The Climb

"The Climb" is a song performed by American recording artist and actress 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 12, 2009, as the lead single of the film's soundtrack by Walt Disney Records. 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 Climb" was generally well received by critics and was nominated for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the 52nd 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 However, the song was withdrawn from consideration by Walt Disney Records because it had not been written specifically for a movie as the category's eligibility rules required.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 achieved worldwide success and became a top ten hit on charts in Australia, Canada, Norway and the United States. In the United States, the song 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 (RIAA). Since, it has been recognized as one of the best-selling singles in the United States. 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. The first, at the Kids Inaugural: "We Are the Future" event on January 19, 2009, was the first time the song had ever been publicly heard. Cyrus also 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 6 of the eleventh 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.