Format CD
digital download Length 3:06 | Genre Christian metal Label Lava
Ardent
Atlantic | |
Released May 19, 2009 (2009-05-19) Recorded 2009 at Bay7 Studios, Los Angeles, California | ||
"Hero" is the first single of the 2009 album Awake by the Christian rock band Skillet and is the first track on the album. The song talks about mankind's need for a hero with the hero being Jesus Christ. It's the fourth single by Skillet to be released to physical media. The single sold 12,000 copies in its first week.
Contents
Promotion
It was used in a promo on NBC for the 2009 NFL Kickoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans, as well as the Week 17 Sunday Night Football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets and the NFL Wild Card Saturday games, featuring the rematch between the Bengals and the Jets, as well as the rematch from Week 17 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. "Hero" is also used for one of the 2 official theme songs for the WWE Royal Rumble 2010, as well as being featured on their video game, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, "Hero" was also used in WWE Tribute to the Troops 2009. The song was also used for the trailers of the 20th Century Fox film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
Credits
Charts
"Hero" has reached the number one position on the ChristianRock.Net Weekly top 30, #1 for 13 consecutive weeks on Christian Rock Radio, and #1 on Christian CHR Radio.
Music video
The music video for "Hero" was directed by the Erwin Brothers. Coming out shortly after the "Monster" video, which was shot by the Erwins at roughly the same time, "Hero" is the album's second music video. Although the site is for fan club members only, pictures of the video shoot can be viewed on panheads.com. The video premiered on Yahoo.com on September 10, 2009. The video appears to be shot in the Birmingham Race Course parking lot with the band performing in front of pyrotechnics and being doused in rain, with cuts of modern/every day heroes, such as a fireman, a US marine, a police officer, and a nurse. Around October 1, 2016, it passed 100 million views on YouTube.
Awards
The song was nominated for both "Rock Recorded Song Of The Year" and "Short Form Video Of The Year" at the 41st GMA Dove Awards.