Cartoon Heroes

Last updated

"Cartoon Heroes"
Cartoon Heroes.jpg
Single by Aqua
from the album Aquarius
Released31 January 2000 (2000-01-31)
Length3:38
Label Universal
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Søren Rasted
  • Claus Norreen
Aqua singles chronology
"Good Morning Sunshine"
(1998)		"Cartoon Heroes"
(2000)		"Around the World"
(2000)
Music video
"Cartoon Heroes" on YouTube

"Cartoon Heroes" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua from their second studio album, Aquarius . The song was sent to radio stations worldwide on 1 January 2000 and was released as a retail single on 31 January 2000. It was their first release anywhere for over 14 months due to the time spent touring the world, resting, and recording Aquarius.

Contents

Although a commercial success, "Cartoon Heroes" failed to follow the success of earlier songs such as "Barbie Girl" and "Doctor Jones". In Denmark, the song debuted at number one, selling enough copies to earn a quadruple-platinum sales certification within 48 hours of its release; [1] it went on to become the country's highest-selling single of 2000. It also topped the charts of Italy, Norway, and Spain and reached the top 10 in at least nine other countries, including Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Music video

The music video for this song was filmed in December 1999. It starts with an American newscaster reporting on broadcast that a one-eyed sea monster attacks the world prompting an SOS call for Aqua in space. The quartet wakes up in zero gravity and Søren pushes up the gravity lever. They put on their hero suits and prepare to drive their spaceship to planet Earth where the sea monster is deep in the ocean. The quartet then puts on their diving suits and they fight the sea monster they seek. The green slime that bursts out of the sea monster's defeat transmits to the ending where the triumphant quartet returns to the ship with Søren and Claus who's had their leg and arm injured and the ship goes to the surface.

The video directed by Czech movie director Tomáš Mašín is said to be one of the most expensive music videos ever made, reportedly costing $3.5 million to produce ($6.19 million in 2023). [2] [3]

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Cartoon Heroes"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [44] Gold35,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [1] 4× Platinum40,000 [1]
New Zealand (RMNZ) [45] Gold5,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway) [46] Gold 
Sweden (GLF) [47] Platinum30,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Cartoon Heroes"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
Worldwide1 January 2000Radio Universal [48]
Denmark31 January 2000CD [1]
Canada1 February 2000 [49]
Japan2 February 2000 [50]
United Kingdom14 February 2000
  • CD
  • cassette
 [51]

Related Research Articles

<i>Aquarium</i> (Aqua album) 1997 studio album by Aqua

Aquarium is the debut studio album by Danish band Aqua, released on 26 March 1997. The album is best known for including the globally successful single "Barbie Girl", which went on to become a widely recognizable hit around the world, as well as the popular track “Lollipop (Candyman)”. The album also featured the songs "Doctor Jones" and "Turn Back Time". In early 1997, the release of Aquarium was initially preceded by the singles "Roses Are Red" and "My Oh My", which was released a second time in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Jones</span> 1997 single by Aqua

"Doctor Jones" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, released as the fourth single from their debut album, Aquarium (1997). It was the follow-up to their most successful song, "Barbie Girl", and first released as a single in most of Europe in October 1997 by Universal Records. In December 1997, "Doctor Jones" was released in Australia and peaked at No. 1 for seven consecutive weeks. In January 1998, the song was released in the United Kingdom and became the group's second No. 1 single, topping the chart for three weeks. Throughout the rest of Europe, the song reached the top 10 in 11 countries, topping the charts of Croatia and Ireland. Its music video, directed by Peder Pedersen, continued the same cinematic style as in "Barbie Girl", this time using Indiana Jones characters from the film series of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lollipop (Candyman)</span> 1997 single by Aqua

"Lollipop (Candyman)" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua. It was released as the fifth overall single from their debut album, Aquarium, in Australasia, North America, and mainland Europe. However, it was not released in the United Kingdom. "Lollipop" features a prominent role for René Dif, with vocals also from main vocalist Lene. The US CD and cassette single include "Good Morning Sunshine" as the B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil</span> 2004 single by Joy Gruttmann/Schnappi

"Das kleine Krokodil", also known under the title "Schnappi", is the debut single of animated cartoon crocodile Schnappi from his first album, Schnappi und Seine Freunde. The voice of Schnappi is provided by Joy Gruttmann, a child singer. Joy's aunt, Iris Gruttmann, originally wrote the song in 1999 without the "Schni-Schna-Schnappi, Schnappi Schnappi schnapp" refrain, but when the song was uploaded to the internet, this hook was added in without the Gruttmanns' or Universal Music Group's knowledge. The song quickly became a viral hit, and it was released as a single on 6 December 2004—Joy's ninth birthday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turn Back Time (Aqua song)</span> 1998 single by Aqua

"Turn Back Time" is a song by Danish dance-pop group Aqua, released as their seventh single overall, and the sixth from their debut album, Aquarium (1997). The song was also included on the soundtrack for the 1998 film Sliding Doors, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and was released across the world throughout 1998, starting with the United States in January. The track possesses less of a bubble pop sound than Aqua's other releases; it is slow-paced and shows the full range of Lene Nystrøm's vocals but maintains the Aqua sound. In Japan, "Turn Back Time" was released along with "My Oh My". "Turn Back Time" was successful on the charts on several countries, becoming Aqua's third consecutive number one on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Around the World (Aqua song)</span> 2000 single by Aqua

"Around the World" is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua from their second studio album, Aquarius. It was released as the album's second single in April 2000 and was their final release in the United Kingdom before their split in mid-2001. The song became their second and final top-ten single from the album in Denmark, and it reached the top 20 in Italy, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Busy</span> 2003 single by Sean Paul

"Get Busy" is a dancehall song by Jamaican reggae deejay Sean Paul, from his album Dutty Rock. The song was one of the many hits from the jumpy handclap riddim known as the Diwali Riddim, produced by then-newcomer Steven Marsden, and was the only song that never made the "Diwali" rhythm album on Greensleeves Records as it was more than likely a late entry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bailamos</span> 1999 single by Enrique Iglesias

"Bailamos" is a single by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias sung in English with some lines in Spanish. The song was released in 1999 as part of the soundtrack to the film Wild Wild West (1999) and later included on Iglesias's fourth and debut English-language album, Enrique (1999). "Bailamos" reached number one on the Spanish Singles Chart and on the US Billboard Hot 100, and it became a top-three hit in Canada, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden. In both New Zealand and Spain, it was the second-most-successful single of 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel (Shaggy song)</span> 2001 song by Shaggy

"Angel" is a song by Jamaican reggae artist Shaggy featuring additional vocals from Barbadian singer Rayvon. Sampling the 1973 song "The Joker" by American rock band Steve Miller Band and interpolating the 1967 song "Angel of the Morning" written by Chip Taylor, it was released to radio on 9 January 2001 as the follow-up to Shaggy's international number-one hit, "It Wasn't Me". "Angel" also proved to be successful, reaching number one in 12 countries, including Australia, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

<i>Aquarius</i> (Aqua album) 2000 studio album by Aqua

Aquarius is the second studio album by Danish–Norwegian band Aqua. The album was released on 28 February 2000 by Universal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of My Castle</span> 1997 single by Wamdue Project

"King of My Castle" is a song by American electronic music producer Chris Brann under his Wamdue Project alias, with vocals by Gaelle Adisson. It was originally released in 1997 as a downtempo song but became a worldwide club hit in 1999 when it was remixed by Italian house producer Roy Malone and included on the 1998 album Program Yourself. The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart, topped the UK Singles Chart, and peaked within the top 10 in at least 12 other countries, including Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freestyler</span> 1999 single by Bomfunk MCs

"Freestyler" is a song by Finnish hip hop group Bomfunk MC's. It was released in Finland on 30 October 1999 as the third single from their debut studio album, In Stereo (1999), and was released internationally in February 2000. "Freestyler" peaked at number four on the Finnish Singles Chart and topped the charts in more than 10 countries, including Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Sweden. The song also peaked within the top 10 of the charts in Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sha-La-La-La-La</span> 1973 single by Walkers

"Sha-La-La-La-La" is a song by Danish glam rock band Walkers. The song was co-written by band members Torben Lendager and Poul Dehnhardt. It entered the Danish charts at number eight in the last week of March 1973, and peaked at number two after three weeks, after which it disappeared from the charts. The song achieved worldwide exposure after being covered by Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady (Hear Me Tonight)</span> 2000 single by Modjo

"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" is a song by French house duo Modjo, written and performed by vocalist Yann Destagnol and producer Romain Tranchart. It was released on 19 June 2000 as the lead single from the duo's self-titled debut studio album (2001). It became a major worldwide success, topping at least 10 music charts, including the national charts of Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It also topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in January 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">911 (Wyclef Jean song)</span> Duet between rap singer Wyclef Jean and soul music singer Mary J. Blige

"911" is a duet between Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean and American soul music singer Mary J. Blige. It was released on 5 September 2000 as the third single from Jean's second studio album, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book (2000), and was later included on Blige's compilation Reflections (2006). The song peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and had success worldwide, particularly in Scandinavian countries, reaching number one in Norway and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Feels So Good</span> 1998 single by Sonique

"It Feels So Good" is a song by British singer Sonique. It was originally released on 9 November 1998 and peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart. In May 2000, in the wake of the song's success in the United States, the single was re-released and spent three weeks at number one on the same chart. The song remained in the top 40 for 14 weeks and became the third-biggest-selling single of 2000 in Britain. It has sold over 800,000 copies in the UK as of May 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemon Tree (Fool's Garden song)</span> 1995 single by Fools Garden

"Lemon Tree" is a song by German band Fool's Garden from their third album, Dish of the Day (1995). The band's lead vocalist, Peter Freudenthaler, said that he wrote the song on a Sunday afternoon when he was waiting for his girlfriend who did not come.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex Bomb</span> 2000 single by Tom Jones and Mousse T.

"Sex Bomb" is a song by Welsh singer Tom Jones. Performed in collaboration with German DJ and record producer Mousse T., the song was released in 1999 in several European countries; in January of the following year, it was issued across the rest of Europe except the United Kingdom, where it was not released until May 2000. Outside the UK, the track served as the second single from Jones' 34th album, Reload, while in the UK, it served as the fourth single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbie Girl</span> 1997 single by Aqua

"Barbie Girl" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua. It was released in April 1997 by Universal and MCA as the third single from the group's debut studio album, Aquarium (1997). The song was written by band members Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen, René Dif, and Lene Nystrøm, and was produced by the former two alongside Johnny Jam and Delgado. It was written after Rasted saw an exhibit on kitsch culture in Denmark that featured Barbie dolls. The accompanying music video was directed by Danish directors Peder Pedersen and Peter Stenbæk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelante (Sash! song)</span> 1999 single by Sash!

"Adelante" is a song by German electronic production duo Sash!. Taken from Trilenium (2000), the duo's third studio album, "Adelante" became a chart hit, reaching number one in Romania and Scotland, number two on the UK Singles Chart, and the top 10 in Australia, Flanders, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. In Australia, the song was certified gold for shipments of over 35,000 copies, and in Sweden, it went platinum for shipments exceeding 30,000 units.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sexton, Paul (26 February 2000). Williamson, Nigel (ed.). "Global Music Pulse" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 112, no. 9. p. 53. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  2. ↑ Garland, Emma (17 July 2017). "How Aqua's "Cartoon Heroes" Became One of the Most Expensive Videos Ever". Vice. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  3. ↑ "The jaw-dropping price tag of the most expensive music videos". Finance 101. 14 October 2019. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  4. ↑ Cartoon Heroes (European HDCD single liner notes). Aqua. Universal Music Group. 2000. 156 385-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ↑ Cartoon Heroes (Canadian CD single liner notes). Aqua. Universal Music Group. 2000. 012 156 385-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ Cartoon Heroes (Japanese CD single liner notes). Aqua. Universal Music Group. 2000. MVCE-9019.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. 1 2 "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  8. ↑ Cartoon Heroes (European maxi-HDCD single liner notes). Aqua. Universal Music Group. 2000. 156 382-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ Cartoon Heroes (UK CD1 liner notes). Aqua. Universal Music Group. 2000. MCSTD 40226, 156768-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ Cartoon Heroes (UK CD2 liner notes). Aqua. Universal Music Group. 2000. MCSXD 40226, 156799-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Cartoon Heroes (UK cassette single sleeve). Aqua. Universal Music Group. 2000. MCSC 40226, 156769-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Cartoon Heroes (Australian CD single liner notes). Aqua. Universal Music Australia. 2000. 156 650-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  16. ↑ "Aqua Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  17. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 9727." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  18. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 17, no. 8. 19 February 2000. p. 11. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  19. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 10. 4 March 2000. p. 11. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  20. ↑ "Aqua: Cartoon Heroes" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  21. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  22. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  23. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (Vikuna 02.3. – 09.3. 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 3 March 2000. p. 12. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  24. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Cartoon Heroes". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  25. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  26. ↑ "Tipparade-lijst van week 12, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  27. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  28. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  29. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes". VG-lista. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  30. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 February 2000.
  31. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  32. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  33. ↑ "Aqua – Cartoon Heroes". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  34. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  35. ↑ "2000 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA . Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  36. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2000" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  37. ↑ "Rapports annuels 2000" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  38. ↑ "Års Hitlister 2000: IFPI Danmark: Singles Top 50". IFPI Danmark. Archived from the original on 16 November 2001. Retrieved 8 April 2021– via Musik.org.
  39. ↑ "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 52. 23 December 2000. p. 9. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  40. ↑ "Top 100 Singles – Jahrescharts 2000" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  41. ↑ "Tabla 16. CD-Singles Más Vendidos en 2000" [Best-Selling CD Singles in 2000] (in Spanish). AFYVE. p. 228. Retrieved 8 June 2021.Click on Música grabada.
  42. ↑ "Årslista Singlar, 2000" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  43. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2000" (in German). Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  44. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  45. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Aqua – Cartoon Heroes". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  46. ↑ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  47. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2000" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  48. ↑ Ferro, Charles (15 January 2000). "Universal's Nets Cast Wide for 2nd Aqua Set" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 3. p. 79. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  49. ↑ "Album Releases: February 2000". Jam!. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  50. ↑ "カートゥーン・ヒーローズ | アクア" [Cartoon Heroes | Aqua] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  51. ↑ "New Releases – For Week Starting 14 February, 2000: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 12 February 2000. p. 31. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.