We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)

"We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" is a song written by Graham Lyle and Terry Britten. It was recorded by American singer Tina Turner for the soundtrack album to the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which starred Mel Gibson and Turner. On the heels of Turner's multiplatinum album Private Dancer (1984), the song was released as a 7-inch single, an extended version was released as a 12-inch single and on the film's soundtrack album. In the United Kingdom, a shaped picture disc was also issued. The power ballad[1] received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. As songwriters, Lyle and Britten received the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.[2]

"We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)"
Single by Tina Turner
from the album Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
ReleasedJuly 8, 1985 (1985-07-08)
RecordedDecember 1984
StudioMayfair Studios (London, England)
GenreRock
Length6:07 (album version)
4:15 (7" edit)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Terry Britten
Tina Turner singles chronology
"Show Some Respect"
(1985)		 "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)"
(1985)		 "One of the Living"
(1985)

Recording

Turner was backed by a choral group from King's House School in Richmond, London. One of the choir members who appeared on the recording, Lawrence Dallaglio, became famous as a rugby union star and captain of the England national team.[3]

Chart performance

"We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" became one of Turner's biggest hit singles. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, behind John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)". It peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and West Germany.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" features Turner dressed in her Aunty Entity costume from the Mad Max film, a heavy chain mail gown. As several spotlights shine on her, she proceeds to sing atop a platform while various scenes from the film are interspersed. In the last portion of the video, Turner is accompanied by a children's choir and Tim Cappello, her tour saxophonist, percussionist and keyboardist at the time. The music video received an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Female Video.

Formats and track listings

Official versions/remixes
  • 7" Edit or Single Version – 4:16
  • 7" Instrumental – 4:41
  • 12" Extended Mix or Soundtrack Version – 6:07
  • 12" Dub Mix or Soundtrack Instrumental – 6:30

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[40] Gold 50,000^
Germany (BVMI)[41] Gold 500,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

In 2004, Canadian singer Jane Child recorded a cover of the song, titling it "Beyond Thunderdome (We Don't Need Another Hero)" for the album What's Love? A Tribute to Tina Turner.[43]

In 2007, Finnish supergroup Northern Kings covered the song on their debut album Reborn.[44]

In March 2016, Seal and Jencarlos Canela performed a cover of the song during the Fox television special The Passion. It was sung in the story where Pontius Pilate (Seal) is torn at sentencing Jesus (Jencarlos) to death; the lyrics were amended to remove the reference to Thunderdome, which was replaced with "the love we know".[45]

In May 2023, Swedish band Ghost covered the song on their EP Phantomime.

References
  1. September 2014, Stephen Daultrey15 (15 September 2014). "Ten Amazing 80s Action Movie Power Ballads". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  2. Lister, David, Pop ballads bite back in lyrical fashion, The Independent, May 28, 1994
  3. Day, Elizabeth (October 9, 2005). "Dallaglio: my secret life as Tina Turner's backing vocalist". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
  4. David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. Australia: St Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. "Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  6. "Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0568." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  8. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9299." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  9. "Danish Chart Archive - Singles 1979 - ____ (B.T./IFPI DK)". Ukmix.org. 3 January 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  10. "Singlet 1985-09 syyskuu" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  11. "Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  12. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – We Don?t Need Another Hero". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  13. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 8, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Tina Turner".
  14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 35, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  15. "{{{artist}}} – We Don?t Need Another Hero" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
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  17. "Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)". VG-lista. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  18. "Photographic image" (JPG). 4.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  19. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  20. "Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  21. "Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
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  23. "Tina Turner Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  24. "Tina Turner Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  25. "Tina Turner Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  26. "Tina Turner Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  27. "Tina Turner Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  28. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  29. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  30. "Jahreshitparade Singles 1985" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  31. "Jaaroverzichten 1985" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  32. "Top 100 Singles of 1985". RPM. December 28, 1985. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  33. "Single Top 100 Van 1985" (PDF) (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  34. "Top Selling Singles of 1985". RIANZ. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  35. "Topp 20 Single Sommer 1985" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  36. "Swiss Year-end Charts 1985". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  37. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1986). "Top 100 singles: 1985". BPI Year Book 1986 (8th ed.). British Phonographic Industry. pp. 48–49. ISBN 0-906154-07-3.
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  39. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts 1985" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  40. "Canadian single certifications – Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero". Music Canada.
  41. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Tina Turner; 'We Don't Need Another Hero')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  42. "British single certifications – Tina Turner – We Don't Need Another Hero". British Phonographic Industry.
  43. Allmusic - What's Love? A Tribute to Tina Turner
  44. "We Don't Need Another Hero" at Discogs
  45. Hale, Mike (March 21, 2016). "'The Passion': Jesus' Final Hours as a Halftime Show". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
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