Wake Up (Arcade Fire song)

"Wake Up"
Cover art for the single "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire.
Single by Arcade Fire
from the album Funeral
Released2005
Recorded2003–2004
StudioHotel2Tango (Montreal, Quebec)
Genre
Length
  • 5:33 (album version)
  • 3:45 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire singles chronology
"Rebellion (Lies)"
(2005) 		"Wake Up"
(2005) 		"Black Mirror"
(2007)

"Wake Up" is an indie rock song by Canadian rock band Arcade Fire. It was the fifth and final single released from the band's debut album, Funeral. The single was released as a one-sided 7" vinyl record on November 14, 2005.

Reception and legacy

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In 2009, NME ranked "Wake Up" as the 25th best song of the decade,[1] and in 2014 ranked "Wake Up" as the 25th greatest song of all-time.[2] In June 2011, Rolling Stone ranked "Wake Up" as the 42nd best song of the 2000s.[3] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 22 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[4]

In 2014, Pitchfork described the chorus of "Wake Up" as "one of the most thrilling, bracing moments in recent rock history", placing it in a tradition of anthemic classic rock wordless crescendos including "Born to Run", "Biko", and "Hey Jude". Pitchfork credited the chorus with inspiring "the most ubiquitous vocal device in contemporary rock": "a relentless procession of 'woah-oh-oh-ohs!' and 'ho yeahs!' and 'heys!' and songs filled with so many 'hos!' and 'heys!', that there's no choice but to give them titles like 'Ho Hey.'" The trend drove the popularity of "indie-oriented big-ticket music festivals" where acts could initiate engagement with larger crowds through "non-lyrical, group-chorus peer pressure."[5]

As of June 2024, "Wake Up" holds the number 86 spot on Rate Your Music's Top Singles of the 2000s.[6]

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A live version of the song performed with David Bowie appears on the 2005 Live EP (Live at Fashion Rocks).

This song was played during the beginning of the U2's Vertigo Tour shows, usually followed by "City of Blinding Lights". A brief snippet of the song's pre-concert appearance opens U2's concert film Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago.

"Wake Up" was played as the pre-game intro song at New York Rangers games during the 2006–2007 season. It is currently used as the intro song for Premier League clubs Burnley and Aston Villa and, since 2005, by Irish Premier League champions Linfield.

A new version of the song was recorded for and featured in the trailer for the 2009 film Where the Wild Things Are.[7]

Arcade Fire licensed "Wake Up" to play in commercials during Super Bowl XLIV. All proceeds from airing the song were donated to Partners in Health for relief efforts related to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. [8]

Track listing

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  1. "Wake Up" - 5:33

Personnel

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Additional musicians

Charts

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Chart (2005) Peak
position
Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)[9] 25
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 29

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[11] Platinum 80,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[12] Gold 10,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "100 Tracks of the Decade". NME. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  2. ^ Barker, Emily (31 January 2014). "The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time: 100-1". NME. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  3. ^ "100 Best Songs of the 2000s: 42. Arcade Fire, "Wake Up"". Rolling Stone. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  4. ^ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". NME. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  5. ^ Berman, Stuart (15 September 2014). "Arcade Fire's Funeral and the Legacy of the "WHOA-OH"". Piichfork. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Top Singles of the 2000s". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  7. ^ Arcade Fire Re-Record 'Wake Up' For 'Where The Wild Things Are' Trailer
  8. ^ "Arcade Fire Licenses "Wake Up" to Super Bowl for Haiti Charity :: Music :: News :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. 2010-02-03. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  9. ^ "Radio & Records Magazine" (PDF). Radio & Records. February 24, 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  10. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  11. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Arcade Fire – Wake Up". Music Canada. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  12. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Arcade Fire – Wake Up" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
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