Hero (Mariah Carey song)
Encyclopedia
"Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey
. It was released on October 19, 1993 by Columbia Records
as the second single from Carey's third studio album
, Music Box (1993). Originally intended for Gloria Estefan
, the song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff
. While writing the song, Carey did not connect to its style or sound, therefore forfeiting it over to the soundtrack of the film of the same name
. However, after being convinced to keep it, she personalized it, giving it a more pop
and R&B
melody, as well as changing some of the lyrics to more precisely fit her personality. Lyrically, the song is regarded as one of Carey's most inspirational and personal ballads, with its protagonist declaring that even though we may feel discouraged or down at times, in reality we are "heroes" if we look inside ourselves and see our own inner strength; in time, it will help us "find the way".
The song received mixed reviews by contemporary music critics for its lyrical content as well as Carey's vocal performance. Aside from its lyrics, "Hero" derived its hook and sound from several musical instruments such as the guitar, piano and organ. The song experienced strong success in several international markets, and also became Carey's eighth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100
. Additionally, it was ranked at number 11 on the Billboard Year-End Chart, and number 53 on the Decade-End Chart. Outside the United States, "Hero" enjoyed strong charting, reaching the top five in Canada, France, Ireland, New Zealand and Norway and the top ten in Australia and the United Kingdom. Due to its extended popularity, "Hero" was covered by the 2008 UK X Factor finalists and released as a single, topping the charts in Ireland the UK and becoming one of the biggest selling songs in British history.
Due to fan requests and letters, as well as their connection to its personal meaning and content, the song remains one of Carey's most performed songs. Deemed by many as her signature song
, the song was originally performed on The Arsenio Hall Show
, The Jay Leno Show
, and Hey Hey It's Saturday
during its original chart run. Additionally, Carey performed it on several live telethons and specials, such as Pavarotti and Friends
and Michael Jackson & Friends in 1999, America: A Tribute to Heroes
in 2001, Live 8
in 2005, and the inaugural ball
for Barack Obama
in 2009. Additionally, the song was featured on the set-lists of all of Carey's tours, usually serving as the encore or closing number, and making its debut during the album's accompanying set of concerts, the Music Box Tour
. The song was included on several of Carey's compilation albums, Number 1's
(1998), Greatest Hits
(2001) and The Ballads
(2008).
Throughout the course of her career, Carey has re-recorded the song twice, as well another music videos aside from the original. The first music video for the song was filmed by Larry Jordan
in July 1993 during a private concert at Proctor's Theatre, later released on the home video Here Is Mariah Carey
. In 2001, following the September 11 attacks, Carey re-recorded the song as a mash-up single titled Never Too Far/Hero Medley
, a medley with her single at the time, Never Too Far
. Additionally, prior to the release of her compilation album The Ballads, Carey re-recorded "Hero" and filmed a new video featuring behind the scenes footage of the studio. "Hero" won two ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, one ASCAP Pop Music Award and one BMI
Pop Award for the Songwriter Award. The song has been covered several times during both studio and live recordings, such as on global singing competitions.
, CEO of Columbia Records
, and was promptly signed to the label. Carey's self-titled
debut studio album
, released the following year, focused on re-recording and mastering several songs she had already written in high school alongside fellow classmate, Ben Margulies
. Aside from the seven songs taken from her demo tape, four other tracks were written and produced by Carey and an array of famed record producers. The album was complimented by critics, who called it a mature debut, full of various genre influences ranging from pop
, R&B
and soul
. The album became a commercial success, selling over fifteen million units globally. While making a strong impact on pop music, Carey became interested in altering her sound, and deviating from pop music for her second studio effort, Emotions (1991). Following the success of her debut, Columbia allowed her to take more control over her musical departure, enabling her to change her genre infusions, melodies and production. During the album's recording, Carey worked with several different musicians and producers, aside from Walter Afanasieff
, the only producer from her debut.
Emotions contained influences from mostly 1950's, 60's and 70's balladry and gospel
, as well as her continued work of R&B and soul. The album, while praised by some as more mature and raw, failed to reach the critical or commercial heights of her debut effort, while selling far less and failed to introduce Carey into a different market. Following these events, Columbia decided to try and market Carey in a similar fashion to her debut, only having her produce a more commercial and radio-friendly album. Their plans were to tone down Carey's vocals, and soften the album's production, leaving a more contemporary pop record. Agreeing to the change, Carey and Afanasieff began writing and recording material for her third studio effort, Music Box (1993). On the album's first track "Dreamlover", Carey worked with Dave Hall
throughout the song's entire production. In order to help with some of the song's arrangements, Mottola enrolled the help of Walter Afanasieff
, who took on the completed track and transformed it into a more commercial hit.
, having penned and produced all of her own material throughout her career. During the production of Music Box, she was approached by Epic Records
to write and record a song alongside Afanasieff, and release it on the soundtrack to the 1992 film Hero
, featuring Dustin Hoffman
and Geena Davis
. While Carey was interested in the project, Mottola was very adamant over allowing Carey to take part in anything involving film, fearing it would run the possibility of hurting her career. Additionally, Columbia felt uneasy about allowing their highest selling recording artist contribute to another label, even though a branch of the same parent company, Sony
. Afanasieff recalled, "The people over at Epic Records were going to do the soundtrack for the film. They wanted to have Mariah sing the theme to it, but they didn't really think they could because at that time you couldn't get near Mariah to do anything film-wise. So they wanted to try the next best thing, which was to have us write something." Still interested in working for the film, Carey agreed to pen the feature song for the film, intended for fellow female singer, Gloria Estefan
. Carey and Afanasieff sat together in a studio in New York, and over the course of two hours, composed the song's melody, lyric and concept. In an interview with Fred Bronson
, Afanasieff discussed the process in which they had completed the rough version of the song:
As they completed the song's demo, Tommy Mottola
, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment
and Carey's fiancé, and soon to be husband, walked into the studio. After hearing the rough version of the song, on which they were still working on, he became interested in it, asking what project the song belonged to. Carey explained to him the concept and how the song would be used for the film Hero. Mottola immediately took an intense liking to the song, responding, "Are you kidding me? You can't give this song to this movie. This is too good. Mariah, you have to take this song. You have to do it." Initially, Carey was guided by the subject of the film, but Afanasieff acknowledged that the she made it a very personal song after deciding to keep it, altering some of the lyrics, key
and instrumentation. After their decision to keep "Hero", Afanasieff went back to the staff at Epic and told them that they had failed to come up with a song for the soundtrack. Estefan never heard the tune was originally meant for her, and the song that ended up in the soundtrack was "Heart of a Hero", written, produced and recorded by Luther Vandross
. In the following weeks, after completing the song, Afanasieff spoke with Bronson about its recording, and how Carey created several versions of the track:
ballad
, drawing influence from pop
and R&B
genres. The song was written and produced by Carey and Afansieff, and was released as the second single from her third studio album
, Music Box. It incorporates music from several musical instruments, including the piano
, guitar
and organ
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music Publishing, the song is set in common time
with a moderate tempo
of 62 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of E major
with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of G3 to the high-note of E5. The song's chorus
has a basic chord progression
of Gsus2–G–G/F–Em7–G/D–C-G/B–Am7. Originally, Carey felt the song was "too schmaltzy" and over the top for her, and not in line with her other work. However, after being connived by Mottola to keep the song, Carey changed the song and personalized it, during which time she grew to feel a connection to the song an its lyrics. According to author Chris Nickson, "Hero" is one of Carey's most personal and inspirational ballads. Carey has described how the song was never her favorite, however, after all the fan letters and messages she received about the song, she felt the need to perform it as often as possible. In an interview with Fred Bronson
, Carey described the song's meaning to her and to fans:
The song's lyrics describe of the individual power that lies inside every person, their ability to be their own hero. According to author Carol K. Ingall, the song inspires anyone to be a hero. Ingall continued how due to a hero's power to transform and inspire those around them, so too every person has inside of them the light and force needed to help change the world. Similarly, author Darlene Wade connects the song's lyrical content to the power within the soul, however also with the inclusion of God. In her autobiography, Wade tells of the personal meaning the song holds to her, and its connection to the divine spirit inside each individual:
According to Maryellen Moffitt, author of "See It, Be It, Write It", "Hero" is about looking into oneself and discovering the inner courage inside each individual, and being strong and believing in oneself through times of trouble and adversity. Morffitt claims the song personally helped him get through difficult moments when "the answers seemed so far away." Following her taped performance of "One Sweet Day
" at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California during The Adventures of Mimi Tour
, Carey described the song's importance to her and her fans:
cases; one by Christopher Selletti and the other by Rhonda Dimmer, filed in 1993 and 1996. Selletti claimed he had written the song's lyrics in the form of a poem. One day, as he drove Sly Stone
in a limousine to Long Island, he claimed to have shown him the poem. Selletti claimed Stone complimented the poem, taking it and promising to patent it and earn him royalties. After many months, the pair fell out of contact, leading Selletti to mail himself the envelope and poem, performing a "poor man's copyright." Three years later in 1996, he claimed to have listened to Carey's album Music Box and was shocked when he noted the song's similar lyrics. He filed a lawsuit against Carey, Stone, Sony and Stone's manager Jerry Goldstein. Selletti claimed that Stone must have sold or contributed the lyrics to Carey during the recording of the album in late 1992. However, since Stone did not receive songwriting credits on "Hero", Selletti then dropped the suit against Stone, leaving him against Carey and Sony. Prior to their court room meeting, Carey told New York Daily News
"I feel totally victimized. 'Hero' is my creation and it holds a very special meaning to me. I have every intention of fighting this all the way." In court, Carey provided evidence to her innocence, in the form of a dated lyrical and music notebook, with conceptual info on the song dated back to November 20, 1992, prior to Selletti's meeting with Stone. Additionally, Carey stated the fact that she had originally written it for the film Hero alongside Afanasieff, making their connection or the involvement of his material impossible. Judge Denny Chin found Carey innocent, and ordered Selletti to pay her a fine.
Years later, after consulting with another lawyer, Selletti made another attempt at suing Carey and Sony. His lawyer, Jeffrey Levitt, who uncovered the fact that the film was released in October 1992, a full six weeks prior to the November 22 dating in Carey's notebook. Additionally, "Heart of a Hero", which was written by Luther Vandross
for the film, was submitted in January of 1992, making it impossible for "Hero" to have been the original choice of song for the soundtrack. After uncovering further tapes from the studio dating to the summer of 1992, recordings provided evidence that Carey and Afansieff had indeed discussed and had parts of the song completed well before the film's October release. Following the evidence from both parties, the judge dismissed the case, ruling in Carey's favor for the second time. Following the dismissal of the case, Rhonda Dimmie, another songwriter and an independent singer, filed a lawsuit against Carey, this time claiming the song to have borrowed heavily from her song "Be Your Own Hero". During the short deposition made by Carey, Afanasieff revealed that they had written the song in two days during the summer of 1992, "within a matter of hours." Soon after, the case was dismissed, with the judge claiming there to not be sufficient evidence on Dimmie's behalf. Following the lawsuits, in 2001 Selletti made further hints to plan another lawsuit, as well as a forensic team of specialists to conduct research on the incident. Following the suits, Cindy Berger, Carey's publicist released the following statement: "This case has been thrown out of court three times. The federal judge after hearing Selletti's story and considering all the evidence ruled the case was a 'complete fabrication' and that it was filed 'to extort a settlement from deep-pocket defendants."
called Carey's vocal tone "golden" and regarded the song as a standard for weddings, funerals and singing auditions. The Baltimore Sun
critic J.D. Considine praised "Hero", writing "[Hero] is a lavish, soul-stirring ballad, the sort of thing other singers would pay Diane Warren to write." Additionally, she called its chorus "uplifting" and "soaring," following praise towards Carey's vocal performance. The song received a mixed review from The Washington Post
editor Mike Joyce, who while impressed, claimed it was not as good as competing ballads of the time. Paul Gettelmen of the Orlando Sentinel
criticized the song, calling it a "rip-off" of Whitney Houston
's "Greatest Love of All
". Stephen Holden, another editor from Rolling Stone also noted an inspiration and similarity to "Greatest Love of All" and calling its lyrics "made up entirely of pop and soul clichés."
. It reached the number one position in its tenth week and spent four weeks at the top, from December 25, 1993 to January 15, 1994. It replaced "Again
" by Janet Jackson
, and was replaced by Bryan Adams
, Rod Stewart
and Sting's "All for Love
". In total, the song remained in the top 40 for 25 weeks, with 14 of those spent in the top ten. On the Billboard year-end Charts for 1994, "Hero" finished at number five, number 53 on the decade-end chart and number three on the year-end Airplay Chart. "Hero" has been certified platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), denoting shipments of over one million units throughout the continent. Additionally, due to strong sales and radio airplay, the song was ranked 11th on the Billboard Year-End Chart. Prior to the song's recital at Carey's concert at Madison Square Garden
on December 10, 1993 during her Music Box Tour
, she announced that the proceeds from the stateside sales of the single were to be donated to the families of the victims of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) shootings. The song was dedicated to the three men who subdued the shooter on stage that night, three days after the tragedy. Carey was a frequent rider on the LIRR
rush hour service out of Penn Station when she lived on Long Island
. In Canada, the song debuted at number 64 on the Canadian RPM Singles Chart
during the week of November 6, 1993. During the week of December 4, 1993, "Hero" reached its peak position of number three, staying there for three consecutive weeks, and a total of 21 weeks within the top 100. "Hero" finished at numbers 48 and 22 on the Canadian year-end charts for 1993 and 1994.
The song entered the Australian Singles Chart
at number 47 on the issue dated November 14, 1999, and eventually spent three weeks at its peak position of number seven. "Hero" was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA), denoting shipments of over 70,000 units throughout the country. In France, "Hero" entered the single chart at number 24 during the week dated March 19, 1994. After staying six consecutive weeks at its peak position of number five, and a total of 21 weeks in the chart, the song was certified silver by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
(SNEP), denoting shipments of over 200,000 units. In the Netherlands, the song peaked at number 13 on the Single Top 100 chart, spending eight weeks fluctuating within the chart. "Hero" peaked at number five on the Irish Singles Chart
, spending a combined 14 weeks within the chart. In New Zealand, the song peaked at number two on the singles chart, spending five consecutive weeks at the position, and a total of 20 weeks on the chart. "Hero" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ), denoting shipments of over 15,000 units. During the week of January 21, 1994, the song peaked at number two on the Norwegian Singles Chart
, spending a total of eight weeks in the chart and being certified platinum by the VG-lista
. On November 11, 1993, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
at number eight. The following week, it reached its peak position of number seven, spending a total of 15 weeks in the chart during its original chart run. On November 8, 2008, following the release of the "Hero" by the X Factor finalists
, it re-entered the chart at number 100. Two weeks later, "Hero" managed to reach number 67 on the chart, before plummeting outside the top 100 the following week. As of 2008, MTV
estimates sales of "Hero" in the United Kingdom to be over 290,000 units.
at the ceremony in 1995. Additionally, it was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
at the 37th annual Grammy Award
s, losing to Sheryl Crow
's "All I Wanna Do
".
(1993). Carey's performance of the song that night was edited and commissioned as the official music video, directed by Larry Jordan
. The video was included on Carey's DVD #1's (1998). The video features her in a long navy-blue dress, sporting long curly hair. On few international versions of the album, a Spanish version of the song was included, such as on the Mexican and Argentinian versions. It was titled "Héroe", and featured translation by Jorge Luis Piloto, a Spanish musician who had come to briefly work with Carey.
In 2001, following the September 11 Attacks, Carey re-recorded the song as a medley with Never Too Far
, her single at the time. Titled "Never Too Far/Hero Medley
", it was released as a charity single throughout October of that year. In an interview with MTV
, Carey described the idea behind the medley:
In 2008, prior to the release of Carey's compilation album The Ballads
, Carey recorded a version of "Hero" with new vocals, releasing it on the stateside version of the album. Additionally, a music video was filmed and released for the 2008 version, featuring behind the scenes footage of the song's recording, as well as Carey's writing music in the studio.
in November 1993, appearing on stage after a short interview wearing a mid-length black gown and sporting long brown locks. She was joined by three back-up vocalists, Trey Lorenz
, Cindi Mizelle and Melodie Daniels. Carey continued stateside promotion of the song with a performance on The Jay Leno Show
the following week. Throughout Europe and Australasia, Carey made appearances on Sacr e Soir e in France, Platendaagse in the Netherlands, Sale El Dia in Spain, Sontagsoppet in Sweden, and Hey Hey It's Saturday
in Australia. On May 19, 1996, a memorial service was held for a sheriff sergeant who was killed while on duty. A televised funeral was held outside United States Capitol
building, where Carey paid homage to him through a recital of "Hero". Following the release of her sixth studio album
Butterfly, Carey performed it alongside "Butterfly
" on The Oprah Winfrey Show
on September 22, 1997. In between both performances, Winfrey interviewed Carey over her failed marriage to Mottola, as well as the several negative rumors that followed their divorce. Two years later, she performed "Hero" together with Luciano Pavarotti
in Modena, Italy during the summer of 1999. Carey appeared on stage alongside him, wearing a long pink evening gown and sporting a long straightened hairstyle. The performance was filmed and released on VHS
as Pavarotti and Friends
.
Carey sang "Hero" in Korea in September of that year during the Michael Jackson & friends benefit concert, which raised money for several charitable organizations. On September 21, 2001, following the September 11 attacks, Carey sang "Hero" as part of the America: A Tribute to Heroes
telethon. Her appearance on the telethon was her first public appearance since her publicized breakdown and hospitalization, prior to the release of Glitter
. In 2003, Carey performed a medley of songs from her album, Charmbracelet
(2002), during Michael Jordan
's fair-well NBA game. Following the medley, she included "Hero" onto the short set-list, followed by Jordan's final game. On July 2, 2005, a benefit concert was held in Hyde Park, London
titled Live 8
. The televised event was watched by over 9.6 million British citizens, and held a live audience of over 200,000. Carey performed a three song set-list, opening with "We Belong Together
" and "Make It Happen", and followed by "Hero", which featured a live choir of African children. During a promotional tour for her eleventh studio effort E=MC2 in 2008, the song was re-recorded by the 2008 UK X Factor finalists and released as a single. Prior to its release, Carey appeared on the program, where she performed her single at the time "I Stay in Love
", followed by a duet of "Hero" in between her and the finalists. In 2009, during the inaugural ball
for Barack Obama
, Carey opened the televised event with a live rendition of "Hero", wearing a long black evening gown while sporting a long wavy hairstyle. On June 5, 2010, Carey performed the song alongside "We Belong Together
" at the Walmart shareholders meeting. Following the performance, Carey gained heavy media coverage for her apparent weight gain, leading many to suspect her pregnancy with husband Nick Cannon
.
Aside from the several live televised performances, Carey included "Hero" on the set-lists on all of her tours, usually serving as one of the closing numbers. In an interview, Carey said that although it is not one of her favorite songs, she tries to perform it on each of her shows due to its powerful message, fearing that if she doesn't, she might miss out on the opportunity to help someone. She first performed the song in concert during her stateside Music Box Tour
. During the song's recital, Carey donned a black gown and matching sandals, while sporting her signature golden locks of the time. During her performances at the Tokyo Dome
on her Daydream World Tour
(1996), Carey performed the song as one of the closing numbers. Prior to the song, Carey introduced Afanasieff, who played the organ throughout the tour. Carey appeared on stage with a straightened hairstyle, and a long black evening gown. On her Butterfly World Tour
in 1998, Carey performed "Hero" as the eighth song on the set-list. Unlike her previous tour, Afanasieff was not present, due to the pair's continued personal dispute. During the song, Carey was backed up by three vocalists, and wore a long sequined black gown. In 2000, during her Rainbow World Tour
, Carey used "Hero" as the tour's closing number, leaving the stage to meet and greet fans during the song's performance. Similarly, "Hero" served as the closing number on her Charmbracelet World Tour (2002–03), where she wore a long beige gown and feathered frock tail. In 2006, during The Adventures of Mimi Tour
, Carey performed "Hero" as the twenty-third song on the set-list. She wore a blue floor-length mid-bearing gown, and received vocal back up from four background singers. Following the release of her twelfth studio effort, Carey embarked on the Angels Advocate Tour
. After performing the regular set-list, Carey exited the arena, only to make one re-entry for "Hero" as the encore performance.
's wife Michelle
played him the song to give him strength and inner support. A source close to Carey claimed that hearing the song's use meant a lot to her, saying "She was blown away when she heard. She is so honoured to have played her part in such an occasion." At the 1994 Essence Awards
, Aretha Franklin
performed a live rendition of the song as a tribute to The Reverend Jesse Jackson
. Filipino singers Regine Velasquez
and Sarah Geronimo
both performed the song live on television, with the former playing a medley of the song alongside Carey's "Anytime You Need a Friend
". Italian male operatic pop
group Il Divo
included the Spanish version of the song on their second studio album, Ancora
(2005). Australian singer and actress Natalie Bassingthwaighte
performed a live version of the song at the Rugby League World Cup Heroes 08 Campaign
. Michael Ball
, British singer, actor and radio personality, covered "Hero" for his album titled One Voice (2006). In 1993, Japanese singer Miho Nakayama released the song as a single with an adapted version in her native language. American Idol
season 5
contestant Heather Cox performed the song during the top 20 performances week, only to be voted off that night for not being able to successfully carry the song. Similarly, season 7
contestant Brooke White
performed the song during the Mariah Carey themed week, while season 8
contestant Danny Gokey
performed the song in the top 36 performances. season 10
contestant Karen Rodriguez
performed the song in both English and Spanish versions in the top 24 performances, making it into the top 13 the following night. Japanese-American singer Yuna Ito
included her rendition of "Hero" on her compilation album Love -Singles Best 2005–2010. American R&B singer Rihanna
sang "Hero" during a live talent show at her high school in Barbados when she was 15. Soon after, she was signed by Jay-Z
to Def Jam
.
"Hero" was recorded at The Plant Studios, Sausalito, California
and The Record Plant, Los Angeles. Vocals were mixed at Right Track Studio
s, New York.
1 "Hero" charted as an EP
s in Japan.
2 "Hero" 2008 re-recording version.
of the UK TV talent show The X Factor
released a cover of the song on October 27, 2008 for the Help for Heroes
and The Royal British Legion
charities. The release was backed by, and originally suggested by, The Sun
newspaper. The finalists performed the single for the first time alongside Mariah Carey on October 25, 2008 during a week when only Carey's material could be sung. The single was released on download on October 26, 2008, followed by the physical release the day after. On October 30 it was announced that the British Chancellor of the Exchequer
, Alistair Darling
, would waive all tax on copies sold on the single. He said, "I support the efforts being made by the X Factor contestants and in recognition of that I'm proposing effectively to waive the VAT on the sale of these singles. We will do that by making a donation equivalent to the value of the VAT." Following the single's release, the music video was sent to music channels on November 8, 2008 before the fifth live show, when the finalists (excluding Diana Vickers because of illness) sang it again. All the finalists appeared in the video, which also showed still images of soldiers in Iraq
.
Upon its release the single was expected to top the charts in the United Kingdom, due to strong promotional push from Cowell and his management. On November 2, 2008 it debuted atop of the UK Singles Chart
, staying there for three consecutive weeks and becoming the fastest selling single of 2008. The song sold 100,000 copies in the first day of its release and 313,244 copies by the end of the week. It has sold over 770,000 copies and raised over one million pounds for Help For Heroes foundation. It was suggested that the song would have become one of the biggest-selling releases of the decade, with HMV
spokesman Gennaro Castaldo saying: "This is proving to be one of the biggest single releases for years if not the decade. Only Leona Lewis
's debut hit "A Moment Like This", which sold over 500,000 copies in its first week, can compare. It's selling more than most Christmas No 1s would, and HMV has placed an urgent order for more copies." On December 28, 2008, the UK Singles Chart listed it as the second biggest selling single for the year end countdown and the nineteenth best-selling single of the decade. The British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) certified the song double-platinum, denoting shipments of over 1.2 million copies within the country.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
. It was released on October 19, 1993 by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as the second single from Carey's third studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Music Box (1993). Originally intended for Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
, the song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff is a multiple Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990...
. While writing the song, Carey did not connect to its style or sound, therefore forfeiting it over to the soundtrack of the film of the same name
Hero (1992 film)
Hero is a comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears and starring Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy García, Chevy Chase, and Joan Cusack. It was released in the United States on October 20, 1992.-Plot:...
. However, after being convinced to keep it, she personalized it, giving it a more pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
melody, as well as changing some of the lyrics to more precisely fit her personality. Lyrically, the song is regarded as one of Carey's most inspirational and personal ballads, with its protagonist declaring that even though we may feel discouraged or down at times, in reality we are "heroes" if we look inside ourselves and see our own inner strength; in time, it will help us "find the way".
The song received mixed reviews by contemporary music critics for its lyrical content as well as Carey's vocal performance. Aside from its lyrics, "Hero" derived its hook and sound from several musical instruments such as the guitar, piano and organ. The song experienced strong success in several international markets, and also became Carey's eighth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Additionally, it was ranked at number 11 on the Billboard Year-End Chart, and number 53 on the Decade-End Chart. Outside the United States, "Hero" enjoyed strong charting, reaching the top five in Canada, France, Ireland, New Zealand and Norway and the top ten in Australia and the United Kingdom. Due to its extended popularity, "Hero" was covered by the 2008 UK X Factor finalists and released as a single, topping the charts in Ireland the UK and becoming one of the biggest selling songs in British history.
Due to fan requests and letters, as well as their connection to its personal meaning and content, the song remains one of Carey's most performed songs. Deemed by many as her signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
, the song was originally performed on The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
, The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
, and Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
during its original chart run. Additionally, Carey performed it on several live telethons and specials, such as Pavarotti and Friends
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
and Michael Jackson & Friends in 1999, America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes was a benefit concert created by the heads of the four broadcast networks. Joel Gallen was selected by them to produce and run the show Joel Gallen. Actor George Clooney wrangled the celebrities to performed and to man the telephone bank . The marketing and public...
in 2001, Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
in 2005, and the inaugural ball
Inauguration of Barack Obama
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...
for Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in 2009. Additionally, the song was featured on the set-lists of all of Carey's tours, usually serving as the encore or closing number, and making its debut during the album's accompanying set of concerts, the Music Box Tour
Music Box Tour
The Music Box Tour was a 1993 concert tour by American R&B singer Mariah Carey.-History:This was Carey's first tour. She had not done a lot of public singing in her early years in the music industry and she had become a big star with two top-selling albums and five number one singles before she...
. The song was included on several of Carey's compilation albums, Number 1's
Number 1's (Mariah Carey album)
#1's is the first compilation album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released by Columbia Records on November 17, 1998. The album contained Carey's thirteen number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as four new songs. In Japan, #1's also included her popular single "All I Want...
(1998), Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Mariah Carey album)
Greatest Hits is the eleventh album by American singer Mariah Carey, released in the United States on December 4, 2001 by Columbia Records. It is a greatest hits double album: CD 1 is primarily a collection of Carey's hits from 1990 to 1995, while CD 2 is primarily a collection of hits from 1996 to...
(2001) and The Ballads
The Ballads (Mariah Carey album)
The Ballads is a compilation album by American pop/R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The album features some of Carey's top selling ballads over the course of her career...
(2008).
Throughout the course of her career, Carey has re-recorded the song twice, as well another music videos aside from the original. The first music video for the song was filmed by Larry Jordan
Larry Jordan
Larry Jordan is an independent filmmaker who has been working in the Bay Area in California since 1955, and making films since 1952. He has produced some 40 experimental and animation films, and three feature-length dramatic films. He is most widely known for his animated collage films. In 1970 he...
in July 1993 during a private concert at Proctor's Theatre, later released on the home video Here Is Mariah Carey
Here Is Mariah Carey
Here Is Mariah Carey, also known simply as Mariah Carey or Mariah's Thanksgiving NBC Special, was Mariah Carey's third DVD/video release. It presents Carey performing live at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, New York on July 18, 1993...
. In 2001, following the September 11 attacks, Carey re-recorded the song as a mash-up single titled Never Too Far/Hero Medley
Never Too Far/Hero Medley
"Never Too Far/Hero Medley" is a medley recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, first released as a charity single on December 11, 2001, as well as serving as the lead single for Carey's second compilation album, Greatest Hits...
, a medley with her single at the time, Never Too Far
Never Too Far
"Never Too Far" is a song written and produced by American singer Mariah Carey, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for Carey's tenth album/soundtrack, Glitter. The protagonist of this ballad states that although physical distance can sometimes separate lovers, the love they share will never be too far apart...
. Additionally, prior to the release of her compilation album The Ballads, Carey re-recorded "Hero" and filmed a new video featuring behind the scenes footage of the studio. "Hero" won two ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, one ASCAP Pop Music Award and one BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
Pop Award for the Songwriter Award. The song has been covered several times during both studio and live recordings, such as on global singing competitions.
Background
In 1989, Carey was discovered by Tommy MottolaTommy Mottola
Thomas Daniel "Tommy" Mottola is an American music executive, co-owner of Casablanca Records in a joint venture with the Universal Music Group. He is the ex-husband of Mariah Carey and is married to Mexican singer Thalía...
, CEO of Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, and was promptly signed to the label. Carey's self-titled
Mariah Carey (album)
Mariah Carey is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on June 12, 1990 by Columbia Records. The album contains a range of contemporary genres, and the songs are a mix of slow ballads and dance tracks. Originally, Carey wrote four songs with...
debut studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, released the following year, focused on re-recording and mastering several songs she had already written in high school alongside fellow classmate, Ben Margulies
Ben Margulies
Ben Margulies is a songwriter and record producer. Together, he and Mariah Carey lobbied record companies with their 5 song demo tape with songs they had co-written and co-produced until Mariah got signed to Sony in 1988....
. Aside from the seven songs taken from her demo tape, four other tracks were written and produced by Carey and an array of famed record producers. The album was complimented by critics, who called it a mature debut, full of various genre influences ranging from pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. The album became a commercial success, selling over fifteen million units globally. While making a strong impact on pop music, Carey became interested in altering her sound, and deviating from pop music for her second studio effort, Emotions (1991). Following the success of her debut, Columbia allowed her to take more control over her musical departure, enabling her to change her genre infusions, melodies and production. During the album's recording, Carey worked with several different musicians and producers, aside from Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff is a multiple Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990...
, the only producer from her debut.
Emotions contained influences from mostly 1950's, 60's and 70's balladry and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, as well as her continued work of R&B and soul. The album, while praised by some as more mature and raw, failed to reach the critical or commercial heights of her debut effort, while selling far less and failed to introduce Carey into a different market. Following these events, Columbia decided to try and market Carey in a similar fashion to her debut, only having her produce a more commercial and radio-friendly album. Their plans were to tone down Carey's vocals, and soften the album's production, leaving a more contemporary pop record. Agreeing to the change, Carey and Afanasieff began writing and recording material for her third studio effort, Music Box (1993). On the album's first track "Dreamlover", Carey worked with Dave Hall
Dave Hall (record producer)
David "Dave" Hall is a record producer. He is famous for working on Mary J. Blige's debut album What's the 411? ; with Madonna, co-writing and co-producing several tracks from her 1994 album Bedtime Stories, including the single "Human Nature," for working with R&B harmony group Brownstone, and for...
throughout the song's entire production. In order to help with some of the song's arrangements, Mottola enrolled the help of Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff is a multiple Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990...
, who took on the completed track and transformed it into a more commercial hit.
Writing and recording
Aside from her work as a vocalist and record artist, Carey was becoming known as a songwriterSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, having penned and produced all of her own material throughout her career. During the production of Music Box, she was approached by Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
to write and record a song alongside Afanasieff, and release it on the soundtrack to the 1992 film Hero
Hero (1992 film)
Hero is a comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears and starring Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy García, Chevy Chase, and Joan Cusack. It was released in the United States on October 20, 1992.-Plot:...
, featuring Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
and Geena Davis
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
. While Carey was interested in the project, Mottola was very adamant over allowing Carey to take part in anything involving film, fearing it would run the possibility of hurting her career. Additionally, Columbia felt uneasy about allowing their highest selling recording artist contribute to another label, even though a branch of the same parent company, Sony
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. Afanasieff recalled, "The people over at Epic Records were going to do the soundtrack for the film. They wanted to have Mariah sing the theme to it, but they didn't really think they could because at that time you couldn't get near Mariah to do anything film-wise. So they wanted to try the next best thing, which was to have us write something." Still interested in working for the film, Carey agreed to pen the feature song for the film, intended for fellow female singer, Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
. Carey and Afanasieff sat together in a studio in New York, and over the course of two hours, composed the song's melody, lyric and concept. In an interview with Fred Bronson
Fred Bronson
Fredric M. Bronson is an American journalist, author and writer. He is best known for his appearances on American Idol, the weekly "Chart Beat" column in Billboard magazine, and as the author of books related to Billboard charts.Born to Irving and Mildred Bronson and raised in Culver City,...
, Afanasieff discussed the process in which they had completed the rough version of the song:
I went to New York and we were in the studio and came to a break. I was sitting at the piano and told Mariah about this movie. Within two hours, we had this incredible seed for this song, 'Hero'. It was never meant for Mariah to sing. In her mind, we were writing a song for Gloria Estefan for this movie. And we went into an area that Mariah didn't really go into—in her words, it was a little bit too schmaltzy or too ballady or too old-fashioned as far as melody and lyrics.
As they completed the song's demo, Tommy Mottola
Tommy Mottola
Thomas Daniel "Tommy" Mottola is an American music executive, co-owner of Casablanca Records in a joint venture with the Universal Music Group. He is the ex-husband of Mariah Carey and is married to Mexican singer Thalía...
, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
and Carey's fiancé, and soon to be husband, walked into the studio. After hearing the rough version of the song, on which they were still working on, he became interested in it, asking what project the song belonged to. Carey explained to him the concept and how the song would be used for the film Hero. Mottola immediately took an intense liking to the song, responding, "Are you kidding me? You can't give this song to this movie. This is too good. Mariah, you have to take this song. You have to do it." Initially, Carey was guided by the subject of the film, but Afanasieff acknowledged that the she made it a very personal song after deciding to keep it, altering some of the lyrics, key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
and instrumentation. After their decision to keep "Hero", Afanasieff went back to the staff at Epic and told them that they had failed to come up with a song for the soundtrack. Estefan never heard the tune was originally meant for her, and the song that ended up in the soundtrack was "Heart of a Hero", written, produced and recorded by Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
. In the following weeks, after completing the song, Afanasieff spoke with Bronson about its recording, and how Carey created several versions of the track:
There was a simpler performance on tape and a more difficult one, with Mariah singing out more, with more licks. But we chose a happy medium. The song really calls for not anything really fancy. But she's always fighting the forces inside of her because she's her own devil's advocate. She wants to do something that's so over the top and use her talents and the voice she has. But she also knows she has to restrain herself and do what the music really calls for.
Composition and lyrical content
"Hero" is a mid-tempoTempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, drawing influence from pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
genres. The song was written and produced by Carey and Afansieff, and was released as the second single from her third studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Music Box. It incorporates music from several musical instruments, including the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music Publishing, the song is set in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
with a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 62 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of G3 to the high-note of E5. The song's chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
has a basic chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of Gsus2–G–G/F–Em7–G/D–C-G/B–Am7. Originally, Carey felt the song was "too schmaltzy" and over the top for her, and not in line with her other work. However, after being connived by Mottola to keep the song, Carey changed the song and personalized it, during which time she grew to feel a connection to the song an its lyrics. According to author Chris Nickson, "Hero" is one of Carey's most personal and inspirational ballads. Carey has described how the song was never her favorite, however, after all the fan letters and messages she received about the song, she felt the need to perform it as often as possible. In an interview with Fred Bronson
Fred Bronson
Fredric M. Bronson is an American journalist, author and writer. He is best known for his appearances on American Idol, the weekly "Chart Beat" column in Billboard magazine, and as the author of books related to Billboard charts.Born to Irving and Mildred Bronson and raised in Culver City,...
, Carey described the song's meaning to her and to fans:
One person could say that 'hero' is a schmaltzy piece of garbage, but another person can write to me a letter and say, 'I've considered committing suicide everyday of my life for the last ten years until I heard that song and I realized after all I can be my own hero.' And that, that's an unexplainable feeling, like I've done something with my life, y'know?... It meant something to someone.
The song's lyrics describe of the individual power that lies inside every person, their ability to be their own hero. According to author Carol K. Ingall, the song inspires anyone to be a hero. Ingall continued how due to a hero's power to transform and inspire those around them, so too every person has inside of them the light and force needed to help change the world. Similarly, author Darlene Wade connects the song's lyrical content to the power within the soul, however also with the inclusion of God. In her autobiography, Wade tells of the personal meaning the song holds to her, and its connection to the divine spirit inside each individual:
It encourages you to know the hero within. I call it the 'Spirit of God' that dwells within me. I believe we are all born with the hero status down on the inside of us. We spend too much time looking for a hero and when are hero lets us down, we get angry, depressed and feel betrayed. The problem is all people are subject to error, no matter who they are, no matter how anointed they are, or what the call is on their life.
According to Maryellen Moffitt, author of "See It, Be It, Write It", "Hero" is about looking into oneself and discovering the inner courage inside each individual, and being strong and believing in oneself through times of trouble and adversity. Morffitt claims the song personally helped him get through difficult moments when "the answers seemed so far away." Following her taped performance of "One Sweet Day
One Sweet Day
"One Sweet Day" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and R&B group Boyz II Men. The song was written by Carey, Walter Afanasieff and the members of Boyz II Men: Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Michael McCary. "One Sweet Day" was produced by Carey and Afanasieff for...
" at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California during The Adventures of Mimi Tour
The Adventures of Mimi Tour
The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour was a 2006 concert tour of arenas by American R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was one of a few tours in her then-sixteen year career and was named after a fan's "Carey-centric" diary of the same name...
, Carey described the song's importance to her and her fans:
I wrote a song a while back even before "One Sweet Day" and it was not my favorite song in the world, but I wrote it. Someone asked me to write a song and they told me the story, and you know it was kind of a moving concept or whatever. And I did it, and I was like you know it’s not necessarily what I like per , but after doing the song over and over again and having people coming up to and saying, thank you for writing ‘Hero’ because it saved my life or it saved my father’s life or my brothers or sisters life, or something of that nature, I said I always have to sing that song when I’m performing because if I don’t, you never know who I’m leaving out and you know what, in times of my life I’ve had to turn to that song lyrically and flip it onto my own life and sing it to myself. So its from the ‘Music Box’ album, and it’s called ‘Hero', this is for you.
Copyright lawsuits
"Hero" was the subject of two copyright plagiarismPlagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
cases; one by Christopher Selletti and the other by Rhonda Dimmer, filed in 1993 and 1996. Selletti claimed he had written the song's lyrics in the form of a poem. One day, as he drove Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
in a limousine to Long Island, he claimed to have shown him the poem. Selletti claimed Stone complimented the poem, taking it and promising to patent it and earn him royalties. After many months, the pair fell out of contact, leading Selletti to mail himself the envelope and poem, performing a "poor man's copyright." Three years later in 1996, he claimed to have listened to Carey's album Music Box and was shocked when he noted the song's similar lyrics. He filed a lawsuit against Carey, Stone, Sony and Stone's manager Jerry Goldstein. Selletti claimed that Stone must have sold or contributed the lyrics to Carey during the recording of the album in late 1992. However, since Stone did not receive songwriting credits on "Hero", Selletti then dropped the suit against Stone, leaving him against Carey and Sony. Prior to their court room meeting, Carey told New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
"I feel totally victimized. 'Hero' is my creation and it holds a very special meaning to me. I have every intention of fighting this all the way." In court, Carey provided evidence to her innocence, in the form of a dated lyrical and music notebook, with conceptual info on the song dated back to November 20, 1992, prior to Selletti's meeting with Stone. Additionally, Carey stated the fact that she had originally written it for the film Hero alongside Afanasieff, making their connection or the involvement of his material impossible. Judge Denny Chin found Carey innocent, and ordered Selletti to pay her a fine.
Years later, after consulting with another lawyer, Selletti made another attempt at suing Carey and Sony. His lawyer, Jeffrey Levitt, who uncovered the fact that the film was released in October 1992, a full six weeks prior to the November 22 dating in Carey's notebook. Additionally, "Heart of a Hero", which was written by Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
for the film, was submitted in January of 1992, making it impossible for "Hero" to have been the original choice of song for the soundtrack. After uncovering further tapes from the studio dating to the summer of 1992, recordings provided evidence that Carey and Afansieff had indeed discussed and had parts of the song completed well before the film's October release. Following the evidence from both parties, the judge dismissed the case, ruling in Carey's favor for the second time. Following the dismissal of the case, Rhonda Dimmie, another songwriter and an independent singer, filed a lawsuit against Carey, this time claiming the song to have borrowed heavily from her song "Be Your Own Hero". During the short deposition made by Carey, Afanasieff revealed that they had written the song in two days during the summer of 1992, "within a matter of hours." Soon after, the case was dismissed, with the judge claiming there to not be sufficient evidence on Dimmie's behalf. Following the lawsuits, in 2001 Selletti made further hints to plan another lawsuit, as well as a forensic team of specialists to conduct research on the incident. Following the suits, Cindy Berger, Carey's publicist released the following statement: "This case has been thrown out of court three times. The federal judge after hearing Selletti's story and considering all the evidence ruled the case was a 'complete fabrication' and that it was filed 'to extort a settlement from deep-pocket defendants."
Critical response
"Hero" garnered generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Nathan Brackett from Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called Carey's vocal tone "golden" and regarded the song as a standard for weddings, funerals and singing auditions. The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
critic J.D. Considine praised "Hero", writing "[Hero] is a lavish, soul-stirring ballad, the sort of thing other singers would pay Diane Warren to write." Additionally, she called its chorus "uplifting" and "soaring," following praise towards Carey's vocal performance. The song received a mixed review from The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
editor Mike Joyce, who while impressed, claimed it was not as good as competing ballads of the time. Paul Gettelmen of the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
criticized the song, calling it a "rip-off" of Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's "Greatest Love of All
Greatest Love of All
"The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed and originally recorded by George Benson for the 1977 Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest. The song was later popularized by Whitney Houston. Creed wrote the lyrics in the midst of her struggle with breast cancer...
". Stephen Holden, another editor from Rolling Stone also noted an inspiration and similarity to "Greatest Love of All" and calling its lyrics "made up entirely of pop and soul clichés."
Chart performance
"Hero" became one of the Carey's eighth chart topper on the US Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It reached the number one position in its tenth week and spent four weeks at the top, from December 25, 1993 to January 15, 1994. It replaced "Again
Again (Janet Jackson song)
"Again" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, janet. . Written and produced by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis, the ballad was released as the album's third single in October 1993. "Again" topped the U.S...
" by Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, and was replaced by Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
and Sting's "All for Love
All for Love (song)
"All for Love" is a rock song written by Bryan Adams, Robert John "Mutt" Lange and Michael Kamen for the soundtrack The Three Musketeers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, performed by Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting. The song's musical-style and production were heavily inspired by rock and pop...
". In total, the song remained in the top 40 for 25 weeks, with 14 of those spent in the top ten. On the Billboard year-end Charts for 1994, "Hero" finished at number five, number 53 on the decade-end chart and number three on the year-end Airplay Chart. "Hero" has been certified platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), denoting shipments of over one million units throughout the continent. Additionally, due to strong sales and radio airplay, the song was ranked 11th on the Billboard Year-End Chart. Prior to the song's recital at Carey's concert at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on December 10, 1993 during her Music Box Tour
Music Box Tour
The Music Box Tour was a 1993 concert tour by American R&B singer Mariah Carey.-History:This was Carey's first tour. She had not done a lot of public singing in her early years in the music industry and she had become a big star with two top-selling albums and five number one singles before she...
, she announced that the proceeds from the stateside sales of the single were to be donated to the families of the victims of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) shootings. The song was dedicated to the three men who subdued the shooter on stage that night, three days after the tragedy. Carey was a frequent rider on the LIRR
Lirr
Lirr or LIRR may refer to:*Long Island Rail Road, a commuter railroad in Long Island, New York, USA*Lapeer Industrial Railroad, in Lapeer, Michigan*Leeds Inner Ring Road, a motorway and A-road circling Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
rush hour service out of Penn Station when she lived on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. In Canada, the song debuted at number 64 on the Canadian RPM Singles Chart
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
during the week of November 6, 1993. During the week of December 4, 1993, "Hero" reached its peak position of number three, staying there for three consecutive weeks, and a total of 21 weeks within the top 100. "Hero" finished at numbers 48 and 22 on the Canadian year-end charts for 1993 and 1994.
The song entered the Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
at number 47 on the issue dated November 14, 1999, and eventually spent three weeks at its peak position of number seven. "Hero" was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA), denoting shipments of over 70,000 units throughout the country. In France, "Hero" entered the single chart at number 24 during the week dated March 19, 1994. After staying six consecutive weeks at its peak position of number five, and a total of 21 weeks in the chart, the song was certified silver by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
(SNEP), denoting shipments of over 200,000 units. In the Netherlands, the song peaked at number 13 on the Single Top 100 chart, spending eight weeks fluctuating within the chart. "Hero" peaked at number five on the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, spending a combined 14 weeks within the chart. In New Zealand, the song peaked at number two on the singles chart, spending five consecutive weeks at the position, and a total of 20 weeks on the chart. "Hero" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ), denoting shipments of over 15,000 units. During the week of January 21, 1994, the song peaked at number two on the Norwegian Singles Chart
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
, spending a total of eight weeks in the chart and being certified platinum by the VG-lista
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
. On November 11, 1993, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number eight. The following week, it reached its peak position of number seven, spending a total of 15 weeks in the chart during its original chart run. On November 8, 2008, following the release of the "Hero" by the X Factor finalists
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, it re-entered the chart at number 100. Two weeks later, "Hero" managed to reach number 67 on the chart, before plummeting outside the top 100 the following week. As of 2008, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
estimates sales of "Hero" in the United Kingdom to be over 290,000 units.
Awards and accolades
"Hero" was awarded and nominated for awards throughout the music industry. At the 12th ASCAP Awards, Carey took home the award for "Rhythm & Soul Songwriter". The following year, at the 13th annual ceremony, "Hero" won Carey awards for "Rhythm & Soul Songwriter" and "Pop Songwriter." The song was awarded a BMI Pop AwardBroadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
at the ceremony in 1995. Additionally, it was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
at the 37th annual Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, losing to Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
's "All I Wanna Do
All I Wanna Do (Sheryl Crow song)
English singer/songwriter Amy Studt released a cover version of the song as her fourth single. Amy was asked personally by Sheryl Crow to record a cover of the song....
".
Music videos and re-recordings
Prior to the song's release towards the end of 1993, Carey performed an intimate concert at Proctor Theatre, New York on July 15, 1993. Following its taping, the concert was released as the home video titled, Here Is Mariah CareyHere Is Mariah Carey
Here Is Mariah Carey, also known simply as Mariah Carey or Mariah's Thanksgiving NBC Special, was Mariah Carey's third DVD/video release. It presents Carey performing live at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, New York on July 18, 1993...
(1993). Carey's performance of the song that night was edited and commissioned as the official music video, directed by Larry Jordan
Larry Jordan
Larry Jordan is an independent filmmaker who has been working in the Bay Area in California since 1955, and making films since 1952. He has produced some 40 experimental and animation films, and three feature-length dramatic films. He is most widely known for his animated collage films. In 1970 he...
. The video was included on Carey's DVD #1's (1998). The video features her in a long navy-blue dress, sporting long curly hair. On few international versions of the album, a Spanish version of the song was included, such as on the Mexican and Argentinian versions. It was titled "Héroe", and featured translation by Jorge Luis Piloto, a Spanish musician who had come to briefly work with Carey.
In 2001, following the September 11 Attacks, Carey re-recorded the song as a medley with Never Too Far
Never Too Far
"Never Too Far" is a song written and produced by American singer Mariah Carey, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for Carey's tenth album/soundtrack, Glitter. The protagonist of this ballad states that although physical distance can sometimes separate lovers, the love they share will never be too far apart...
, her single at the time. Titled "Never Too Far/Hero Medley
Never Too Far/Hero Medley
"Never Too Far/Hero Medley" is a medley recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, first released as a charity single on December 11, 2001, as well as serving as the lead single for Carey's second compilation album, Greatest Hits...
", it was released as a charity single throughout October of that year. In an interview with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, Carey described the idea behind the medley:
"I started [performing] at different charity events where I did a combination of 'Never Too Far' and 'Hero'. We made it into a medley and kinda put them both in the same key and just made it work, and people responded really well to it. It's been interesting for me, since the events of September 11, the way people have been playing 'Hero' and talking to me about 'Never Too Far,' 'cause that song is also about loss. I figured that it would be a nice thing to do, to put them both out for Christmas. ... I feel like it's our responsibility to do what we can right now in terms of music, just being artists and being human beings."
In 2008, prior to the release of Carey's compilation album The Ballads
The Ballads (Mariah Carey album)
The Ballads is a compilation album by American pop/R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The album features some of Carey's top selling ballads over the course of her career...
, Carey recorded a version of "Hero" with new vocals, releasing it on the stateside version of the album. Additionally, a music video was filmed and released for the 2008 version, featuring behind the scenes footage of the song's recording, as well as Carey's writing music in the studio.
Live performances
Due to fan requests and its personal lyrical content, Carey has performed "Hero" on several occasions throughout her career. She first performed the song live on The Arsenio Hall ShowThe Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
in November 1993, appearing on stage after a short interview wearing a mid-length black gown and sporting long brown locks. She was joined by three back-up vocalists, Trey Lorenz
Trey Lorenz
Trey Lorenz is an African American singer and songwriter. He was born in Florence, South Carolina and is a graduate of Wilson High School.-Biography:...
, Cindi Mizelle and Melodie Daniels. Carey continued stateside promotion of the song with a performance on The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
the following week. Throughout Europe and Australasia, Carey made appearances on Sacr e Soir e in France, Platendaagse in the Netherlands, Sale El Dia in Spain, Sontagsoppet in Sweden, and Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
in Australia. On May 19, 1996, a memorial service was held for a sheriff sergeant who was killed while on duty. A televised funeral was held outside United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
building, where Carey paid homage to him through a recital of "Hero". Following the release of her sixth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Butterfly, Carey performed it alongside "Butterfly
Butterfly (Mariah Carey song)
"Butterfly" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, Butterfly. It was released as the second single from the album on December 1, 1997 by Columbia Records. The song was written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff; both of them producing and arranging the song as...
" on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
on September 22, 1997. In between both performances, Winfrey interviewed Carey over her failed marriage to Mottola, as well as the several negative rumors that followed their divorce. Two years later, she performed "Hero" together with Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
in Modena, Italy during the summer of 1999. Carey appeared on stage alongside him, wearing a long pink evening gown and sporting a long straightened hairstyle. The performance was filmed and released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
as Pavarotti and Friends
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
.
Carey sang "Hero" in Korea in September of that year during the Michael Jackson & friends benefit concert, which raised money for several charitable organizations. On September 21, 2001, following the September 11 attacks, Carey sang "Hero" as part of the America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes was a benefit concert created by the heads of the four broadcast networks. Joel Gallen was selected by them to produce and run the show Joel Gallen. Actor George Clooney wrangled the celebrities to performed and to man the telephone bank . The marketing and public...
telethon. Her appearance on the telethon was her first public appearance since her publicized breakdown and hospitalization, prior to the release of Glitter
Glitter (film)
Glitter is a 2001 film starring R&B singer, songwriter Mariah Carey. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures and directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall. It centers on the life and times of a struggling singer from the early club music scene in the 1980s.-Production:Carey has said about...
. In 2003, Carey performed a medley of songs from her album, Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on December 3, 2002 through Island Records and MonarC Entertainment. The album was her first release since facing a breakdown following the release of her film Glitter and its accompanying...
(2002), during Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
's fair-well NBA game. Following the medley, she included "Hero" onto the short set-list, followed by Jordan's final game. On July 2, 2005, a benefit concert was held in Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
titled Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
. The televised event was watched by over 9.6 million British citizens, and held a live audience of over 200,000. Carey performed a three song set-list, opening with "We Belong Together
We Belong Together
"We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi . The song was released on March 29, 2005, through Island Records as the second single from the album. "We Belong Together" was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel...
" and "Make It Happen", and followed by "Hero", which featured a live choir of African children. During a promotional tour for her eleventh studio effort E=MC2 in 2008, the song was re-recorded by the 2008 UK X Factor finalists and released as a single. Prior to its release, Carey appeared on the program, where she performed her single at the time "I Stay in Love
I Stay in Love
"I Stay in Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox, Adonis Shropshire and Kendrick Dean, and produced by the former two. "I Stay in Love" was released through Island Records on October 28,...
", followed by a duet of "Hero" in between her and the finalists. In 2009, during the inaugural ball
Inauguration of Barack Obama
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...
for Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Carey opened the televised event with a live rendition of "Hero", wearing a long black evening gown while sporting a long wavy hairstyle. On June 5, 2010, Carey performed the song alongside "We Belong Together
We Belong Together
"We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi . The song was released on March 29, 2005, through Island Records as the second single from the album. "We Belong Together" was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel...
" at the Walmart shareholders meeting. Following the performance, Carey gained heavy media coverage for her apparent weight gain, leading many to suspect her pregnancy with husband Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
.
Aside from the several live televised performances, Carey included "Hero" on the set-lists on all of her tours, usually serving as one of the closing numbers. In an interview, Carey said that although it is not one of her favorite songs, she tries to perform it on each of her shows due to its powerful message, fearing that if she doesn't, she might miss out on the opportunity to help someone. She first performed the song in concert during her stateside Music Box Tour
Music Box Tour
The Music Box Tour was a 1993 concert tour by American R&B singer Mariah Carey.-History:This was Carey's first tour. She had not done a lot of public singing in her early years in the music industry and she had become a big star with two top-selling albums and five number one singles before she...
. During the song's recital, Carey donned a black gown and matching sandals, while sporting her signature golden locks of the time. During her performances at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
on her Daydream World Tour
Daydream World Tour
The Daydream World Tour is a series of concerts by American R&B singer Mariah Carey. The tour took place during early to mid-1996, and kicked-off at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, and ended at London, England's Wembley Arena.-History:...
(1996), Carey performed the song as one of the closing numbers. Prior to the song, Carey introduced Afanasieff, who played the organ throughout the tour. Carey appeared on stage with a straightened hairstyle, and a long black evening gown. On her Butterfly World Tour
Butterfly World Tour
Butterfly World Tour is the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The tour promoted Carey's album at the time, Butterfly , and included songs from several of her previous albums. The tour visited Asia, Australia and the United States, with rehearsals taking place in...
in 1998, Carey performed "Hero" as the eighth song on the set-list. Unlike her previous tour, Afanasieff was not present, due to the pair's continued personal dispute. During the song, Carey was backed up by three vocalists, and wore a long sequined black gown. In 2000, during her Rainbow World Tour
Rainbow World Tour
The Rainbow World Tour was a worldwide arena concert tour in the year 2000 by American R&B artist Mariah Carey.-History:Carey had released her ninth album Rainbow in November 1999 and decided to go on tour to promote it. Unlike her previous outing, the Butterfly World Tour, marked Carey's first...
, Carey used "Hero" as the tour's closing number, leaving the stage to meet and greet fans during the song's performance. Similarly, "Hero" served as the closing number on her Charmbracelet World Tour (2002–03), where she wore a long beige gown and feathered frock tail. In 2006, during The Adventures of Mimi Tour
The Adventures of Mimi Tour
The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour was a 2006 concert tour of arenas by American R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was one of a few tours in her then-sixteen year career and was named after a fan's "Carey-centric" diary of the same name...
, Carey performed "Hero" as the twenty-third song on the set-list. She wore a blue floor-length mid-bearing gown, and received vocal back up from four background singers. Following the release of her twelfth studio effort, Carey embarked on the Angels Advocate Tour
Angels Advocate Tour
The Angels Advocate Tour is the seventh concert tour by American R&B singer Mariah Carey, in support of her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. The tour visited North America, also Egypt, Brazil and Singapore...
. After performing the regular set-list, Carey exited the arena, only to make one re-entry for "Hero" as the encore performance.
Cover versions and uses
"Hero" has been covered several times through live performances, as well as recorded studio versions. Additionally, since its debut, it has achieved strong media attention. In 2009, prior to the election results, Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's wife Michelle
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
played him the song to give him strength and inner support. A source close to Carey claimed that hearing the song's use meant a lot to her, saying "She was blown away when she heard. She is so honoured to have played her part in such an occasion." At the 1994 Essence Awards
Essence (magazine)
Essence is a monthly magazine for African-American women between the ages of 18 and 49. The magazine covers fashion, lifestyle and beauty with an intimate girlfriend-to-girlfriend tone.-History:...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
performed a live rendition of the song as a tribute to The Reverend Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
. Filipino singers Regine Velasquez
Regine Velasquez
Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez , better known as Asia's Songbird, Regine Velasquez, is a Filipino singer, actress, record producer and TV host...
and Sarah Geronimo
Sarah Gerónimo
Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo is a Filipino recording artist, actress and dancer. Geronimo started her career appearing in children's variety shows such as Pen-pen de Sarapen, Ang TV and NEXT...
both performed the song live on television, with the former playing a medley of the song alongside Carey's "Anytime You Need a Friend
Anytime You Need a Friend
"Anytime You Need a Friend" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, for her third studio album, Music Box . It was released on May 31, 1994 through Columbia Records, as the fourth and final single from the album. The...
". Italian male operatic pop
Operatic pop
Operatic pop, pop opera or popera is a subgenre of pop music that is performed in an operatic style, or a song, theme or motif from classical music stylized as pop. The term popera and adjectives poperatic and popical are used by some media editors and music reviewers...
group Il Divo
Il Divo
Il Divo is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco Music...
included the Spanish version of the song on their second studio album, Ancora
Ancora
Ancora is the second album of the operatic pop vocal group Il Divo. It was released in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world on November 7, 2005, excluding the United States and Latin America. It was later released in the United States and Latin America on January 24, 2006. It debuted at...
(2005). Australian singer and actress Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte is an Australian actress, singer-songwriter and television personality. She began her career as an actress on the television series All Saints. She then starred in the American television movie Counterstrike...
performed a live version of the song at the Rugby League World Cup Heroes 08 Campaign
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
. Michael Ball
Michael Ball (singer)
Michael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
, British singer, actor and radio personality, covered "Hero" for his album titled One Voice (2006). In 1993, Japanese singer Miho Nakayama released the song as a single with an adapted version in her native language. American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
season 5
American Idol (season 5)
The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -...
contestant Heather Cox performed the song during the top 20 performances week, only to be voted off that night for not being able to successfully carry the song. Similarly, season 7
American Idol (season 7)
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
contestant Brooke White
Brooke White
Brooke Elizabeth White is an American indie pop/folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress from Mesa, Arizona who was the fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005, White released her first studio album, called Songs from the Attic.White's first post-Idol album High Hopes &...
performed the song during the Mariah Carey themed week, while season 8
American Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
contestant Danny Gokey
Danny Gokey
Daniel Jay "Danny" Gokey is an American country music singer and church music director from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the third place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol...
performed the song in the top 36 performances. season 10
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
contestant Karen Rodriguez
Karen Rodriguez
Karen Rodriguez is an American singer from New York City, New York. Rodriguez placed twelfth on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
performed the song in both English and Spanish versions in the top 24 performances, making it into the top 13 the following night. Japanese-American singer Yuna Ito
Yuna Ito
is an American pop singer-songwriter and actress who is active in Japan.She was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Hawaii. Ito made her musical debut in Japan with the single, "Endless Story", which was used as one of the theme songs for the popular 2005 film Nana; she also starred in the film,...
included her rendition of "Hero" on her compilation album Love -Singles Best 2005–2010. American R&B singer Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
sang "Hero" during a live talent show at her high school in Barbados when she was 15. Soon after, she was signed by Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
to Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
.
Track listings
- European CD single
- "Hero" (LP version) – 4:18
- "Hero" (Live) – 4:16
- European CD maxi-single
- "Hero" (LP Version) – 4:19
- "Dreamlover" (Def Club Mix Edit) – 4:02
- "Dreamlover" (Theo's Club Joint) – 4:32
- "Dreamlover" (Def Tribal Mix) – 6:40
- Japanese CD single
- "Hero" – 4:18
- "Everything Fades Away" – 5:25
- US Maxi CD Single
- "Hero" (LP Version) – 4:18
- "Hero" (Live) – 4:16
- "Everything Fades Away" – 5:25
- "Dreamlover" (Club Joint Mix) – 4:33
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the Music Box liner notes."Hero" was recorded at The Plant Studios, Sausalito, California
Sausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
and The Record Plant, Los Angeles. Vocals were mixed at Right Track Studio
Right Track Recording
Right Track Recording is a four-studio recording studio located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Established in 1976 by Simon Andrews, Right Track Recording today is one of the premier recording studios in New York City....
s, New York.
- Mariah Carey – co-productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, songwriting, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Walter Afanasieff – co-production, songwriting, keyboards, kynthesizer, rhythm programming, acoustic guitar
- Michael LandauMichael LandauMichael Landau is a prolific session musician and guitarist who has played on a large number of albums since the early 1980s with artists as varied as Seal, James Taylor, Helen Watson, Richard Marx, Steve Perry, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis...
– guitar - Dana Jon Chappelle – vocal engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- David Gleeson – engineering
- Mick GuzauskiMick GuzauskiMick Guzauski is a multi-platinum Mixing Engineer and sound engineer.Guzauski's work spans a wide range of styles, including jazz, R&B, Latin, rock, pop, and easy listening...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Peak positions
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
7 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
3 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 13 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
5 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
41 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
5 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
421 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
2 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
27 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
7 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
2 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
5 |
| US Billboard Hot Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. It is often recognized as the most important music chart for Spanish language Latin music in the American music market. It was established by the magazine on September 6, 1986 with La Guirnalda by Rocío Dúrcal being the first song... (Spanish Version) |
40 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
672 |
1 "Hero" charted as an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s in Japan.
2 "Hero" 2008 re-recording version.
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart | 48 |
| End of year chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart | 22 |
| French Singles Chart | 19 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 2 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 53 |
Sales and certifications
| Country (Provider) | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... ) |
Platinum |
| France (SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... ) |
Silver |
| New Zealand (RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... ) |
Platinum |
| Norway (VG VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... ) |
Platinum |
| United States (RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... ) |
Platinum |
The X Factor UK 2008 finalists version
The twelve finalists from the fifth seriesThe X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
of the UK TV talent show The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
released a cover of the song on October 27, 2008 for the Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes is a British charity launched on 1 October 2007 to help provide better facilities for British servicemen and women wounded since September 11, 2001. It was founded by Bryn Parry OBE and his wife Emma Parry OBE after they visited soldiers at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham...
and The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion , sometimes referred to as simply The Legion, is the United Kingdom's leading charity providing financial, social and emotional support to those who have served or who are currently serving in the British Armed Forces, and their dependants.-History:The British Legion was...
charities. The release was backed by, and originally suggested by, The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper. The finalists performed the single for the first time alongside Mariah Carey on October 25, 2008 during a week when only Carey's material could be sung. The single was released on download on October 26, 2008, followed by the physical release the day after. On October 30 it was announced that the British Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, Alistair Darling
Alistair Darling
Alistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
, would waive all tax on copies sold on the single. He said, "I support the efforts being made by the X Factor contestants and in recognition of that I'm proposing effectively to waive the VAT on the sale of these singles. We will do that by making a donation equivalent to the value of the VAT." Following the single's release, the music video was sent to music channels on November 8, 2008 before the fifth live show, when the finalists (excluding Diana Vickers because of illness) sang it again. All the finalists appeared in the video, which also showed still images of soldiers in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Upon its release the single was expected to top the charts in the United Kingdom, due to strong promotional push from Cowell and his management. On November 2, 2008 it debuted atop of the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, staying there for three consecutive weeks and becoming the fastest selling single of 2008. The song sold 100,000 copies in the first day of its release and 313,244 copies by the end of the week. It has sold over 770,000 copies and raised over one million pounds for Help For Heroes foundation. It was suggested that the song would have become one of the biggest-selling releases of the decade, with HMV
HMV Group
HMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index...
spokesman Gennaro Castaldo saying: "This is proving to be one of the biggest single releases for years if not the decade. Only Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
's debut hit "A Moment Like This", which sold over 500,000 copies in its first week, can compare. It's selling more than most Christmas No 1s would, and HMV has placed an urgent order for more copies." On December 28, 2008, the UK Singles Chart listed it as the second biggest selling single for the year end countdown and the nineteenth best-selling single of the decade. The British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) certified the song double-platinum, denoting shipments of over 1.2 million copies within the country.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Chart (2000–2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Top 100 Songs of the Decade | 19 |
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1993 (U.S.)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1994 (U.S.)