The Warrior (song)

Last updated

"The Warrior"
Scandal - The Warrior single.jpg
Single by Scandal
from the album Warrior
B-side "Less Than Half"
ReleasedJune 1984
Genre
Length
  • 4:00 (album version)
  • 3:35 (7-inch version)
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Mike Chapman
Scandal singles chronology
"Win Some, Lose Some"
(1983)
"The Warrior"
(1984)
"Hands Tied"
(1984)

"The Warrior" is a song by American rock band Scandal featuring Patty Smyth, from their debut and sole studio album, Warrior , written by Holly Knight and Nick Gilder. The song went to number seven in the United States and number one in Canada, as well as number one on the US Rock Top Tracks chart, and won a BMI Airplay Award in 1984. It was also a hit in Australia, where it peaked at number six, and in New Zealand and South Africa, peaking at number 11 in both countries. The music video for the song was directed by David Hahn.

Contents

The song was used as the opening theme to both the 2017–2019 Netflix television series GLOW , and the 2024 Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off television series Knuckles . [3] [4]

Background

Co-writer Holly Knight said, "I think that idea of being a warrior had been inside me for a long time. I grew up in a somewhat 'dysfunctional' family where there was a lot of drama and fighting. I was always more interested in fighting FOR something rather than fighting with someone, and without being cognizant of it, it was a constant theme in my psyche, and hence, my songs." [5]

Track listings

7-inch single [6]

A. "The Warrior" – 3:35
B. "Less Than Half" – 4:18

12-inch picture disc [7]

A1. "The Warrior"
A2. "Hands Tied"
B1. "Goodbye to You"
B2. "Love's Got a Line on You"

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [18] Platinum100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relax (song)</span> 1983 single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

"Relax" is the debut single by English new wave band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the United Kingdom by ZTT Records in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Tribes</span> 1984 single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

"Two Tribes" is an anti-war song by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records on 4 June 1984. The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Presenting a nihilistic, gleeful lyric expressing enthusiasm for nuclear war, it juxtaposes a relentless pounding bass line and guitar riff inspired by American funk and R&B pop with influences of Russian classical music, in an opulent arrangement produced by Trevor Horn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patty Smyth</span> American singer

Patricia Smyth is an American singer and songwriter. She first came into national attention with the rock band Scandal and went on to record and perform as a solo artist. Her distinctive voice and new wave image gained broad exposure through video recordings aired on cable music video channels such as MTV. Her debut solo album Never Enough was well received, and generated a pair of Top 100 hits. In the early 1990s she reached the top 10 with the hit single "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," a duet with Don Henley of Eagles. She performed and co-wrote with James Ingram the song "Look What Love Has Done" for the 1994 motion picture Junior. The work earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funkytown</span> 1980 single by Lipps Inc.

"Funkytown" is a song by American disco-funk group Lipps Inc., written and produced by Steven Greenberg and released by Casablanca Records in March 1980 as the second single from the group's 1979 debut studio album Mouth to Mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Holly (song)</span> 1994 single by Weezer

"Buddy Holly" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. The song was written by Rivers Cuomo and released by DGC as the second single from the band's debut album, Weezer (1994). The lyrics reference the song's namesake, 1950s rock-and-roll singer Buddy Holly, and actress Mary Tyler Moore. Released on September 7, 1994—which would have been Holly's 58th birthday—the song reached number two on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. Outside the US, the song peaked at number six in Canada, number 12 in the United Kingdom, number 13 in Iceland, and number 14 in Sweden. The song's music video, which features footage from Happy Days and was directed by Spike Jonze, earned considerable exposure when it was included as a bonus media file in Microsoft's initial successful release of the operating system Windows 95.

Scandal is an American rock band formed in 1981 and fronted by Patty Smyth. The band scored heavy rotation classics on MTV with "Goodbye to You" (1982) and "Love's Got a Line on You" (1983), setting the stage for their first full-length album on Columbia Records, that spawned an RIAA-certified platinum hit in both the United States and Canada, with the song "The Warrior", peaking at No. 7 in 1984. The song ended up in Billboard's Top 50 songs for that year.

Nicholas George Gilder is a British-Canadian musician who first came to prominence as the frontman for the glam rock band Sweeney Todd. He later had a successful solo career as a singer/songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All She Wants to Do Is Dance</span> 1985 single by Don Henley

"All She Wants to Do Is Dance" is a song written by Danny Kortchmar and performed by Don Henley, co-lead vocalist and drummer for Eagles. It was released as the second single from Henley's second studio solo album, Building the Perfect Beast (1984), and was Henley's sixth solo single overall. It was one of Henley's most commercially successful singles, peaking at No. 9 on Billboard Hot 100 and also became his third song to top the Top Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyrie (song)</span> 1985 single by Mr. Mister

"Kyrie" is a song by American pop rock band Mr. Mister, from their album Welcome to the Real World. Released around Christmas in 1985, it hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1986, where it was number 1 for two weeks. It also hit the top spot on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for one week. In the UK, the song peaked at number 11 in March 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is a Battlefield</span> 1983 single by Pat Benatar

"Love Is a Battlefield" is a song by American singer Pat Benatar, released on September 12, 1983, as a single from Benatar's live album Live from Earth (1983), though the song itself was a studio recording. It was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman. The song was ranked at number 30 in VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s. "Love Is a Battlefield" went on to sell over a million records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1984 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Dancing in the Dark" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the first single released ahead from his 1984 album, Born in the U.S.A., and became his biggest hit, helping the album become the best-selling album of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Train</span> 1985 single by Tom Waits

"Downtown Train" is a song by Tom Waits released on his album Rain Dogs in 1985. The promo video for the song was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, it features boxer Jake LaMotta and Neith Hunter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad</span> 1992 single by Def Leppard

"Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" is a song by English hard rock band Def Leppard from their fifth studio album, Adrenalize (1992). In the United States, the song reached number seven on the Album Rock Tracks charts and number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, making the song the most successful single from the album in the US. The Acoustic Hippies from Hell, credited on the B-side tracks, was the name used by Def Leppard and the Hothouse Flowers performing together. The song was performed extensively during the Adrenalize and Slang tours but rarely after, most recently being done acoustically during the band's 2019 Vegas residency, and the 2022 Stadium Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Be a Cowboy</span> 1985 single by Boys Dont Cry

"I Wanna Be a Cowboy" is a single by British pop-rock group Boys Don't Cry. The song was written by four of the band members—Brian Chatton, Nick Richards, Nico Ramsden and Jeff Seopardi—and was released in July 1985 as the first new single from their self-titled debut studio album. The female vocals on the song are performed by Heidi Lea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Some Like It Hot (song)</span> 1985 single by the Power Station

"Some Like It Hot" is a song by British-American band the Power Station. It was the first single released from the group's 1985 eponymous debut album. Released by Parlophone in 1985, the song features loud, prominent drum beats from Tony Thompson and lead vocals from Robert Palmer. The video featured model Caroline Cossey. It was the band's biggest hit, peaking at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number four in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough</span> 1992 single by Patty Smyth and Don Henley

"Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" a duet between American singers Patty Smyth and Don Henley. The rock ballad was written by Smyth and Glen Burtnik and was released as a single in August 1992. It reached No. 1 in Canada, where it was the most successful single of 1992, and peaked at No. 2 in Ireland and on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run to You (Bryan Adams song)</span> 1984 single by Bryan Adams

"Run to You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. It was released in 1984 as the lead single from his fourth album, Reckless (1984). The track deals with the subject of infidelity, and is sung from the perspective of a man who declares that he will continue to "run to" his seductive mistress over his faithful partner; critic Ira Robbins for CMJ called it a "cheating classic". In the accompanying music video, however, Adams portrays his guitar as the object of desire.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British band who released two studio albums and seven singles before disbanding in 1987. Since then, almost all of their tracks have been rereleased on compact disc, including various compilation albums and CD singles. In recent years, their record company has also released original material that was not released during the band's heyday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Henley discography</span>

The discography of Don Henley, singer and drummer for the rock group Eagles, consists of five studio albums, two compilation albums, and 27 solo singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The War Song</span> 1984 single by Culture Club

"The War Song" is a song by British band Culture Club, featuring background vocals from Clare Torry. It was released as the lead single from the band's third album, Waking Up with the House on Fire (1984), in September 1984. The song became the group's seventh top-five hit on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, the single peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Elsewhere, it reached the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Canada, and Ireland, peaking at number one in the latter country.

References

  1. "Rockin' 80's [Sony] – Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  2. Abed, Cyrus (April 12, 2022). "33 Best New Wave Songs in the World".
  3. Gallagher, Caitlin (August 9, 2019). "The Best Musical Moments From 'GLOW' Season 3". Bustle . Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  4. Thompson, Luke Y. (April 22, 2024). "Knuckles Review: Take It Easy There, Pally". Yahoo! Entertainment . Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  5. Kawashima, Dale (August 5, 2016). "Hall Of Fame Songwriter Holly Knight Tells How She Wrote Classic Hit Songs For Tina Turner, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart and Aerosmith". SongwriterUniverse. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  6. Scandal (1984). The Warrior (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Columbia Records. 38-04424.
  7. Scandal (1984). The Warrior (US 12-inch picture disc sticker). Columbia Records. 8C8 39905.
  8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8943." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  10. "Scandal feat. Patty Smyth – The Warrior". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  11. "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Songs W–Z". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  13. "Patty Smyth Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  14. "Patty Smyth Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  15. "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report . Retrieved January 12, 2022 via Imgur.
  16. "Top 100 Singles of 1984". RPM . Retrieved May 25, 2019 via Library and Archives Canada.
  17. "Billboard Top 100 – 1984". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  18. "Canadian single certifications – Scandal – Warrior". Music Canada . Retrieved September 26, 2019.