"Holding Out for a Hero" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Bonnie Tyler | ||||
from the album Footloose: Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Motion Picture and Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire | ||||
B-side | "Faster Than the Speed of Night" | |||
Released |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | ||||
Composer(s) | Jim Steinman | |||
Lyricist(s) | Dean Pitchford | |||
Producer(s) | Jim Steinman | |||
Bonnie Tyler singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Holding Out for a Hero" on YouTube |
"Holding Out for a Hero" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for the soundtrack to the 1984 film Footloose . It later featured on her sixth studio album, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire (1986). The track was produced by Jim Steinman, who co-wrote the song with Dean Pitchford and was a top 40 hit in several European countries, as well as Canada and the United States. Its 1985 re-release in the United Kingdom reached number two (remaining there for three weeks) and topped the singles chart in Ireland.
Paramount Pictures asked Tyler to record a song for the soundtrack to the 1984 film Footloose . She agreed on the condition that Jim Steinman, who was her producer at the time through CBS/Columbia, could work with her on the project. Steinman wrote the song with Dean Pitchford, who co-wrote every song on the soundtrack album. Tyler was invited to the Paramount film studios in Los Angeles to watch the film rushes to see how "Holding Out for a Hero" would fit into the plot. [4]
"Holding Out for a Hero" shares numerous musical elements with "Stark Raving Love", a track from Steinman's solo album Bad for Good (1981), including the piano riff and vocal harmonies. [5]
In a retrospective review, The A.V. Club 's William Hughes stated that the song "displays some of the worst of its decade's (and composer's) typical excesses: The lyrics are laughable, and the heavy-handed synths and piano riffs come dangerously close to cheese", but adds, "The sum of those parts transcends their limitations, hooking directly into pure emotional need like only the greatest of torch songs can." [6]
Writing in Metal Hammer , Paul Stenning described the song as "the ultimate pop anthem", stating "Only Jim Steinman can get away with such bombastic overtones, in this case the perfect coupling with Tyler's inimitable voice." [2]
The accompanying music video for "Holding Out for a Hero" was produced by Jeffrey Abelson for Parallax Productions, directed by Doug Dowdle, with the concept by Keith Williams. It was filmed at the Grand Canyon, Arizona, and at Veluzat Ranch, California. [7] It was the second video released to promote Footloose while featuring no movie footage in the video.
The video sees Tyler escaping from a burning house; the video is set primarily in the vicinity of the burning house and on the edge of the Grand Canyon – interspersed with shots of angelic background singers in white dresses. Evil cowboys dressed in black, carrying neon whips appear before Tyler, threatening her; a cowboy hero dressed in white, brandishing a revolver, appears on horseback and the evil cowboys flee on horseback, with the hero in pursuit. As the song fades out, the hero cowboy appears in front of Tyler.
Tyler was later featured in a parody of the video by David Copperfield.
Two recorded performances of "Holding Out for a Hero" have been released on Tyler's concert DVDs Bonnie on Tour (2006) and Live in Germany 1993 (2011), and their respective CD editions.
Tyler released re-recordings of the song in 2004 and 2011. In 2013, she recorded a parody of the song for use in a Children in Need fundraising campaign. [8]
In 1988, the song featured in Short Circuit 2 , a science fiction comedy film. It was used during a chase scene as Johnny 5 was running low on battery and modified himself into a 1980s punk. [9]
In 2004, Jennifer Saunders covered the song for the DreamWorks animated film Shrek 2 , where the Fairy Godmother sings it in the film's climax. A second cover of the song by Frou Frou plays over the film's end credits. [10]
In 2021, the song was noted for its appearances in a trailer for Masters of the Universe: Revelation , another trailer for the Guardians of the Galaxy video game, and in the second episode of the Disney+ series Loki , all of which premiered in the same week. [11] This led to a significant increase in downloads and streams, and a placement atop Billboard ’s Top TV Songs Chart. [12] In 2023's Shazam! Fury of the Gods , as a lady's car is playing this song, it begins to plunge off a bridge. Captain Marvel catches the car, and tells the woman, "No way, shut up! Did I just save you while you were listening to this song?" [13]
In 2022, the song was covered in Japanese for the film Bullet Train .[ citation needed ]
At the 2001 Miss Gay Black America pageant, Tandi Iman Dupree and her dance partner Dee St. James performed a routine to the song. During the performance, Dupree was dressed as Wonder Woman, with St. James dressed as Superman. Dupree notably entered the performance by dropping from the ceiling, landing on the stage in a split. [14] In 2009, this video was uploaded to YouTube, where it went viral. [15]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Top TV Songs ( Billboard ) [36] | 1 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Germany (BVMI) [37] | Gold | 250,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [38] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [39] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Gaynor Sullivan, known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album The World Starts Tonight and its singles "Lost in France" and "More Than a Lover". Her 1977 single "It's a Heartache" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.
James Richard Steinman was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, musical theater, and film score genres. He wrote songs for Bonnie Tyler and Meat Loaf, including Bat Out of Hell, and also wrote and produced Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and Tyler's Faster Than the Speed of Night.
Footloose is a 1984 American musical drama film directed by Herbert Ross. It tells the story of Ren McCormack, a teenager from Chicago who moves to a small town, where he attempts to overturn the ban on dancing instituted by the efforts of a local minister.
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is the lead single by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler from her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night (1983) written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded in 1982, released as a single by CBS/Columbia in 1983.
Faster Than the Speed of Night is the fifth studio album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. It was released in Europe on 8 April 1983 and later that year in the US through Columbia Records. Tyler had changed musical direction and soon after began working with Jim Steinman, who produced the album and wrote its most successful single "Total Eclipse of the Heart".
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" is a song written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by American rock singer Meat Loaf featuring Lorraine Crosby. The song was released in August 1993 by MCA and Virgin as the first single from the singer's sixth album, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993). The last six verses feature Crosby, who was credited only as "Mrs. Loud" in the album notes. She does not appear in the accompanying music video, directed by Michael Bay, in which her vocals are lip-synched by SAS Alison James. Meat Loaf promoted the single with American singer Patti Russo.
Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire is the sixth studio album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, released in April 1986 by CBS/Columbia Records as the follow-up to her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night (1983). Three years in the making, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire was executive-produced by Jim Steinman, who had produced Tyler's previous album. Seven singles were released from the album, with "Holding Out for a Hero" originally being released two years in advance on the movie soundtrack album Footloose. Tyler's album features collaborations with songwriters and guest artists including Desmond Child and Todd Rundgren.
"Hero" is a song by Canadian musician Chad Kroeger and American musician Josey Scott for the soundtrack to the 2002 superhero film Spider-Man. It was written by Kroeger and recorded specifically for the film. "Hero" was released through Roadrunner Records on March 1, 2002, as the soundtrack's lead single. The song serves as Kroeger's debut solo release.
"'It's a Heartache'" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. Written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, and co-produced with David Mackay, the single was released in November 1977 through RCA Records. The song topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and numerous European countries, and reached No. 3 in the US and No. 4 in the UK. Worldwide, "It's a Heartache" sold around six million copies.
"You Give Love a Bad Name" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, released as the first single from their 1986 album Slippery When Wet. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child about a woman who has jilted her lover, the song reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on November 29, 1986, and became the band's first number-one hit. In 2007, the song re-entered the charts at No. 29 after Blake Lewis performed it on American Idol. Despite the lyrics of the chorus, the song should not be confused with "Shot Through the Heart", an unrelated song from Bon Jovi's 1984 self-titled debut album.
"Footloose" is a song co-written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. It was released in January 1984 as the first of two singles by Loggins from the 1984 film of the same name. The song spent three weeks at number one, March 31—April 14, 1984, on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Loggins' only chart-topper, and was the first of two number-one hits from the film. Billboard ranked it at the No. 4 song for 1984.
"Danger Zone" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins in 1986, with music composed by Giorgio Moroder and lyrics written by Tom Whitlock. The song was one of the hit singles from the soundtrack to the 1986 American film Top Gun. It was the best-selling soundtrack of 1986 and one of the best-selling of all time. According to Allmusic.com, the album "remains a quintessential artifact of the mid-'80s" and the album's hits "still define the bombastic, melodramatic sound that dominated the pop charts of the era". The song is also featured in the 2022 sequel film Top Gun: Maverick and its soundtrack, using the same original recording.
"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" is a power ballad written by Jim Steinman. According to Steinman, the song was inspired by Wuthering Heights, and was an attempt to write "the most passionate, romantic song" he could ever create. The Sunday Times posits that "Steinman protects his songs as if they were his children". Meat Loaf, who had collaborated with Steinman on most of his hit songs, had wanted to record the song for years, but Steinman refused, saying he saw it as a "woman's song". Steinman won a court case, which prevented Meat Loaf from recording it. Girl group Pandora's Box went on to record it, and it was subsequently made famous through a cover by Celine Dion, which upset Meat Loaf because he was going to use it for a planned album with the working title Bat Out of Hell III.
"Making Love Out of Nothing at All" is a power ballad written and composed by Jim Steinman and first released by the British/Australian soft rock duo Air Supply for their 1983 compilation album Greatest Hits. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. The song has been covered by other artists.
The discography of Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler consists of 18 studio albums, three live albums, four extended plays, 83 singles, and several compilation albums.
"If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her 1986 rock album Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire. It was written by Desmond Child and produced by Jim Steinman. Child has since stated that the song was re-written as "You Give Love a Bad Name" with Bon Jovi after he was dissatisfied with the chart performance of "If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)". It was successful in Europe, reaching number six in France and sold over 250,000 copies. The song also reached number 77 on the US Hot 100, and has since been Tyler's last hit single in the country. Tyler re-recorded the song on her 2004 album Simply Believe.
"Loving You's a Dirty Job but Somebody's Gotta Do It" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler and American singer Todd Rundgren. Written and produced by Jim Steinman, the track was released as the lead single from Tyler's sixth studio album, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire (1986), in November 1985.
Dean Pitchford is an American songwriter, screenwriter, director, actor, and novelist. His work has earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three additional Oscars, two more Golden Globes, eight Grammy Awards, and two Tony Awards.
Bonnie Tyler: The Best is a compilation album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. It was released in 1993 by Columbia in the UK and by Versailles Records in France. Both issues feature the same front cover, but they do not have matching track lists. In 1995, the album was reissued in the UK under the title The Definitive Collection, featuring the original track listing and a bonus CD with five more tracks.
Hide Your Heart is a song by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, released on her 1988 album Hide Your Heart. The song was written by Kiss' rhythm guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley, Desmond Child and Holly Knight. Although the song failed to chart, it has appeared on several compilations.