"Heroes" (David Bowie song)

1977 song by David Bowie yes March 2025 May 2022 Heroes Heroes by David Bowie UK vinyl single.jpg yes A-side label of the UK vinyl single single David Bowie "Heroes" V-2 Schneider 1977 09 23 yes July–August 1977 Hansa (West Berlin) Art rock 6 07 (album version) 3 32 (single version) RCA David Bowie Brian Eno David Bowie Tony Visconti Be My Wife 1977 Beauty and the Beast 1978 lXgkuM2NhYI Heroes "Heroes"The quotation marks are part of the title. On some single releases, the title does not include the quotes. is a song by the English musician David Bowie from his 12th studio album of the same name. Co-written by Bowie and Brian Eno and co-produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, the song was recorded in mid-1977 at Hansa Studio 2 in West Berlin. The backing track was recorded fully before the lyrics were written; Bowie and Eno added synthesiser overdubs while Robert Fripp contributed guitar. To record the vocals, Visconti devised a "multi-latch" system, in which three microphones were placed at different distances from Bowie and would open when he sang loudly enough. As with other album tracks, he improvised lyrics while standing at the microphone. An art rock song that builds throughout its run time, Heroes concerns two lovers, one each from East and West Berlin. Under constant fear of death, they dream they are free, swimming with dolphins. Bowie placed the title in quotation marks as an expression of irony on the otherwise romantic and triumphant words and music. Bowie's lyrics were primarily inspired by seeing Visconti and singer Antonia Maass kiss beside the Berlin Wall; other inspirations included a painting by Otto Mueller and a short story by Alberto Denti di Pirajno. Scholars have associated the song with Cold War Berlin, interpreting the divided city as a metaphor for personal struggles and Bowie's recovery from addiction. On 23 September 1977, the song was released as a single, shortened by two minutes and starting with the third verse. The song initially received mostly positive reviews, with some welcoming it as a classic addition to the artist's catalogue. Bowie promoted the song with a music video and sang it on numerous television programmes, including Marc Bolan's Marc and Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas special. Bowie also released German- and French-language versions of Heroes, titled Helden and Héros, respectively. Despite its heavy promotion, the song only peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart, failed to chart at all on the US Billboard Hot 100 or the Canadian Top 100; however, it reached the top 10 and the top 20 in multiple European countries and Australia. Over time, the song's reputation has grown substantially; it is now widely considered one of Bowie's finest songs, and one of the greatest songs of all time. His biographers pan the edited single version for diminishing the song's power. Following Bowie's death in 2016, the song reached a new peak of number 12 in the UK. The song remained a staple throughout his concert tours and live performances and is Bowie's second-most-covered song after "Rebel Rebel" (1974). A version of Heroes by the Wallflowers was positively received and charted in the US and Canada in 1998. Another version by the series 7 finalists of The X Factor was a UK number one in 2010. The song has also been widely used in advertising over the years and has appeared in several television series and films. Writing and recording Backing track thumb|left|upright=0.8|alt=An older, bald man with glasses looking to the right|Bowie composed the song with multi-instrumentalist Brian Eno (pictured in 2008), who had the word heroes in mind for the initial chord sequence. After completing his work co-producing Iggy Pop's Lust for Life (1977) and various promotional events, David Bowie spent a few weeks devising ideas and concepts with multi-instrumentalist Brian Eno for his next studio album.Seabrook 2008 159–161 One idea was using the same D–G chord sequence he had used for Pop's "Success".Trynka 2011 332–334Doggett 2012 332–334 Eno wanted to call it "Heroes", as the sequence "sounded grand and heroic", and "I had that very word – heroes – in my mind."O'Leary 2019 chap. 2Pegg 2016 109–113 According to the biographer Chris O'Leary, the word also paid reference to the German krautrock band Neu!'s "Hero" (1975).O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 Recording for the album took place entirely in West Berlin between July and August 1977 at Hansa Studio 2, a former concert hall converted into a recording studio that had been used by Gestapo officers as a ballroom during World War II and was about 500 yards from the Berlin Wall. The song was co-produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, with contributions from Eno.Seabrook 2008 159–161Pegg 2016 390–391Buckley 2005 277–280 The backing track began with Bowie on piano and the core band of Carlos Alomar on rhythm guitar, George Murray on bass and Dennis Davis on drums. The band used the initial chord progression, creating a groove that built into a crescendo, lasting eight minutes. Alomar devised the underlying riff while Murray and Davis provided the "hypnotic pulse".DeMain Bill The story behind the song: 'Heroes' by David Bowie https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-heroes-by-david-bowie Louder 23 April 2022 4 February 2019 23 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220423204931/https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-heroes-by-david-bowie live http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Oct04/articles/classictracks.htm Classic Tracks: 'Heroes' Sound on Sound October 2004 17 November 2018 Buskin Richard https://web.archive.org/web/20160526195658/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Oct04/articles/classictracks.htm 26 May 2016 live Although he had fed Davis's drums through his Eventide H910 Harmonizer on Low (1977), Visconti used it sparingly on the album "Heroes", only during the mixing stage; as such, the drum sound was unaltered. He ran Murray's bass through a flanger.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 thumb|upright=0.7|alt=Robert Fripp in 1974|The song features guitar lines from Robert Fripp (pictured in 1974). According to Visconti, the recording sat for a week before overdubs commenced. Eno brought in his EMS Synthi AKS, a synthesiser built in a briefcase, using its joystick, oscillator knobs and noise filter to create a "shuddering, chattering effect [that] slowly buil[t] up and g[ot] more and more obvious towards the end". Bowie also added Chamberlin and high-pitched lines on his ARP Solina synthesiser.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 The guitarist Robert Fripp, then on hiatus from his group King Crimson, was recruited at Eno's suggestion.Buckley 2005 277–280 Receiving little guidance from Bowie, he cut three takes all based on feedback loops.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 For each take, Fripp marked different spots on the studio floor with tape and played a different note in each spot, such as A at four feet from his amp and G at three feet, all while his guitar was fed through Eno's EMS Synthi.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 When mixing the backing track, Visconti merged Fripp's takes onto one track, creating what he called "a dreamy, wailing quality".O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 He buried Davis's kick drum, finding it "seemed to plod" the track and becoming "more energetic without it", and elevated Murray's bassline, which Alomar augmented on guitar in a higher register.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2Seabrook 2008 176–179 An intended horn section was replaced with a synthesised brass line by the Chamberlin, while the bassline replaced the originally planned string section. With percussion, Visconti added tambourine and struck an empty tape canister with a drumstick to mimic a cowbell.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2Seabrook 2008 176–179 Vocals thumb|upright=0.6|alt=A gray-haired man with glasses and a black shirt standing in front of a microphone|Co-producer Tony Visconti (pictured in 2007) devised the "multi-latch" system used to record the lead vocal and sang backing vocals. Similar to Low, Bowie did not write lyrics until all but he and Visconti had departed.Pegg 2016 390–391 As such, the backing track for Heroes sat untouched for many weeks and, for a time, it was rumoured that the track would remain an instrumental.Pegg 2016 109–113 One day, Bowie asked Visconti to leave him alone in the studio to focus on writing lyrics.Seabrook 2008 176–179 As he stared outside the studio window, he saw Visconti and singer Antonia Maass, who were near the Berlin Wall, kiss, which he used as the basis for the lyric.Maass later claimed that the song had been completed before their encounter, so Bowie could not have used them for inspiration.Buckley 2005 277–280Spitz 2009 286–287 Like with other songs on "Heroes", he improvised lyrics while standing at the microphone after seeing Pop use the same method during the making of The Idiot (1977) and Lust for Life.Trynka 2011 332–334Seabrook 2008 81–81 To record the lead vocal, Visconti devised a "multi-latch" system that would make full use of the ambience at Hansa.Trynka 2011 332–334Hodgson 2010 88–89 Three Neumann microphones were used to capture the vocal: the first, a valve U 47, was set up 9 in cm on from Bowie; the second, a U 87, was set up 20 ft m on away; and the third, another U 87, about 50 ft m on away. The two farther microphones were routed through a noise gate, which activated them as a volume-controlling device that would turn them on as Bowie's voice reached them.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2Pegg 2016 109–113Trynka 2011 332–334 Visconti explained: "If he sang a little louder, the next microphone would open up with the gate, and that would make sort of this big splash of reverb, and then if he really sang loud, the back microphone would open up, and it would just open up this enormous sound."Pegg 2016 109–113 Bowie recorded three takes, the last of which mostly appears in the final song, and was completed in about two hours. Bowie and Visconti immediately recorded the backing vocals afterwards, harmonising in thirds and fifths below the lead vocal.Pegg 2016 109–113O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 The final mix was done at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland, a studio that became one of Bowie's mainstays. David Richards, an engineer at Mountain, also became one of his regulars.Pegg 2016 390–391 Composition Music music left David Bowie - Heroes.ogg "Heroes" One of the ambient rock songs to emerge from Bowie's Berlin Trilogy era, "Heroes" gained lasting popularity. Heroes uses a standard time 4 4 time signature and a simple D–G chord progression.Bowie David Eno Brian https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0040934 David Bowie 'Heroes' Sheet Music in D Major 4 December 2001 Musicnotes 29 January 2024 30 January 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240130022637/https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0040934 live At over six minutes in length on the album, it contains five verses, some longer than others, and an outro.Trynka 2011 332–334O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 The verses move from D major to G major, along with C major on "nothing will keep us together" and a foray into A minor and E minor on "beat them" and "forever". The song is mainly in the D mixolydian mode, wherein the A major dominant chord is replaced with A minor, thereby swapping from the parallel minor D minor back to the tonic D major.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 Richard Buskin of Sound on Sound described the song as a "highly experimental piece of art rock". The biographer David Buckley likens it to a Wall of Sound production, with a forceful and noisy arrangement of guitars, percussion and synthesisers.Buckley 1999 323–326 The author James E. Perone finds the song a "great example of contemporary pop music", balancing early 1970s progressive rock on the synthesisers to the "avant-garde tone color manipulations" from Eno.Perone 2007 67–68 According to Bowie, the track was "a combination of Brian's piano technique and [mine] which are both dastardly", turning into a reworking of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for the Man" (1967), a song long admired by the artist.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 The song is led by Davis's drum beat, described by Tiffany Naiman as "a steadfast marker of rock and roll rhythm ... faded way back in the mix."Naiman Tiffany When are We Now? Walls and Memory in David Bowie's Berlins Enchanting David Bowie 2015 305–321 Bloomsbury London 10.5040/9781501304781.ch-015 978-1-5013-0478-1 The scholar Maximilian Feldner compared its simple, repetitive beat to the "monotonous, motoric beat" of 1970s krautrock bands. Combined with the bass, rhythm guitar, ARP Solina synthesiser and Chamberlin parts, the song's rhythm track features layers of sound on top of one another. Naiman states that Eno's contributions on EMS Synthi "swooshes and chatters, becoming more and more clear as the track continues and develops in intensity". Visconti created the song's soundscapes, which O'Leary called a "pulsating drone".O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 The song builds in intensity throughout its six-minute runtime, aided by percussion. The result is what Buckley calls "a droning, repetitive, oncoming, unstoppable, mechanical black of sound".Buckley 2005 280 Fripp's contributions, consisting of mostly feedback notes, give the song a quality described as "monumental" and "a feeling of infinity".Trynka 2011 332–334 Bowie's vocal performance begins softly with a low croon, becoming increasingly strained before turning into a high shriek during the fifth verse. Lyrics Berlin is a city made up of bars for sad, disillusioned people to get drunk in. ... The title track of Heroes is about facing that kind of reality and standing up to it. The only heroic act one can [...] pull out of the bag in a situation like that is to get on with life and derive some joy from the very simple pleasure of remaining alive, despite every attempt being made to kill you.Jones Allan Goodbye to Ziggy and all that Melody Maker 29 October 1977 —David Bowie, Melody Maker, 1977 35% left padding:8px; Heroes tells the story of two lovers, one from East Berlin and one from West Berlin. Under constant risk of death, they dream of freedom, swimming with dolphins.Spitz 2009 286–287 Similar to other album tracks "Beauty and the Beast" and "Joe the Lion", the song, at its core, represents two opposing forces: the couple's love for each other, and a sense that the Berlin Wall will separate them.Perone 2007 67–68 The first verse is from the point of view of the man who stresses unity, while the second describes the couple's explicit love and affection for each other. Perone contends that the instrumental passages separating the third verse, wherein the narrator wishes his lover could "swim like the dolphins", represent a transition in the story.Perone 2007 67–68 The fourth verse is a reiteration of the first, albeit Bowie sings an octave higher and in a near-scream. In the fifth and final verse, the narrator recalls standing and kissing by the Wall while guards fired bullets above their heads. Perone states that this moment captures the sense that the narrator's love can "overcome anything" and, as dolphins can freely swim as they wish, the proclamation that "we can be heroes ... gets well beyond anything the listener might have anticipated at the start of the piece".Perone 2007 67–68 thumb|Otto Mueller's 1916 painting Lovers Between Garden Walls partly inspired the lyrics of Heroes The song's lyrics were primarily inspired by Bowie's seeing Visconti and Maass kissing near the Berlin Wall. Bowie initially claimed that the lyric was based on an anonymous young couple, but Visconti, who was married to Mary Hopkin at the time, contended that Bowie was protecting him and his affair with Maass. Bowie later confirmed the story in 2003, over two decades after Visconti and Hopkins' eventual divorce.Pegg 2016 109–113 Another source of inspiration included Otto Mueller's 1916 painting Lovers Between Garden Walls, depicting a couple embracing between two walls representing the brutality of World War I, which Bowie and Pop saw at Berlin's Brücke Museum.Pegg 2016 109–113 A third inspiration, which Bowie revealed in the foreword of his wife Iman's 2001 book I Am Iman, was Alberto Denti di Pirajno's 1956 short story A Grave for a Dolphin, concerning a doomed love affair between an Italian soldier and a Somalian girl during World War II.Pegg 2016 109–113Seabrook 2008 176–179 According to Nicholas Pegg, the destiny of the story's female protagonist is linked with that of a dolphin she swims with, and when she dies, so does the dolphin.Pegg 2016 109–113Seabrook 2008 176–179 The phrase "I will be king, you will be queen" was taken directly from the traditional English folk song "Lavender's Blue".Bowie later incorporated "Lavender's Blue" into performances of Heroes during the 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour.Pegg 2016 109–113O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 Bowie is also recounted to have used events in his own life for the lyrics, such as his then-marital issues, alcoholism and his inability to swim ("I wish I could swim").Bowie revealed in 1987 that he "can do a couple of lengths of the pool", but in 2000, stated that "I've never swum again. I swam once, it was quite enough for me."Pegg 2016 109–113Pegg 2016 109–113Seabrook 2008 176–179 In the late 2010s, a story on the Italian Bowie website Blackstar revealed that the artist Clare Shenstone, whom Bowie met in 1969, had visited him during the summer he recorded Heroes. The two spent a day walking along the Wall, which started, in her words, "with David asking me if I dreamed about him because he dreamed about me. I told him I had just had a beautiful dream about swimming with dolphins."O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 In a 2024 documentary, Shenstone claimed the song's lyrics were directly inspired by the day the two spent together, saying the lyrics "like dolphins can swim" were referring to the dream she had and told Bowie about, while other lyrics, such as "and the guns, shot above our heads and we kissed, as though nothing could fall", were Bowie recalling moments from the day when the two were walking by the Wall and kissed there.Bakere Lanre Bowie Song 'Heroes' Inspired By Star's Day With Girlfriend, New Documentary Says https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/06/bowie-song-heroes-inspired-by-stars-day-with-girlfriend-new-documentary-says The Guardian 6 September 2024 1 January 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20250817035717/https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/06/bowie-song-heroes-inspired-by-stars-day-with-girlfriend-new-documentary-says 17 August 2025 live Analysis Several commentators have argued that Heroes is not the "feelgood anthem" it is often interpreted as.Pegg 2016 109–113Seabrook 2008 176–179 Peter and Leni Gillman write that the song "is assumed to celebrate bravery and struggle against the odds: a testimony to 'the capacity for greatness [...] within us all."Gillman Gillman 1987 565 According to Bowie, the quotation marks in the title were intended to express "a dimension of irony" on the otherwise romantic or triumphant words and music.Pegg 2016 109–113Carr Murray 1981 90–92Matthew-Walker 1985 46 The use of quotation marks possibly implies that the 'Heroes' are not to be taken too seriously. He stated it is about "facing reality and standing up to it", about achieving "a sense of compassion" and "deriving some joy from the very simple pleasure of being alive".Pegg 2016 109–113 Pegg writes that the song contains underlying dark themes that juxtapose its uplifting chord sequence and delirious vocal delivery, while the repeated announcement of "nothing will keep us together" asserts that time is short. Additionally, the pronouncement that the narrator wants the relationship to last "just for one day" harkens back to the dark lyrics of "The Bewlay Brothers" (1971) and represents a shift from the Nietzschean "supermen" themes of Bowie's earlier works into the realm of heroism.Pegg 2016 109–113Seabrook 2008 176–179 Discussing the themes, Blurt magazine's Robert Dean Lurie stated:Lurie Robert Dean Through the (Stained) Looking Glass: David Bowie & the Berlin Trilogy https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/through-the-stained-looking-glass-david-bowie--the-berlin-trilogy Blurt 11 July 2018 1 May 2022 Rock's Backpages subscription 20 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220920163853/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/through-the-stained-looking-glass-david-bowie--the-berlin-trilogy live Heroes is more akin to alchemy: We may be average and regular in the present moment, but we have the potential, at any time, for heroic thought and action – even if only for one day. The transformation can be brought about by an external event or through an internal change in perspective. thumb|alt=An image of the graffitied Berlin Wall in 1988|The lyrics of Heroes reference the Berlin Wall (pictured in 1988); the song has been inextricably linked to Cold War Berlin. Since its release, Heroes has been the subject of scholarly analysis. The song has been inextricably tied to BerlinIncluding by Robert Dean Lurie and Max Fisher despite the only reference to the city being "the Wall" in the climactic verse.Brooker Will 2017 Forever Stardust: David Bowie Across the Universe I.B. Tauris Literature & Performing Arts Archive 2006–2018 I.B. Tauris London 106–128 https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?docid=b-9781350986497 18 June 2026 978-1-35098-649-7 10.5040/9781350986497 subscription As a cultural artifact that shapes collective memory, the song has contributed to how Cold War Berlin is remembered. Feldner believes this is due to the circumstances and mythology behind the song's creation.Feldner Maximilian Remembering Berlin: David Bowie's Heroes (1977) Popular Music and Society 2022 45 2 129–145 10.1080/03007766.2021.1980322 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03007766.2021.1980322#abstract 17 June 2026 free Affirming the Cold War narrative, Max Fisher said in a 2016 Vox article that the lyrics "capture the hopelessness and desperation of a city divided, friends and family in the East kept apart from their loved ones in the West by violence and terror". He compared the lyric about dolphins swimming to the story of Henri Weise, an East German man who drowned trying to cross the Spree. In his book Forever Stardust (2017), Will Brooker argues that, despite being attributed to the divided Berlin, the song's meaning is more complex and personal. While Heroes references the Berlin Wall, the lyrics contain "fantastical" promises ("I will be king, and you, you will be queen"), which Brooker suggests are more about wish fulfillment and internal struggles than true heroism.Brooker made comparisons to Bowie's 1967 song "When I Live My Dream", a song that, like Heroes, contains "fantastical" lyrics about a narrator attempting to gain the support of a partner with a shared memory. In a broader context, he argues that it acts as a bridge between public myth and private reality, using Berlin and the Wall as metaphors for striving against overwhelming odds. Furthermore, Brooker and Feldner state that the song is less politically charged than widely assumed. Amidst a struggle for personal survival against adversity, depression and addiction, the song uses the divided Berlin as a backdrop and framework for exploring Bowie's psyche and recovery from addiction. The scholars write that the song's power comes from its ambiguity, inviting different interpretations for different audiences. Promotion and release Filmed appearances To promote Heroes, Bowie appeared on television programmes hosted by Marc Bolan (left, pictured in 1973) and Bing Crosby (right, pictured in 1951). Marc Bolan In Concert 1973.jpg 150 Marc Bolan in 1973 Bing Crosby 1951.jpg 157 Bing Crosby in 1951 After undertaking no promotional events for Low, Bowie promoted "Heroes" extensively.Pegg 2016 390–391 In early September 1977, he agreed to perform the title track on Marc Bolan's Granada Television series Marc, which was recorded on 9 September and broadcast on 28 September,Pegg 2016 245–246http://www.davidbowie.com/news/heroes-single-forty-years-old-today-57331 'Heroes' single is forty years old today 23 September 2017 David Bowie Official Website 23 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170929111200/http://www.davidbowie.com/news/heroes-single-forty-years-old-today-57331 29 September 2017 following Bolan's death in a car crash on 16 September.Pegg 2016 245–246 This version has an alternative backing track that was recorded with Bolan playing lead guitar and the T. Rex line up of Dino Dines on keyboards, and the rhythm section of Herbie Flowers on bass and Tony Newman on drums.Flowers and Newman had played with Bowie on his 1974 album Diamond Dogs and its accompanying tour.Pegg 2016 561–562Campbell 2007 179 It was released as a 7" picture disc on 22 September 2017.Connick Tom David Bowie’s 'Heroes' to be released as limited edition picture-disc https://www.nme.com/news/music/david-bowies-heroes-released-limited-edition-picture-disc-2113210 NME 22 September 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20221216140236/https://www.nme.com/news/music/david-bowies-heroes-released-limited-edition-picture-disc-2113210 16 December 2022 19 July 2017 live Two days after filming the Marc appearance, Bowie appeared on Bing Crosby's television special Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, performing Heroes and a new duet with Crosby titled "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy". Crosby died on 14 October before the special's broadcast on Christmas Eve 1977.Pegg 2016 208–209 Bowie later quipped: "I was getting seriously worried about whether I should appear on TV because everyone I was going on with was kicking it the following week."Pegg 2016 208–209 On 19 October, Bowie appeared on BBC's Top of the Pops for the first time since 1973,Buckley 1999 323–326 performing Heroes using a new backing track featuring Visconti on bass and Sean Mayes on keyboards. Bowie sang live over the backing track with none of the band present.https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/jan/08/david-bowie-man-mystique David Bowie: Still The Man of Mystique Petridis Alexis The Guardian 8 January 2013 24 July 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20251103201336/https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/jan/08/david-bowie-man-mystique 3 November 2025 live He sang the song again on the Dutch programme TopPop and the Italian programmes Odeon and L'altra domenica later the same month.Pegg 2016 109–113 Single and other releases RCA issued Heroes as the lead single from the album on 23 September 1977, with the album track "V-2 Schneider" as the B-side. Its shortened 3:32 edit, which begins at the third verse, was made in the hopes of more airplay.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2Pegg 2016 109–113 A 12" promotional single, containing both the single and album versions, was released in the US by RCA (as JD-11151) the same year.Pegg 2016 781Kamp 1985 75 On the "Heroes" album, issued on 14 October,O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 the song was sequenced as the third track, between "Joe the Lion" and "Sons of the Silent Age".O'Leary 2019 Partial Discography The song's promotional music video was directed by Stanley Dorfman.18 October 2008 Thurston Moore To Present Bowie Retrospective At Moma https://www.davidbowie.com/2008/2008/10/19/thurston-moore-to-present-bowie-retrospective-at-moma live https://web.archive.org/web/20230629234930/https://www.davidbowie.com/2008/2008/10/19/thurston-moore-to-present-bowie-retrospective-at-moma 29 June 2023 2 July 2023 David Bowie Official Website en-USRiefe Jordan Music Video Pioneer Stanley Dorfman Recalls Bowie, Sinatra and Lennon https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/music-video-pioneer-stanley-dorfman-863520/ The Hollywood Reporter 25 June 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230602230904/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/music-video-pioneer-stanley-dorfman-863520/ 2 June 2023 11 February 2016 live Shot in Paris, it features footage of Bowie in a dark room against a backdrop of white light and wearing the same bomber-jacket he wore on the "Heroes" cover artwork. Pegg compares the final result to Liza Minnelli's performance of "Maybe This Time" in the Berlin-based 1972 film Cabaret.Pegg 2016 109–113 Bowie recorded new vocals for the track in both German and French,Pegg 2016 109–113 with lyrics translated by Maass for the German release.Buckley 2005 280–282 These singles, titled Helden and Héros, respectively, were issued in their respective countries in September.Pegg 2016 781 Additionally, for the album releases in Germany and France, the vocals were grafted onto the full-length tracks, following the opening English verses.Pegg 2016 111 The single's release in a variety of languages and lengths achieved what the NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray called "a collector's wet dream".Carr Murray 1981 90–92 Despite an intense promotional push, Heroes only reached number 24 on the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for eight weeks and failing to chart at all on the US Billboard Hot 100,Trynka 2011 332–334Buckley 2005 280–282 albeit reaching a low number 126 on Record World Singles Chart 101–150.Whitburn 2015 57 Elsewhere, it charted in Australia (6),Kent 1993 43 Austria (19), Belgium Flanders (17), the Irish Singles Chart (8), the Netherlands (9) and New Zealand (34). Later releases Heroes has subsequently appeared, almost invariably as the single edit, on numerous compilation albums, including The Best of Bowie (1980),The Best of Bowie David Bowie 1981 K-tel Europe LP record sleeve BLP 81.001 Changesbowie (1990),Erlewine Stephen Thomas Stephen Thomas Erlewine Changesbowie – David Bowie https://www.allmusic.com/album/changesbowie-mw0000207736 AllMusic 15 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20190728150152/https://www.allmusic.com/album/changesbowie-mw0000207736 28 July 2019 live The Singles Collection (1993),Erlewine Stephen Thomas The Singles: 1969–1993 – David Bowie https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-singles-1969-1993-mw0000526484 AllMusic 7 May 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210501155129/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-singles-1969-1993-mw0000526484 1 May 2021 The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979 (1998),Erlewine Stephen Thomas The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979 – David Bowie https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-david-bowie-1974-1979-mw0000041367 AllMusic 18 June 2022 23 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220423213550/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-david-bowie-1974-1979-mw0000041367 live Best of Bowie (2002),Erlewine Stephen Thomas Best of Bowie – David Bowie https://www.allmusic.com/album/best-of-bowie-mw0000694821 AllMusic 15 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20190401192732/https://www.allmusic.com/album/best-of-bowie-mw0000694821 1 April 2019 live The Platinum Collection (2006),Monger James Christopher The Platinum Collection – David Bowie https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-platinum-collection-mw0001022492 AllMusic 28 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20190508195203/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-platinum-collection-mw0001022492 8 May 2019 Nothing Has Changed (2014), and Bowie Legacy (2016).Evan Sawdey https://www.popmatters.com/review/188662-david-bowie-nothing-has-changed/ David Bowie: Nothing Has Changed PopMatters 10 November 2017 11 August 2017 14 July 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170714155355/http://www.popmatters.com/review/188662-david-bowie-nothing-has-changed/ live Monroe Jazz David Bowie Singles Collection Bowie Legacy Announced https://pitchfork.com/news/68602-david-bowie-singles-collection-bowie-legacy-announced/ Pitchfork 28 September 2016 29 September 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20190926222203/https://pitchfork.com/news/68602-david-bowie-singles-collection-bowie-legacy-announced/ 26 September 2019 The full album track was remastered with its parent album for inclusion on the 2017 box set A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982). The single edit was included on Re:Call 3, part of that box set, while the German single, French single, English-German full-length, and English-French full-length versions were included on an EP in the same set.http://www.davidbowie.com/news/new-career-new-town-1977-1982-57146 A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) – David Bowie Latest News 22 July 2016 David Bowie Official Website https://web.archive.org/web/20170728195724/http://www.davidbowie.com/news/new-career-new-town-1977-1982-57146 28 July 2017 29 September 2017 Additionally, the English-German version of the song appeared on the soundtrack to the film Christiane F. (1981)The soundtrack was composed of Bowie songs from the late 1970s, and Bowie himself appeared in the film.Pegg 2016 665 and on the Rare album in 1982,Pegg 2016 109–113 while the German single version appeared on Sound + Vision (1989).Sound + Vision boxset repack press release https://www.davidbowie.com/2014/2014/07/27/sound-vision-boxset-repack-press-release David Bowie Official Website 29 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210429231936/https://www.davidbowie.com/2014/2014/07/27/sound-vision-boxset-repack-press-release 29 April 2021 26 July 2014 Critical reception Initial reviews for Heroes were mostly positive. Like Low "Sound and Vision", some viewed it as the most commercial track from "Heroes". Several welcomed the song as a classic addition to Bowie's catalogue. Record Mirror Tim Lott deemed it "regal" and a "shocking dream[ingly] powerful" song that stands out as the album's best. He found the lyrics are "in a sense throwaway" but display "simple heroism": "Brick by synthesised brick it builds into a leviathan, a monster track that sucks you in and spews you out grinning..."Lott Tim Tim Lott David Bowie: Heroes (RCA PL 12622) https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/david-bowie-iheroesi-rca-pl-12622 Record Mirror 8 October 1977 16 March 2021 Rock's Backpages subscription 10 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210410190905/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/david-bowie-iheroesi-rca-pl-12622 live Kris Needs of ZigZag magazine also considered the song a "monster" track with its end result being "magic".Needs Kris Kris Needs David Bowie: Heroes https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/david-bowie-iheroesi ZigZag October 1977 16 March 2021 Rock's Backpages subscription 21 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210421021551/https://rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/david-bowie-iheroesi live Ira Robbins went further in Crawdaddy magazine, hailing the song as Bowie's best song in three years, praising the instrumentation and vocal performance, and highlighted Eno's contributions among the track's best features.Robbins Ira David Bowie: Heroes (RCA) https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/david-bowie-iheroesi-rca Crawdaddy January 1978 1 May 2022 Rock's Backpages subscription 1 May 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220501183139/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/david-bowie-iheroesi-rca live In the Los Angeles Times, Robert Hilburn wrote that despite the dreariness of "Heroes" as a whole, the title track contains "compassion and some fleeting hope".Hilburn Robert Robert Hilburn Which Way for David Bowie? Los Angeles Times 8 November 1977 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/57451788/ 70 Newspapers.com subscription 2 January 2026 6 January 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260106191923/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/57451788/ live A reviewer for Billboard deemed the song one of the album's best tracks.Top Album Picks Billboard 29 October 1977 https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-10-29.pdf 82 worldradiohistory.com 18 March 2021 8 March 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210308125226/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-10-29.pdf live Writing in Hit Parader, American musician and author Patti Smith praised Heroes as a "pure" and "wonderful" track that "exposes us to our most precious and private dilemma". She predicted that it would become the "theme song for every great movie" that would be "made remade or yet to come".Smith Patti Patti Smith 'Heroes': A Communique Hit Parader April 1978 http://www.up-to-date.com/bowie/heroes/smith.html up-to-date.com 18 March 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210216211806/http://www.up-to-date.com/bowie/heroes/smith.html 16 February 2021 Charlie Gillett gave the single a mixed review in the NME, saying: "Well he had a pretty good run for our money, for a guy who was no singer. But I think his time has been and gone, and this just sounds weary. Then again, maybe the ponderous heavy riff will be absorbed on the radio, and the monotonous feel may just be hypnotic enough to drag people into buying it. I hope not."Gillett Charlie Charlie Gillett 15 October 1977 Singles reviews NME 12–13 The magazine placed it at number six in their list of the year's best singles.https://www.nme.com/features/1977-2-1045409 NME best albums and tracks of 1977 10 October 2016 NME 18 June 2022 22 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210422201128/https://www.nme.com/features/1977-2-1045409 live Retrospective appraisal This is a strange phenomenon that happens with my songs Stateside. Many of the crowd favourites were never radio or chart hits, and Heroes tops them all.Pegg 2016 109–113 —David Bowie on the song's later success, 2003 30% right padding:8px; Heroes has greatly grown in stature in the decades following its release.Was David Bowie's 'Heroes' really based on a true story? https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/david-bowie/was-david-bowies-heroes-really-based-on-a-true-story/ Radio X 8 May 2022 18 April 2022 22 May 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220522191906/https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/david-bowie/was-david-bowies-heroes-really-based-on-a-true-story/ live Pegg and O'Leary note that it was not until Bowie's performance of the song at Live Aid in 1985 that it became recognised as a classic.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2Pegg 2016 109–113 Buckley describes this rendition as "the best version of 'Heroes' [Bowie] had ever sung".Buckley 1999 424 Reviewing the song for AllMusic, Ned Raggett described it as arguably Bowie's finest song and a "true classic", writing that with Eno, Fripp and Visconti, Bowie crafted an anthem embellished with German influences while still using the "dramatic power" of rock and roll. Analysing his vocal, he wrote: "Starting with an almost conversational tone, by the end of the song he's turning in a performance that could almost be called operatic, yet still achingly, passionately human."Raggett Ned 'Heroes' – David Bowie https://www.allmusic.com/song/heroes-mt0008989008 AllMusic 23 April 2022 4 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190704104028/https://www.allmusic.com/song/heroes-mt0008989008 live Pitchfork Ryan Dombal described Heroes as "an immortal track all about fleeting wonders",Dombal Ryan https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21487-heroes/ David Bowie: "Heroes" Album Review Pitchfork 22 January 2015 22 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20160124031118/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21487-heroes/ 24 January 2016 live while Ultimate Classic Rock Allison Rapp found that over time, the track became "one of rock's most-loved anthems of hope".Rapp Allison David Bowie's 'Heroes': A Track-by-Track Guide https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-heroes-songs/ Ultimate Classic Rock 23 April 2022 14 October 2021 23 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220423204931/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-heroes-songs/ live In a list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best, the same publication placed it at number one.Every David Bowie Single Ranked https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-singles-ranked/ Ultimate Classic Rock 19 September 2021 14 January 2016 24 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210724234336/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-singles-ranked/ live In Consequence of Sound, Lior Phillips stated that the track "expertly captures the hopeless reality that nothing lasts and that we all must die — and also the inherent beauty in the fact that we all live and love in our time despite that fact". Moby has said that Heroes is one of his favourite songs ever written, finding it "inevitable" that his music would be influenced by the song,Gordinier Jeff Loving the Aliens Entertainment Weekly 656 31 May 2002 26–34 while Depeche Mode's lead singer Dave Gahan was hired into the band when founder Vince Clarke heard him singing it at a jam session.Shaw William In The Mode Details April 1993 90–95, 168 In his 2023 book Discover UK Shoegaze and Dream Pop, the author Vernon Joynson cited Heroes as showcasing an early form of shoegaze, stating that the song features "the type of noisy production with distorted and reverberated guitars and a dreamy hazy atmosphere all of which became key ingredients of shoegaze".Joynson 2023 45 Like critics, Bowie's biographers praise Heroes as a classic and one of Bowie's best tracks,Attributed to multiple references:O'Leary 2019 chap. 2Pegg 2016 109–113Seabrook 2008 176–179Spitz 2009 286–287Perone 2007 67–68Buckley 2005 280–282 with the author Paul Trynka calling it "his simplest, most affecting and most memorable song".Trynka 2011 488 Buckley acknowledges it as Bowie's "most universally admired song" and in 2015,Buckley 2005 277–280 wrote that the song "is perhaps pop's definitive statement of the potential triumph of the human spirit over adversity".Buckley 2015 63 O'Leary states that the song is "Bowie at his most empathic and desperate; a wish-chant that offers a tiny regency for the spirit".O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 Despite this, biographers mostly pan the shortened single edit for diminishing the song's power.Attributed to multiple references:O'Leary 2019 chap. 2Pegg 2016 109–113Seabrook 2008 176–179Perone 2007 67–68Buckley 2005 280–282 O'Leary argues that the edit weakens the song as the buildup to the final verses is shortened, noting that Bowie's "heroic" vocal starts roughly two minutes earlier than the full album version.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 Perone agrees that the edit, which starts at the "dolphins" lyric, destroys the song's pacing, tension and impact, making it "not make as much sense". He further criticised the decision to shorten the single, noting that other highly successful singles of the rock era, such as the Beatles' "Hey Jude" (1968), were longer than the full-length version of Heroes.Perone 2007 67–68 Following Bowie's death in January 2016, Rolling Stone named Heroes one of the 30 most essential songs of Bowie's catalogue.https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/david-bowie-best-songs-33438/heroes-1977-3-155434/ David Bowie: 30 Essential Songs Rolling Stone 11 January 2016 23 April 2022 23 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220423202725/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/david-bowie-best-songs-33438/heroes-1977-3-155434/ live Likewise, numerous publications have considered the song one of Bowie's finest,David Bowie's 20 greatest songs https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/david-bowies-20-greatest-songs/ The Telegraph 15 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210203131725/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/david-bowies-20-greatest-songs/ 3 February 2021 10 January 2021 with NME, Uncut and Smooth Radio labelling it his greatest.Barker Emily David Bowie's 40 greatest songs – as decided by NME and friends https://www.nme.com/photos/david-bowie-s-40-greatest-songs-as-decided-by-nme-and-friends-1418012 NME 16 February 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20191103063248/https://www.nme.com/photos/david-bowie-s-40-greatest-songs-as-decided-by-nme-and-friends-1418012 3 November 2019 8 January 2018http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/david-bowies-30-best-songs-66458 David Bowie's 30 best songs March 2008 Uncut 11 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160224185624/http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/david-bowies-30-best-songs-66458 24 February 2016 liveEames Tom David Bowie's 20 greatest ever songs, ranked https://www.smoothradio.com/artists/david-bowie/best-songs-ranked/ Smooth Radio 15 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210122191214/https://www.smoothradio.com/artists/david-bowie/best-songs-ranked/ 22 January 2021 26 June 2020 Others including Consequence of Sound, Digital Spy and Mojo, named it his second best, behind "Life on Mars?" (1971).David Bowie's Top 70 Songs https://consequence.net/2017/01/david-bowies-top-70-songs/ Consequence of Sound 19 September 2021 8 January 2017 20 September 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210920212659/https://consequence.net/2017/01/david-bowies-top-70-songs/ live Nissim Mayer David Bowie 1947–2016: 'Life on Mars' is named Bowie's greatest ever song in reader poll http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a358804/david-bowie-1947-2016-life-on-mars-is-named-bowies-greatest-ever-song-in-reader-poll/ 23 January 2016 Digital Spy 11 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160115022234/http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a358804/david-bowie-1947-2016-life-on-mars-is-named-bowies-greatest-ever-song-in-reader-poll/ 15 January 2016 livePaytress Mark David Bowie – The 100 Greatest Songs Mojo February 2015 255 81 In 2018, the readers of NME voted the song Bowie's fourth best track.Anderson Sarah 20 best David Bowie tracks – as voted by you https://www.nme.com/photos/20-best-david-bowie-tracks-as-voted-by-you-1436856 NME 15 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20201030194230/https://www.nme.com/photos/20-best-david-bowie-tracks-as-voted-by-you-1436856 30 October 2020 8 January 2018 The Guardian Alexis Petridis placed it at number five in a list ranking Bowie's 50 greatest songs in 2020. He recognised the track as a "weird, ambiguous song" with an "uplifting sporting-montage-soundtrack ubiquity" that turns six minutes of "pulsing electronic noise, howling guitars and screamed vocals" into "an all-purpose air-punching anthem".Petridis Alexis Alexis Petridis David Bowie's 50 greatest songs – ranked! https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/mar/19/david-bowie-50-greatest-songs-ranked The Guardian 23 March 2020 19 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200322224635/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/mar/19/david-bowie-50-greatest-songs-ranked 22 March 2020 live Accolades In ensuing decades, Heroes has appeared on lists of the greatest songs of all time. In a list of the 100 greatest singles of all time, NME placed it at number five.https://www.nme.com/news/103493.htm 100 Greatest Singles of All Time 16 February 2016 NME dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060427035859/http://www.nme.com/news/103493.htm 27 April 2006 In a similar list, Uncut found it the 16th best single from the post-punk era.The 100 Greatest Singles Of The Post-Punk Era February 2001 Uncut 45 In 2004, Rolling Stone rated Heroes number 46 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6596661/500songs https://web.archive.org/web/20051226133912/https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6596661/500songs dead 26 December 2005 The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: David Bowie, 'Heroes' Rolling Stone 26 December 2005 7 August 2018 and later moving the song up to number 23 on the 2021 list.The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: David Bowie, 'Heroes' https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/david-bowie-heroes-3-1225315/ Rolling Stone 16 September 2021 15 September 2021 8 November 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211108165346/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/david-bowie-heroes-3-1225315/ live NME placed it at number 15 in their similar 2014 list.Kaye Ben The Top 500 Songs of All Time, according to NME https://consequence.net/2014/02/the-top-500-songs-of-all-time-according-to-nme/ Consequence 24 June 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260522232753/https://consequence.net/2014/02/the-top-500-songs-of-all-time-according-to-nme/ 22 May 2026 11 February 2014 live Time included it in their 2011 list of the "All-Time 100 Songs",https://entertainment.time.com/2011/10/24/the-all-time-100-songs/slide/all/ All-Time 100 Songs 15 February 2016 Time https://web.archive.org/web/20160202123951/http://entertainment.time.com/2011/10/24/the-all-time-100-songs/slide/all/ 2 February 2016 live while Pitchfork featured the song in The Pitchfork 500, a 2008 guide to the 500 greatest songs from punk to the present.http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/pitchfork.htm The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present 15 January 2016 Pitchfork https://web.archive.org/web/20160108135757/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/Pitchfork.htm 8 January 2016 usurped In lists ranking the best songs of the 1970s, NME and Pitchfork listed the song at numbers four and six, respectively.Schiller Rebecca 100 Best Songs of the 1970s https://www.nme.com/list/100-best-songs-of-the-1970s-1153 NME 1 May 2022 4 June 2018 27 October 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211027050532/https://www.nme.com/list/100-best-songs-of-the-1970s-1153 live https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9935-the-200-best-songs-of-the-1970s/?page=10 The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s Pitchfork 22 August 2016 20 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20170701190817/http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9935-the-200-best-songs-of-the-1970s/?page=10 1 July 2017 live The UK's Radio X also ranked it the 12th best song of all time in 2010, and the seventh best British song in 2016.http://www.radiox.co.uk/x-lists/top-1000-songs/100-to-1-best-songs-ever/david-bowie-heroes/ The Top 1,000 Songs of All Time 15 January 2016 Radio X https://web.archive.org/web/20151103231948/http://www.radiox.co.uk/x-lists/top-1000-songs/100-to-1-best-songs-ever/david-bowie-heroes/ 3 November 2015 livehttp://charts.radiox.co.uk/best-of-british-2016/chart/ Best of British 31 March 2016 Radio X https://web.archive.org/web/20160331085552/http://charts.radiox.co.uk/best-of-british-2016/chart/ 31 March 2016 dead Later chart success Shortly after Bowie's death, the song charted in numerous countries worldwide and became his most-streamed track on Spotify.https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/12/upshot/david-bowie-songs-that-fans-are-listening-most-heroes-starman-major-tom.html The New York Times The David Bowie Song That Fans Are Listening to Most: 'Heroes' Quoctrung Bui Josh Katz Jasmine C. Lee 12 January 2016 26 February 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170227081938/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/12/upshot/david-bowie-songs-that-fans-are-listening-most-heroes-starman-major-tom.html 27 February 2017 live In the UK, it reached a new peak of number 12.http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/how-the-loss-of-david-bowie-impacted-the-uk-charts-this-week__13564/ How the loss of David Bowie impacted the UK charts Official Charts Company 19 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160118082220/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/how-the-loss-of-david-bowie-impacted-the-uk-charts-this-week__13564/ 18 January 2016 live The song spent two weeks on Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart in the US, peaking at number 11. Its highest positions were number three on Billboard Euro Digital Song Sales chart, number eight in Scotland and number nine in France. Elsewhere, Heroes charted in Italy (17), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Germany (19), Ireland (29), Portugal (32), Australia (36), Sweden (37) and Spain (59). In Italy, the song was certified gold by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry.http://www.fimi.it/up/files/pdfddm/GfK_Certificazioni%20Single%20Digital_wk%2002-2014.pdf Federation of the Italian Music Industry it 19 January 2014 1 February 2014 Certificazione Singoli Digitali dalla settimana 1 del 2009 alla settimana 2 del 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140201195849/http://www.fimi.it/up/files/pdfddm/GfK_Certificazioni%20Single%20Digital_wk%2002-2014.pdf live Héros also peaked at number 37 in France in 2015.David Bowie – Heroes (Chanté en Français) https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=David+Bowie&titel=Heroes+%28chant%E9+en+fran%E7ais%29&cat=s Lescharts.com 12 September 2020 23 September 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200923014349/https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=David+Bowie&titel=Heroes+%28chant%E9+en+fran%E7ais%29&cat=s live Live performances Heroes remained a staple throughout Bowie's concert tours.Pegg 2016 109–113 He later acknowledged the song's impact on live audiences: "In Europe, it is one of the ones that seemed to have special resonance."Trynka 2011 332–334 During the 1978 Isolar II and 1983 Serious Moonlight tours, the song was usually the second number performed rather than among the shows' encores.Pegg 2016 109–113 Performances from the former have seen release on Stage (1978) and Welcome to the Blackout (2018),Erlewine Stephen Thomas Stage – David Bowie https://www.allmusic.com/album/stage-mw0000193055 AllMusic 12 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20190805090901/https://www.allmusic.com/album/stage-mw0000193055 5 August 2019 liveErlewine Stephen Thomas Welcome to the Blackout (Live London '78) – David Bowie https://www.allmusic.com/album/welcome-to-the-blackout-live-london-78-mw0003173016 AllMusic 12 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20191117143206/https://www.allmusic.com/album/welcome-to-the-blackout-live-london-78-mw0003173016 17 November 2019 live while some from the latter appeared on its 1984 concert video and later on Serious Moonlight (Live '83), released as part of the 2018 box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988),Loving the Alien (1983–1988) David Bowie 2018 Parlophone UK, Europe & US Box set booklet 0190295693534 and separately the following year.Serious Moonlight (Live '83) David Bowie 2019 Parlophone Europe CD liner notes 0190295511180 Following Live Aid, Bowie revived Heroes for the 1987 Glass Spider Tour, as seen in its accompanying concert video (1988).Pegg 2016 643 The performance on 6 June 1987 at the German Reichstag in West Berlin has been considered a catalyst to the later fall of the Berlin Wall.https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/01/david-bowie-death/423483/ The Atlantic Ford Matt 11 January 2016 11 January 2016 Remembering David Bowie https://web.archive.org/web/20160112083919/http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/01/david-bowie-death/423483/ 12 January 2016 livehttps://www.vox.com/2016/1/11/10749546/david-bowie-berlin-wall-heroes Vox Fisher Max 11 January 2016 11 January 2016 David Bowie at the Berlin Wall: The Incredible Story of a Concert and Its Role In History https://web.archive.org/web/20160113052820/http://www.vox.com/2016/1/11/10749546/david-bowie-berlin-wall-heroes 13 January 2016 live Bowie called it "one of the most emotional performances I've ever done" in 2003. The song made subsequent appearances during the 1990 Sound+Vision, 1996–1997 Earthling, 2000 Mini, 2002 Heathen and 2003–2004 A Reality tours.Pegg 2016 109–113 A performance from the A Reality Tour saw release on the accompanying DVD and live album, released in 2004 and 2010, respectively.Pegg 2016 460, 647 Another from the Montreux Jazz Festival on 18 July 2002 was released on the box set I Can't Give Everything Away (2002–2016) in 2025.8 July 2025 David Bowie 6. I Can't Give Everything Away (2002–2016) Press Release https://www.davidbowie.com/blog/2025/7/8/david-bowie-6-i-cant-give-everything-away-2002-2016-press-release 13 July 2025 David Bowie Official Website https://web.archive.org/web/20250909232405/https://www.davidbowie.com/blog/2025/7/8/david-bowie-6-i-cant-give-everything-away-2002-2016-press-release 9 September 2025 live Outside his tours, Heroes was performed at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 by Bowie, his former guitarist Mick Ronson and the surviving members of Queen – Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon. Bowie played a semi-acoustic version at the 1996 Bridge School benefit concerts; the 20 October rendition was released on The Bridge School Concerts Vol. 1 album and The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition DVD.Pegg 2016 109–113 The song was also sung at his 50th birthday concert in January 1997, at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2000, which was released in 2018 on Glastonbury 2000,Collins Sean T. David Bowie: Glastonbury 2000 Album Review https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/david-bowie-glastonbury-2000/ Pitchfork 14 March 2020 5 December 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20190711093411/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/david-bowie-glastonbury-2000/ 11 July 2019 live and a performance two days later at the BBC Radio Theatre, which went unreleased until the Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) box set in 2021.https://www.davidbowie.com/blog/2021/9/29/brilliant-adventure-and-toy-press-release Brilliant Adventure and Toy press release David Bowie Official Website 29 September 2021 29 September 2021 29 September 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210929141118/https://www.davidbowie.com/blog/2021/9/29/brilliant-adventure-and-toy-press-release live The song was again performed in 2001 at the Tibet House Benefit concert and the Concert for New York City.Pegg 2016 109–113 Cover versions and tributes thumb|upright=0.7|alt=A close-up of a man with a hat and guitar|A cover version of Heroes by the Wallflowers (lead singer Jakob Dylan pictured in 2012) charted in the US and Canada in 1998. Heroes is cited by Pegg as Bowie's most covered song after "Rebel Rebel" (1974).Pegg 2016 109–113 Artists who have covered the song on stage or in the studio include Nico,Rogers Jude Jude Rogers David Bowie's 'Heroes' — The Ultimate Epitaph https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/heroes.html Financial Times 8 January 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20251104221837/https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/heroes.html 4 November 2025 24 April 2018 live the Smashing Pumpkins, Travis, Arcade Fire and Blondie, whose 1980 live version featured Fripp on guitar.Pegg 2016 109–113 In 1997, Oasis recorded a cover of the single version, which appeared as a B-side of their single "D'You Know What I Mean?" It was sung by Noel Gallagher, who wrote in his diary that the song connected with him because "it actually said something" with the lyrics "We can be heroes / just for one day".Kessler MacBain 2025 172–173 The Wallflowers recorded a version for the soundtrack to the 1998 monster film Godzilla. This version, released as a single on 21 April 1998,New Releases Radio & Records 1244 38 17 April 1998 peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1998, as well as number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and number 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart. In Canada, the single topped the RPM Alternative 30 for six weeks and reached number 13 on the RPM Top Singles chart. British duo Dom and Nic directed the song's music video.https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1998/BB-1998-04-18.pdf MVPA Rewards Clips That Stray from the Mainstream Hay Carla Billboard 110 16 74 18 April 1998 2 April 2022 8 February 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220208155807/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1998/BB-1998-04-18.pdf live The Wallflowers' cover was positively received,https://www.allmusic.com/album/godzilla-the-album-mw0000037152 Original Soundtrack – Godzilla: The Album Erlewine Stephen Thomas AllMusic 19 March 2021 21 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210421195106/https://www.allmusic.com/album/godzilla-the-album-mw0000037152 live with Billboard editor Larry Flick writing that it "beautifully illuminates the heart-tugging quality of the lyrics" but noting the lead singer Jakob Dylan failed to replicate the "irony and edge" of Bowie's version.https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1998/BB-1998-04-18.pdf Reviews & Previews – Singles Flick Larry Larry Flick Billboard 110 18 22 2 May 1998 worldradiohistory.com 2 April 2022 8 February 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220208155807/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1998/BB-1998-04-18.pdf live Artists who have covered Helden include Apocalyptica, Letzte Instanz and David Hasselhoff.Pegg 2016 109–113 left|thumb|upright=0.8|The LCD Soundsystem (frontman James Murphy pictured) track "All I Want" is a tribute to Heroes. In 1997, the American composer Philip Glass adapted the "Heroes" album into a classical music symphony, titled "Heroes" Symphony, utilising the title track as the root for the first movement. The same year, Aphex Twin remixed Bowie's original vocal onto Glass's adaptation for release on a Japanese 3-inch CD single.Pegg 2016 109–113 The LCD Soundsystem song "All I Want" (2010) is directly based on, and is dubbed a tribute to, Heroes.Kreps Daniel 16 April 2016 LCD Soundsystem Cover David Bowie's 'Heroes' at Coachella https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lcd-soundsystem-cover-david-bowies-heroes-at-coachella-59937/ 9 January 2025 Rolling Stone en-US 23 January 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250123214818/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lcd-soundsystem-cover-david-bowies-heroes-at-coachella-59937/ live Mulvey John 13 April 2010 LCD Soundsystem: "This Is Happening" https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/lcd-soundsystem-this-is-happening-35683/ 9 January 2025 Uncut en-GB https://web.archive.org/web/20210301191836/https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/lcd-soundsystem-this-is-happening-35683/ 1 March 2021 live Pitchfork writer Ryan Dombal dubbed it "the ultimate tribute, finer than a million covers".Dombal Ryan LCD Soundsystem: "All I Want" https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11881-lcd-soundsystem-all-i-want/ 9 January 2025 Pitchfork en-US 21 January 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240121194241/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11881-lcd-soundsystem-all-i-want/ live At Bowie's own request, TV on the Radio covered Heroes in 2009 for the charity album War Child Heroes.Pegg 2016 109–113 A year later, Peter Gabriel released a stripped-down version for his covers album Scratch My Back (2010).Pegg 2016 109–113 The same year, the series 7 finalists of The X Factor released a version for the Help for Heroes charity, which reached number one on the Irish, Scottish and UK Singles Chart.http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240001&arch=t&lyr=2010&year=2010&week=47 Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 25 November 2010 Chart-Track 7 December 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180011/http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240001&arch=t&lyr=2010&year=2010&week=47 3 March 2016 deadhttp://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/20101128/41/ Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 28 November 2010 – 04 December 2010 Official Charts Company 11 July 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20161010061318/http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/20101128/41/ 10 October 2016 livehttp://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20101128/7501/ Official Singles Chart Top 100 28 November 2010 – 04 December 2010 Official Charts Company 11 July 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20160203150742/http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20101128/7501/ 3 February 2016 live Pegg panned this version as introducing "a new generation to David Bowie by subjecting one of his greatest songs to the anodyne arrangements, Eurovision key-changes and sub-Mariah Carey karaoke yodeling which are the core ingredients of The X Factor ongoing mission to eradicate real music from planet earth".Pegg 2016 109–113 Following Bowie's death, Heroes became a favourite at tribute events and was covered by artists such as Coldplay,https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7439089/coldplay-head-full-of-dreams-stadium-farewell-tour-chris-martin-david-bowie-metlife-stadium Coldplay Launches A Head Full of Dreams Tour With Vivid Colors, Multiple Stages, David Bowie Tribute & More Billboard 17 July 2016 18 June 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180618084346/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7439089/coldplay-head-full-of-dreams-stadium-farewell-tour-chris-martin-david-bowie-metlife-stadium 18 June 2018 live Blondie, Lady Gaga and Prince, who performed the track regularly shortly before his own death in 2016.Pegg 2016 109–113 On Twitter, the German Foreign Office paid homage to Bowie for "helping to bring down the Wall".https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/01/11/germany-to-david-bowie-thank-you-for-helping-to-bring-down-the-berlin-wall/ Germany to David Bowie: Thank You for Helping to Bring Down the Berlin Wall Foreign Policy 11 January 2016 12 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161004130922/http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/01/11/germany-to-david-bowie-thank-you-for-helping-to-bring-down-the-berlin-wall/ 4 October 2016 livehttp://www.marketwatch.com/story/death-of-david-bowie-sparks-howls-of-anguish-across-social-media-2016-01-11 David Bowie death triggers tributes from Iggy Pop, Madonna – even the Vatican and the German government Barbara Kollmeyer MarketWatch 19 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20171019113815/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/death-of-david-bowie-sparks-howls-of-anguish-across-social-media-2016-01-11 19 October 2017 live Depeche Mode subsequently released a cover to commemorate the song's 40th anniversary, with Dave Gahan stating, "Bowie is the one artist who I've stuck with since I was in my early teens. His albums are always my go-to on tour and covering Heroes is paying homage to Bowie."Trendell Andrew Depeche Mode share official cover of David Bowie's 'Heroes' to mark track's 40th anniversary https://www.nme.com/news/depeche-mode-share-official-cover-david-bowies-heroes-mark-tracks-40th-anniversary-2143717 NME 22 September 2017 22 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20140729155132/http://www.allaccess.com/hot-modern-ac/future-releases 29 July 2014 live King Crimson, who had added the song to their live set in 2000 when the band consisted of former Bowie players Fripp and Adrian Belew,Pegg 2016 109–113 recorded a version for their five-track EP Heroes: Live in Europe 2016.Munro Scott King Crimson to release EP featuring David Bowie's Heroes https://www.loudersound.com/news/king-crimson-to-release-ep-featuring-david-bowies-heroes Prog 24 June 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20260130102930/https://www.loudersound.com/news/king-crimson-to-release-ep-featuring-david-bowies-heroes 30 January 2026 28 April 2017 live Loudersound Motörhead also released a version on their 2017 album Under Cöver, which was recorded in 2015 during the recording sessions for Bad Magic, and one of the last songs recorded before Lemmy's death that same year.Hartmann Graham Motorhead to Issue 'Under Cover' Album Featuring Never-Before-Heard David Bowie Cover https://loudwire.com/motorhead-under-cover-album-david-bowie-cover/ Loudwire 24 July 2017 29 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220228174812/https://loudwire.com/motorhead-under-cover-album-david-bowie-cover/ 28 February 2022 live Also in 2017, a cover by the Australian band Gang of Youths was featured in the trailers for the film Justice League.Irwin Corey 29 Wildy Different Covers of David Bowie's 'Heroes' https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-heroes-covers/ Ultimate Classic Rock 17 June 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260311132050/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-heroes-covers/ 11 March 2026 23 September 2022 live Further covers have been released by Hollywood Vampires for their album Rise (2019), sung by Johnny Depp;https://consequence.net/2019/04/the-hollywood-vampires-new-album-song-whos-laughing-now/ The Hollywood Vampires announce new album, unveil song "Who's Laughing Now" Consequence of Sound Kaufman Spencer April 18, 2019 July 11, 2019 5 September 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250905142240/https://consequence.net/2019/04/the-hollywood-vampires-new-album-song-whos-laughing-now/ live Neil Finn in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns; and previous Bowie collaborator Moby in 2021 for his album Reprise. David Byrne, St. Vincent and Arcade Fire performed Heroes as a medley with Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" during Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary concert at Radio City Music Hall on 14 February 2025.Willman Chris 'SNL50: Homecoming Concert' Most Memorable Moments: Lady Gaga, 'Post Nirvana,' Jack White, Cher, Will Ferrell, Robyn and More https://variety.com/2025/music/news/snl50-homecoming-concert-best-moments-peacock-1236308876/ Variety 16 February 2025 14 February 2025 16 February 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250216010149/https://variety.com/2025/music/news/snl50-homecoming-concert-best-moments-peacock-1236308876/ live Usage in media thumb|right|alt=An image of a large crowd of people walking into a stadium|The athletes of Great Britain entering the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Heroes was played during the event. Bowie allowed Heroes to be used in advertising campaigns throughout his lifetime,Pegg 2016 109–113 from ads for cell phones, cars and software, to HBO Latin America programming, musical video games and sporting events.O'Leary 2019 chap. 2 One such event was the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics, where it was played as the British team entered the Olympic Stadium.https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/sports/olympics/in-olympic-opening-ceremony-britain-asserts-its-eccentric-identity.html A Five-Ring Opening Circus, Weirdly and Unabashedly British The New York Times Sarah Lyall 27 July 2012 28 July 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120728021456/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/sports/olympics/in-olympic-opening-ceremony-britain-asserts-its-eccentric-identity.html 28 July 2012 live subscription In 2001, the song appeared in three prominent feature films: Antitrust, Moulin Rouge! and The Parole Officer.Pegg 2016 109–113 On television, the song has made appearances in Glee (2012), the US version of The Tomorrow People (2014) and Regular Show (2017),https://www.avclub.com/the-epic-emotional-regular-show-finale-is-anything-but-1798190044 The epic, emotional Regular Show finale is anything but Thurm Eric The A.V. Club 16 January 2017 10 February 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170211160622/http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/epic-emotional-regular-show-finale-anything-248411 11 February 2017 live and on soundtrack albums for Heroes and Ninja Assassin (2009).Pegg 2016 109–113 Gabriel's version was used in two episodes of the Netflix series Stranger Things in 2016 and 2019,Stevens Ashlie D. 5 July 2019 That cover song at the end of Stranger Things season 3 has its own back story https://www.salon.com/2019/07/05/stranger-things-heroes-peter-gabriel-david-bowie/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20210316155232/https://www.salon.com/2019/07/05/stranger-things-heroes-peter-gabriel-david-bowie/ 16 March 2021 17 March 2021 Salon.com en while Bowie's original played during the end credits in the final episode of the show.Zamora Christian Joe Keery Suggested David Bowie's 'Heroes' for the Stranger Things End Credits https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/stranger-things-finale-end-credits Netflix 1 January 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260101202615/https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/stranger-things-finale-end-credits 1 January 2026 1 January 2026 live The song's usage came from one of the show's actors, Joe Keery, who believed the song would be a "perfect way" to conclude the series. Following its appearance in the final episode, the song experienced a significant spike of almost 500 percent on streaming services.Mier Tomás David Bowie's 'Heroes' Saw Massive Streaming Spike After 'Stranger Things' Finale https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/david-bowie-heroes-streaming-spike-stranger-things-finale-1235494462/ Rolling Stone 7 January 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260106022301/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/david-bowie-heroes-streaming-spike-stranger-things-finale-1235494462/ 6 January 2026 5 January 2026 live limited Bowie's original was also featured in the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012),Chaney Jen 28 September 2012 The Perks of Being a Wallflower: A look at which of the book's cultural references show up in the movie https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/celebritology/post/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-a-look-at-which-of-the-books-cultural-references-show-up-in-the-movie/2012/09/28/cebc5fd4-097b-11e2-858a-5311df86ab04_blog.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20121126053243/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/celebritology/post/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-a-look-at-which-of-the-books-cultural-references-show-up-in-the-movie/2012/09/28/cebc5fd4-097b-11e2-858a-5311df86ab04_blog.html 26 November 2012 subscription The Washington Post 28 July 2026https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/perks-of-being-a-wallflower-soundtrack_n_1798438.html 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower' Soundtrack Tracklist Revealed (EXCLUSIVE) 17 August 2012 Huffington Post 3 December 2017 en-US 13 April 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170413071036/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/perks-of-being-a-wallflower-soundtrack_n_1798438.html livehttps://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/10/qa-stephen-chbosky-perks-of-being-a-wallflower Q&A: Perks of Being a Wallflower's Stephen Chbosky on Emma Watson's Casting, High School Yearning, and "Heroes" Handy Bruce Vanity Fair 3 December 2017 6 July 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170706145731/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/10/qa-stephen-chbosky-perks-of-being-a-wallflower live and in the premiere trailer for the Brazilian film Praia do Futuro (2014).https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/berlin-film-review-praia-do-futuro-1201098056/ Variety 13 April 2014 Berlin Film Review: 'Praia do Futuro' 12 February 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140407045509/http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/berlin-film-review-praia-do-futuro-1201098056/ 7 April 2014 live Five years later, Helden was played at the end of Jojo Rabbit.Kermode Mark https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/05/jojo-rabbit-review-taika-waititi-hitler-scarlett-johansson-sam-rockwell Jojo Rabbit review – down the rabbit hole with Hitler 5 January 2020 The Guardian 28 April 2022 16 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220416024917/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/05/jojo-rabbit-review-taika-waititi-hitler-scarlett-johansson-sam-rockwell live In 1998, the song featured in the video game NHL 99 as part of the first half of the game's intro.Wyshynski Greg 11 January 2016 When David Bowie turned NHL stars into 'Heroes' (Video) https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/when-david-bowie-turned-nhl-stars-into--heroes---video-222046042.html 14 December 2025 Yahoo Sports https://web.archive.org/web/20211024000234/https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/when-david-bowie-turned-nhl-stars-into--heroes---video-222046042.html 24 October 2021 live In 2007, a cover version of Heroes was made available as downloadable content for the Rock Band rhythm game series, as part of the "David Bowie Track Pack 01". The pack also includes "Moonage Daydream" (1972) and a cover version of "Queen Bitch" (1971).Bramwell Tom 27 November 2007 Bowie Rock Band tracks up https://www.eurogamer.net/bowie-rock-band-tracks-up 27 June 2024 Eurogamer en 27 June 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240627014140/https://www.eurogamer.net/bowie-rock-band-tracks-up live Personnel According to Chris O'Leary and Benoît Clerc:O'Leary 2019 chap. 2Clerc 2021 278–279 David Bowie – lead and backing vocals, piano, ARP Solina String Ensemble, Chamberlin Robert Fripp – lead guitar Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar George Murray – bass Dennis Davis – drums Brian Eno – EMS Synthi AKS, guitar treatments Tony Visconti – metal canister, backing vocals, tambourine Technical David Bowie – producer Tony Visconti – producer, engineer, mixer (Hansa Studios) Colin Thurston – engineer, mixer (Hansa Studios) Eduard Meyer, Michael Zimmerling, Peter Burgon – assistant engineers (Hansa Studios) David Richards, Eugene Chaplin – assistant engineers (Mountain Studios) Charts David Bowie version Weekly charts + 1977–78 weekly chart performance Chart (1977–78) Peakposition Australia (Kent Music Report)Kent 1993 43 11Austria 14 15 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true AUST77Flanders 17 17 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true BELFL77Ireland2 8 19 January 2020 Heroes true IRE77Dutch40 8 David Bowie Heroes October 7, 2023 trueDutch100 9 15 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true NETH77New Zealand 34 21 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true NZ77UK 24 15 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true 19771105 UK77 US Record World Singles Chart 101–150Whitburn 2015 57 126 + 2016 weekly chart performanceChart (2016)PeakpositionAustralia 36 17 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true AUS2016Billboardeurodigital 3 David Bowie true 28 April 2022 EUR2016France 9 17 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true FRA2016Germany 19 17 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true 6856 GER2016Ireland3 27 19 August 2026 David Bowie true IRE2016Italy 17 16 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true ITA2016Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard)http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=d_and_a_overseas&year=2016&month=01&day=25 Billboard Japan Hot Overseas ja Billboard Japan 18 January 2016 18 February 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170219011653/http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=d_and_a_overseas&year=2016&month=01&day=25 19 February 2017 live18Portugal (AFP)http://portuguesecharts.com/archive.asp?todo=show&woche=02&jahr=2016&sparte=s Portuguesecharts – David Bowie – Heroes portuguesecharts.com 18 February 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20160412123705/http://www.portuguesecharts.com/archive.asp?todo=show&woche=02&jahr=2016&sparte=s 12 April 2016 live32Scotland 8 20160121 true 28 April 2022 SCO2016Spain 59 David Bowie Heroes true 28 April 2022 SPA2016Sweden 37 17 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true SWE2016Switzerland 17 17 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true SWI2016UK 12 15 January 2016 Heroes David Bowie true 20160121 UK2016Billboardrocksongs 11 David Bowie true 21 January 2016 US2016 Year-end charts Chart (1977) PositionNetherlands (Dutch Top 40)https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1977 Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1977 Dutch Top 40 12 December 2023 19 November 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211119190415/https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1977 live68Netherlands (Single Top 100)http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1977&cat=s Jaaroverzichten – Single 1977 MegaCharts nl 23 June 2023 10 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160310071557/http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1977&cat=s live79 The Wallflowers version Weekly charts + Weekly chart performanceChart (1998)PeakpositionAustralia 38 The Wallflowers Heroes true 20 June 2020Canada RPM 13 2286 20 June 2020 trueCanada RPM AC 28 2292 20 June 2020 trueCanada RPM Rock 1 10019 20 June 2020 trueGermany 85 The Wallflowers Heroes 128466 true 20 June 2020Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)https://timarit.is/page/2969545?iabr=on#page/n7/mode/2up Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (21.5. – 28.5. 1998) Dagblaðið Vísir is 42 22 May 1998 20 June 2020 21 June 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200621141533/https://timarit.is/page/2969545?iabr=on#page/n7/mode/2up live 21Billboardradiosongs 27 The Wallflowers true 20 June 2020Billboardadultalternativesongs 3 The Wallflowers true 20 June 2020Billboardadultpopsongs 20 The Wallflowers true 20 June 2020Billboardalternativesongs 9 The Wallflowers true 20 June 2020Billboardmainstreamrock 4 The Wallflowers true 20 June 2020Billboardpopsongs 23 The Wallflowers true 20 June 2020 Year-end charts + Year-end chart performanceChart (1998)PositionCanada Top Singles (RPM)http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume%2068-No.%2012-December%2014,%201998.pdf RPM's Top 100 Hits of '98 RPM 68 12 20 14 December 1998 20 June 2020 14 June 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210614122636/http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume%2068-No.%2012-December%2014,%201998.pdf live 62Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?IdNumber=4652&app=rpm RPM's Top 50 Alternative Tracks of '98 RPM Library and Archives Canada 20 June 2020 22 June 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200622204725/https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6985&URLjpg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2Fobj%2F028020%2Ff4%2Fnlc008388.6985.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6985 live 5US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998 Airplay Monitor 6 52 55 25 December 199873US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)Most Played Mainstream Rock Songs of 1998 Airplay Monitor 6 52 34 25 December 199843US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1998 Airplay Monitor 6 52 36 25 December 199851US Triple-A (Billboard)Best of '98: Most Played Triple-A Songs Airplay Monitor 6 52 35 25 December 199837 Certifications Sales certifications Denmark single David Bowie Heroes Gold 2020 digital sales since 2011 2011 9443 13 August 2020 Italy single David Bowie Heroes Gold 2016 2009 sales since 2009 13 August 2020 3839 New Zealand David Bowie Heroes single 2022 Platinum 3 radioscope 11 December 2025 Spain single Platinum 1977 2024 David Bowie Heroes 12 August 2024 United Kingdom single David Bowie Heroes Platinum 2 digital sales since 2004 2004 2025 2859-2269-1 3 January 2025 true true true References Notes Citations 30em Sources 30em Buckley David 1999 Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story London Virgin Books 978-1-85227-784-0 Buckley David 2005 1999 Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story London Virgin Books 978-0-75351-002-5 Buckley David David Bowie: The Music and The Changes https://books.google.com/books?id=lboSCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT63 2015 Omnibus Press London 978-1-78323-617-6 Campbell Irving A Guide to the Outtakes of Marc Bolan 2007 Great Horse Wellington, New Zealand 978-0-473-12076-4 1st Carr Roy Roy Carr Murray Charles Shaar Charles Shaar Murray 1981 Bowie: An Illustrated Record Eel Pie Publishing 978-0-38077-966-6 Clerc Benoît 2021 David Bowie All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track New York City Black Dog & Leventhal 978-0-7624-7471-4 Doggett Peter Peter Doggett 2012 The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie and the 1970s HarperCollins Publishers 978-0-06-202466-4 Gillman Peter Gillman Leni 1987 Alias David Bowie New York City Henry Holt and Company 978-0-80500-390-1 Hodgson Jay 2010 Understanding Records: A Field Guide to Recording Practice London Bloomsbury Academic 978-1-4411-5607-5 Joynson Vernon Discover UK Shoegaze and Dream Pop: A Music Guide to Shoegaze and Dream Pop with Artist Discographies and Biographical Information https://books.google.com/books?id=j-3cEAAAQBAJ Great Britain Borderline Productions 2023 978-1899855254 Kamp Thomas 1985 David Bowie, The Wild Eyed Boy 1964–1984: A Comprehensive Reference and World-Wide Discography Guide Phoenix, Arizona O'Sullivan Woodside 0-89019-086-0 Kent David David Kent (historian) 1993 Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 illustrated St Ives, NSW Australian Chart Book 0-646-11917-6 Kessler Ted MacBain Hamish A Sound So Very Loud: The Inside Story of Every Song Oasis Recorded 2025 Pegasus Books New York City https://books.google.com/books?id=7Jj_0AEACAAJ 978-1-63936-953-9 Matthew-Walker Robert David Bowie, Theatre of Music Sound and Vision Toronto, Ontario 0-920151-08-6 15102709 1985 O'Leary Chris 2019 Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie 1976–2016 London Repeater 978-1912248308 Pegg Nicholas Nicholas Pegg The Complete David Bowie https://books.google.com/books?id=LqFkDQAAQBAJ Titan Books London 2016 978-1-78565-365-0 Revised and Updated Perone James E. https://books.google.com/books?id=C6bz2BFdPawC&pg=PA57 The Words and Music of David Bowie Westport, Connecticut Greenwood Publishing Group 2007 978-0-27599-245-3 Seabrook Thomas Jerome Bowie in Berlin: A New Career in a New Town 2008 London Jawbone Press 978-1-90600-208-4 Spitz Marc Marc Spitz Bowie: A Biography Crown Publishing Group New York City 2009 978-0-307-71699-6 Trynka Paul Paul Trynka 2011 David Bowie – Starman: The Definitive Biography New York City Little, Brown and Company 978-0-31603-225-4 Whitburn Joel Joel Whitburn 2015 The Comparison Book Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin Record Research Inc. 978-0-89820-213-7 30em Category:1977 songs Category:1977 singles Category:Articles with quotation marks in the title Category:David Bowie songs Category:Epic Records singles Category:Gang of Youths songs Category:Interscope Records singles Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Category:Oasis (band) songs Category:Music videos directed by Dom and Nic Category:Number-one singles in Scotland Category:RCA Records singles Category:Song recordings produced by David Bowie Category:Song recordings produced by Tony Visconti Category:Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements Category:Songs written by Brian Eno Category:Songs written by David Bowie Category:Songs about Berlin Category:Berlin Wall in fiction Category:The Wallflowers songs Category:The X Factor (British TV series) Category:UK singles chart number-one singles Category:Charity singles