Holding Out for a Hero

"Holding Out for a Hero"
Single by Bonnie Tyler
from the album Footloose: Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Motion Picture and Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
B-side	"Faster Than the Speed of Night"
Released	1984
Recorded	1983
Genre	Pop rock
Length	5:50 (album version); 4:22 (single edit)
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Jim Steinman, Dean Pitchford
Producer(s)	Jim Steinman
Bonnie Tyler singles chronology
Music video
	"Holding Out for a Hero" on YouTube

"Holding Out for a Hero" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for the soundtrack to the 1984 film Footloose. It later featured on her sixth studio album, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire (1986). The track was produced by Jim Steinman, who co-wrote the song with Dean Pitchford.

"Holding Out for a Hero" was a top 40 hit in several European countries, as well as Canada and the United States. It was a chart flop in the United Kingdom when first released in 1984, but a re-release in 1985 reached no. 2 (remaining there for three weeks) and topped the singles chart in Ireland.

Background

As screenwriter for Footloose, Dean Pitchford co-wrote every song on its soundtrack. “Holding Out for a Hero” was written with Jim Steinman, who recommended Tyler for the vocals. She was invited to the Paramount film studio in Los Angeles to view the film rushes so that she could capture the urgency of the scene.

The instrumental break first appeared in "Stark Raving Love", a track from Steinman's solo album Bad for Good (1981).

Critical reception

In a retrospective review, The A.V. Club's William Hughes stated that the song "displays some of the worst of its decade’s (and composer’s) typical excesses: The lyrics are laughable, and the heavy-handed synths and piano riffs come dangerously close to cheese", but adds, "The sum of those parts transcends their limitations, hooking directly into pure emotional need like only the greatest of torch songs can."[1]

Writing in Metal Hammer the song was described by Paul Stenning as "the ultimate rock anthem", stating "Only Jim Steinman can get away with such bombastic overtones, in this case the perfect coupling with Tyler's inimitable voice."[2]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Holding Out for a Hero" was produced by Jeffrey Abelson, and directed by Doug Dowdle, with the concept by Keith Williams. It was filmed at the Grand Canyon, Arizona, and at Veluzat Ranch, California.[3] It was the second video, released to promote Footloose while featuring no movie footage in the video.

The video sees Tyler escaping from a burning house; the video is set primarily in the vicinity of the burning house and on the edge of the Grand Canyon – interspersed with shots of angelic background singers in white dresses. Evil cowboys dressed in black, carrying neon whips appear before Tyler, threatening her; a cowboy hero dressed in white, brandishing a revolver, appears on horseback and the evil cowboys flee on horseback, with the hero in pursuit. As the song fades out, the hero cowboy appears in front of Tyler.

Tyler later featured in a parody of the video by David Copperfield.

Live performances

Two recorded live performances of "Holding Out for a Hero" have been released on her live albums Bonnie Tyler Live (2007) and Live in Germany 1993 (2011). Video performances have also been released on Tyler's DVDs, Bonnie on Tour (2007) and the DVD edition of Live in Germany 1993.

Cover versions and media usage

E.G. Daily recorded a cover of the song as the theme for the TV series Cover Up in 1984. In 2004, Jennifer Saunders recorded a version of the song for Shrek 2. That version would be featured during Monster segment of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony. Frou Frou also recorded a version for the soundtrack album.[4] Joss Stone included an R&B version of the song as a bonus track in the Japanese edition of her album Mind Body & Soul (2004). Ella Mae Bowen recorded a country version of the song for the 2011 Footloose remake. Nothing but Thieves recorded a version that featured in a trailer for the third season of Vikings in 2015.

In 2009, Tyler made an appearance as herself in Hollyoaks Later, singing the song as a duet with Gemma Merna (in the character of Carmel McQueen) during a dream sequence.

Tyler’s original version has featured on several soundtracks, including Footloose, Short Circuit 2, Who's Harry Crumb?, Bandits, Regular Show and The Angry Birds Movie 2. She re-recorded the song for a Children in Need advertisement campaign in 2013. Tyler re-recorded the song on her 2004 album Simply Believe.

In 2019, Kelly Osbourne performed the song as The Ladybug in Season 2 of Fox's hit show The Masked Singer. The song was then used again in the opening sequence of the premier of The Masked Singer's 4th Season.

Track listings and formats

1984 7" single

"Holding Out for a Hero" – 4:22
"Faster Than the Speed of Night" – 4:40

1984 12" single

"Holding Out for a Hero" (Extended Remix) – 6:19
"Holding Out for a Hero" (Instrumental) – 5:15
"Faster Than the Speed of Night" – 4:40

1991 12"/CD single

"Holding Out for a Hero" – 4:41
"Faster Than the Speed of Night" – 4:40
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" – 6:49

Credits and personnel

Bonnie Tyler – vocal
Rory Dodd – background vocal, vocal arrangement
Holly Sherwood – background vocal
Eric Troyer – background vocal, vocal arrangement
Ellen Foley – vocal arrangement
Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
Hiram Bullock – guitar
Tom "Bones" Malone – trombone, horn arrangement
Jim Pugh – trombone
Alan Rubin – trumpet
Sterling Smith – drums, piano, synthesizer
Lew Soloff – trumpet
David Taylor – bass trombone
Art Wood – drums
Jim Steinman – producer

Charts

Chart (1984–2019)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5]	44
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6]	19
Canada (Billboard)[7]	17
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8]	19
France (SNEP)[9]	144
Germany (Official German Charts)[10]	19
Hungary (MAHASZ)[11]	39
Ireland (IRMA)[12]	1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13]	33
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[14]	49
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[15]	23
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16]	19
UK Singles (OCC)[17]	2
US Billboard Hot 100[18]	34

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[19]	Gold	500,000
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

Hughes, William (21 July 2015). "Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" forces its way to greatness". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
Metal Hammer, August 2005
Zuckerman, Faye (21 April 1984). "Australian Firm Looks to Music". Billboard. New York City, USA: Lynne Segall.
"Shrek 2 (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) by Various Artists". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 316. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
"Austriancharts.at – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
"Hits of the World". Billboard. New York City, USA: Lynne Segall. 26 May 1984. p. 54.
"Top RPM Singles: Issue 6742." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
"Lescharts.com – {{{artist}}} – {{{song}}}" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
"Offiziellecharts.de – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
"MAHASZ". Retrieved 10 July 2019.
"The Irish Charts – Search Results – Holding Out for a Hero". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
"Charts.nz – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero". Top 40 Singles.
"Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
"South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Acts T". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
"Swedishcharts.com – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero". Singles Top 100.
"Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
"Bonnie Tyler Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
"British single certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Holding Out for a Hero in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

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[1] Hughes, William (21 July 2015). "Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" forces its way to greatness". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2020.

[2] Metal Hammer, August 2005

[3] Zuckerman, Faye (21 April 1984). "Australian Firm Looks to Music". Billboard. New York City, USA: Lynne Segall.

[4] "Shrek 2 (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) by Various Artists". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Retrieved 27 August 2014.

[5] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 316. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[sc_Austria_Bonnie_Tyler-6] "Austriancharts.at – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 22 May 2020.

[7] "Hits of the World". Billboard. New York City, USA: Lynne Segall. 26 May 1984. p. 54.

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-8] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6742." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 October 2016.

[sc_France_{{{artist}}}-9] "Lescharts.com – {{{artist}}} – {{{song}}}" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 11 October 2017.

[sc_Germany_Bonnie_Tyler-10] "Offiziellecharts.de – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 October 2016.

[11] "MAHASZ". Retrieved 10 July 2019.

[sc_Ireland2_-12] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Holding Out for a Hero". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 May 2020.

[sc_New_Zealand_Bonnie_Tyler-13] "Charts.nz – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero". Top 40 Singles.

[sc_Poland_-14] "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 1 June 2020.

[15] "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Acts T". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21 October 2016.

[sc_Sweden_Bonnie_Tyler-16] "Swedishcharts.com – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero". Singles Top 100.

[UK1985-17] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2016.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Bonnie_Tyler-18] "Bonnie Tyler Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.

[United_KingdomBonnie_TylerHolding_Out_for_a_HerosingleCertRef-19] "British single certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Holding Out for a Hero in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.