Heavy Cross

"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.

"Heavy Cross"
Single by Gossip
from the album Music for Men
Released	April 28, 2009
Studio	Shangri La Studios, Malibu
Genre	Dance-rock[1] dance-punk[2]
Length	4:02
Label	Columbia Music with a Twist
Songwriter(s)	Beth Ditto Brace Paine Hannah Blilie
Producer(s)	Rick Rubin
Gossip singles chronology
"Jealous Girls" (2007) "Heavy Cross" (2009) "Love Long Distance" (2009)
Music video
"Heavy Cross" on YouTube

Background and writing

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 Blilie 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

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^[update], 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

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

• Beth Ditto – vocals
• Brace Paine – guitar, keyboards, bass guitar
• Hannah Blilie – drums

Charts

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

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

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

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[41]	Platinum	70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[42]	Platinum	30,000*
Belgium (BRMA)[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.