Helicopter (Bloc Party song)

2004 single by Bloc Party

"Helicopter"

Single by Bloc Party
from the album  Silent Alarm
B-side| "Skeleton"
Released| 25 October 2004 (2004-10-25)[1]
Genre|

* Indie rock
* garage rock

Length| 3:40
Label| Wichita
Songwriter(s)|

* Russell Lissack
* Gordon Moakes
* Kele Okereke
* Matt Tong

Producer(s)|

* Bloc Party
* Paul Epworth

Bloc Party singles chronology
| "Little Thoughts/Tulips"
(2004)  | "Helicopter"
(2004)  | "Tulips"
(2005)

|
|

Audio sample

30-second excerpt of "Helicopter".

* file
* help

"Helicopter" is a song by English rock band Bloc Party, originally released as a stand-alone single in the UK in October 2004 and appeared later on the Little Thoughts EP; it was released two years later as a single from their debut album, Silent Alarm, in the US. The song received acclaim, reaching number 26 on the UK Singles Chart but failing to chart in the US. Various remixes have been recorded. The song was included in the music video games Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Burnout Revenge, FIFA 06 and FIFA 23 the episode "Alma Matter" from the sixth season of The Crown.

## Composition

[edit]

"Helicopter" is an indie rock[2][3] and garage rock[4] song, written by all band members prior to their debut studio album, Silent Alarm. Composed in B minor, it was written in common time and has a quick tempo of 171 beats per minute.[5] The main riff was adapted from "Set The House Ablaze", a song by The Jam featured on the 1980 album Sound Affects.[6]

## Music video

[edit]

The official video is displayed in black and white and shows the band playing in an old, empty house, intercut with surreal imagery. It has received the most views of any of Bloc Party's songs on YouTube, gaining over 30 million views.[7]

## Track listings

[edit]

UK 7-inch

1. "Helicopter"
2. "Skeleton"

UK CD

1. "Helicopter"
2. "Always New Depths"
3. "Tulips" (Minotaur Shock mix)

US CD

1. "Helicopter" (Diplo remix)
2. "Helicopter" (Weird Science remix featuring Peaches)
3. "Helicopter" (Whitey remix)
4. "Helicopter" (Original version)

US 12-inch

1. "Helicopter" (Diplo remix)
2. "Helicopter" (Weird Science remix featuring Peaches)

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (2004)  | Peak
position

|

UK Singles (OCC)[8] | 26

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Silver  | 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 23 October 2004. p. 23.
2. ^ Boydston, Joshua (17 February 2015). "A tribut to Bloc Party's Silent Alarm". Oxford Karma. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
3. ^ Taylor, Benji (14 August 2013). "Review: Bloc Party - 'The Nextwave Sessions'". Pretty Much Amazing. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
4. ^ Fleischer, Norman (2 February 2015). "Hoping For a Miracle: 10 Years of Bloc Party's 'Silent Alarm'". Nothing but Hope and Passion. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
5. ^ Commercial sheet music for "Helicopter". Wichita Recordings Music Publishing. Distributed by International Music Publications. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
6. ^ Thomas, Lou. "BBC - Music - Review of The Jam - Sound Affects: Deluxe Edition". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
7. ^ Video on YouTube
8. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
9. ^ "British single certifications – Bloc Party – Helicopter". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 May 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Bloc Party

* Kele Okereke
* Russell Lissack
* Louise Bartle
* Harry Deacon

* Gordon Moakes
* Matt Tong
* Justin Harris

Studio albums|

* Silent Alarm
* A Weekend in the City
* Intimacy
* Four
* Hymns
* Alpha Games

Remix albums|

* Silent Alarm Remixed
* Intimacy Remixed

Extended plays|

* Bloc Party
* Little Thoughts
* The Nextwave Sessions

Singles|

* "She's Hearing Voices"
* "Banquet"/"Staying Fat"
* "Little Thoughts"/"Tulips"
* "Helicopter"
* "Tulips"
* ""So Here We Are"/"Positive Tension""
* "Banquet"
* "Pioneers"
* "Two More Years"
* "The Prayer"
* "I Still Remember"
* "Hunting for Witches"
* "Flux"
* "Mercury"
* "Talons"
* "One Month Off"
* "Signs"
* "One More Chance"
* "Octopus"
* "Truth"
* "Ratchet"

Other songs|

* "Like Eating Glass"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Pin Me Down
* Young Legionnaire

Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group
* MusicBrainz work

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