Hail to the King (song)

2013 single by Avenged Sevenfold

"Hail to the King"

Single by Avenged Sevenfold
from the album  Hail to the King
Released| July 15, 2013 (2013-07-15)
Recorded| 2012 (2012) - 2013 (2013)
Genre| Heavy metal
Length| 5:05 (album version)
Label| Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)|

* M. Shadows
* Synyster Gates
* Zacky Vengeance
* Johnny Christ

Producer(s)| Mike Elizondo
Avenged Sevenfold singles chronology
| "Carry On"
(2012)  | "Hail to the King"
(2013)  | "Shepherd of Fire"
(2013)

|
|

Music video
"Hail to the King" on YouTube

"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, Silver in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2020, 4× Platinum in Canada on March 4, 2023, and Gold in Denmark on November 22, 2023, making it their most successful single in terms of sales internationally.[2][3][4][5]

## Release

[edit]

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

[edit]

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. The song also appeared in the Netflix film Metal Lords. [6][7]

## Music video

[edit]

The official music video premiered on the Metal Hammer website on August 16, 2013.[8] 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

[edit]

Region  | Year  | Publication  | Accolade  | Rank

|
|
|
|

United States  | 2015  | Loudwire | 10 Best Rock Songs of 2013[9] | 7

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

* M. Shadows – lead vocals
* Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
* Synyster Gates – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Johnny Christ – bass guitar
* Arin Ilejay – drums

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for "Hail to the King"  | Chart (2013–14)  | Peak
position

|

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] | 63
Canada Rock (Billboard)[11] | 4
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] | 51
Scotland (OCC)[13] | 72
Taiwan (IFPI Taiwan)[14] | 5
UK Singles (OCC)[15] | 76
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[16] | 4
US Billboard Hot 100[17] | 83
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[18] | 12
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[19] | 7

### Year-end charts

[edit]

Year-end chart performance for "Hail to the King"  | Chart (2013)  | Position

|

US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[20] | 29
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[21] | 19

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications for "Hail to the King"  Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Canada (Music Canada)[4] | 4× Platinum  | 320,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[5] | Gold  | 45,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[3] | Gold  | 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[2] | 3× Platinum  | 3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Bowar, Chad (July 15, 2013). "Avenged Sevenfold, DEftones and Ghost B.C. to Embark on Fall 2013 U.S. Tour". Loudwire. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
2. ^ a b "American single certifications – Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
3. ^ a b "British single certifications – Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
4. ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King". Music Canada. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
5. ^ a b "Danish single certifications – Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
6. ^ "Avenged Sevenfold | Music Artist, Actor, Composer". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
7. ^ Coulson, David (2024-05-15). "The next Fortnite Festival Jam Tracks finally add Avenged Sevenfold to the game". VideoGamer. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
8. ^ UK PREMIERE: Avenged Sevenfold Unleash ‘Hail To The King’ Video!
9. ^ "10 Best Rock Songs of 2013". Loudwire.
10. ^ "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
11. ^ "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
12. ^ "Avenged Sevenfold: {{{song}}}" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
13. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
14. ^ "Taiwan Top 10" (in Polish). Top 40 Charts. 2013-07-27. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
16. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
17. ^ "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
18. ^ "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
19. ^ "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
20. ^ "Year-End Charts: Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (2013)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
21. ^ "Year-End Charts: Rock Airplay Songs (2013)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* "Hail to the King " Official music video on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Avenged Sevenfold

* M. Shadows
* Zacky Vengeance
* Synyster Gates
* Johnny Christ
* Brooks Wackerman

* The Rev

Studio albums|

* Sounding the Seventh Trumpet
* Waking the Fallen
* City of Evil
* Avenged Sevenfold
* Nightmare
* Hail to the King
* The Stage
* Life Is But a Dream...

Extended plays|

* Warmness on the Soul
* Black Reign

Other albums|

* Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough
* The Best of 2005–2013
* Live at the Grammy Museum

Singles|

* "Chapter Four
* "Unholy Confessions"
* "Burn It Down"
* "Bat Country"
* "Beast and the Harlot"
* "Seize the Day"
* "Walk"
* "Almost Easy"
* "Afterlife"
* "Dear God"
* "Scream"
* "Nightmare"
* "Welcome to the Family"
* "So Far Away"
* "Not Ready to Die"
* "Buried Alive"
* "Carry On"
* "Hail to the King"
* "St. James"
* "Shepherd of Fire"
* "The Stage"
* "God Damn"
* "Mad Hatter"
* "Nobody"

Other songs|

* "Second Heartbeat"
* "I Won't See You Tonight"
* "A Little Piece of Heaven"
* "Fiction
* "This Means War"
* "The River"

Tours|

* Avenged Sevenfold Tour

Related articles|

* Discography
* Pinkly Smooth
* Mike Portnoy
* Brian Haner

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template