter and singer Norah Jones covered the song for Hunter's 2001 album Songs from the Analog Playground.
Jimmy Gomma, an Italo dance producer did a cover of the song in 2002.
During 2004, a compilation called Roxy Remodeled was released with Madison Park's version.
Blondie played and recorded the song for their double-billed Road Rage Tour of 2006. They also recorded the track, which is now available in two versions. The first one was officially released, first in a 10-track album along with the tour tickets and currently in a shortened 4-track EP entitled The New Cars and Blondie: Road Rage. The second version is an alternate arrangement known as "Paul mix" (Paul by Paul Carbonara, producer of the track and Blondie guitar player at the time) and is only available as a bootleg.
Electrelane did a live cover of this song, which can be found on their album Singles, B-Sides & Live.
Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins recorded a cover of the song that was released as a single in 2009 and appears on her EP Steer & More.
Low Pop Suicide covered the song on the 1997 tribute album Dream Home Heartaches... Remaking-Remodeling Roxy Music.
Robyn Hitchcock has covered the song live. A recording can be found on his greatest hits compilation.
Contemporary folk artist Lucy Kaplansky covered the song on her 2007 album, Over the Hills.
Canadian singer/songwriter Damhnait Doyle covered the song on her 2008 album of cover songs, Lights Down Low.
Dance songwriter Alex Christensen released a cover in 2011 under the adopted name Jasper Forks.
Spanish band Peanut Pie covered the song for their only album in 1994.
Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs covered the song for their 2013 album, Under the Covers, Volume 3.
One Nation feat Victory did a dance cover in 1995.
Andy Allo & Prince released an acoustic album, 'Oui Can Luv', streamed on Tidal on 7 November 2015, which featured the song
In the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, "More Than This" was one of the songs featured on fictional radio station Emotion 98.3.
Bill Murray performed the song in the film Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola. Murray sings in a scene where his character is at a karaoke party. His performance is included as a hidden track after a period of silence at the end of the soundtrack album.
The song is played in the movie Matchstick Men when Roy Waller, Nicolas Cage and his teenage daughter Angela (Alison Lohman) are in a bowling alley together.
The song is played on Nip/Tuck in Season 2, Episode 3 ("Manya Mabika") during a hair-transplant surgery.
Featured on the soundtrack to the 1999 movie 200 Cigarettes.
The song is played on Community in Season 5, Episode 6 ("Analysis of Cork-Based Networking") during the montage/Fat Dog Dance.
The song is featured in the trailer for the 2014 HBO television film The Normal Heart.
The song is played on the Amazon original series Red Oaks at the end of Season 1, Episode 6.
