Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Melody

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 16 Oct 2026 360 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,413 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Melody

Marc de la Morandiere

4.003 votes

Rank #60,087 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Melody takes 2 of 3 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Melody
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Basic Black1/3

Melody2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Melody
Sillage & projection: Melody
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Basic Black

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

MelodyMarc de la Morandiere

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 7%Had 0%Want 93%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

313 votes

33%Love

33%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityMelody

SillageMelody

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

amber100%

powdery92%

floral84%

vanilla77%

sweet69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both amber, floral and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top15-30 mins

Black PepperStyraxBergamotYlang-YlangIncenseHawthorn

Heart2-4 hrs

MimosaHoneyJasmineRoseVioletLilacSandalwoodVirginian Cedar

Base6-10 hrs

Bourbon VanillaBenzoinAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Bergamot, Honey and Rose. Durations are only published for Melody, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Not enough votes yet

Date 41%Party 31%Casual 15%Work 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,413

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#60,087

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Basic Black by Bill Blass is a spicy, mossy floral chypre with a vintage dressed-up attitude. Reviewers often notice carnation, coriander, oakmoss, musk and honeyed florals, with an opening that can feel sharp, soapy or animalic before it settles. It suits people who enjoy bold 80s and early 90s style perfumes, powder…

Reviews →

Melody by Marc de la Morandiere is an opulent oriental floral that opens with a brisk punch of black pepper, balsamic styrax, and smoky incense. As the sharp opening settles, the perfume reveals a warm heart of powdery mimosa, golden honey, and delicate lilac. Sandalwood and cedarwood provide an earthy, structured bac…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Melody?

Melody takes 2 of 3 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Melody is rated 4.00/5 from 3 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Melody for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Melody?

Melody lasts longest (Melody 90/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Melody?

Melody projects furthest (Melody 88/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Melody smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot, Honey and Rose.

Is Basic Black or Melody better for summer or winter?

Melody suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Melody?

Basic Black has top notes of Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Cardamom, heart notes of Honey, Coriander, Rose and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Civet and Amber. Melody has top notes of Black Pepper, Styrax, Bergamot and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Mimosa, Honey, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Bourbon Vanilla, Benzoin, Amber and Musk.