The Flood (Take That song)
Encyclopedia
"The Flood" is a song by British pop group Take That
from their sixth studio album, Progress
. 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 Gary Barlow
and Williams on lead vocals.
boats. The band's boat is named "Progress" after the record breaking number 1 album, whilst the band wear old-fashioned white rowing kits, bearing a custom-designed Take That crest. The group is shown to be competing in a race against a younger crew and although losing the race, the group continue going past the finish line and are shown to row down the River Thames
past famous London landmarks before fading away into a stormy sea. The video for the single was filmed on Dorney Lake
in Buckinghamshire
, which will play host to the rowing events at the 2012 Olympics.
with social network users and fans commenting on the single as "incredible". On the documentary Look Back, Don't Stare Elton John
listens to an early demo of the song with the band and comments "Brilliant, do you know how big this is gonna be?"
Digital Spy
awarded the single 4 stars commenting that the single "reveals itself to be a genuinely epic pop belter" whilst The News of The World gave the song 5 stars by saying the single is "already hailed as a classic to rival Back for Good
" and with "a mammoth anthem, it'll sound even better when [Take That] belt it out in concert". The Telegraph again praised the single stating "The Flood is a stirring us-against-the-world pop anthem that blends the best of Williams’ rabble rousing instincts with Gary Barlow’s smooth songwriting." Orange
agreed with this view, stating that "when it comes to perfect pop
, they're still the masters of their game".
on the 27th. Following that was Skavlan. Then they performed it on Benissimo on the 1st of December. Next up was the Late Late Show on the 10th and then they performed it live on Wetten Dass in Germany. They also performed "The Flood" on Strictly Come Dancing
and Dance avec les stars
. Then the sang it on the X Factor final on the 12th, where they also sang their number 1 hit single "Never Forget" with the final three contestants. They closed the Royal Variety Performance with "The Flood", with their backing dancers representing the progress of man.
"The Flood" first debuted in Denmark at number 7 on 22 October 2010 before moving up to 4. It remained in the Danish Singles Chart for a total of 20 weeks and was certified Gold by the IFPI
. The track debuted in the Top 10 in Ireland on the Irish Singles Chart
dated 11 November 2010, at number 8, but later rose to number 3 whilst also spending 15 weeks in the Irish Top 50. On 14 November 2010, the single debuted at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart
with sales of 69,484 copies, and remained there the week after selling 89,917. The track has sold over 500,000 copies to date and has spent a total of 8 weeks in the top ten and 20 weeks to date on the UK Singles charts. The song peaked at number 6 in Switzerland and remained in the charts for 21 weeks, also peaking at number 14 in Austria where it spent 19 weeks in the Austrian Singles Chart. The single became the bands 16th top 40 single in Germany where it peaked at number 12 and spent 25 weeks within the German Charts and in Norway the band continued their consecutive hits with The Flood peaking inside the top 5 at number 3. In the Netherlands the single peaked at number 4 and has to date spent 16 weeks within the charts, whilst the single peaked at number 2 in Italy where it was certified Gold by the FIMI.
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
from their sixth studio album, Progress
Progress (Take That album)
Progress is the sixth studio album by British band Take That. It is the band's first album to feature Robbie Williams since 1995. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2010. The album received positive reviews, with most critics commending the influence of electronic music and...
. It was released as the lead single in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2010. The song is the first to feature Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
since his return to the band in July 2010, and features Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
and Williams on lead vocals.
Music video
The video features the five members of the band racing against another crew in specially-made five-seater ScullingSculling
Sculling generally refers to a method of using oars to propel watercraft in which the oar or oars touch the water on both the port and starboard sides of the craft, or over the stern...
boats. The band's boat is named "Progress" after the record breaking number 1 album, whilst the band wear old-fashioned white rowing kits, bearing a custom-designed Take That crest. The group is shown to be competing in a race against a younger crew and although losing the race, the group continue going past the finish line and are shown to row down the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
past famous London landmarks before fading away into a stormy sea. The video for the single was filmed on Dorney Lake
Dorney Lake
Dorney Lake is a purpose-built rowing lake in the United Kingdom. It is located at grid reference near the village of Dorney, Buckinghamshire, and near the towns of Windsor and Eton, close to the River Thames. The lake is privately owned and financed by Eton College, who have spent £17 million...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, which will play host to the rowing events at the 2012 Olympics.
Critical reception
The single has been gaining rave reviews across the media and social network sites since its first play at BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
with social network users and fans commenting on the single as "incredible". On the documentary Look Back, Don't Stare Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
listens to an early demo of the song with the band and comments "Brilliant, do you know how big this is gonna be?"
Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
awarded the single 4 stars commenting that the single "reveals itself to be a genuinely epic pop belter" whilst The News of The World gave the song 5 stars by saying the single is "already hailed as a classic to rival Back for Good
Back for Good
"Back for Good" is a song by the British pop group Take That. It was released in 1995 as the second single from the band's third studio album, Nobody Else and achieved great success in many countries, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Spain and the UK where it topped...
" and with "a mammoth anthem, it'll sound even better when [Take That] belt it out in concert". The Telegraph again praised the single stating "The Flood is a stirring us-against-the-world pop anthem that blends the best of Williams’ rabble rousing instincts with Gary Barlow’s smooth songwriting." Orange
Orange Record Label
Orange Record Label is a Canadian independent record label, located in Toronto, Ontario. Orange recordings are distributed in Canada by Universal Music Canada, which is also a minority stakeholder in the label....
agreed with this view, stating that "when it comes to perfect pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, they're still the masters of their game".
Promotion
The song was placed on the Radio 1 A Playlist for a number of weeks after its first play on radio in early October. The band appeared on X Factor result show 6 to perform "The Flood" live for the first time on 14 November, it was also the first time they had performed as a five piece in 15 years. They also performed it on Children in Need and closed the show with number 1 single "Never Forget". They then sang "The Flood" on X Factor Italy on November 23rd, as well as on The Voice of HollandThe Voice of Holland
The Voice of Holland is a Dutch reality singing competition, created by media tycoon John de Mol, and currently airing on RTL4 in the Netherlands. Hosted by Martijn Krabbé and Wendy van Dijk it is currently the number 1 show in the Netherlands, with increasing ratings from 1.6 to 3.0 million viewers...
on the 27th. Following that was Skavlan. Then they performed it on Benissimo on the 1st of December. Next up was the Late Late Show on the 10th and then they performed it live on Wetten Dass in Germany. They also performed "The Flood" on Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
and Dance avec les stars
Danse avec les stars
The French version of Strictly Come Dancing, Danse avec les stars was first broadcast on TF1 on February 12, 2011, the participants having been selected in November 2010.. The first series finale took place on March 19, 2011...
. Then the sang it on the X Factor final on the 12th, where they also sang their number 1 hit single "Never Forget" with the final three contestants. They closed the Royal Variety Performance with "The Flood", with their backing dancers representing the progress of man.
Chart performance
The single achieved commerical success in the UK and across Europe upon release, charting in more than 20 countries to date."The Flood" first debuted in Denmark at number 7 on 22 October 2010 before moving up to 4. It remained in the Danish Singles Chart for a total of 20 weeks and was certified Gold by the IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
. The track debuted in the Top 10 in Ireland on the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
dated 11 November 2010, at number 8, but later rose to number 3 whilst also spending 15 weeks in the Irish Top 50. On 14 November 2010, the single debuted at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
with sales of 69,484 copies, and remained there the week after selling 89,917. The track has sold over 500,000 copies to date and has spent a total of 8 weeks in the top ten and 20 weeks to date on the UK Singles charts. The song peaked at number 6 in Switzerland and remained in the charts for 21 weeks, also peaking at number 14 in Austria where it spent 19 weeks in the Austrian Singles Chart. The single became the bands 16th top 40 single in Germany where it peaked at number 12 and spent 25 weeks within the German Charts and in Norway the band continued their consecutive hits with The Flood peaking inside the top 5 at number 3. In the Netherlands the single peaked at number 4 and has to date spent 16 weeks within the charts, whilst the single peaked at number 2 in Italy where it was certified Gold by the FIMI.
Track listing
- UK CD Single
- "The Flood" – 4:51
- "The Flood" (Instrumental) – 4:51
- UK DVD Single
- "The Flood" (Video) – 5:00
- "The Flood" (Behind the Scenes) – 2:30
- UK Promo Single
- "The Flood" (Radio Edit) - 3:54
- "The Flood" (Instrumental) - 4:51
- German CD Single / UK iTunes Package
- "The Flood" - 4:51
- "The Flood" (Video) - 5:00
- European Maxi Single
- "The Flood" (Radio Edit) - 3:54
- "The Flood" (Video) - 5:00
- "The Flood" (Instrumental) - 4:51
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Hot 100) | 4 |
| Hungary (Rádiós Top 40 Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... ) |
16 |
| Latvia (EHR European Hit Radio European Hit Radio is one of the very first commercial radio stations in Baltic States. This radio focuses on reflecting the current situation in European music charts... ) |
12 |
| Portugal (IFPI) | 31 |
| South Korea (South Korea Gaon Chart) Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... |
7 |
| UK Airplay (The Official Charts Company) | 1 |
| UK Download (The Official Charts Company) | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Danish Singles Chart | 5 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 98 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
81 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
21 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 60 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 7 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
35 |
Certifications
Radio add dates
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | October 8, 2010 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | October 15, 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Polydor Records Polydor Records Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone... |
| Germany | November 5, 2010 | CD single, digital download | |
| United Kingdom | November 7, 2010 | Digital download | |
| November 8, 2010 | CD single | ||
| Worldwide | November 14, 2010 | Digital download |