"Hero" is the first single of the 2009 album Awake by the American Christian rock band Skillet and is the first track on the album.[2] The song talks about mankind's need for a hero with the hero being Jesus Christ. It is the fourth single by Skillet to be released to physical media.[3] The single sold 12,000 copies in its first week.
| "Hero" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Skillet | ||||
| from the album Awake | ||||
| Released | May 19, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2009 at Bay7 Studios, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:06 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Howard Benson | |||
| Skillet singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Promotion
It was used in a promo on NBC for the 2009 NFL Kickoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans,[citation needed] as well as the Week 17 Sunday Night Football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets[citation needed] and the NFL Wild Card Saturday games, featuring the rematch between the Bengals and the Jets,[citation needed] as well as the rematch from Week 17 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.[citation needed] "Hero" was included on the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 video game,[4] and was used as the theme song in WWE's Royal Rumble 2010 pay-per-view event and also used in the trailers of the 20th Century Fox film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.[5]
Credits
- John Cooper – lead vocals, bass
- Korey Cooper – rhythm guitar, keyboards
- Ben Kasica – lead guitar
- Jen Ledger – drums, vocals
Charts
| Chart (2009–10) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Christian Songs (Billboard)[6] | 29 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[7] | 35 |
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 was for fan club members only, pictures of the video shoot could've be viewed on panheads.com.[8]
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.[9][10]
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[11] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[12] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[13] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||