Rule the World (Take That song)

Last updated

"Rule the World"
TakeThatRuletheWorldSingleCover.JPG
Single by Take That
from the album Beautiful World (deluxe edition)
Released21 October 2007
Recorded2007
Genre
Length
  • 3:58 (radio edit)
  • 4:58 (album version)
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) John Shanks
Take That singles chronology
"I'd Wait for Life"
(2007)		"Rule the World"
(2007)		"Greatest Day"
(2008)
Music video
"Take That - Rule The World (Band Version)" on YouTube

"Rule the World" is a song by English boy band Take That. It was recorded for the soundtrack of the film Stardust (2007), and then included on the deluxe edition of their fourth studio album Beautiful World (2006).

Contents

It was released in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2007 via digital download and as a CD single the following day. The single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and went on to become the group's best selling single, shifting over 1.8 million sales and being certified as 3× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

The song was submitted for consideration at the 80th Academy Awards for Best Original Song, but was not nominated. [2] In addition to the song featuring in the film, it also plays over the ending of the episode “Fireworks” of the sitcom, Not Going Out .

Background

"Rule the World" is the first song written by Take That specifically for a film. Matthew Vaughn, the director of Stardust , contacted Take That in the hope of getting them to write a song for the film. After seeing the film the band members agreed to write and perform a song. The band wrote the chorus of the song while they were in Spain. They played the song for Matthew Vaughn who included it in the end credits of the film. Gary Barlow performs lead vocals. The song is not included on the soundtrack for Stardust, nor on the original release of the album Beautiful World .

It was released internationally exclusively as a single in October 2007, and was premiered live by the band at the inaugural National Movie Awards on 28 September 2007 to rave reviews and critical acclaim. It ended 2007 as the year's 5th biggest-selling single in the UK, despite being released just two months from the end of the year. [3] The song was also the 44th best selling single in the UK of 2008, the following year, and the 16th best selling single in Ireland in 2007.

The full-length version appears exclusively on the Tour Souvenir Edition of the album Beautiful World.

Crossover singer Camilla Kerslake, a protégée of Gary Barlow, has recorded the song on her eponymous debut album as "Il Mondo è Nostro" ("The World Is Ours").

Chart performance

In October 2007, "Rule the World" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 46 and peaked at number 2, being held off the top spot by Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love". The song became the 5th biggest selling single of 2007 and remained in the Top 100 until 12 April 2009, 1 year, 5 months and 21 days after the single's release. On 21 September 2008, the song managed to climb back up to number 34 on the UK Singles Chart following a performance by contestants on BBC One's Last Choir Standing and on 30 November 2008 it managed to climb up the chart once again to number 27 following its appearance on The X Factor , sung by Rachel Hylton.

The song spent twelve weeks inside the UK top ten, the longest of any Take That song. It re-entered the chart again in November 2009 following another X Factor performance, this time by Stacey Solomon, and again in November 2010, and has spent 75 weeks on the official UK Top 75 chart, making it the 5th longest runner of all time, and 100 weeks on the Top 100. It was the 30th biggest-selling single of the 2000s in the UK. As of January 2024 it has sold 1.8 million copies in the UK, making it the group's best selling single in the country. [4]

Critical reception

Digital Spy praised the song, stating it is "a big, proper, important-sounding ballad – the piano chords tremor with passion, the strings sweep impressively and every strum of the guitar seems to quiver with emotion – it offers copious proof that Gary Barlow's flair for melody is still very much intact." [5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Barney Clay and filmed at Abbey Road Studios. [6] It shows the band and the orchestra at the studios performing the song. Another version of the video features excerpts from the movie Stardust . It premiered on ITV on 22 September 2007. An animated lyric video was uploaded on YouTube on 24 May 2022 and it displays the lyrics following a shooting star across various illustrated landmarks around the world including The Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Mount Rushmore, The Statue of Liberty, Big Ben and The Northern Lights.

Live performances

The song was the finale to The Circus Tour in 2009. This song was also performed on 19 November 2009 for Children in Need on "Children in Need Rocks the Royal Albert Hall", where Gary Barlow dedicated it to his father, who had died 5 weeks earlier. Take That performed the song at the London 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony whilst the Olympic Flame was extinguished. The band's performance of the song during the closing ceremony was lauded as inspiring, in light of the loss of Barlow's stillborn daughter Poppy a week before. [7]

Personnel

Take That

Additional personnel

Track listing

UK CD single [8]

  1. "Rule the World" (radio edit) – 3:58
  2. "Stay Together" – 3:57

German CD single [9]

  1. "Rule the World" (radio edit) – 3:58
  2. "Stay Together" – 3:57
  3. "Rule the World" (video) – 4:00

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [34] 3× Platinum1,800,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take That</span> English pop group

Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer and primary songwriter, with Owen and Williams initially providing backing vocals, and Donald and Orange serving primarily as dancers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back for Good (song)</span> 1995 single by Take That

"Back for Good" is a song by English band Take That from their third studio album, Nobody Else (1995). Released on March 27, 1995 by RCA and Arista, it was written by lead singer Gary Barlow, who also co-produced it with Chris Porter. The song topped the UK Singles Chart whilst also charting at number one in 31 countries, as well as reaching the top 10 in many others. Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton directed the song's music video. At the 1996 Brit Awards, "Back for Good" won the Brit Award for British Single of the Year. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked the song at number 910 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" and in a UK poll in 2012, it was voted number 11 on the ITV special The Nation's Favourite Number One Single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Million Love Songs</span> 1992 single by Take That

"A Million Love Songs" is a song by English boy band Take That that appeared on their debut studio album, Take That & Party (1992). The song was written by lead vocalist Gary Barlow. It was released in the United Kingdom on 28 September 1992 by Sony Music and peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart that October. It also reached number 50 in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pray (Take That song)</span> 1993 single by Take That

"Pray" is a song by English boy band Take That. Written by band member Gary Barlow, the ballad was released on 5 July 1993 by RCA and BMG as the second single from the band's second studio album, Everything Changes (1993). It is the first of twelve singles by the band to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, staying at number one for four weeks, and starting a streak of four consecutive number-one singles. The song has received a Gold sales status certification and sold over 438,000 copies in the UK, won British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year at the 1994 Brit Awards, and was the finale of Take That's Beautiful World Tour 2007. The music video for "Pray" was directed by Gregg Masuak and filmed in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Forget (Take That song)</span> 1995 single by Take That

"Never Forget" is a song recorded by English boy band Take That, included as the sixth track on their third studio album, Nobody Else (1995). Written by Gary Barlow and produced by Brothers in Rhythm and Dave James, it features Howard Donald on lead vocals. A remixed version of the song produced by Jim Steinman was released as a single on 24 July 1995 by RCA and BMG and became the band's seventh number one on the UK Singles Chart, remaining at number one for three weeks. Robbie Williams left the band during the promotion of the song. Its music video was directed by David Amphlett. In 2018, "Never Forget" was included in American Billboard magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Boyband Songs of All Time".

<i>Beautiful World</i> (Take That album) 2006 studio album by Take That

Beautiful World is the fourth studio album by the English pop group Take That. Released on 27 November 2006, it was the band's first studio album in 11 years; it was also the band's first album to be released as a four-piece instead of the original five-piece, without Robbie Williams, who had quit the group in 1995 and was not to rejoin them until 2010. Five singles were released from the album: "Patience", "Shine", "I'd Wait for Life", the European-only single "Reach Out", and "Rule the World", which appeared on the deluxe tour edition. The album features what Take That describe as "a throwback to the 90s, but with a modern twist". Beautiful World is their first album in which every member of the band sings lead vocals on at least one song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patience (Take That song)</span> 2006 single by Take That

"Patience" is a song by English boy band Take That. It was released on 13 November 2006 as the first single from their comeback album, Beautiful World. The single peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart, and also topped the charts in Germany, Spain and Switzerland, as well as peaking in the top ten of the charts in Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Austria and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine (Take That song)</span> 2007 single by Take That

"Shine" is the second single taken from English pop group Take That's comeback album, Beautiful World (2006). It became Take That's sixth consecutive number one single and their tenth number-one overall, making them one of only seven acts in the history of the UK charts to have more than nine number one hits. The song is about former Take That member Robbie Williams' battle with depression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'd Wait for Life</span> 2007 single by Take That

"I'd Wait for Life" was the third single released from Take That's album Beautiful World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home (Michael Bublé song)</span> 2005 Michael Bublé song

"Home" is a song by Canadian singer Michael Bublé, and released on January 24, 2005, as the first single from his fourth studio album, It's Time. The song was written by Bublé, along with co-writers Alan Chang and Amy Foster-Gillies. Bublé's version was a number-one single on the Adult Contemporary chart formats of both Canada and the United States, in addition to certifying platinum in both countries as well as finding chart success internationally. Following his original version in 2005, two cover versions were successful by other artists: one by Irish group Westlife in 2007, and one by American singer Blake Shelton in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chasing Cars</span> 2006 single by Snow Patrol

"Chasing Cars" is a song by Northern Irish–Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol, released as the second single of their fourth album, Eyes Open (2006). It was released on 6 June 2006 in the US and 24 July 2006 in the UK. The song gained significant popularity in the US after being featured in the second season finale of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, which aired on 15 May 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greatest Day (Take That song)</span> 2008 single by Take That

"Greatest Day" is a song by English pop group Take That. It was released through Polydor Records on 24 November 2008 as the lead single from their fifth studio album, The Circus (2008). The song was written by the band and produced by John Shanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Up All Night (Take That song)</span> 2009 single by Take That

"Up All Night" is the second single from English group Take That's fifth studio album, The Circus (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Said It All</span> 2009 single by Take That

"Said It All" is a song by English rock band Take That. It is the fourth single from to be taken from their fifth studio album, The Circus (2008). The single was released in the United Kingdom on 15 June 2009, where it peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the Scottish Singles Chart. It was their last hit as a four-piece as Robbie Williams return to the group on the next hit, "The Flood".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shame (Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow song)</span> 2010 single by Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow

"Shame" is a song written and recorded by English singers Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow for Williams's second greatest hits compilation album, In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990–2010 (2010). Produced by Trevor Horn, it was released as the lead single from the album on 27 August 2010 in most countries worldwide and on 1 October in the United Kingdom. "Shame" marks the first time Williams and Barlow collaborated on a song together solely and the first time they worked together since Williams left Take That in 1995. It is a pop song with country and folk music influences; two reviewers noted that it contains an acoustic guitar part similar to the one of the Beatles' 1968 song, "Blackbird". The lyrical content revolves around the singers repairing their broken relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flood (Take That song)</span> 2010 single by Take That

"The Flood" is a song by English pop group Take That from their sixth studio album, Progress (2010). It was released as the lead single in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2010. The song is the first to feature Robbie Williams since his return to the band in July 2010, and features both Williams and Gary Barlow on lead vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Love (Take That song)</span> 2011 single by Take That

"Love Love" is a single by English pop group Take That from the band's first EP, Progressed. The song features Gary Barlow and Mark Owen on lead vocals. It was released in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 11 May 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">These Days (Take That song)</span> 2014 single by Take That

"These Days" is a song by English pop group Take That. It was released through Polydor Records on 14 November 2014 as the lead single from their seventh studio album, III (2014). The song was written by Take That, Jamie Norton and Ben Mark, and produced by Greg Kurstin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Boy (Take That song)</span> 2015 single by Take That

"Hey Boy" is a song by English pop group Take That. It was released through Polydor Records on 16 October 2015 as the fourth single from the seventh studio album, III, originally released in 2014, although this song only appears on the 2015 Edition. The song was written by Take That and produced by Greg Kurstin and features Mark Owen, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald on lead vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cry (Sigma song)</span> Drum and bass song from 2016

"Cry" is a song performed by British drum and bass duo Sigma featuring vocals from English pop group Take That. The song was released as a digital download on 20 May 2016, through 3 Beat Records. The song peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart and is included on the deluxe edition of Take That's eighth studio album, Wonderland (2017).

References

  1. ↑ This song was written specifically for the soundtrack for Stardust (2007)
  2. ↑ "Academy unveils 56 songs eligible for original song Oscar". Screen Daily. Retrieved 13 August 2019
  3. ↑ "Top 40 Singles of the Year 2007". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Myers, Justin (24 March 2017). "Take That's Top 40 biggest songs revealed". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Take That: 'Rule The World'". 13 October 2007.
  6. ↑ Ltd, Project 53. "Rushes".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "London 2012: Gary Barlow braves personal tragedy to perform at closing ceremony". The Daily Telegraph .
  8. ↑ "Take That Rule The World UK CD single (CD5 / 5") (416872)".
  9. ↑ "TAKE THAT"RULE THE WORLD"RARE 3TR.GERMAN CD P/S! – eBay".
  10. ↑ "Take That – Rule the World" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  11. ↑ "Take That – Rule the World" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  12. ↑ Take That — Rule the World. TopHit. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  13. ↑ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on 20 November 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  14. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 46. týden 2007 in the date selector.
  15. ↑ "Take That – Rule the World". Tracklisten.
  16. ↑ "Hits of the World: Eurocharts". Billboard . Vol. 119, no. 48. 1 December 2007. p. 81.
  17. ↑ "Take That – Rule the World" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  18. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rule the World". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  19. ↑ "Take That – Rule the World". Top Digital Download.
  20. ↑ "Take That – Rule the World" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. ↑ "Romanian Top 100 – Issue nr: 1/2008 (14 Ianuarie - 20 Ianuarie 2008)" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  22. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: January 10, 2008". TopHit . Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  23. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  24. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200807 into search.
  25. ↑ "Take That – Rule the World". Swiss Singles Chart.
  26. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  27. ↑ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  28. ↑ "Best of Singles 2007". IRMA . Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  29. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  30. ↑ "Year End Charts: European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  31. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  32. ↑ "Official Singles Chart 2009" (PDF). UKChartsPlus . Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  33. ↑ "Charts Plus Year end 2009" (PDF). Charts Plus. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  34. ↑ "British single certifications – Take That – Rule the World". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 26 January 2024.
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.