"Ho Hey" is a song by American
folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...
band
the Lumineers
The Lumineers are an American alternative folk band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing toge ...
. It was released on June 4, 2012, as the lead single from their
self-titled debut studio album (2012). The music video was released on March 11, 2012. "Ho Hey" reached number one for 18 non-consecutive weeks on the ''Billboard''
Rock Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alterna ...
chart, as well as two weeks in the top spot on the ''Billboard''
Alternative Songs
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart and eight weeks in the top spot on the
Adult Pop Songs
The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
chart, and reached number 3 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, becoming their first single to do so, as well as their first top 5 single. It also reached number 2 on the ''Billboard''
Mainstream Top 40
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
chart, behind "
Locked Out of Heaven
"Locked Out of Heaven" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' (2012). It was released as the lead single from the album on October 1, 2012. The song was written by Mars, Phil ...
" by
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical s ...
. It is also their first single to be certified in the US.
Background information
The song was originally created during Schultz and Fraites' time in New York as a kiss-off to disinterested concert-goers. "That song was an effort to get under people's skin at shows in Brooklyn, where everyone is pretty indifferent," Schultz told ''
American Songwriter
''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
History
The ''American Songwri ...
''. "And I figured if we could punctuate it with shouts we might get someone's attention."
Composition
"Ho Hey" is written in the key of
C major
C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...
. A
McIntosh
McIntosh, Macintosh, or Mackintosh (Gaelic: ') may refer to:
Products and brands
* Mackintosh, a form of waterproof raincoat
* Mackintosh's or John Mackintosh and Co., later Rowntree Mackintosh, former UK confectionery company now part of Nestlà ...
MC240 amplifier was used in the recording.
Chart performance
The song became a commercial success and was a breakthrough hit for the Lumineers. It debuted on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 90 on the week of June 10, 2012. From there, it became a
sleeper hit
In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little promo ...
, slowly ascending the chart until it broke into the top ten in the week of November 10, 2012 at number eight and continued to climb until it reached its peak of number 3 in its 28th week on the chart. It also remained in the top ten of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 14 weeks, and topped ''Billboard''s
Rock Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alterna ...
chart for 14 weeks. It has also sold over four million copies in the United States as of April 2013.
The song also became a crossover hit, topping the Adult Pop Songs, Rock Songs, Alternative Songs, and Triple A charts and reaching number two on the
Pop Songs
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
chart, topped only by
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical s ...
' "
Locked Out of Heaven
"Locked Out of Heaven" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' (2012). It was released as the lead single from the album on October 1, 2012. The song was written by Mars, Phil ...
". It also charted on the Adult Contemporary and
Country Airplay
Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990.
This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...
charts. This multi-format success allowed it to reach number two on the
Hot 100 Airplay
The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout ...
chart and stay on the Hot 100 for 62 weeks, one of the longest chart runs ever. On the Billboard Decade-End list on Hot 100 songs in the 2010s, released on November 15, 2019, it was the lowest-ranked song in the top 100 peaking at 100. It was behind number 99, which was "
Wrecking Ball
A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball. An e ...
" by
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
, followed by "
In My Feelings
"In My Feelings" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his fifth studio album ''Scorpion'' (2018). It was released to rhythmic and contemporary hit radio on July 10, 2018, as the album's fifth single. The song features additional vocals by t ...
" by
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
and "
Break Your Heart
"Break Your Heart" is a song by British singer and songwriter Taio Cruz. The song serves as the lead single from his second studio album, ''Rokstarr'' (2009). It was written by Cruz and Fraser T Smith and produced by Smith. It was first release ...
" by
Taio Cruz
Jacob Taio Cruz (; born Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere, 23 April 1980), better known professionally as Taio Cruz (stylized TΛIO CRUZ), is an English singer, songwriter and record producer from London, England, currently based in Los Angeles. In 200 ...
featuring
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
.
The song also had international success, reaching the top ten in the UK, Canada, Ireland, France, Israel, Italy, Slovakia, New Zealand, Australia, and Switzerland.
Critical reception
"Ho Hey" has received positive reviews from critics. Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio gave the song a rating of 4 out of 5, favorably comparing
Wesley Schultz
Wesley Keith Schultz (born December 30, 1982) is the guitarist and lead vocalist for the American folk rock band The Lumineers.
Life and career
Schultz grew up in Ramsey, New Jersey,[Raine Maida
Raine Maida (born Michael Anthony Maida; February 18, 1970)]
– Ourladypeace.cc. Retrieved April 30, 2010. is a C ...
. Erickson went on to say that "it's darn refreshing to sit back and take in some genuine, straightforward music that comes from the heart". ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' named the song the 26th-best song of 2012.
Music video
The music video for "Ho Hey" was released on March 11, 2012. The video was directed by Ben Fee. The video shows the band walking down a hall in the former
Linda Vista Hospital while singing and dancing to the song.
In popular culture
* Prior to its release, "Ho Hey" was first featured on the December 5, 2011, episode of ''
Hart of Dixie
''Hart of Dixie'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on The CW from September 26, 2011, to March 27, 2015. The series, created by Leila Gerstein, stars Rachel Bilson as Dr. Zoe Hart, a New Yorker who, after her dreams of b ...
''. Later on, the song was used in a television commercial for
Bing
Bing most often refers to:
* Bing Crosby (1903–1977), American singer
* Microsoft Bing, a web search engine
Bing may also refer to:
Food and drink
* Bing (bread), a Chinese flatbread
* Bing (soft drink), a UK brand
* Bing cherry, a varie ...
on June 1, 2012.
* In the UK, the song has been used in an advertisement for
E.ON, in the final episode of sitcom ''
Cuckoo
Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separ ...
'' as well as advertisements for the film ''
Silver Linings Playbook
''Silver Linings Playbook'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by David O. Russell. The film was based on Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel ''The Silver Linings Playbook''. It stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawre ...
''.
* A purely instrumental version has been used in a commercial for
Blue Moon beer.
* The song appears as a playable track in the video game ''
Guitar Hero Live
''Guitar Hero Live'' is a 2015 music rhythm video game developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Guitar Hero'' series. The game was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xb ...
''.
* "Ho Hey" appears in the series premiere episode of the MTV show Catfish, "Sunny & Jamison", which aired on November 12, 2012.
* "Ho Hey" appears in the premiere episode of the
eighth season of ''
Bones
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
'', "The Future in the Past", which aired September 17, 2012.
* The song appears in the fifth episode of
the tenth season of ''
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'', "Babylon", which aired February 15, 2016.
* Referenced in the lyrics, Canal and Bowery are cross streets in lower Manhattan, New York City, NY where bus services arrive and depart from different parts of the U.S.
* The song appeared in ''
The Vampire Diaries
''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson (screenwriter), Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the The Vampire Diaries (novel series), book series ...
'' season four episode three "The Rager", introducing the character
Hayley Marshall
'' The Originals'' is an American fantasy-drama television series picked up by The CW television network for their fall 2013 schedule, after a backdoor pilot for the series aired as an episode of The CW series ''The Vampire Diaries'' in April ...
.
Covers
In the sixteenth episode of the
first season of ''
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
'', the characters Maddie and Daphne Conrad covered "Ho Hey". This version, credited to the actors' real names
Lennon and Maisy Stella, debuted at number 58 on
Country Airplay
Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990.
This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...
dated for the week of April 27, 2013, and peaked at 47. Blog
Taste of Country
Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...
reviewed their cover positively, saying that "The Stellas redefine the song’s message, turning it into an adorable statement between two sisters."
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
covered "Ho Hey" on her 2013-2014 tour,
The Red Tour
The Red Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fourth studio album, ''Red'' (2012). The tour started on March 13, 2013, at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska and concluded on June 12, 2 ...
. The song was the only cover that was part of the nightly set list for the entirety of the tour, and was mashed up with Swift's own song, "
Stay, Stay, Stay."
Parodies
On ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon.[ About pag ...](_blank)
'', an "all-clucking" cover version of the song was performed by an ''ad hoc'' group called "the Chickeneers", featuring
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an American comedian, television host, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' and as the host of the late-night talk show ''The Ton ...
,
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single " Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...
, and
Nick Offerman
Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, writer, comedian, producer, and carpenter. He is best known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation'', for which he received the Television Critics A ...
in chicken suits.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
See also
*
List of number-one singles of 2013 (Poland)
This is a list of the songs that reached number-one position in official Polish single chart in ZPAV in 2013.
Chart history
Number-one artists
See also
* Polish Music Charts
* List of number-one albums of 2013 (Poland)
References
...
*
List of UK top 10 singles in 2012
The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom. Since 2004 the chart has been based on the sales of both physical singles and ...
*
List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 2012
*
List of number-one Billboard Alternative Songs of 2012
*
List of Adult Top 40 number-one songs of the 2010s
*
List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2013
References
{{authority control
2011 songs
2012 debut singles
Dualtone Records singles
The Lumineers songs
Number-one singles in Poland