The Climb (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Climb" is a song performed by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus
, for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie
. The song was written by Jessi Alexander
and Jon Mabe, and produced by John Shanks
. It was released on March 5, 2009, as the lead single
of the film's soundtrack
by Walt Disney Records
. The song is a power ballad with lyrics that describe life as a difficult but rewarding journey. It is styled as a country pop
ballad, and was Cyrus' first solo song to be released to country radio. The instrumentation
includes piano
, guitar
and violin
s.
"The Climb" was generally well received by critics and was nominated for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
at the 52nd Grammy Awards
. However, the song was withdrawn from consideration by Walt Disney Records because it had not been written specifically for a movie as the category's eligibility rules required. The song achieved worldwide success and became a top ten hit on charts in Australia, Canada, Norway and the United States. In the United States, the song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100
and became the eighth best selling digital single of 2009. Five months after its release, the single was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). Since, it has been recognized as one of the best-selling singles in the United States.
The song's accompanying music video
was directed by Matthew Rolston
, and depicts scenes of Cyrus climbing a mountain or singing, intercut with clips of Hannah Montana: The Movie. Cyrus promoted the song with several live performances. The first, at the Kids Inaugural: "We Are the Future" event on January 19, 2009, was the first time the song had ever been publicly heard. Cyrus also performed the song as the closing number of her Wonder World Tour
. The song is also a part of her Gypsy Heart Tour
. "The Climb" has been covered
by several artists and was the most popular choice of song among auditioners for the ninth season
of the American singing contest, American Idol
. Simon Cowell
, creator of the British television talent show The X Factor, chose "The Climb" to be the debut single of the winner of the competition's sixth series
. Winner Joe McElderry
's cover, released on December 14, 2009 by Syco Music, was produced by Quiz & Larossi
and topped the Irish Singles Chart
and the UK Singles Chart
.
Hannah Montana: The Movie. Co-writer Jessi Alexander conceived the song's melody while driving to the home of songwriting partner Jon Mabe. Once she arrived, she and Mabe developed a song about overcoming life's obstacles inspired by their personal struggles in the music industry. Alexander referred to the process as a form of "therapy" and recalled,
The song they created was titled "It's the Climb" and was written in third person. Alexander described the original song as "more spiritual
" than the version that was released, and said it contained lines about prayer
. However, she claimed she knew it was pop and suitable for The Walt Disney Company
.
Before reaching Cyrus, the song had been rejected by several country artists. It was eventually picked up by Peter Chelsom
, director of Hannah Montana: The Movie, who gave it to Cyrus to record for the film. Chelsom found what would become "The Climb" while visiting Nashville, Tennessee
, during a quest to find eleven new songs for Hannah Montana: The Movie. After hearing Alexander's music, Chelsom asked her to submit songs for consideration. Alexander recorded "It's the Climb" on a CD and gave it to him. Several weeks later, Chelsom called to say that "the song was gonna be an integral part of the movie". However, he wanted Mabe and Alexander to rework some of the song's content and to change the song from third person to first person
. Alexander felt the changes amounted to a "substantial amount of the song" and commented, "For me, when you change something from third person to first person, it can change the whole meaning of a line." She and Mabe "wrestl[ed] over taking words out" and how much they could change while maintaining the song's integrity. After a number of drafts, Mabe and Alexander finally created a version they felt was "perfect for the movie".
Upon receiving the final draft, filmmakers told the songwriters, "This is perfect for Miley, it’s gonna change her life, gonna change your life." Chelsom commented that the song "turned up" the film's music level by tapping into Cyrus's newfound vocal range. As with the other songs featured in Hannah Montana: The Movie, the song is "tightly woven into the fabric of the story and the characters". In the film, Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, a character with a secret double life as superstar Hannah Montana. Keeping this secret causes trouble between Miley and many of the other characters in the film, and leaves Miley confused and contrite. She expresses her emotions by writing "The Climb". According to film producer
Alfred Gough, "The song is her journey, the lessons she's learned in the movie. It's an epic [...] power ballad that encapsulates Miley's journey and the message of the film."
"The Climb" was chosen as the lead single from the soundtrack due to its country elements, which introduced Cyrus to listeners beyond her usual pop audience. The song is Cyrus's first solo effort marketed directly to country radio, though she had previously recorded and released a country duet with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus
, which was titled "Ready, Set, Don't Go
", in 2007. Bill Lamb, of About.com
, said the song signified Cyrus' hope for a position in country music, noting her duet with country singer Taylor Swift
at the 51st Grammy Awards
. Warren Truitt, also of About.com, referred to the song as "Miley's serious attempt to break into the contemporary country world." "The Climb" was leaked to the Internet on February 4, 2009, two days prior to its official release for airplay. In October 2009, it was re-released to countries outside the United States in the international version of Cyrus' extended play
, The Time of Our Lives
.
power ballad that incorporates soft rock
and pop rock
styles and lasts three minutes and fifty-five seconds. The song begins slowly, building primarily from solo piano and accentuated with chiming electric guitars. However, at two minutes and forty-five seconds, a "sudden, spiky burst of violins" enters the song, and the song switches to full power. Bill Lamb of About.com
considers Cyrus's vocals "solid and clear". However, Todd Martens, co-editor of The Los Angeles Times music column, says Cyrus uses a "a raspy voice [that] brings a bit of country grit" to the song. "The Climb" is set in common time
at a moderate tempo
of 80 beats per minute. The song is sung in the key of E major
and Cyrus's vocals span two octaves, from E3 to G♯5. The song uses a standard issue ballad arrangement with the chord progression
, E5—Asus2—F♯7sus.
According to music reviewer Fraser McAlpine of the BBC
, the song's lyrics assert that life should be viewed as "a journey which is difficult but rewarding". Both Martens and McAlpine took special interest in the line "It's always gonna be an uphill battle/Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose". Martens interpreted the line as an acknowledgment by the singer of her own mistakes in life, while McAlpine wrote, "In this song which is about plugging away at things, the writers have slipped in [...] that the occasional setback isn't the end of the world."
felt the song's lyrics were generic, but complimented Cyrus vocals: "Miley acquits herself well vocally — there are moments where her voice sounds a tad strained, but it's good to hear her on a track that's a little more subdued and with less frantic production than the uptempo, sassy pop songs we're used to." Michael Menachem of Billboard
magazine called the song "one of the year's strongest ballads". Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe
praised "The Climb" for being a "pretty liberation anthem". Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
said, "On tunes like [...] 'The Climb', the 16-year-old Tennessee
native turns up her homegrown inflections, but a few elongated r's won't exactly shut out her huge pop audience." Todd Martens of The Los Angeles Times believed that "The Climb" was "buried in cheese" and described it as "pre-Valentine's Day
gooeyness". However, Martens said, "'The Climb' is the rare Miley ballad that's on par with some of her more spunky teen pop."
Heather Phares of Allmusic said, "the best songs that Cyrus sings on the soundtrack have her own name on them". She also made musical comparisons to Shania Twain
and described the song as "natural, [...] down to earth and grown-up". While reviewing The Time of Our Lives
, Michael Hann of The Guardian
called "The Climb" a "one rather superior ballad", compared to "When I Look at You" and "Obsessed". Hann said the song was added to the extended play in order to "add some ballast since this collection's US release." Jon Caraminica of The New York Times
described "The Climb" as an "appealing new single [that] is just the sort of demure, inspirational country-rock that could easily be mistaken for self-reckoning." While reviewing a concert performance, James Reed of The Boston Globe called the song "bland but inspirational fare".
" at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards
and "Music Choice: Single" at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards
. At the 52nd Grammy Awards
, "The Climb" received a nomination for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
, a songwriter's award. However, Walt Disney Records withdrew the song from consideration because the song was not "written specifically for a motion picture, television or other visual media", as the Grammy eligibility rules dictated. According to Rolling Stone
magazine, "The Climb" was submitted for consideration by mistake. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
(NARAS), the presenters of the Grammy Awards, released a statement stating, "Walt Disney Records was proactive and forthcoming to our awards department and verified that the song was not written specifically for the film Hannah Montana: The Movie. Based on this information, the Academy has complied with the label's request." NARAS replaced the nomination with the song with the next highest initial vote count, "All is Love
", which was written by Karen O
and Nick Zinner
for the film Where the Wild Things Are
.
s Hot Country Songs
. It was, incidentally, the same week that "Back to Tennessee
", by Cyrus's father, Billy Ray Cyrus
, debuted at number fifty-nine, the first time a father and daughter had separate charting songs on the chart since Johnny
and Rosanne Cash
charted in 1990 with "Silver Stallion" and "One Step over the Line", respectively. "The Climb" eventually peaked at number twenty-five on the country-genre chart. For the week ending March 14, 2009, the song debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100
due to sales of 166,000 digital downloads, thus making "The Climb" Cyrus's highest-charting effort at the time, surpassing her previous best-charting effort "7 Things
", which peaked at number nine in July 2008. For the week ending May 2, 2009, the song reached its peak at number four on the Hot 100. "The Climb" also peaked at number seven on the Pop 100
chart, forty-two on Hot Christian Songs
, and at number one for fifteen consecutive weeks on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
. Cyrus became the youngest artist to top Adult Contemporary since LeAnn Rimes
entered the chart in 1997 with "How Do I Live
". According to Billboard, "The Climb" was the eighth best selling digital single of 2009. The single was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for the sales of over two million copies. As of February 2011, "The Climb" sold over 3.1 million copies in the United States. In Canada, "The Climb" entered at number seventeen and eventually peaked at number five. The single was certified triple platinum by Music Canada
for the sales of 240,000 digital downloads.
"The Climb" was also a success in Australia and New Zealand. The song made its debut on the Australian Singles Chart at number forty-six on April 19, 2009. After ten weeks on the chart, "The Climb" reached number five on the chart, where it stayed for two consecutive weeks. "The Climb" was placed at number eighty-four on the decade-end Australian Singles Chart. The song has been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) for sales above 70,000. "The Climb" debuted in the New Zealand Singles Chart at number twenty-five on April 13, 2009 and reached its peak at number twelve on June 15, 2009. On September 4, 2009, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ) for sales exceeding 7,500 copies.
In the UK Singles Chart
, "The Climb" made its entry at number eighty-two on March 28, 2009 and reached its peak at number eleven on June 16, 2009. With its peak at number eleven, it tied for Cyrus's best-charting effort on the chart with "See You Again
" from October 2008. The single was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for the shipment of over 200,000 copies. In Ireland, the song also peaked at number eleven. In mainland Europe, the song peaked at number twenty-three on Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
, number eleven on Belgian Tip Singles Chart (Flanders), and number five on Norwegian Singles Chart. The song experienced similar commercial outcomes throughout the rest of Europe; it appeared within the top thirty of charts in Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), and France.
directed the music video for "The Climb", which premiered on Cyrus's MySpace
page on February 11, 2009. The video commences with a shot of Cyrus holding a guitar and a suitcase as she begins to walk down a long path extending through a valley. At the end of the valley, the sun breaks out over a distant mountain. The entire scene is enhanced with computer-generated imagery
. Cyrus has her hair tied in a bun and wears a traveling jacket, a gray tank top and cowboy boots. In a separate setting, Cyrus, wearing a gray short sleeve shirt and her hair loose, begins to sing "The Climb" beneath a blue spotlight in a purple room. The two settings alternate throughout the video. A vignetted
scene from Hannah Montana: The Movie appears in front of Cyrus as she walks on the path. The video zooms into the scene and a montage of film clips plays, featuring Cyrus's character and her love interest, Travis Brody (played by Lucas Till
) horseback riding. The video returns to Cyrus walking; she picks up a rose fallen on the path, then throws it behind her. As the video progresses, she also sees things such as a herd of horses and a shooting star
cross her path. A new setting enters the video in which Cyrus dances in a purple room with a countdown or, occasionally, film clips projected on the wall behind her. Rain begins to pour in the path setting. Cyrus puts down her jacket, guitar case, suitcase and boots, and continues onwards with only her guitar strapped to her shoulder. More film clip montages play in the same manner as the first. As the last montage ends, Cyrus finally reaches the summit of a reddish, CGI mountain and triumphantly looks over the cliff's edge to watch the sun shining over a shimmering lake. An alternate version of the music video excluding the Hannah Montana: The Movie clips exists and was sent to several channels, including VH1
.
Bill Lamb of About.com
said the video took an "inspirational approach". Todd Martens of The Los Angeles Times wrote that while he enjoyed the song, he was unsure about the video. He commented that while the video was an improvement since Cyrus's video for "7 Things
" (2008), the settings in "The Climb" music video looked as though they had been painted by Thomas Kinkade
and Cyrus's dancing appeared off-beat. Travis of MTV
described the video as "beautifully shot (although heavily digitized)". Lyndsey Parker of Yahoo! Music
remarked that the summit setting was similar to that of the music video for Britney Spears
' "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
". Parker also felt the scene in which Cyrus looks out over the cliff, shot using large sweeps with an aerial camera, had been "lifted straight out of an '80s Bon Jovi
video". In 2009
, the video received a MuchMusic Video
nomination for Best International Artist Video
, but lost to Lady Gaga
's music video for "Poker Face
".
to celebrate the inauguration
of Barack Obama
as President of the United States. Cyrus, dressed in an embroidered red ball gown
made by Reem Acra
, dedicated the song to Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama. Following the song's official release in March 2009, Cyrus resumed promotion for "The Climb", performing live for shows including American Idol
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, Good Morning America
, and Live with Regis and Kelly
throughout April. On April 13, Cyrus performed "The Climb" as part of her set for the AOL Sessions. On April 24, Cyrus sang "The Climb" and other songs in a London Apple Store. The performances were recorded and sold exclusively by the United Kingdom iTunes Store
as a live extended play
titled iTunes Live from London. On June 7, 2009, Cyrus performed the song at the 20th annual A Time for Heroes Celebrity Carnival, an outdoor carnival supporting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
. Cyrus also sang "The Climb" on The Today Show on August 28 and at the first D23 Expo on September 11, 2009.
To promote the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack, Cyrus performed "The Climb" on a six-day, five-city acoustic
radio promo tour that reached over 250 radio shows. The song was also used as the closing number of Cyrus' 2009 Wonder World Tour
, her first world tour. During the tour performances, Cyrus performed in a white tank top and shorts, boots, and a metallic vest, while giant overhead video screens displayed sunsets. After finishing, Cyrus exited through a passageway in the stage while the images of shooting stars and the earth in space appeared on the screen. Melinda M. Thompson of The Oregonian
described the performance as "really a moment to remember — Miley's soulful and touching rendition of 'The Climb'", while Jim Harrington of The Oakland Tribune
said the performance was a "tender closer" that drew a large response at the September 18 concert in Oakland, California, at the Oracle Arena. Cyrus later performed the song at the Rock in Rio concert in Lisbon, Portugal and the London, England nightclubs Heaven
and G-A-Y
.
Cyrus added the song to her 2011 and most recent tour, Gypsy Heart Tour
.
by several amateurs and established acts. Mirror Image Records' indie rock group HelenaMaria
covered the song and released it as a digital single in March 2009. Pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson
and two other singers covered the song in a YouTube
video published in September 2009. The three singers harmonized together in an intimate performance while one strummed an acoustic guitar
. At auditions for the ninth season
of the television singing competition American Idol
, "The Climb" was the most popular choice of song amongst contestants. Mandi Bierly, writing for Entertainment Weekly
, commented, "it sounds like we could get an Idol whose voice actually suits the inspirational tune that he or she will be forced to record as a first single. (Though the odds of that song being anywhere as good as 'The Climb'...)". While informing Cyrus of its popularity on American Idol, the series' host Ryan Seacrest
commented that the contestants "believe [it is] a song that will make an impression and [...] will get them into that next level". Cyrus replied,
Kidz Bop Kids recorded a cover of the song for Kidz Bop 16
. Heather Phares of Allmusic commented, "The Kidz Bop Kids' version of Miley Cyrus' 'The Climb' sounds like an especially good elementary school choir performance". Thia Megia, aged 14, performed a cover version of "The Climb" while competing in the semi-final of America's Got Talent
. Her performance was well received by the judges, with praise from Sharon Osbourne
for her age-appropriate choice. Australian singer Stan Walker
performed the song as a contestant on the seventh season
of Australian Idol
. After winning the competition, he recorded the song for his debut album, Introducing... Stan Walker. Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic said the cover turned out "well in large part because of Walker's vocal talents". American Idol
finalist Haeley Vaughn performed the song during the top twenty rounds of the ninth season. The following season
, contestant Lauren Alaina
performed the song during Idol Goes to the Movies week. The song was covered by Lea Michele
, portraying Rachel Berry
, in the 2010 Glee
episode "Laryngitis
". Filipino singer Charice has also done a live cover of this song. Filipino acoustic singer Davey Langit also covered the song. The YouTube
-founded R&B group, Ahmir also created a cover for the Climb, this cover is considered to be one of the best. The song was covered by Star Academy Middle East contestant Christine Saadé from Lebanon
during the 10th week evaluation. Christine stated that the song was dedicated to her grandfather who died during the competition, but cried during her performance, which resulted to her being nominated for the Bottom 3. She was saved by the other candidate's votes with 7/11 of the voting process. Australian born singer Luke Cheung recorded a cover of the song for the 2010 album Life in Auto-Tune.
chose for Joe McElderry
, Olly Murs
, and Stacey Solomon
, the three finalists of the sixth series
of the British television talent contest The X Factor
, to record the song in preparation for a single release as soon as the winner was announced. After Solomon's elimination, Murs and McElderry sang the song on December 13, 2009, as their final performance in the competition. Upon winning the competition, McElderry's version of "The Climb", produced by Quiz & Larossi
, was released on December 14, 2009 by Syco Music as the first single from his album Wide Awake (2010). McElderry said that the lyrics to "The Climb" meant a lot to him: "It's an emotional song because it's what's been happening in the last few months. It all feels very, very surreal." According to Peter Robinson of The Guardian
, the cover has a "plinky" piano
in its introduction
. In regards to lyrics, Robinson interpreted, "lines about 'uphill battles' and 'having to lose' do seem to talk of Joe's probable future."
described "The Climb" as a "controversially uncontroversial choice" for a cover and continued, "While 'The Climb' might be a suitable choice for a winner's single, the fact that it's a cover of such a recent song means that it's still slightly odd."
On the week ending December 26, 2009, "The Climb" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart
; its debut position was influenced by a campaign composed of Facebook
group members, aimed at getting Rage Against the Machine
's "Killing in the Name
" (1992) to the top position during Christmas week. In the following week, the song reached number one, where it maintained for a week. The single was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for shipments exceeding 600,000 copies. "The Climb" debuted at number one on the Irish Singles Chart
on the week ending December 17, 2009, where it maintained in the top position for four consecutive weeks. In mainland Europe, the song charted in the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
at number four on the week ending January 9, 2010.
shot of McElderry in the main setting, a flooded cityscape — the scene was shot in a flooded set with a cityscape backdrop
. McElderry is clothed by a gray vest and a gray shirt, as he stands in the setting and performs. Throughout the entire video, scenes alternate between the flooded cityscape setting and recycled footage from The X Factor, which are in black and white until it shows him in the live shows in color. The video concludes with McElderry being informed he won the competition, hugging his peers.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
, for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...
. The song was written by Jessi Alexander
Jessi Alexander
Jessica "Jessi" Alexander is an American country music singer-songwriter. She has had her songs recorded by Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood and Little Big Town. She also launched her own recording career in 2004...
and Jon Mabe, and produced by John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
. It was released on March 5, 2009, as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
of the film's soundtrack
Hannah Montana: The Movie (soundtrack)
Hannah Montana: The Movie is the soundtrack for the film of the same name. The film is an adaptation of the popular Disney Channel original series Hannah Montana, which first aired in 2006. In the television series and film, American singer–songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus portrays Miley Stewart,...
by Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
. The song is a power ballad with lyrics that describe life as a difficult but rewarding journey. It is styled as a country pop
Country pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
ballad, and was Cyrus' first solo song to be released to country radio. The instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
includes piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s.
"The Climb" was generally well received by critics and was nominated for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
at the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
. However, the song was withdrawn from consideration by Walt Disney Records because it had not been written specifically for a movie as the category's eligibility rules required. The song achieved worldwide success and became a top ten hit on charts in Australia, Canada, Norway and the United States. In the United States, the song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and became the eighth best selling digital single of 2009. Five months after its release, the single was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). Since, it has been recognized as one of the best-selling singles in the United States.
The song's accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Matthew Rolston
Matthew Rolston
Matthew Russell Rolston is an American photographer and music video director. Rolston is known for his signature lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design, and has been repeatedly identified throughout his career with the revival and modern expression of Hollywood glamour...
, and depicts scenes of Cyrus climbing a mountain or singing, intercut with clips of Hannah Montana: The Movie. Cyrus promoted the song with several live performances. The first, at the Kids Inaugural: "We Are the Future" event on January 19, 2009, was the first time the song had ever been publicly heard. Cyrus also performed the song as the closing number of her Wonder World Tour
Wonder World Tour
The Wonder World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote her second studio album Breakout and first extended play The Time of Our Lives...
. The song is also a part of her Gypsy Heart Tour
Gypsy Heart Tour
The Gypsy Heart Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. Primarily visiting South America and Australia, the tour supported her third studio album, Can't Be Tamed....
. "The Climb" has been covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by several artists and was the most popular choice of song among auditioners for the ninth season
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
of the American singing contest, American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, creator of the British television talent show The X Factor, chose "The Climb" to be the debut single of the winner of the competition's sixth series
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
. Winner Joe McElderry
Joe McElderry
Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
's cover, released on December 14, 2009 by Syco Music, was produced by Quiz & Larossi
Quiz & Larossi
Andreas Romdhane and Josef Larossi have a studio based in the centre of Stockholm, Sweden. They have worked together since 1999 when they wrote songs for Lutricia McNeal. During their partnership they have written/produced songs for a wide variety of acts such as The Pussycat Dolls, Il Divo, Geri...
and topped the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
and the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Background
"The Climb" was not intentionally written for the 2009 musical filmMusical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
Hannah Montana: The Movie. Co-writer Jessi Alexander conceived the song's melody while driving to the home of songwriting partner Jon Mabe. Once she arrived, she and Mabe developed a song about overcoming life's obstacles inspired by their personal struggles in the music industry. Alexander referred to the process as a form of "therapy" and recalled,
The song they created was titled "It's the Climb" and was written in third person. Alexander described the original song as "more spiritual
Spiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
" than the version that was released, and said it contained lines about prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
. However, she claimed she knew it was pop and suitable for The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
.
Before reaching Cyrus, the song had been rejected by several country artists. It was eventually picked up by Peter Chelsom
Peter Chelsom
Peter Chelsom is a British actor and film director. He has directed among others such films as Shall We Dance? and Hannah Montana: The Movie...
, director of Hannah Montana: The Movie, who gave it to Cyrus to record for the film. Chelsom found what would become "The Climb" while visiting Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, during a quest to find eleven new songs for Hannah Montana: The Movie. After hearing Alexander's music, Chelsom asked her to submit songs for consideration. Alexander recorded "It's the Climb" on a CD and gave it to him. Several weeks later, Chelsom called to say that "the song was gonna be an integral part of the movie". However, he wanted Mabe and Alexander to rework some of the song's content and to change the song from third person to first person
First-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
. Alexander felt the changes amounted to a "substantial amount of the song" and commented, "For me, when you change something from third person to first person, it can change the whole meaning of a line." She and Mabe "wrestl[ed] over taking words out" and how much they could change while maintaining the song's integrity. After a number of drafts, Mabe and Alexander finally created a version they felt was "perfect for the movie".
Upon receiving the final draft, filmmakers told the songwriters, "This is perfect for Miley, it’s gonna change her life, gonna change your life." Chelsom commented that the song "turned up" the film's music level by tapping into Cyrus's newfound vocal range. As with the other songs featured in Hannah Montana: The Movie, the song is "tightly woven into the fabric of the story and the characters". In the film, Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, a character with a secret double life as superstar Hannah Montana. Keeping this secret causes trouble between Miley and many of the other characters in the film, and leaves Miley confused and contrite. She expresses her emotions by writing "The Climb". According to film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
Alfred Gough, "The song is her journey, the lessons she's learned in the movie. It's an epic [...] power ballad that encapsulates Miley's journey and the message of the film."
"The Climb" was chosen as the lead single from the soundtrack due to its country elements, which introduced Cyrus to listeners beyond her usual pop audience. The song is Cyrus's first solo effort marketed directly to country radio, though she had previously recorded and released a country duet with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
, which was titled "Ready, Set, Don't Go
Ready, Set, Don't Go
"Ready, Set, Don't Go" is a country song performed by American recording artists Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus. It was released as the lead single from Home at Last, Cyrus' tenth studio album. It was sent to country radio stations on July 11, 2007 with a radio edit as a B-side. The song is a soft...
", in 2007. Bill Lamb, of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
, said the song signified Cyrus' hope for a position in country music, noting her duet with country singer Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
at the 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
. Warren Truitt, also of About.com, referred to the song as "Miley's serious attempt to break into the contemporary country world." "The Climb" was leaked to the Internet on February 4, 2009, two days prior to its official release for airplay. In October 2009, it was re-released to countries outside the United States in the international version of Cyrus' extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, The Time of Our Lives
The Time of Our Lives (EP)
The Time of Our Lives is the first extended play by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The EP was released on August 28, 2009 by Hollywood Records, initially as a United States' Wal-Mart exclusive. With alterations in artwork and track listing, an international edition was issued October 16,...
.
Composition
"The Climb" is a country popCountry pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
power ballad that incorporates soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
and pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
styles and lasts three minutes and fifty-five seconds. The song begins slowly, building primarily from solo piano and accentuated with chiming electric guitars. However, at two minutes and forty-five seconds, a "sudden, spiky burst of violins" enters the song, and the song switches to full power. Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
considers Cyrus's vocals "solid and clear". However, Todd Martens, co-editor of The Los Angeles Times music column, says Cyrus uses a "a raspy voice [that] brings a bit of country grit" to the song. "The Climb" is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
at a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 80 beats per minute. The song is sung in the key of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
and Cyrus's vocals span two octaves, from E3 to G♯5. The song uses a standard issue ballad arrangement with the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
, E5—Asus2—F♯7sus.
According to music reviewer Fraser McAlpine of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, the song's lyrics assert that life should be viewed as "a journey which is difficult but rewarding". Both Martens and McAlpine took special interest in the line "It's always gonna be an uphill battle/Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose". Martens interpreted the line as an acknowledgment by the singer of her own mistakes in life, while McAlpine wrote, "In this song which is about plugging away at things, the writers have slipped in [...] that the occasional setback isn't the end of the world."
Critical reception
Critical reception for the song was generally positive. Fraser McAlpine of the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
felt the song's lyrics were generic, but complimented Cyrus vocals: "Miley acquits herself well vocally — there are moments where her voice sounds a tad strained, but it's good to hear her on a track that's a little more subdued and with less frantic production than the uptempo, sassy pop songs we're used to." Michael Menachem of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine called the song "one of the year's strongest ballads". Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
praised "The Climb" for being a "pretty liberation anthem". Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said, "On tunes like [...] 'The Climb', the 16-year-old Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
native turns up her homegrown inflections, but a few elongated r's won't exactly shut out her huge pop audience." Todd Martens of The Los Angeles Times believed that "The Climb" was "buried in cheese" and described it as "pre-Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
gooeyness". However, Martens said, "'The Climb' is the rare Miley ballad that's on par with some of her more spunky teen pop."
Heather Phares of Allmusic said, "the best songs that Cyrus sings on the soundtrack have her own name on them". She also made musical comparisons to Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
and described the song as "natural, [...] down to earth and grown-up". While reviewing The Time of Our Lives
The Time of Our Lives (EP)
The Time of Our Lives is the first extended play by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The EP was released on August 28, 2009 by Hollywood Records, initially as a United States' Wal-Mart exclusive. With alterations in artwork and track listing, an international edition was issued October 16,...
, Michael Hann of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called "The Climb" a "one rather superior ballad", compared to "When I Look at You" and "Obsessed". Hann said the song was added to the extended play in order to "add some ballast since this collection's US release." Jon Caraminica of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described "The Climb" as an "appealing new single [that] is just the sort of demure, inspirational country-rock that could easily be mistaken for self-reckoning." While reviewing a concert performance, James Reed of The Boston Globe called the song "bland but inspirational fare".
Awards and nominations
"The Climb" won "Best Song from a MovieMTV Movie Award for Best Song From a Movie
The MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie is an award presented to singers/groups for quality songs in films at the MTV Movie Awards, a ceremony established in 1992. Honors in several categories are awarded by MTV at the annual ceremonies, and are chosen by public votes...
" at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards
2009 MTV Movie Awards
The 2009 MTV Movie Awards were presented on Sunday, May 31, 2009, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Andy Samberg served as host for the 18th annual ceremony.- Performers :* Eminem — "We Made You" and "Crack a Bottle"...
and "Music Choice: Single" at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
. At the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
, "The Climb" received a nomination for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
, a songwriter's award. However, Walt Disney Records withdrew the song from consideration because the song was not "written specifically for a motion picture, television or other visual media", as the Grammy eligibility rules dictated. According to Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, "The Climb" was submitted for consideration by mistake. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
(NARAS), the presenters of the Grammy Awards, released a statement stating, "Walt Disney Records was proactive and forthcoming to our awards department and verified that the song was not written specifically for the film Hannah Montana: The Movie. Based on this information, the Academy has complied with the label's request." NARAS replaced the nomination with the song with the next highest initial vote count, "All is Love
All Is Love
"All Is Love" is a song written by Karen O and Nick Zinner for the 2009 film Where the Wild Things Are. The song was recorded by Karen O and the Kids, a group consisting of O, Zinner, and several other prominent indie rock musicians, and released as the lead single from the film's soundtrack on...
", which was written by Karen O
Karen O
Karen Lee Orzolek , better known by her stage name Karen O, is the vocalist for New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.-Early life:...
and Nick Zinner
Nick Zinner
Nicholas Joseph Zinner is the guitarist for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He is known for his "unmistakable" wild hair, skinny physique, and pale appearance...
for the film Where the Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are (film)
Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 American fantasy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and adapted from Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book Where the Wild Things Are. It combines live action, performers in costumes, animatronics, and computer-generated imagery...
.
Chart performance
On the week ending March 7, 2009, "The Climb" debuted at number forty-eight on BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
. It was, incidentally, the same week that "Back to Tennessee
Back to Tennessee (song)
"Back to Tennessee" is a country song by American singer-songwriter and actor Billy Ray Cyrus. It released as the second single from Cyrus' eleventh studio album of the same name on February 2, 2009 by Lyric Street Records. Cyrus drafted the song after learning that Hannah Montana: The Movie, a...
", by Cyrus's father, Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
, debuted at number fifty-nine, the first time a father and daughter had separate charting songs on the chart since Johnny
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of the late country music singer Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin....
charted in 1990 with "Silver Stallion" and "One Step over the Line", respectively. "The Climb" eventually peaked at number twenty-five on the country-genre chart. For the week ending March 14, 2009, the song debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
due to sales of 166,000 digital downloads, thus making "The Climb" Cyrus's highest-charting effort at the time, surpassing her previous best-charting effort "7 Things
7 Things
"7 Things" is a pop rock song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The song was co-written by Cyrus, Antonina Armato, and Tim James and produced by John Fields. It was released on June 17, 2008 by Hollywood Records as the lead single of the Cyrus' second album Breakout...
", which peaked at number nine in July 2008. For the week ending May 2, 2009, the song reached its peak at number four on the Hot 100. "The Climb" also peaked at number seven on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
chart, forty-two on Hot Christian Songs
Hot Christian Songs
Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States....
, and at number one for fifteen consecutive weeks on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
. Cyrus became the youngest artist to top Adult Contemporary since LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
entered the chart in 1997 with "How Do I Live
How Do I Live
"How Do I Live" is the title of a song written by Diane Warren. It was originally recorded by LeAnn Rimes in 1997 and shortly afterward by Trisha Yearwood...
". According to Billboard, "The Climb" was the eighth best selling digital single of 2009. The single was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for the sales of over two million copies. As of February 2011, "The Climb" sold over 3.1 million copies in the United States. In Canada, "The Climb" entered at number seventeen and eventually peaked at number five. The single was certified triple platinum by Music Canada
Music Canada
Music Canada was a Canadian music television miniseries which aired approximately monthly on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series featured various special productions of music and dance, from classical to modern styles.-Scheduling:...
for the sales of 240,000 digital downloads.
"The Climb" was also a success in Australia and New Zealand. The song made its debut on the Australian Singles Chart at number forty-six on April 19, 2009. After ten weeks on the chart, "The Climb" reached number five on the chart, where it stayed for two consecutive weeks. "The Climb" was placed at number eighty-four on the decade-end Australian Singles Chart. The song has been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) for sales above 70,000. "The Climb" debuted in the New Zealand Singles Chart at number twenty-five on April 13, 2009 and reached its peak at number twelve on June 15, 2009. On September 4, 2009, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ) for sales exceeding 7,500 copies.
In the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, "The Climb" made its entry at number eighty-two on March 28, 2009 and reached its peak at number eleven on June 16, 2009. With its peak at number eleven, it tied for Cyrus's best-charting effort on the chart with "See You Again
See You Again
"See You Again" is a pop song performed by American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus. The song was composed by Cyrus , Antonina Armato, and Tim James and produced by Armato and James...
" from October 2008. The single was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) for the shipment of over 200,000 copies. In Ireland, the song also peaked at number eleven. In mainland Europe, the song peaked at number twenty-three on Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,...
, number eleven on Belgian Tip Singles Chart (Flanders), and number five on Norwegian Singles Chart. The song experienced similar commercial outcomes throughout the rest of Europe; it appeared within the top thirty of charts in Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), and France.
Music video
Matthew RolstonMatthew Rolston
Matthew Russell Rolston is an American photographer and music video director. Rolston is known for his signature lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design, and has been repeatedly identified throughout his career with the revival and modern expression of Hollywood glamour...
directed the music video for "The Climb", which premiered on Cyrus's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page on February 11, 2009. The video commences with a shot of Cyrus holding a guitar and a suitcase as she begins to walk down a long path extending through a valley. At the end of the valley, the sun breaks out over a distant mountain. The entire scene is enhanced with computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
. Cyrus has her hair tied in a bun and wears a traveling jacket, a gray tank top and cowboy boots. In a separate setting, Cyrus, wearing a gray short sleeve shirt and her hair loose, begins to sing "The Climb" beneath a blue spotlight in a purple room. The two settings alternate throughout the video. A vignetted
Vignetting
In photography and optics, vignetting is a reduction of an image's brightness or saturation at the periphery compared to the image center. The word vignette, from the same root as vine, originally referred to a decorative border in a book. Later, the word came to be used for a photographic...
scene from Hannah Montana: The Movie appears in front of Cyrus as she walks on the path. The video zooms into the scene and a montage of film clips plays, featuring Cyrus's character and her love interest, Travis Brody (played by Lucas Till
Lucas Till
Lucas Daniel Till is an American actor. He began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of films and television parts, including his roles on House, Hannah Montana: The Movie and X-Men: First Class...
) horseback riding. The video returns to Cyrus walking; she picks up a rose fallen on the path, then throws it behind her. As the video progresses, she also sees things such as a herd of horses and a shooting star
Meteoroid
A meteoroid is a sand- to boulder-sized particle of debris in the Solar System. The visible path of a meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere is called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star or falling star. If a meteoroid reaches the ground and survives impact, then it is called a meteorite...
cross her path. A new setting enters the video in which Cyrus dances in a purple room with a countdown or, occasionally, film clips projected on the wall behind her. Rain begins to pour in the path setting. Cyrus puts down her jacket, guitar case, suitcase and boots, and continues onwards with only her guitar strapped to her shoulder. More film clip montages play in the same manner as the first. As the last montage ends, Cyrus finally reaches the summit of a reddish, CGI mountain and triumphantly looks over the cliff's edge to watch the sun shining over a shimmering lake. An alternate version of the music video excluding the Hannah Montana: The Movie clips exists and was sent to several channels, including VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
.
Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said the video took an "inspirational approach". Todd Martens of The Los Angeles Times wrote that while he enjoyed the song, he was unsure about the video. He commented that while the video was an improvement since Cyrus's video for "7 Things
7 Things
"7 Things" is a pop rock song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The song was co-written by Cyrus, Antonina Armato, and Tim James and produced by John Fields. It was released on June 17, 2008 by Hollywood Records as the lead single of the Cyrus' second album Breakout...
" (2008), the settings in "The Climb" music video looked as though they had been painted by Thomas Kinkade
Thomas Kinkade
Thomas Kinkade is an American painter of popular and commercial realistic, bucolic, and idyllic subjects. He is notable for the mass marketing of his work as printed reproductions and other licensed products via The Thomas Kinkade Company...
and Cyrus's dancing appeared off-beat. Travis of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
described the video as "beautifully shot (although heavily digitized)". Lyndsey Parker of Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
remarked that the summit setting was similar to that of the music video for Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
"I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written by Dido, with additional writing and song production by Max Martin and Rami Yacoub for Spears' third studio album, Britney . It was released on February 5, 2002 by Jive Records, as the...
". Parker also felt the scene in which Cyrus looks out over the cliff, shot using large sweeps with an aerial camera, had been "lifted straight out of an '80s Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
video". In 2009
2009 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Ontario at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 21, 2009. Along with the MuchMusic VJ's, on April 16, 2009, it was confirmed on the MuchMusic website that the Jonas Brothers would co-host the show. The show featured performances by The Black Eyed...
, the video received a MuchMusic Video
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos....
nomination for Best International Artist Video
Best International Artist Video (MMVA Award)
The following is a list of the MuchMusic Video Awards winners for Best International Artist Video.-References:...
, but lost to Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's music video for "Poker Face
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
".
Live performances
Cyrus opened the Kids' Inaugural: "We Are the Future" event with the premiere of "The Climb". The event was held on January 19, 2009, in Washington D.C. at the Verizon CenterVerizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
to celebrate the inauguration
Inauguration of Barack Obama
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...
of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as President of the United States. Cyrus, dressed in an embroidered red ball gown
Ball gown
A ball gown is worn for ballroom dancing and only the most formal social occasions according to rules of etiquette. It is traditionally a full-skirted gown reaching at least to the ankles, made of luxurious fabric, delicately and exotically trimmed. Most versions are cut off the shoulder with...
made by Reem Acra
Reem Acra
Reem Acra is an internationally known Lebanese fashion designer. She studied in Paris, as well as New York. She is known for her bridal designs. Her designs are sold in famous clothing boutiques such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. She has been on several popular magazines including In...
, dedicated the song to Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama. Following the song's official release in March 2009, Cyrus resumed promotion for "The Climb", performing live for shows including American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, and Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
throughout April. On April 13, Cyrus performed "The Climb" as part of her set for the AOL Sessions. On April 24, Cyrus sang "The Climb" and other songs in a London Apple Store. The performances were recorded and sold exclusively by the United Kingdom iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
as a live extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled iTunes Live from London. On June 7, 2009, Cyrus performed the song at the 20th annual A Time for Heroes Celebrity Carnival, an outdoor carnival supporting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing pediatric HIV infection and eliminating pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs...
. Cyrus also sang "The Climb" on The Today Show on August 28 and at the first D23 Expo on September 11, 2009.
To promote the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack, Cyrus performed "The Climb" on a six-day, five-city acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
radio promo tour that reached over 250 radio shows. The song was also used as the closing number of Cyrus' 2009 Wonder World Tour
Wonder World Tour
The Wonder World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote her second studio album Breakout and first extended play The Time of Our Lives...
, her first world tour. During the tour performances, Cyrus performed in a white tank top and shorts, boots, and a metallic vest, while giant overhead video screens displayed sunsets. After finishing, Cyrus exited through a passageway in the stage while the images of shooting stars and the earth in space appeared on the screen. Melinda M. Thompson of The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
described the performance as "really a moment to remember — Miley's soulful and touching rendition of 'The Climb'", while Jim Harrington of The Oakland Tribune
The Oakland Tribune
The Oakland Tribune is a daily newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group , a subsidiary of MediaNews Group...
said the performance was a "tender closer" that drew a large response at the September 18 concert in Oakland, California, at the Oracle Arena. Cyrus later performed the song at the Rock in Rio concert in Lisbon, Portugal and the London, England nightclubs Heaven
Heaven (nightclub)
Heaven is a Superclub in London, England which appeals predominantly to the gay market. It is located underneath Charing Cross railway station in Central London, just off Trafalgar Square.-Early history:...
and G-A-Y
G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
.
Cyrus added the song to her 2011 and most recent tour, Gypsy Heart Tour
Gypsy Heart Tour
The Gypsy Heart Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. Primarily visiting South America and Australia, the tour supported her third studio album, Can't Be Tamed....
.
Track listings
- EU/US CD Single
- "The Climb" (Album Version) – 3:55
- "The Climb" (Stripped Version) – 3:56
- UK CD Single
- "The Climb" (Album Version) – 3:55
- "Fly on the Wall" (David Khane Remix) – 2:34
- EU Maxi CD Single
- "The Climb" (Album Version) – 3:55
- "The Climb" (Stripped Version) – 3:56
- "The Climb" (Full Pop Mix) – 3:51
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
5 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
30 |
| Belgian Tip Singles Chart (Flanders) | 11 |
| Belgian Tip Singles Chart (Wallonia) | 18 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
5 |
| Czech Airplay Singles Chart Rádio Top 100 Oficiální Rádio Top 100 Oficiální is the name of the Czech national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis.Besides the main Top 100 record chart, also two component charts are effective. While the Rádio CZ 50 Oficiální features songs released exclusively by Czech and/or Slovak... |
17 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 37 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
25 |
| French Singles Chart | 16 |
| German Singles Chart | 41 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
11 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
12 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
5 |
| Slovakian Airplay Singles Chart Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna is the name of the Slovakian national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis since the cancellation of the Slovakian national section on December 31, 2009.... |
62 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 46 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
40 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
40 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
4 |
| U.S. Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
25 |
| U.S. Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
7 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 16 |
| Canadian Hot 100 | 17 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 43 |
| UK Singles Chart | 84 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2009 Billboard magazine each year releases a Top Hot 100 songs of the year, counted from the first week of November to the final week in October. The 2009 list was dominated by The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga, who shared the top four spots... |
21 |
Decade-end charts
| Decade-end chart (2000s) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 84 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Canada Music Canada Music Canada was a Canadian music television miniseries which aired approximately monthly on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series featured various special productions of music and dance, from classical to modern styles.-Scheduling:... |
3× Platinum |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Platinum |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
3× Platinum |
Cover versions
"The Climb" has been coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by several amateurs and established acts. Mirror Image Records' indie rock group HelenaMaria
HelenaMaria
HelenaMaria is an American indie pop-rock group from New Jersey composed of identical twins Helena and Maria Mehalis.-Biography:Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Helena and Maria grew up in a self described "free-spirited" environment promoting artistic expression. Since the age of 4 they took...
covered the song and released it as a digital single in March 2009. Pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
and two other singers covered the song in a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video published in September 2009. The three singers harmonized together in an intimate performance while one strummed an acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
. At auditions for the ninth season
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
of the television singing competition American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, "The Climb" was the most popular choice of song amongst contestants. Mandi Bierly, writing for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, commented, "it sounds like we could get an Idol whose voice actually suits the inspirational tune that he or she will be forced to record as a first single. (Though the odds of that song being anywhere as good as 'The Climb'...)". While informing Cyrus of its popularity on American Idol, the series' host Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
commented that the contestants "believe [it is] a song that will make an impression and [...] will get them into that next level". Cyrus replied,
Kidz Bop Kids recorded a cover of the song for Kidz Bop 16
Kidz Bop 16
Kidz Bop 16 is the 16th edition to the Kidz Bop series and was released on August 4, 2009.-Track listing:All songs are performed by the Kidz Bop Kids...
. Heather Phares of Allmusic commented, "The Kidz Bop Kids' version of Miley Cyrus' 'The Climb' sounds like an especially good elementary school choir performance". Thia Megia, aged 14, performed a cover version of "The Climb" while competing in the semi-final of America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
. Her performance was well received by the judges, with praise from Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
for her age-appropriate choice. Australian singer Stan Walker
Stan Walker
Stan Walker , is an Australian recording artist and actor. In 2009, Walker was the winner on the seventh season of Australian Idol. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia....
performed the song as a contestant on the seventh season
Australian Idol (season 7)
The seventh and final season of the Australian Idol series began on 9 August 2009, to determine who would succeed Season 6 winner, Wes Carr. Beginning amid controversy, judge Kyle Sandilands was replaced by Sony Music record executive, Jay Dee Springbett. It was the first season where all four...
of Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
. After winning the competition, he recorded the song for his debut album, Introducing... Stan Walker. Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic said the cover turned out "well in large part because of Walker's vocal talents". American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
finalist Haeley Vaughn performed the song during the top twenty rounds of the ninth season. The following season
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
, contestant Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina is an American singer from Rossville, Georgia. Alaina was the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol. Her debut studio album, Wildflower was released in October 2011....
performed the song during Idol Goes to the Movies week. The song was covered by Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
, portraying Rachel Berry
Rachel Berry (Glee)
Rachel Berry is a fictional character and de facto female lead from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Rachel was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad...
, in the 2010 Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
episode "Laryngitis
Laryngitis (Glee)
"Laryngitis" is the 18th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on May 11, 2010. It was directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and written by series creator Ryan Murphy. In "Laryngitis", glee club member Puck dates Mercedes in an attempt to raise his...
". Filipino singer Charice has also done a live cover of this song. Filipino acoustic singer Davey Langit also covered the song. The YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
-founded R&B group, Ahmir also created a cover for the Climb, this cover is considered to be one of the best. The song was covered by Star Academy Middle East contestant Christine Saadé from Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
during the 10th week evaluation. Christine stated that the song was dedicated to her grandfather who died during the competition, but cried during her performance, which resulted to her being nominated for the Bottom 3. She was saved by the other candidate's votes with 7/11 of the voting process. Australian born singer Luke Cheung recorded a cover of the song for the 2010 album Life in Auto-Tune.
Background and composition
In the same year of "The Climb"'s original release, British executive Simon CowellSimon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
chose for Joe McElderry
Joe McElderry
Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
, Olly Murs
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor...
, and Stacey Solomon
Stacey Solomon
Stacey Solomon is a British singer, television presenter, model and reality TV star. She rose to fame during her time on the sixth series of The X Factor, coming third overall on the show...
, the three finalists of the sixth series
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
of the British television talent contest The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, to record the song in preparation for a single release as soon as the winner was announced. After Solomon's elimination, Murs and McElderry sang the song on December 13, 2009, as their final performance in the competition. Upon winning the competition, McElderry's version of "The Climb", produced by Quiz & Larossi
Quiz & Larossi
Andreas Romdhane and Josef Larossi have a studio based in the centre of Stockholm, Sweden. They have worked together since 1999 when they wrote songs for Lutricia McNeal. During their partnership they have written/produced songs for a wide variety of acts such as The Pussycat Dolls, Il Divo, Geri...
, was released on December 14, 2009 by Syco Music as the first single from his album Wide Awake (2010). McElderry said that the lyrics to "The Climb" meant a lot to him: "It's an emotional song because it's what's been happening in the last few months. It all feels very, very surreal." According to Peter Robinson of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, the cover has a "plinky" piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
in its introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
. In regards to lyrics, Robinson interpreted, "lines about 'uphill battles' and 'having to lose' do seem to talk of Joe's probable future."
Reception
Peter Robinson of The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described "The Climb" as a "controversially uncontroversial choice" for a cover and continued, "While 'The Climb' might be a suitable choice for a winner's single, the fact that it's a cover of such a recent song means that it's still slightly odd."
On the week ending December 26, 2009, "The Climb" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
; its debut position was influenced by a campaign composed of Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
group members, aimed at getting Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
's "Killing in the Name
Killing in the Name
"Killing in the Name" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, featured on their self-titled debut album, and was released as the lead single from the album in November 1992...
" (1992) to the top position during Christmas week. In the following week, the song reached number one, where it maintained for a week. The single was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) for shipments exceeding 600,000 copies. "The Climb" debuted at number one on the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
on the week ending December 17, 2009, where it maintained in the top position for four consecutive weeks. In mainland Europe, the song charted in the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,...
at number four on the week ending January 9, 2010.
Music video
The video was shot on December 16, 2009, in London, England. The video begins with footage from The X-Factor and then transitions to a close-upClose-up
In filmmaking, television production, still photography and the comic strip medium a close-up tightly frames a person or an object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium shots and long shots . Close-ups display the most detail, but they do not include the broader scene...
shot of McElderry in the main setting, a flooded cityscape — the scene was shot in a flooded set with a cityscape backdrop
Backdrop
Backdrop may refer to:* Theatrical scenery* Photography backdrops used in studio photography circa 1860-1920.* Filming location* A pro wrestling move that's also called a belly to back suplex....
. McElderry is clothed by a gray vest and a gray shirt, as he stands in the setting and performs. Throughout the entire video, scenes alternate between the flooded cityscape setting and recycled footage from The X Factor, which are in black and white until it shows him in the live shows in color. The video concludes with McElderry being informed he won the competition, hugging his peers.
Track listings
- Digital Download
- "The Climb" – 3:36
- CD Single
- "The Climb" – 3:36
- "Somebody to LoveSomebody to Love (Queen song)"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" – 2:38 - "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on MeDon't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John's 1974 album Caribou; it was released that year during the latter half of May in the United Kingdom, and on 10 June in the United States.-Lyrics and music:...
" – 2:27
Charts
| Charts (2009—2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Irish Top 20 Singles Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
5 |
See also
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 2009 (U.S.)
- Number-one singles of 2009 (Ireland)Number-one singles of 2009 (Ireland)This is a list of the IRMA's Irish Singles Chart Top 50 number-ones of 2009.-See also:*2009 in music*List of artists who reached number one in Ireland*Irish Singles Chart-External links:*...
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)