Hail to the King (song)
2013 single by Avenged Sevenfold
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"Hail to the King" is a song by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold and the lead single from their sixth studio album of the same name, released on July 15, 2013.[1] The song was premiered live on July 17, 2013, at the Ford Festival Park in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The single was certified 3× Platinum in the United States on August 23, 2023, Gold in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2024, 4× Platinum in Canada on March 4, 2023, Gold in Denmark on November 22, 2023, and Platinum in New Zealand on December 15, 2022, making it their most successful single in terms of sales internationally.[2][3][4][5][6]
| "Hail to the King" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Avenged Sevenfold | ||||
| from the album Hail to the King | ||||
| Released | July 15, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 5:05 (album version) | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Mike Elizondo | |||
| Avenged Sevenfold singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Hail to the King" on YouTube | ||||
Release
The song was released on July 15, 2013, as the lead single for their sixth studio album, Hail to the King. On July 31, 2013, a limited edition CD version of the single was released, with a live version of "Nightmare" performed at The Palace of Auburn Hills attached.
Appearances in media
The song appears in video games Rock Band 4, WWE 2K17, and Fortnite Festival, and as one of the official theme songs for WrestleMania 32.[citation needed] The song also appeared in the Netflix film Metal Lords.[7][8]
Music video
The official music video premiered on the Metal Hammer website on August 16, 2013.[9] The video depicts the band playing together, as well as shots of the king referenced in the song. The video is in black and white and is the first to feature drummer Arin Ilejay, as well as being the first Avenged Sevenfold video to feature a drummer since the video for "So Far Away", which contained archive footage of late drummer the Rev.
Accolades
Loudwire Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Hail to the King | Best Rock Song | Won |
Revolver Golden Gods Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Hail to the King | Song of the Year | Nominated |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hail to the King" | 5:04 |
| 2. | "Nightmare" (live at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 02/05/2011) | 6:22 |
Personnel
- M. Shadows – lead vocals
- Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Synyster Gates – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Johnny Christ – bass
- Arin Ilejay – drums
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[4] | 4× Platinum | 320,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[5] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[6] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[3] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[2] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||