About The Climb

"The Climb" is a song performed by American singer Miley Cyrus, for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. The song was written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe, and produced by John Shanks. It was released on March 5, 2009, as the lead single of the film's soundtrack by Walt Disney Records, and is also included as a bonus track on the international release of The Time of Our Lives. The song is a power ballad with lyrics that describe life as a difficult but rewarding journey. It is styled as a country pop ballad, and was Cyrus' first solo song to be released to country radio. The instrumentation includes piano, guitar, and violins. The song received a nomination for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. However, the song was withdrawn from consideration by Walt Disney Records because it had not been written specifically for a movie as the category's eligibility rules required. The song became a top-10 single on charts in Australia, Canada, Norway, and the United States. In the United States, it peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the eighth-best selling digital single of 2009. Five months after its release, the single was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Matthew Rolston, and depicts scenes of Cyrus climbing a mountain or singing, intercut with clips of Hannah Montana: The Movie. Cyrus promoted the song with several live performances. Cyrus performed the song as the closing number of her Wonder World Tour. The song was also performed during the Gypsy Heart Tour. "The Climb" has been covered by several artists and was the most popular choice of song among auditioners for the ninth season of the American singing contest, American Idol, with Hollie Cavanagh performing it in the top six of the 11th season. Simon Cowell, creator of the British television talent show The X Factor, chose "The Climb" to be the debut single of the winner of the competition's sixth series. Winner Joe McElderry's cover, released on December 14, 2009 by Syco Music, was produced by Quiz & Larossi and topped the Irish Singles Chart and the UK Singles Chart. Before its official release, the song was premiered at Kids Inaugural: "We Are the Future" event on January 19, 2009.