Holding Out for a Hero

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"Holding Out for a Hero"
Single by Bonnie Tyler
from the album Footloose soundtrack & Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
Released	1984
Format	CD single, 7", 12"
Recorded	1984
Genre	Rock, Dance-pop
Length	4:29
Label	CBS
Writer(s)	Jim Steinman, Dean Pitchford
Producer	Jim Steinman
Bonnie Tyler singles chronology
"A Rockin' Good Way" (1984) "Holding Out for a Hero" (1984) "Here She Comes" (1984)

"Holding Out for a Hero" is a song Written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler. It was released in 1984 on the soundtrack to the film Footloose. It later appeared on Tyler's Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire album. It hit #2 on the UK charts in 1985 (#69 in 1991) and #34 on the US charts on initial release.

Cover versions

It has been covered by a number of artists, including

• Tara Leigh Cobble in her 2008 compilation [Playing Favorites].^[1]
• Demon Kogure for his 2008 album GIRLS' ROCK √Hakurai
• Emery for the 2005 compilation Punk Goes 80's
• Laura Branigan
• Joss Stone
• Graveworm
• Frou Frou and Jennifer Saunders on the Shrek 2 soundtrack
• Serbian punk rock band Six Pack recorded a version on their 2008 covers album Discover.
• Nakazawa Yuko, in Japanese.
• Pop punk band Amazing Transparent Man covered it for their 2003 EP, Taking Back The Covers.
• Asakura Miki on the Japanese TV Drama School Wars 1984
• Melba Moore covered the song in a public appearance during Macy's 1989 Thanksgiving Day Parade, on a float with actors dressed as Marvel Comics superheroes.^[2]
• Lucie Vondráčková - Czech female pop singer covered the song with Czech lyrics titling the song "Vítr" (translates as "The Wind").
• The Nolans

Appearances in other media

• This song was played in a 1997 promotional video for professional wrestling company WCW on an Episode of WCW Monday Nitro. It depicted wrestler Sting and his battle with the rival nWo group.
• Its driving beat is the featured soundtrack for a Northrup Grumman film featuring the B-2 stealth bomber; on display at the NMUSAF.
• The song was the theme to the CBS show Cover Up (though this version was sung by EG Daily).
• It was also featured on the pilot episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in the famous "costume making montage" scene.
• The song has continued to appear in films such as Short Circuit 2, Who's Harry Crumb?, Bandits (along with Total Eclipse of the Heart), and Shrek 2, where it was performed separately by both Frou Frou and Jennifer Saunders.
• It was used in the background of a famous scene in the 1984 episode of the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives, where anti-hero Bo Brady races to stop the love of his life, Hope Williams, from marrying the despicable Larry Welch.
• It was included in a Season 3 episode of animated Comedy Central program Drawn Together, Spelling Applebee's.
• Professional Wrestler Chris Hero has also been know to use this song as his theme music in promotions around the world.
• Singer Alesha Dixon, along with her professional dancing partner Matthew Cutler danced their final freestyle/showdance to this song in the 2007 final of Strictly Come Dancing. Dixon went on to win the competition.
• It was used in an ad for the North American release of Metal Slug 7 for the Nintendo DS, the ad was available on the Nintendo Channel to North American Wii Owners and has subsequently appeared on Youtube ^[3].
• In 2005 the song was translated into Hebrew, and was used as the theme song for the Israeli musical play Festigal Super Hero.
• Rashann Patterson sang this song on the first season of Kids Incorporated
• The song is also in the Wipeout^[4] ad which is on Australian TV
• "Holding Out for a Hero" was used in a late-1984 commercial for the 1985 Chrysler LeBaron GTS.
• This song was used in the Alvin and the Chipmunks cartoon "Three Alarm Alvin," which involved firefighters.
• Six Flags uses the song for their Halloween musical comedy "Love at First Fright".
• The feature song of the popular Youtube video "Azagahl Redemption"
• "Holding Out for a Hero" appeared in Lethal Weapon 2, as the soundtrack to a television commercial for Hero Cologne, seen in Martin Riggs's trailer at the beach.
• Fictional character Carmel Valentine, played by actress Gemma Merna, duets the song with none other than Bonnie Tyler herself in a cameo appearance, in Series 2 Episode 5 of Hollyoaks-spin-off Hollyoaks Later, first broadcast on UK TV channel E4 on 2 October 2009.
• It is featured in a Paramount Pictures VHS promo advertising several action titles available. Paramount Pictures was the distributor of Footloose.
• Lois Lane in Smallville (season 9) uses it as a ring-tone when "The Blur" calls her.

Charts

1984

• Ireland #1
• UK #2
• US #34
• Germany #11
• Sweden #19
• Austria #19
• Canada #12
• Australia
• New Zealand #33
• Japan #38

(Sales 86,760)

• South Africa
• UK(re-issue 91) #69
• Spain #6
• Italy #30
• Sweden #19

Soundtrack appearances

• Footloose 1984 (US #1)
• Short Circuit 2 1988
• Who's Harry Crumb? 1989
• Bandits 2001 (US #165, top soundtracks #15)
• Shrek 2 2004
• Nacho Libre 2006

Video

• The Magic of David Copperfield VI Floating Over the Grand Canyon 1984, David Copperfield & Bonnie Tyler
• Bonnie Tyler The Video 1986
• 50 Jahre Rock 2004
• Discomelodies and Rhythms in Russian 2005

References