Holding Out for a Hero

"Holding Out for a Hero" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for the soundtrack to the 1984 film Footloose, and later included on her 1986 album Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire. It was written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford. Initially, the song only just reached the Top 100 in the UK Singles Chart, but made it to number 2 the following year, and re-entered the charts again at number 69 in 1991. The song reached No. 1 on the Irish Singles Chart on 28 September 1985. It reached the top 40 in the United States and Canada.

The song's instrumental break was reused from an earlier song by Jim Steinman called "Stark Raving Love", which featured on Steinman's 1981 album Bad for Good.

Background
Jim Steinman had been recruited to work on the Footloose soundtrack, for which he wrote "Holding Out for a Hero" with Dean Pitchford. Steinman suggested Tyler's name when he was approached about finding a singer to record the song. Tyler recorded the song at the Paramount Studios, and was shown the scene of the film where the song would feature.

Impact
Holding Out for a Hero has become a torch song. In the LGBT community, The Star Observer of Australia deemed the song a dearly-loved gay anthem.

Tyler's version was used for a 1984 Days of Our Lives storyline involving the abduction of Hope Williams from her wedding by a motorcycle-riding Bo Brady. The 2004 animated film Shrek 2 utilized the song.

Tyler's version is heard in a 2017 TV commercial for the Kia Niro that aired during Super Bowl LI on February 5, 2017, but was posted online before the game. The ad stars Melissa McCarthy, who travels around the world stopping environmental disasters. It won the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter, becoming the second consecutive car commercial to win the Ad Meter.

Tyler's version is heard in a third 2017 TV commercial for Walmart as part of a back-to-school promotion.

Later in 1984 the song was used in Cover Up is an American action/adventure television series that aired for one season on CBS from September 22, 1984, to April 6, 1985. Created by Glen A. Larson, the series stars Jennifer O'Neill, Jon-Erik Hexum, Antony Hamilton, and Richard Anderson and was performed by the American actress, voice artist, comedian and singer E. G. Daily.

Music video
The video was produced by Jeffrey Abelson, and directed by Doug Dowdle, with the concept by Keith Williams. It was the second music video (following Deniece Williams' "Let's Hear It For The Boy") that successfully promoted Footloose while having no movie footage in the video.

The video starts off with Bonnie Tyler escaping from a burning house; the video is set primarily in the vicinity of the burning house and on the edge of the Grand Canyon – interspersed with shots of angelic background singers dressed all in white. Evil cowboys dressed in black, carrying neon whips appear before Tyler, threatening her; a cowboy hero dressed in white, brandishing a revolver, appears on horseback and the evil cowboys flee on horseback, with the hero in pursuit. As the song fades out, the hero cowboy appears in front of Tyler.

Live performances
Two recorded live performances of "Holding Out for a Hero" have been released on her live albums Bonnie Tyler Live (2007) and Live in Germany 1993 (2011). Video performances have also been released on Tyler's DVDs, Bonnie on Tour (2007) and the DVD edition of Live in Germany 1993.

Track listings and formats

 * 1984 7" single
 * 1) "Holding Out for a Hero" – 4:22
 * 2) "Faster Than the Speed of Night" – 4:40


 * 1984 12" single
 * 1) "Holding Out for a Hero" (Extended Remix) – 6:19
 * 2) "Holding Out for a Hero" (Instrumental) – 5:15
 * 3) "Faster Than the Speed of Night" – 4:40


 * 1991 12"/CD single
 * 1) "Holding Out for a Hero" – 4:41
 * 2) "Faster Than the Speed of Night" – 4:40
 * 3) "Total Eclipse of the Heart" – 6:49

Credits and personnel

 * Bonnie Tyler – vocal
 * Rory Dodd – background vocal, vocal arrangement
 * Holly Sherwood – background vocal
 * Eric Troyer – background vocal, vocal arrangement
 * Ellen Foley – vocal arrangement
 * Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
 * Hiram Bullock – guitar
 * Tom "Bones" Malone – trombone, horn arrangement
 * Jim Pugh – trombone
 * Alan Rubin – trumpet
 * Sterling Smith – drums, piano, synthesizer
 * Lew Soloff – trumpet
 * David Taylor – bass trombone
 * Art Wood – drums
 * Jim Steinman – producer

Other versions
Since the original release in 1984, Tyler has re-recorded the song three times. Two versions were released under Stick Music, on her album Simply Believe (2004) and EP Bonnie Tyler (2005). She recorded the song again in 2011 on an EP entitled Total Eclipse of the Heart, released by Cleopatra Records.

Cover versions

 * Jennifer Saunders recorded the song for the 2004 film Shrek 2. It was also featured on the associated soundtrack.
 * Frou Frou also recorded an alternatively tuned version of the song for Shrek 2 which appears during the film credits and in the soundtrack.
 * Emery recorded a cover.
 * Ella Mae Bowen recorded a country version of the song which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2011 remake of Footloose.
 * Nothing but Thieves recorded a version that appeared in the season 2 trailer for Vikings in 2015.
 * Angel, director, composer and cinematic artist arranged a cinematic version of the song for her directorial and performance debut of her music short film Hero on January 11, 2018
 * Miki Asakura covered the song in Japanese drama [School Wars]（1984, And for the Japanese dub of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu.

Film

 * Footloose (1984)
 * Cover Up (1984-1985) (sung by E. G. Daily)
 * Short Circuit 2 (1988)
 * Who's Harry Crumb? (1989)
 * Bandits (2001)
 * Shrek 2 (2004)
 * Nacho Libre (2006)
 * Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)
 * The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019)

Video Games

 * Saints Row the Third (2011)

Stage

 * Footloose (musical)  (1998)