| "Angel" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Sarah McLachlan | ||||||||||
| from the album Surfacing and City of Angels: Music from the Motion Picture | ||||||||||
| Released | November 24, 1998 | |||||||||
| Format | CD single | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||||||||
| Genre | Adult contemporary | |||||||||
| Length | 4:30 (album version) 4:00 (radio edit) |
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| Label | Arista/Warner Sunset/Reprise | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Sarah McLachlan | |||||||||
| Producer | Pierre Marchand | |||||||||
| Certification | 4× Platinum (RIAA) | |||||||||
| Sarah McLachlan singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Angel" is a song by Sarah McLachlan that originally appeared on her 1997 album Surfacing. As McLachlan explained on VH1 Storytellers, the song is about the Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin, who overdosed on heroin and died in 1996.
"Angel" was McLachlan's second top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaked at number four, and remained on the chart for a twenty-nine weeks total. "Angel" was the eighteenth most successful song of 1999, and McLachlan's second most successful song in the US, after "Adia" in 1998.
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"Angel" was one of the first songs written for Surfacing. McLachlan said that writing it was easy, "a real joyous occasion."[1] It was inspired by articles that she read in Rolling Stone about musicians turning to heroin to cope with the pressures of the music industry and subsequently overdosing.[1][2] She said that she identified with the feelings that might lead someone to use heroin: "I've been in that place where you're so fucked up and you're so lost that you don't know who you are anymore, and you're miserable—and here's this escape route. I've never done heroin, but I've done plenty of other things to escape."[1] She said that the song is about "trying not to take responsibility for other people's shit and trying to love yourself at the same time."[2]
Released as a single in 1998, "Angel" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 23, 1999 (after reaching the Top 40 on December 15, 1998), #1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, and at #36 on the UK Singles Chart.
The song has had enduring popularity. it is often used to highlight emotional scenes on television shows, and has been featured in a number of soundtracks (including the film City of Angels and TV's Alias, Cold Case, Dawson's Creek, Early Edition, Felicity, General Hospital, and The Pretender). In addition, it's also used as a song of comfort and healing, most often following tragic events such as the April 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks. Furthermore, a large number of video tributes to loved ones uploaded by youtube users have been set to this song.
On July 2, 2005, McLachlan performed this song at Live 8 in Philadelphia with Josh Groban. She also performed the song on "Concert for Linda," dedicating it to the memory of Linda McCartney. On September 10, 2011, McLachlan performed the song to close the ceremonies at the dedication of the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, commemorating the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 who fought the hijackers and brought down their airplane in the September 11 attacks.
Musician Darryl McDaniels, otherwise known as D.M.C. of the famous hip-hop band Run-D.M.C., has said the song saved his life.[3]
The song has a sparse arrangement — mostly McLachlan at the piano, with subtle upright bass played by Jim Creeggan of Barenaked Ladies.
A remix of the track by Dusted appears on McLachlan's 2001 album Remixed.
A live version with Emmylou Harris appears on a Lilith Fair compilation, McLachlan's own iTunes Originals collection, and her Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff Volume 2 compilation.
On Sunday, November 23, 2008 Sarah McLachlan performed Angel at the American Music Awards with artist Pink.
The song made its début on the New Zealand Singles Chart on the 6 July 2009 at number 36. The appearance in the charts was attributed to the 2009 New Zealand Stars in Their Eyes grand final the week before, where Mandy Pickering of Christchurch won the final performing the song.
This song is also often played during a contestant becoming eliminated on Indonesia Mencari Bakat (Indonesian version of America's Got Talent) on TransTV.
This song was used in the final minutes of the season finale of season 3 for The Secret Life of the American Teenager as everyone discovers the fate of Ben and Adrian's baby.
Since 2007, "Angel" has been included in an advertisement for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in which McLachlan serves as the spokesperson. The song is played over video of dogs and cats in an animal shelter and is credited with helping raise millions of dollars for the ASPCA.[4]
| End of year chart (1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[5] | 18 |
| Preceded by "I'm Your Angel" by R. Kelly & Celine Dion |
Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one single March 6 × May 22, 1999 |
Succeeded by "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins |
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