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Hero (Enrique Iglesias song)

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"Hero"
Song

"Hero" is a single released by Enrique Iglesias from his second English album Escape and was written for his good friend Simon Baxendale, by Iglesias, Paul Barry and Mark Taylor. Enrique first released the song to radio in early September 2001 to a positive critical and commercial reception. After the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, the song was one of the few songs chosen by radio DJs in New York to be remixed with audio from police, firefighters, civilians at Ground Zero and politicians commenting on the attacks. He was asked to sing the song live at the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes ten days after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Iglesias broadcast his performance from a warehouse in New York alongside Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Sheryl Crow. The location of the warehouse was kept secret in case of further attacks. It was Iglesias' first televised performance of the song. He had performed the song earlier at that year's Miss Venezuela but due to the terrorist attacks the show was not aired on television. Hero has sold 8 million copies worldwide, becoming Enrique's best selling single and has been listed in best selling singles worldwide.

Track listing

UK CD1
  1. "Hero" (Album Version) - 4:24
  2. "Hero" (Metro Mix - English Version) - 3:28
  3. "Bailamos" (Album Version) - 3:37
  4. "Hero" (Video) - 4:24
UK CD2 - the remixes
  1. "Hero" (Metro Mix - English Version) - 4:19
  2. "Hero" (Ventura & Colombo Remix) - 3:43
  3. "Hero" (Metro Mix - Spanish Version) - 4:19
  4. "Hero" (Thunderpuss Radio Edit) - 3:18
DE CD single
  1. "Hero" (Radio Edit) - 4:11
  2. "Be With You" (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) - 3:56
  3. "Hero" (Metro Mix - Spanish Version) - 4:19
Japanese CD single
  1. "Hero" (Radio Edit) - 4:11
  2. "Be With You" (Thunderpuss 2000 Remix) - 7:46
  3. "Hero" (Metro Mix - Spanish Version) - 3:28
Japanese Hero/Escape Maxi Single[1]
  1. "Hero" (Album Version) - 4:27
  2. "Escape" (Album Version) - 3:30
  3. "Hero" (Instrumental Version) - 4:23

Music videos

The music video for "Hero" was directed by Joseph Kahn and features Iglesias as an honorable criminal hunted by his enemies. Jennifer Love Hewitt plays his love interest, while Mickey Rourke plays one of the men hunting him. The video follows a Bonnie and Clyde-esque plot with Iglesias and Hewitt running from their enemies in the desert. Finally, Iglesias' enemies track him down and confront him outside a church. The confrontation leads to Iglesias being floored by Rourke, before being struck with a baton. The video skips ahead where Iglesias and Hewitt are seen in the rain surrounded by police cars. Iglesias clutches his torso, implying that he'd been shot. The video ends with Iglesias' death. However, it is assumed that the police caught Rourke. In addition to this video a second video was made for the UK with less violence. The final shot of this video shows Iglesias' legs are moving, suggesting that he lives. While originally made for the UK this video has since replaced the original video on many music video stations throughout the world. The video, being uploaded by VEVO 9 years after its original release, in 2009, has hit 39 million views on YouTube.

Chart performance

The song topped many charts in the US including the Billboard adult contemporary chart for fifteen weeks.[2] On the latter, the song would re-enter the top ten a year later, the first song ever to do so. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[2] though it is actually his most played song on the chart, outdoing prior singles "Bailamos" and "Be With You", both of which went to number one on the chart. A remixed recording also topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in December 2001. In February 2002 the song was released in the UK, where it went straight to number one for four weeks, becoming one of the biggest hits of the year there. Up to this point Iglesias had already had two hits in the UK but was largely unknown. Hero was seen as a breakthrough for Iglesias in the UK and Escape became one of the best selling albums of that year. With sales to date of 836,500, "Hero" stands as the 17th best-selling single of the 2000s in the UK. In Australia, the song reached number one on the ARIA Chart, becoming his first number-one in that country.The song also topped the UK charts. It is the 17th best selling single of the decade in the UK. The song also topped the charts in Romania an Ireland. This is Iglesias'best selling single and has sold 8 million copies.

Chart (2001–2002) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[3] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[6] 19
Danish Singles Chart [7] 5
France (SNEP)[8] 43
Ireland (IRMA)[9] 1
Italy (FIMI)[10] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 3
Romania (Romanian Radio Airplay)YEAR AND WEEK MANDATORY FIELDS FOR ROMANIA CHARTS 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] 3
ERROR: MUST PROVIDE DATE FOR UK CHART[15] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[16] 3
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[17] 2
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[18] 1
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[19] 12
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[20] 1
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[21] 1
US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard)[22] 1
End of year chart (2002) Peak
position
Australia Top 100 Single 9[23]
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 22
Decade end charts (2000-20009) peak
position
UK Top 100 Songs of the Decade 17[25]
Australia Top 100 Songs of the Decade 45[26]

Certifications

Region Certification
Australia (ARIA)[27] 2× Platinum
Austria (IFPI Austria)[28] Gold
Germany (BVMI)[29] Gold
Sweden (GLF)[30] Platinum
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[31] Platinum
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] Platinum

Cultural impact

The song was prominently featured in the season three Scrubs episode "My Friend the Doctor". This song was also featured in the 2008 film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and the 2010 film, Hot Tub Time Machine.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Amazon.co.jp： ヒーロー/エスケイプ: エンリケ・イグレシアス: 音楽". amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  2. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  3. ^ "Enrique Iglesias – Hero". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  4. ^ "Enrique Iglesias – Hero" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  5. ^ "Enrique Iglesias – Hero" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. ^ "Enrique Iglesias – Hero" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  7. ^ Steffen Hung. "Danish charts portal". danishcharts.com. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  8. ^ "Enrique Iglesias – Hero" (in French). Les classement single.
  9. ^ "Chart Track: Week 2, 2002". Irish Singles Chart.
  10. ^ "Enrique Iglesias – Hero". Top Digital Download.
  11. ^ "Enrique Iglesias – Hero". Top 40 Singles.
  12. ^ "Topp 20 Single uke 1, 2001 – VG-lista. Offisielle hitlister fra og med 1958" (in Norwegian). VG-lista.
  13. ^ "Enrique Iglesias – Hero". Swiss Singles Chart.
  14. ^ "Enrique Iglesias – Hero". Singles Top 100.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  16. ^ "Enrique Iglesias Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  17. ^ "Enrique Iglesias Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  18. ^ "Enrique Iglesias Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  19. ^ "Enrique Iglesias Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  20. ^ "Enrique Iglesias Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  21. ^ "Enrique Iglesias Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard.
  22. ^ "Enrique Iglesias Chart History (Latin Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  23. ^ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2002". Aria.com.au. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  24. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 2002". Retrieved 2011-03-12.
  25. ^ Radio 1 Official Chart of the Decade, as broadcast on BBC Radio 1 on Tuesday 29th December 2009, presented by Nihal
  26. ^ http://www.aria.com.au/pages/documents/2000sDecadeChartssingles.pdf
  27. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  28. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Enrique Iglesias – Hero" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  29. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Enrique Iglesias; 'Hero')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  30. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2001" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17.
  31. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Hero')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  32. ^ id MUST BE PROVIDED for UK CERTIFICATION.
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