Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Cathy Wurzer

How to stay alive with help from the Bee Gees

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

40 years ago today "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees was number one on the Billboard pop chart.

The American Heart Asssociation suggests that if you need to perform CPR chest compressions, sing this song to yourself as you do it. Its 103 beats per minute is the perfect pacing for a normal heartbeat.

That advice doesn't surprise Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. He's been quoted saying that the song's beat was actually designed to emulate a human heart. While recording it, they put electrodes on the chest of a band member. The signal was fed through the control room and the drummer matched the beat.