B-side "Invisible Man" | Recorded 2001–02 | |
Released March 1, 2002 (2002-03-01) Format CD single
digital download
maxi single Genre Post-grunge
alternative rock Length 3:20 (with orchestral background)
3:09 (with strings omitted) | ||
"Hero" is a song recorded by Chad Kroeger and Josey Scott (then lead vocalist of Saliva) for the soundtrack to the 2002 film, Spider-Man. It was written by Kroeger, Scott, and Tyler Connolly and recorded specifically for the film. "Hero" was released through Roadrunner Records on March 1, 2002 as the soundtrack's lead single. The song serves as Kroeger's debut solo release.
Contents
There are two widely-available versions of the song: one with an orchestral background and one without. Tyler Connolly (lead singer/guitarist of Theory of a Deadman), Mike Kroeger (bassist of Nickelback) and Matt Cameron (drummer of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden) appear on the recording. In addition to its digital release, "Hero" was distributed internationally in various CD single and maxi single formats. Theory of a Deadman's "Invisible Man" was included on many of these releases.
"Hero" experienced worldwide commercial success, peaking in the top 10 of record charts in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The song also topped the US Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock airplay charts. It was nominated for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media; Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal; and Best Rock Song at the 45th Grammy Awards (2003).
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 purportedly in New York City, with footage of the movie spliced in between, and was directed by Nigel Dick. It was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia on March 24, 2002 and premiered on March 28.
The song has won Best Video from a Film at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
Critical reception
Reviewing the song for NME, Imran Ahmed was critical of Kroeger's "predictability" and drew a strong comparison to "How You Remind Me", Nickelback's 2001 international breakthrough, calling the formula for both "Commercial grunge + MOR sensibility = Nu-MOR hit."
Chart performance
The song was 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 pop radio, peaking at number two and five, respectively, on the Mainstream Top 40 and Adult Top 40 charts.