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Heavy Cross

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"Heavy Cross"
Single by Gossip
from the album Music for Men
ReleasedApril 28, 2009
StudioShangri La Studios, Malibu
Genre
Length4:02
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Rubin
Gossip singles chronology
"Jealous Girls"
(2007) 		"Heavy Cross"
(2009) 		"Love Long Distance"
(2009)
Music video
"Heavy Cross" on YouTube

"Heavy Cross" is a song by American band Gossip. It was released on April 28, 2009, as the first single from the band's fourth album Music for Men. The song was the first international hit for Gossip, reaching the top ten across Europe, with a massive commercial success in Germany. When writing it, the band was influenced by Donna Summer and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The band recorded a studio version of the song in early 2009, but they had already been playing it live for two years.

Background and writing

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Singer Beth Ditto explained to the NME that the song is: "about recreation and my friends, who I feel like are the ultimate creative re-creators."[3] Composer and guitarist Nathan Howdeshell explained: "Heavy Cross' was an attempt to make my guitar sound like an Italo synth line. I had been listening to Charlie's 'Spacer Woman' and still can't get over the arpeggiated synth, so I detuned my strings to be the same notes and muted it and then came that song. Beth [Ditto] busted some Donna Summer elements, and since I have been listening to lots of darkwave, I put a bass synth on the track as opposed to a real bass: we wanted something steeped in '80s darkwave. I can't stop listening to 'Red Light' by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Hannah Billie decided to stay on the drum rims for the majority of the track, making it more of a Creatures-type track (another Siouxsie Sioux reference)."[4] "Heavy Cross" was recorded in a studio in early 2009, although the band had already been playing the song live for two years. They had started their 2007 Glastonsbury concert at the John Peel stage, performing an early version of it which was broadcast on BBC television.[5] The song, especially the intro, has considerable similarities with the Knight Rider theme song.[6]

Commercial performance

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The single was a commercial success. It reached the top 10 in Australia and on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart from mid- to late 2009. It peaked just outside the top 10 in New Zealand, and made the top 40 in Ireland and the UK; Gossip had already achieved two top 40 singles in the latter region, with "Standing in the Way of Control" and "Listen Up!" in 2006.

The single was especially successful in Germany, where it was certified triple gold for selling over 450,000 copies[7] and is, as of September 2010, the "most successful internationally produced single of all time".[8] As of April 2011, the single had spent 97 weeks on the German Singles Chart without ever reaching No. 1, staying for 27 weeks in that chart's top 10. In 2011, it was included in a J'Adore advert from Dior, making it rise to fame again.

Track listings

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UK CD

  1. "Heavy Cross"
  2. "Heavy Cross" (Fred Falke Remix)

Australia CD

  1. "Heavy Cross" (radio edit)
  2. "Heavy Cross"
  3. "Heavy Cross" (Fred Falke Remix)
  4. "Heavy Cross" (Burns Remix)

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart (2009–2010) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[9] 7
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 3
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[13] 63
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[14] 6
France (SNEP)[15] 23
Germany (GfK)[16] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 38
Israel (Media Forest)[18] 7
Italy (FIMI)[19] 4
Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard)[20] 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] 20
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 12
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[23] 16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[25] 37
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[26] 8

NRJ Session

Chart (2012) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[27] 82

Year-end charts

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Chart (2009) Year-end
position
Australian Singles Chart[28] 48
Austrian Singles Chart[29] 14
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[30] 9
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[31] 16
German Singles Chart[32] 8
Italian Singles Chart[33] 23
Swiss Singles Chart[34] 9
Chart (2010) Position
Austrian Singles Chart[35] 24
European Hot 100 Singles[36] 44
German Singles Chart[37] 26
Swiss Singles Chart[38] 21
Chart (2012) Position
Belgian Backcatalogue Singles Chart (Flanders)[39] 5
Belgian Backcatalogue Singles Chart (Wallonia)[39] 1

Decade-end charts

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Char (2000–2009) Position
German Singles Chart[40] 33

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[41] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[42] Platinum 30,000*
Belgium (BEA)[43] Platinum  
Germany (BVMI)[7] 3× Gold 450,000^
Italy (FIMI)[44] Platinum 20,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[45] Gold 7,500*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[46] Platinum 30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] Silver 200,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Pareles, Jon (October 4, 2009). "New CDs". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  2. ^ "Heavy Cross". RYM. June 15, 2009. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  3. ^ Heavy Cross Songfacts Archived June 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Hot 100: Heavy Cross Gossip". Abc.net.au. January 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  5. ^ "Gossip Glastonbury June 2007 -BBBC TV broadcast". YouTube. June 24, 2007. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  6. ^ https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13113-music-for-men/ [bare URL]
  7. ^ a b "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Gossip; 'Heavy Cross')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  8. ^ "Single-Rekord für Gossip - media control" [Single Record for Gossip]. media-control.de (in German). September 13, 2010. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  9. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  10. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  11. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  12. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  13. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 46. týden 2009 in the date selector.
  14. ^ "Hits of the World: European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 45. November 14, 2009. p. 51.
  15. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross" (in French). Les classement single.
  16. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  17. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Gossip". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  18. ^ "Media Forest: Airplay chart". mediaforest.biz. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014.
  19. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross". Top Digital Download.
  20. ^ "Luxembourg Digital Songs - October 17, 2009". Billboard.
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Gossip" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  22. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross". Top 40 Singles.
  23. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross" Canciones Top 50.
  24. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross". Swiss Singles Chart.
  25. ^ "Gossip: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  26. ^ "Gossip Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  27. ^ "Gossip – Heavy Cross NRJ Session" (in French). Les classement single.
  28. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles 2008". ARIA. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  29. ^ "oe3.ORF.at / SingleCharts 2009". Charts.orf.at. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  30. ^ "Ultratop Belgian Charts". ultratop.be. February 17, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  31. ^ "Ultratop Belgian Charts". ultratop.be. February 17, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  32. ^ [1] Archived February 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ "FIMI - Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana - Ricerche e dati di mercato". Fimi.it. January 19, 2010. Archived from the original on January 23, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  34. ^ Steffen Hung. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2009". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  35. ^ Steffen Hung (December 24, 2010). "Jahreshitparade 2010". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on February 27, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  36. ^ "European Hot 100". Billboard.com. December 31, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  37. ^ "VIVA Single Jahrescharts 2010 - 2010 | Charts | VIVA.tv". Archived from the original on January 10, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  38. ^ Steffen Hung. "Swiss Year-End Charts 2010". swisscharts.com. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  39. ^ a b "Rapports annuels 2012 - ultratop.be". Ultratop.
  40. ^ "Die ultimative Chart Show | Hits des neuen Jahrtausends | Download". RTL.de. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  41. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  42. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Gossip – Heavy Cross" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  43. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2011". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  44. ^ "Italian single certifications – Gossip – Heavy Cross" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "Tutti gli anni" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Heavy Cross" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  45. ^ "Latest Gold / Platinum Singles". Radioscope. August 21, 2011. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011.
  46. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Heavy Cross')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  47. ^ "British single certifications – Gossip – Heavy Cross". British Phonographic Industry.
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