Hero (Enrique Iglesias song)
Encyclopedia
"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.
UK CD2 - the remixes
DE CD single
Japanese CD single
Japanese Hero/Escape Maxi Single
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 While originally made for the UK this video has since replaced the original video on many music video stations throughout the world.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 November 2011, has hit 41.9 million views on YouTube.
adult contemporary chart for fifteen weeks. 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, 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 remix
ed 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.
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
.
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
from his second English album Escape
Escape (Enrique Iglesias album)
Escape is an Enrique Iglesias album recorded in English in 2001.In late 2002, a special edition of the album was released with three extra songs, "Hero" , "Maybe" and "To Love a Woman", a duet with Lionel Richie....
and was written for his good friend Simon Baxendale, by Iglesias, Paul Barry
Paul Barry (songwriter)
Paul Michael Barry is a British songwriter and musician. Some of his best-known songs include "Believe" by Cher, and "Hero" and "Bailamos" by Enrique Iglesias. He has won three Ivor Novello Awards and ASCAP PRS writer of the year 2000. He has scored three U.S...
and Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor (record producer)
Mark Taylor is a Grammy Award winning British record producer and songwriter. Having sold over 50 million records, he has produced and written for artists such as Cher, Enrique Iglesias, Britney Spears, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga...
. Enrique first released the song to radio in early September 2001 to a positive critical and commercial reception. After the September 11th attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
on the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, the song was one of the few songs chosen by radio DJs in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
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
Benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes was a benefit concert created by the heads of the four broadcast networks. Joel Gallen was selected by them to produce and run the show Joel Gallen. Actor George Clooney wrangled the celebrities to performed and to man the telephone bank . The marketing and public...
ten days after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Iglesias broadcast his performance from a warehouse in New York alongside Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, and Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
. 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
Miss Venezuela
The Miss Venezuela contest is the national beauty pageant of Venezuela and has been held since 1952. It is responsible for selecting the country's representatives to the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth and Miss International pageants .Under the direction of Osmel Sousa, Venezuela has...
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- "Hero" (Album Version) - 4:24
- "Hero" (Metro Mix - English Version) - 3:28
- "Bailamos" (Album Version) - 3:37
- "Hero" (Video) - 4:24
UK CD2 - the remixes
- "Hero" (Metro Mix - English Version) - 4:19
- "Hero" (Ventura & Colombo Remix) - 3:43
- "Hero" (Metro Mix - Spanish Version) - 4:19
- "Hero" (Thunderpuss Radio Edit) - 3:18
DE CD single
- "Hero" (Radio Edit) - 4:11
- "Be With You" (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) - 3:56
- "Hero" (Metro Mix - Spanish Version) - 4:19
Japanese CD single
- "Hero" (Radio Edit) - 4:11
- "Be With You" (Thunderpuss 2000 Remix) - 7:46
- "Hero" (Metro Mix - Spanish Version) - 3:28
Japanese Hero/Escape Maxi Single
- "Hero" (Album Version) - 4:27
- "Escape" (Album Version) - 3:30
- "Hero" (Instrumental Version) - 4:23
Music videos
The music video for "Hero" was directed by Joseph KahnJoseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
and features Iglesias as an honorable criminal hunted by his enemies. Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
plays his love interest, while Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
plays one of the men hunting him. The video follows a Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
-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 November 2011, has hit 41.9 million views on YouTube.
Chart performance
The song topped many charts in the US including the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
adult contemporary chart for fifteen weeks. 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
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, though it is actually his most played song on the chart, outdoing prior singles "Bailamos
Bailamos
"Bailamos" is a Latin pop song from singer Enrique Iglesias, sung in English and Spanish. It was the debut single of Iglesias in the English-language market, and attained immense success, reaching the #1 spot in the Billboard Hot 100....
" and "Be With You
Be with You (Enrique Iglesias song)
"Be with You" is a dance/pop song performed by singer Enrique Iglesias. It was co-written by Iglesias and, produced by Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling, the team responsible for Cher's hit song "Believe". Iglesias once stated that he initially came up with the lyrics of the song while taking a break...
", both of which went to number one on the chart. A remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed recording also topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
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 |
|---|---|
| Danish Singles Chart | 5 |
| End of year chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Top 100 Single | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 22 |
| Decade end charts (2000-20009) | peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Top 100 Songs of the Decade | 17 |
| Australia Top 100 Songs of the Decade | 45 |
Certifications
Cultural impact
The song was prominently featured in the season three ScrubsScrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
episode "My Friend the Doctor". This song was also featured in the 2008 film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a 2008 family comedy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is directed by Raja Gosnell and released on October 3, 2008...
, and the 2010 film, Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American science fiction adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Kellee Stewart, Rob...
.
See also
- List of Canadian number-one singles of 2001–07
- List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 2001
- List of number-one dance singles of 2001 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 2001 and 2002 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles in Australia in 2002
- List of number-one singles of 2002 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles in Romania
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)