Music is weird. Sometimes a song just sits there, gathering dust on a record shelf, until the right person breathes life into it and it suddenly becomes unavoidable. That’s basically the story of Could It Be Magic. If you grew up in the seventies, you probably associate it with the feathered hair and soaring vocals of Barry Manilow. If you were a nineties kid in the UK or Europe, it’s the high-energy Take That cover that probably sticks in your brain. But honestly? The song is way deeper than a catchy chorus. It’s a strange, beautiful hybrid of classical prestige and pure, unadulterated pop melodrama.
It wasn't just some random melody dreamed up in a studio. The DNA of this track actually goes back to the 19th century.
The Chopin Connection Most People Miss
Barry Manilow didn't just write a hit; he borrowed one from a dead guy. Specifically, Frédéric Chopin. If you listen to the opening piano notes of Could It Be Magic, you aren't hearing a pop hook—you’re hearing Chopin’s Prelude in C Minor, Opus 28, Number 20. It’s moody. It’s heavy. It’s got that "walking to a funeral in the rain" vibe.
Manilow, who was classically trained at Juilliard, had this weirdly brilliant idea to take that somber, dark classical progression and turn it into a romantic epic. He worked on it with Adrienne Anderson. They took that "Prelude" and stretched it out, adding these lush, sweeping lyrics about "sweet Melissa" and the kind of longing that feels like it’s going to burst your chest open. Most people think pop music is shallow. They’re wrong. When you’ve got Chopin’s ghost providing the chord structure, you’re playing on a different level of musicality entirely.
It’s actually kinda funny when you think about it. Manilow was often dismissed by critics as "schmalz" or "too commercial." Yet, he was out here sneaking Romantic-era Polish compositions onto Top 40 radio. That’s a flex.
Why the Barry Manilow Version Hits Different
When the song dropped on his 1973 debut album, it didn't do much. It wasn't until 1975, after Mandy hit number one, that the world decided they were ready for the six-minute-plus odyssey of Could It Be Magic.
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There is a specific tension in the 1975 version. It starts so quiet. Just Barry and a piano. You can hear the influence of his time as a commercial jingle writer—he knows how to build a hook—but he also knows how to wait. By the time the drums kick in and the backing singers start that "Could it be magic? Oh, it's magic!" chant, it has transformed into a full-blown orchestral explosion.
The Donna Summer Transformation
Then things got spicy. In 1976, Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder got their hands on it. If Barry’s version was a lonely guy at a piano, Donna’s was a strobe-lit fever dream. They turned it into a disco anthem. It was sleek. It was sexy. It proved that the song’s melody was indestructible. You could play it as a classical piece, a pop ballad, or a dance floor filler, and it still worked.
The disco version stripped away some of the Chopin-heavy brooding and replaced it with a pulsing bassline. It’s probably the version that paved the way for the boy band era later on. It showed that Could It Be Magic wasn't just a song; it was a vibe that could be adapted to whatever decade it found itself in.
Take That and the 90s Revival
If you were in London or Manchester in 1992, you couldn't escape the Take That cover. This was a pivotal moment for the band. Before this, they were struggling to find their footing. They were the "British New Kids on the Block," but they needed a smash.
Their version of Could It Be Magic was basically a cover of the Donna Summer disco arrangement, but with Robbie Williams taking the lead. It’s frantic. It’s got that early 90s techno-lite production. It won "Best British Single" at the 1993 Brit Awards. For a whole generation, this is the song. They don't know about Chopin. They might not even know about Barry. They just know the dance routine.
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There’s an interesting bit of trivia here: Robbie Williams actually hated the music video. They were wearing these leather outfits and doing choreography that felt a bit dated even for the time. But it worked. It propelled them to superstardom. It’s fascinating how a song written based on a 150-year-old piano piece became the catalyst for the biggest boy band of the decade.
The Technical Brilliance (The Nerd Stuff)
Why does it work? Why does Could It Be Magic stick in your head?
Musically, it’s all about the "circle of fifths." The song moves through keys in a way that feels inevitable but also surprising. It builds tension by staying in that minor key (thanks, Chopin) before opening up into these major, soaring chords. It mimics the feeling of falling in love—the anxiety, the "could it be?" part, followed by the "yes, it's magic!" payoff.
- The Tempo Shift: Most pop songs stay at one speed. This one doesn't. It accelerates. It breathes.
- The Dynamics: It goes from a whisper to a scream.
- The Lyrics: They’re simple, but they use words like "ecstasy" and "rapture" which were pretty heavy for 70s pop.
Honestly, the song is a masterclass in production. Whether you’re listening to the 1975 original or a modern remix, the structure is rock solid. You can’t break it.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often call it a "cheesy" song. That’s a lazy take. "Cheesy" implies it’s low-effort or manipulative. But if you look at the composition, it’s actually incredibly sophisticated. Manilow was blending genres before "genre-bending" was a marketing buzzword.
Another misconception is that it’s just a love song. It’s more of an obsession song. It’s about that moment of transition where you aren't sure if what you're feeling is real or just a trick of the light. "Could it be magic?" is a question, not a statement. It’s filled with uncertainty. That’s why the minor key opening is so important—it sets the stage for doubt.
How to Truly Appreciate the Track Today
If you want to actually "get" why this song matters, don't just put it on a random Spotify playlist while you're cleaning the kitchen. Do this instead:
- Listen to Chopin's Prelude in C Minor first. Just the two-minute piano piece. Feel the weight of it.
- Then play the Barry Manilow 1975 version. Hear how he lifts the melody directly from the classical piece and injects it with 70s soul.
- Watch the Take That 1992 music video. Just for the pure kitsch value and to see a young Robbie Williams before he became "Robbie Williams."
- Find the 1976 Donna Summer version. Specifically the "A Love Trilogy" version. It’s an experience.
Music isn't static. It’s a conversation between the past and the present. Could It Be Magic is one of the best examples of that conversation. It bridges the gap between a 19th-century composer and a 20th-century pop star, and it still manages to sound like something special in the 21st century.
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Whether you love the drama, the disco, or the boy-band energy, you have to respect the craft. It’s a song that shouldn't work—a classical funeral march turned into a pop explosion—but somehow, it’s perfect. It’s magic.
Practical Next Steps for the Curious Listener:
If you’ve rediscovered a love for this track, your next move is to explore the "Classical-Pop" crossover world. Check out Eric Carmen’s "All by Myself," which famously borrows from Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Or, if you’re more into the production side, look up Giorgio Moroder’s work on Donna Summer’s other hits to see how he revolutionized the use of synthesizers in the mid-70s. For the piano players out there, try downloading the sheet music for Chopin's Opus 28, No. 20 and see if you can find the exact moment where Manilow's melody begins. It’s a great way to understand how the greatest songwriters in history "steal" from the best to create something entirely new.