Fragrance comparison

Melody vs Basic Black

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 360 ratings analysed

2 wins

Melody

Marc de la Morandiere

4.003 votes

Rank #60,087 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,413 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Melody takes 2 of 3 categories.

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

Melody2/3

Basic Black1/3

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

MelodyMarc de la Morandiere

Basic BlackBill Blass

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 7%Had 0%Want 93%

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

33%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

37%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

313 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityMelody

SillageMelody

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value78

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

floral84%

vanilla77%

sweet69%

yellow floral61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

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

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Black PepperStyraxBergamotYlang-YlangIncenseHawthorn

Heart2-4 hrs

MimosaHoneyJasmineRoseVioletLilacSandalwoodVirginian Cedar

Base6-10 hrs

Bourbon VanillaBenzoinAmberMusk

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

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

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#60,087

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,413

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

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 →

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, Melody or Basic Black?

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

Which lasts longer, Melody or Basic Black?

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

Which projects more, Melody or Basic Black?

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

Do Melody and Basic Black smell similar?

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

Is Melody or Basic Black better for summer or winter?

Melody suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Melody and Basic Black?

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. 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.