Hero (Chad Kroeger song)
| "Hero" | ||||||||
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| File:HeroCKroeger.jpg | ||||||||
| Single by Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott | ||||||||
| from the album Music from and Inspired by Spider-Man and Silver Side Up (in some countries) | ||||||||
| Released | March 2002 | |||||||
| Recorded | 2001-2002 | |||||||
| Genre | Post-grunge | |||||||
| Length | 3:21 (with orchestral background) 3:09 (with strings omitted) |
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| Label | Roadrunner Records Sony BMG |
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| Writer(s) | Chad Kroeger, Josey Scott, Tyler Connolly | |||||||
| Producer(s) | Chad Kroeger | |||||||
| Chad Kroeger singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Hero" is a song by Chad Kroeger, featuring Josey Scott; then lead singer of Saliva, recorded in 2002 for the Spider-Man soundtrack. The recording also features Tyler Connolly (Theory of a Deadman lead singer/guitarist), Mike Kroeger (Nickelback bassist), and Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden drummer). Jeremy Taggart (Our Lady Peace drummer) performs on the video.
There are two versions of this song, one with an orchestral background and one without.
Contents
Background
The song was the result of a collaboration between Kroeger and Scott. Scott told Yahoo!'s entertainment news service LAUNCH, "(Kroeger) had the idea for the song 'Hero,' so I came up to Vancouver and met him. He pitched me the idea, and I thought that was pretty dope. Real dope. So we sort of tweaked it, together, laid down some harmonies on it, and played everything from congas to acoustics on it."
Matt Cameron, who played drums on the track, did not appear in the music video and cited "family issues" as the reason. He was replaced with Our Lady Peace drummer Jeremy Taggart.
Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell was originally picked to play the lead solo (later played by Connolly) but pulled out because he was concentrating on his solo album. He did, however, contribute to the soundtrack the song She Was My Girl.
Music video
The music video consists of the group, except for Matt Cameron, performing on a building's rooftop in New York City, with footage of the movie spliced in between, and was directed by Nigel Dick.
The song has won at MTV Video Music Awards 2002 for the Best Video from a Film.[1]
Critical reception
Reviewing the song for NME, Imran Ahmed drew a strong comparison to "How You Remind Me", Kroeger's 2001 international breakthrough with Nickelback, calling the formula for both "Commercial grunge + MOR sensibility = Nu-MOR hit."
Chart performance
The song was featured on the soundtrack to Spider-Man and became a cross-genre hit in mid-2002, peaking at number one on the Billboard Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts, number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and also winning considerable airplay at contemporary hit radio, hot adult contemporary and modern adult contemporary radio formats. "Hero" became 4× Platinum in the U.S. and 8× Platinum in Canada. It also did well in the United Kingdom, peaking at number four.
Charts
| Chart (2002)[2] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 17 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 19 |
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) | 1 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten) | 3 |
| France (SNEP) | 27 |
| Germany (Media Control Charts) | 8 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 2 |
| Italy (FIMI) | 11 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 34 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 10 |
| Portugal Singles Chart | 2 |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100)[3] | 19 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 7 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 8 |
| United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company) | 4 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Top 40 | 2 |
| Preceded by
"Seein' Red" by Unwritten Law
|
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single June 8–29, 2002 |
Succeeded by "By the Way" by Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| Preceded by
"I Stand Alone" by Godsmack
|
Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks number-one single June 15–22, 2002 |
Succeeded by "Drift & Die" by Puddle of Mudd |
Personnel
- Chad Kroeger of Nickelback - rhythm guitar, vocals
- Josey Scott of Saliva - acoustic guitar, vocals
- Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman - lead guitar
- Mike Kroeger of Nickelback - bass guitar
- Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden - drums
- Jeremy Taggart of Our Lady Peace - drums (music video)
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Romanian peak at the Wayback Machine (archived February 16, 2005)
