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Never Surrender (Corey Hart song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Never Surrender

| cover = NeverSurrender.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Corey Hart

| album = Boy in the Box

| B-side = Water from the Moon

| released = {{Start date|1985|06|07}}

| recorded =

| studio = Le Studio (Quebec)

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 4:58

| label = Aquarius (CAN)
EMI America (U.S.)

| writer = Corey Hart

| producer = {{hlist|Phil Chapman|Jon Astley|Corey Hart}}

| prev_title = Lamp at Midnite

| prev_year = 1985

| next_title = Boy in the Box

| next_year = 1985

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|-4pg6Jh94Lo|"Never Surrender"}}}}

}}

"Never Surrender" is a song written and performed by Canadian singer Corey Hart. It was released on June 7, 1985, as the lead single to his second studio album Boy in the Box (1985).

In Canada, the song topped the RPM Top Singles chart for nine consecutive weeks and was the most played song of 1985 on Canadian radio. In the United States, it became his highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three in August 1985; on the sales chart, it reached number one for one week. "Never Surrender" would later receive the Juno Award for Single of the Year at the Juno Awards of 1985 and has been certified Platinum in Canada by Music Canada for physical sales of over 100,000 copies.

In 2019, Hart released an updated version of the song on his EP Dreaming Time Again, performed as a slow piano ballad with a new "angels lead you home" coda. He released the new version as a single in 2020, highlighting its message of hope and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.David Friend, [https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/corey-hart-never-surrender-rerelease-1.5568455 "Corey Hart updates Never Surrender as pandemic-era salute to people's strength"]. CBC News, May 13, 2020.

Composition

On the lyrical content, Hart said, "My mother influenced me with this ethic of never quitting on yourself or your dreams no matter how challenging or daunting. I also greatly admired Sir Winston Churchill, reading many biographies on his life. He used this expression 'Never Surrender' during the dark days of the Nazi attacks on Great Britain as a motivating inspiration for his countrymen."{{cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/corey-hart|title=Corey Hart : Songwriter Interviews|last=Wiser|first=Carl|date=June 27, 2012|website=Songfacts|accessdate=February 28, 2021}}

Critical reception

Dave Sholin of the Gavin Report rated it positively, saying Corey returns "even more force on a record that convinces me he is one of the mainstay singer/songwriters of the 80's."{{Cite news |last=Sholin |first=Dave |date=May 24, 1985 |title=Personal Picks: Singles |work=Gavin Report |page=41 |issue=1558}} Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic, in a retrospective review for Boy in the Box, has since called "Never Surrender": "a soaring power ballad of empowerment, giving this album (Boy in the Box) a greater musical and emotional range than his (Hart's) debut."{{cite web |author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas |title=Boy in the Box Overview |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r40008|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate=March 25, 2009 |publisher=AllMusic}} Regarding the song becoming another US hit single Hart said "I really think it's difficult breaking into America regardless of where you're from. I don't think it's any more difficult for a Canadian act than for a band from Oklahoma".{{citation|author=Linda Moleski|date=1986-11-22|title=Canadian's Overjoyed At US Success - Hart Is Beside Himself|publisher=Billboard}}

Music video

The music video features a story line of Hart leaving his home after an argument with his father and hitchhiking his way to a major city where he finds himself alone and ends with a 'live' performance with his band. Portions of the video were filmed on Yonge Street, Spadina Avenue and Queen Street West in downtown Toronto, including the now defunct Crest Grill. The video's director, Rob Quartly, had worked with Hart on three previous music videos and Quartly was again nominated for a Juno Award for his work on this video.

Usage in media

"Never Surrender" has been featured in the Hulu series Future Man Episode 10 "Operation: Natal Attraction", the Netflix series Stranger Things, season 3, episode 1 "Suzie, Do You Copy?", The Goldbergs, season 7, episode 13 "Geoff the Pleaser", and in the Disney+ animated series What If...?, season 2, episode 2 "What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes?".

Track listings and formats

7-inch single{{Cite AV media notes |title=Never Surrender |type=Canadian 7-inch single sleeve |others=Corey Hart |publisher=Aquarius Records |year=1985 |id=AQ-6017}}

  1. "Never Surrender" – 4:23
  2. "Water from the Moon" – 3:28

Performers

Charts

{{col-start}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Weekly chart performance for "Never Surrender"

! scope="col" |Chart (1985)

! scope="col" |Peak
position

scope="row" |Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St. Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|edition=Illustrated|page=134|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.

|20

scope="row" |Canada Retail Singles (The Record){{cite book|last=Lwin|first=Nanda|author-link=Nanda Lwin|title=Canadian Singles Chart Book 1975–1996|publisher=Music Data Canada|location=Mississauga, Ontario|year=1996|isbn=1-896594-09-3}}

|1

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|1|chartid=503|rowheader=true|access-date=January 14, 2025|refname=rpm}}
{{single chart|Germany|37|rowheader=true|artist=Corey Hart|song=Never Surrender|songid=16810|access-date=January 14, 2025|refname=ger}}
{{Single chart|New Zealand|38|artist=Corey Hart|song=Never Surrender|rowheader=true|refname=nz}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|3|artist=Corey Hart|rowheader=true|access-date=January 14, 2025|refname="hot100"}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|8|artist=Corey Hart|rowheader=true|access-date=January 14, 2025}}
scope="row" |US Adult Contemporary (Gavin Report){{Cite news |date=August 23, 1985 |editor-last=Fell |editor-first=Ron |title=the Gavin Report: A/C |work=Gavin Report |page=16 |issue=1571}}

|9

scope="row" |US Top 40 (Gavin Report){{Cite news |date=August 2, 1985 |editor-last=Sholin |editor-first=Dave |title=the Gavin Report: Top 40 |work=Gavin Report |page=2 |issue=1568}}

|3

scope="row" |US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|title=The Back Page – Adult Contemporary|magazine=Radio & Records|page=94|date=August 23, 1985|issue=598}}

|6

scope="row" |US AOR/Hot Tracks (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|title=The Back Page – National Airplay/August 2, 1985|magazine=Radio & Records|page=90|date=August 2, 1985|issue=595}}

|6

scope="row" |US Contemporary Hit Radio (Radio & Records)

|3

{{col-2}}

= Year-end charts =

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Year-end chart performance for "Never Surrender"

scope="col" |Chart (1985)

! scope="col" |Position

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|1|chartid=697|rowheader=true|access-date=January 14, 2025|refname=rpmyearend}}
scope="row" |US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|date=December 28, 1985 |title=1985 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles |page=T-21 |magazine=Billboard |volume=97 |issue=52 }}

| 44

scope="row" |US Adult Contemporary (Gavin Report){{Cite news |date=December 13, 1985 |title=Adult Contemporary Top 100 |work=Gavin Report |page=27 |issue=1587}}

|58

scope="row" |US Top 40 (Gavin Report){{Cite news |date=December 13, 1985 |title=Top-40 Top 100 |work=Gavin Report |page=26 |issue=1587}}

|26

scope="row" |US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|title=Top 85 of '85: Adult/Contemporary|magazine=Radio & Records|page=89|date=December 13, 1985|issue=614}}

| 49

scope="row" |US AOR Tracks (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|title=Top 85 of '85: AOR Tracks|magazine=Radio & Records|page=82|date=December 13, 1985|issue=614}}

| 73

scope="row" |US Contemporary Hit Radio (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|title=Top 85 of '85: Contemporary Hit Radio|magazine=Radio & Records|page=72|date=December 13, 1985|issue=614}}

| 23

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Never Surrender|artist=Corey Hart|type=single|award=Platinum|number=1|relyear=1985|certyear=1985|access-date=January 14, 2025|refname="cria"}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

References

{{reflist}}

  • Liner notes from Boy in the Box album
  • [http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Hart&first=Corey MVDbase] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930222553/http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Hart&first=Corey |date=2007-09-30 }} - List of Hart's videos
  • [https://www.discogs.com/artist/134285-Corey-Hart?filter_anv=0&subtype=Singles-EPs&type=Releases Discogs] - List of Hart's singles

{{Corey Hart}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1985 singles

Category:1985 songs

Category:Corey Hart (singer) songs

Category:Aquarius Records (Canada) singles

Category:EMI America Records singles

Category:1980s ballads

Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles

Category:Rock ballads

Category:Juno Award for Single of the Year singles

Category:Songs written by Corey Hart (singer)

Category:Music videos shot in Toronto