The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)

"The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)"
Single by U2
from the album Songs of Innocence
Released15 September 2014 (2014-09-15)
Recorded2010–2014
GenrePop rock[1]
Length4:16
LabelIsland
Composer(s)U2
Lyricist(s)Bono and the Edge
Producer(s)Danger Mouse, Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder
U2 singles chronology
"Invisible"
(2014) 		"The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)"
(2014) 		"Every Breaking Wave"
(2014)
Audio sample
"The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)"

"The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track from their thirteenth studio album, Songs of Innocence, and was released as its lead single. It was produced by Danger Mouse, Paul Epworth, and Ryan Tedder. It was first unveiled by the band during their performance at an Apple Inc. product launch event on 9 September 2014, coinciding with an announcement that Songs of Innocence would be released digitally to iTunes Store customers free of charge. The song's title refers to American musician Joey Ramone, lead singer of influential punk rock band the Ramones.

Writing and recording

"The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" originated from U2's recording sessions with Danger Mouse in 2010, initially consisting of a drum loop and acoustic guitar.[2] With the input of producers Ryan Tedder and Paul Epworth, it evolved into a rockier song called "Siren", with one lyric comparing the music of the punk rock band Ramones to a siren song.[2] The band settled on the final melody and lyrics with Epworth during the final two months of the album's recording sessions.[2]

The song pays tribute to Joey Ramone, the lead singer of Ramones, who had a strong influence on Bono.[3] During their teenage years, U2 snuck into a Ramones concert,[4] and the experience of watching Joey perform made Bono feel less self-conscious about his own singing.[5]

Release

U2 performing "The Miracle" at 9 September 2014 Apple Inc. product launch

In the days leading to an Apple Inc. product launch event on 9 September 2014 in Cupertino, California, reports began to circulate that U2 would be involved,[6] which were promptly denied by a spokesperson for the band.[7] Nonetheless, towards the end of the event U2 appeared and performed a new song titled "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)", the lead single from their thirteenth studio album Songs of Innocence, with Apple CEO Tim Cook announcing that the album would be released digitally in its entirety at no cost to all iTunes Store customers.[8] The presentation concluded with the unveiling of an Apple advertisement featuring U2 performing the song.[9]

"The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" was subsequently released to United States adult album alternative (triple A) radio stations on 15 September 2014[10] and modern rock stations on 16 September.[11] Ahead of its official radio release, it had already been added to the playlists of several stations and subsequently debuted at numbers 19 and 38 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs and Rock Airplay charts, respectively.[12][13]

Former Ramones drummer Marky Ramone praised the song but was perplexed that U2 did not mention Joey Ramone's name anywhere in the lyrics. Regardless, he added that Joey would be very grateful for the tribute.[14]

Music video

The official music video for the song was launched on 14 October 2014, first in the iTunes store[15] and later on the band's official website.[16]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[27] 2× Diamond 500,000‡
Netherlands (NVPI)[28] Platinum 30,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Lukowski, Andrzej (15 September 2014). "Album Review: U2 - Songs of Innocence". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Hiatt, Brian (6 November 2014). "Trying to Throw Their Arms Around the World". Rolling Stone. No. 1221. pp. 54–61.
  3. ^ Reed, James (10 September 2014). "U2, 'Songs of Innocence'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  4. ^ MacNeil, Jason (9 September 2014). "U2 Are Giving Away Their Surprise New Album 'Songs Of Innocence' For Free On iTunes". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  5. ^ "Exclusive: Bono Reveals Secrets of U2's Surprise Album 'Songs of Innocence'". Rolling Stone. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  6. ^ Sisario, Ben (8 September 2014). "U2 Said to Play Role at Apple Event". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  7. ^ "U2's new album will not be launched as iPhone 6 tie-in". Hot Press. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  8. ^ Ingraham, Nathan (9 September 2014). "U2 releases its new album for free today exclusively on iTunes". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  9. ^ Lipshitz, Jason (9 September 2014). "U2 Releases Free Album 'Songs of Innocence' at Apple Event". Billboard. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  10. ^ "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations, Independent Artist Song Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  11. ^ "Future Releases on Alternative Radio Stations, Independent Artist Song Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 2 October 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  12. ^ "U2 'The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)'". Interscope Records. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  13. ^ Trust, Gary (15 September 2014). "Chart Highlights: Nico & Vinz Ascend To No. 1 On Adult Contemporary With 'Am I Wrong'". Billboard. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  14. ^ Ramone, Marky (18 December 2014). "Marky Ramone Discusses the U2 Song, 'The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)'". YouTube. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  15. ^ "'The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)' Music Video Premieres on iTunes". @U2: Independent Site for U2 Fans. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  16. ^ "U2 > The Miracle (of Joey Ramone) Video". U2.com. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  17. ^ "U2 – The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  18. ^ "U2 – The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  19. ^ "U2 Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  20. ^ "Earone Airplay - Settimana #42 dal 10/10/2014 al 16/10/2014" (in Italian). Earone.
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 33, 2014" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  22. ^ "U2 Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  23. ^ "U2 Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  24. ^ "U2 Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  25. ^ "U2 Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  26. ^ "Adult Alternative Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  27. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – U2 – the Miracle" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  28. ^ "Dutch single certifications – U2 – the Miracle" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 21 October 2020. Enter the Miracle in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2015 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".