Hannah Montana (soundtrack)

Hannah Montana is the soundtrack album for the first season of the television series of the same name. released on October 24, 2006 by Walt Disney Records. The program itself premiered through the Disney Channel on March 24, 2006; after becoming an immediate commercial success, production on its soundtrack began the following month. Eight of its thirteen tracks are performed by the series' lead actress Miley Cyrus, and are credited to her character Hannah Montana. The groups The Click Five, Everlife, B5, and recording artist Jesse McCartney each contribute one recording, while a duet between Cyrus and her father Billy Ray Cyrus is included as the final track. Hannah Montana was reissued as a two-disc special edition on March 20, 2007. The soundtrack was further promoted during the Cheetah Girls' Party's Just Begun Tour, for which Cyrus served as an opening act, and her own Best of Both Worlds Tour. The soundtrack is primarily a pop rock record, which sees additional influences from teen pop, pop punk, and country pop musical styles. The lyrical themes revolve largely around "girl power", teen romance, and the double life that Cyrus' character lives on the program.

Hannah Montana
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedOctober 24, 2006 (2006-10-24)
Genre
Length42:26
LabelWalt Disney
Producer
Hannah Montana chronology
Hannah Montana
(2006)
Hannah Montana 2
(2007)
Singles from Hannah Montana
  1. "The Best of Both Worlds"
    Released: March 28, 2006[1]
  2. "Who Said"
    Released: July 11, 2006

Hannah Montana received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who appreciated its overall production. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 281,000 copies. In doing so, it became Cyrus' first number-one album, the first television soundtrack to reach the top position on the chart, and the fourth soundtrack from The Walt Disney Company to debut in the top-ten of the chart. The record has since been certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having exceeded shipments of three million copies in the United States. The soundtrack charted moderately on international record charts, having reached the top-twenty in countries including Austria, Canada, Norway, and Spain.

Background and composition edit

 
Miley Cyrus portrayed the title character on the television series Hannah Montana.

During production of the first season of Hannah Montana, Cyrus commented that at the moment, they were focused on improving the series as much as possible, however recording a soundtrack for it was a plausible plan for the future.[2] The series itself premiered through the Disney Channel on March 24, 2006, and became an immediate commercial success; with 5.4 million viewers, the pilot episode earned the channel the highest ratings in its history at the time.[3] The following month, it was reported that an accompanying soundtrack and Cyrus' debut studio album had both begun production, the first of which was scheduled to be released during fall 2006. These plans were expected to capitalize on promotional efforts previously used for Hilary Duff, who had successfully transitioned from the title character of the television series Lizzie McGuire into a career in the music industry in the early 2000s.[4]

In the series, Cyrus portrays the character Miley Stewart, a teenager who lives the secret double life as the pop star Hannah Montana. She stated that "most songs for the first season reflect the show, with Miley or Hannah making sure the other doesn't get caught or whatever," opining that the tracks provided series producers with the opportunity to "make sure that everyone understood the characters". By comparison, Cyrus described later material used by the series as "more speaking out to the fans."[5] The record incorporates elements of teen pop, pop rock, and country pop musical styles. Cyrus performs eight of its thirteen tracks, which are credited to Hannah Montana. Her songs "The Best of Both Worlds" and "This Is the Life" describe the double life that Cyrus' character maintains, while "If We Were a Movie" and "I Got Nerve" respectively address a romantic desire and "girl power".[6]

"Pop Princess" by The Click Five was described by Heather Phares from AllMusic as "sparkly power pop"; she also characterized "Find Yourself in You" by Everlife as "the template for Hannah's rock-edged pop". The soundtrack closes with the country pop duet "I Learned From You" between Cyrus and her father Billy Ray Cyrus, which Phares felt drew influences from recording artist Vanessa Carlton.[6] The soundtrack was later reissued as a two-disc special edition, which saw the inclusion of the track "Nobody's Perfect",[7] which was later featured on the following soundtrack Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (2007).[8]

Singles edit

 
Cyrus performing "Pumpin' Up the Party" on the Best of Both Worlds Tour.

The series' theme song "The Best of Both Worlds" was released as the lead single from Hannah Montana on March 28, 2006.[9] It reached number 92 on the US Billboard Hot 100,[10] while several other tracks from the soundtrack went on to also chart in the United States.

"Who Said" was released as the second single on July 11, 2006, including an exclusive interview from Radio Disney.[11] "Who Said" went on to peak at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"If We Were a Movie" was released digitally as a promotional single for the special edition of the album that went on to be released on March 20, 2007.[12] The song reached number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

A remix of "The Other Side of Me" was released to digital stores on February 10, 2009, to promote the recently released remix album Hannah Montana Hits Remixed.[13] The original version of the song had reached number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Other songs

On the Billboard Hot 100, "I Got Nerve" charted at number 67, "Pumpin' Up the Party" peaked at number 81, and "Just Like You" entered and peaked at number 99.

After being released as the lead single for Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, "Nobody's Perfect", originally released on the special edition of Hannah Montana, peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100.[10]

Promotion edit

Cyrus' first live performances were during The Cheetah Girls' Party's Just Begun Tour in 2006 and 2007. She performed as Hannah Montana, and served as a "rotating" opening act in place of recording artists Vanessa Hudgens, Jordan Pruitt and groups Everlife and T-Squad.[14] Cyrus later embarked on the nationwide Best of Both Worlds Tour in 2007 and 2008. It primarily served as a promotional tool for the recently released record Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (2007);[15] however, "Just Like You", "Pumpin' Up the Party", "I Got Nerve", and "The Best of Both Worlds" from the original soundtrack were included in its set list.[16] The tour proved commercially successful, having grossed $54 million by its conclusion, while its 2008 film adaption Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert earned $63 million. The latter was released as a Walmart-exclusive CD/DVD set, titled Best of Both Worlds Concert, in March 2008.[17]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic66/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [6]
Common Sense Media     [18]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[19]
MSN Music     [20]
Knight Ridder    [21]

Hannah Montana received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who appreciated its overall production. Writing for AllMusic, Heather Phares enjoyed Cyrus' deliveries of "cute, well-written songs", and added that the overall project was "sweet, starry-eyed, [and] utterly charming".[6] Jennifer Axman from Common Sense Media shared a similar sentiment, appreciating its "upbeat girl-power messages" and distinguishing "I Learned from You" as a stand-out track for its inspirational lyrics ("I learned from you that I do not crumble / I learned from you that strength is something you choose /.../ There is no question that's a lesson I learned from you").[18] MSN Music gave the record a 3.5 out of 5 stars, and listed it as an "essential album".[20] However, Chris Willman provided a more mixed review, commenting that Cyrus appeared to "mimic Avril, Ashlee, and Britney simultaneously", and felt that the concept of leading a double life was "a nice fantasy for Brangelina, but a weird one to push on little girls."[19] David Hiltbrand was also critical of the record, stating that its "generic pop" would irritate adult listeners, but acknowledged that it was "slickly executed" for appealing to its younger audience.[21]

Commercial performance edit

During the week of October 25, initial sales projections recognized Hannah Montana, The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, and Once Again by John Legend as the most-likely records that would reach number one on the US Billboard 200. On November 1, Hannah Montana officially debuted at number one with first-week sales of 281,000 copies, making a difference of 41,000 units more than The Black Parade, which charted in second place.[22] In doing so, the record became the first television soundtrack to debut in the peak position and fourth soundtrack from The Walt Disney Company to debut in the top-ten of the chart.[23][24] It remained at number one the following week with sales of 203,000 copies.[25] Furthermore, the soundtrack became Cyrus' first of five number-one albums in the United States to date, having been followed by Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), Breakout (2008), Hannah Montana: The Movie (soundtrack) (2009), and Bangerz (2013).[26] It was eventually certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeding shipments of three million units.[27] As of January 2014, Hannah Montana has sold 3,736,000 copies in the United States, becoming the second best-selling television soundtrack behind High School Musical with 4,878,000 copies.[28] Internationally, Hannah Montana charted moderately on national record charts. It peaked at number 10 on the Canadian Albums Chart,[29] and was certified gold by Music Canada.[30] The record charted at number 23 on the Top 100 Mexico chart,[31] where it was later recognized with gold certification.[32] In Europe, the soundtrack reached number 14 on the Spanish PROMUSICAE.[31] It additionally earned a gold certification in the United Kingdom.[33] As of 2014, the soundtrack has sold 3.74 million million copies in the United States.[34]

Track listing edit

All songs performed by Hannah Montana, unless otherwise noted.

Standard edition[35]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Best of Both Worlds"Gerrard2:54
2."Who Said"
  • Gerrard
  • Nevil
  • Jay Landers
Gerrard3:14
3."Just Like You"
  • Adam Watts
  • Andy Dodd
  • Watts
  • Dodd
3:14
4."Pumpin' Up the Party"Jamie HoustonHouston3:09
5."If We Were a Movie"
  • Jeannie Lurie
  • Holly Mathis
3:03
6."I Got Nerve"
  • Armato
  • James
3:06
7."The Other Side of Me"
  • Gerrard
  • Nevil
Gerrard3:07
8."This Is the Life"
  • Lurie
  • Shari Short
Marco Marinangeli2:58
9."Pop Princess" (performed by The Click Five)Ben RomansMike Denneen4:24
10."She's No You" (performed by Jesse McCartney)
  • Gerrard
  • Ginger McCartney
  • Jay Landers
  • Sherry Kondor
3:33
11."Find Yourself in You" (performed by Everlife)
  • Gerrard
  • Amber Ross
  • Julia Ross
  • Sarah Ross
Gerrard3:35
12."Shining Star" (performed by B5)
  • White
  • Dunn
  • Bailey
2:44
13."I Learned from You" (performed by Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus)
  • Gerrard
  • Steve Diamond
Gerrard3:25
Total length:42:26
Holiday edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"Johnny Marks
2:22
Total length:44:48
2-Disc special edition (disc 1)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Nobody's Perfect"
  • Gerrard
  • Nevil
Gerrard3:20
Total length:45:46
2-Disc special edition bonus DVD (disc 2)[7]
No.TitleLength
1."Backstage Secrets"30:00
2."Nobody's Perfect"3:20
Total length:33:20
Limited edition bonus DVD (disc 2)
No.TitleLength
1."The Best of Both Worlds"2:54
2."Who Said"3:15
3."Just Like You"3:14
4."Pumpin' Up the Party"3:10
5."The Other Side of Me"3:08
Total length:15:41

Charts edit

Decade-end charts edit

Decade-end chart performance for Hannah Montana
Chart (2000–09) Position
US Billboard 200[55] 84

Sales and certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[56] Platinum 40,000^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[57] Gold 30,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[30] Gold 50,000^
Germany (BVMI)[58] Gold 100,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[32] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[59] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[27] 3× Platinum 3,700,000[60]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history edit

Country Date Version Format Label Ref.
United States October 24, 2006 Standard Walt Disney [35]
United Kingdom November 20, 2006 [61]
United States March 20, 2007 Special edition CD [7]

References edit

  1. ^ "Best of Both Worlds - Single by Hannah Montana". iTunes. January 2006. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  2. ^ Maya Motavalli; Ed Martin (March 24, 2006). "Disney Channel's Newest Live-Action Comedy Features Original Musical Performances". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  3. ^ Ann Oldenburg (January 14, 2007). "Miley Cyrus fulfills her destiny". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  4. ^ Jacuqes Steinberg (April 20, 2006). "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: A Tale of Two Tweens". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  5. ^ Corey Moss (December 4, 2006). "'Hannah Montana' Star Miley Cyrus Ready To Break Out, Hilary-Style". MTV News. Viacom. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d Heather Phares. "Hannah Montana - Hannah Montana". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Hannah Montana: 2-Disc Special Edition Soundtrack [Extra Tracks, Soundtrack, Special Edition]". Amazon. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  8. ^ "iTunes - Music - Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus by Hannah Montana". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. July 21, 2007. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  9. ^ "Best of Both Worlds [1 Track Single - Hannah Montana]". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Hannah Montana - Hannah Montana: Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  11. ^ "Who Said + Exclusive Radio Disney Interview (ITunes Exclusive) - Single by Hannah Montana". Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  12. ^ "If We Were a Movie (Subway Exclusive) - Single by Hannah Montana | Spotify". Spotify. January 2007. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  13. ^ "'The Other Side of Me' (Remix) - Single by Hannah Montana on Apple Music". iTunes. January 2007. Archived from the original on December 2, 2009.
  14. ^ Jonathan Widran. "Disney's The Cheetah Girls Talk About Their Album, TCG, Plus Their Acting and Concert Tours". Singer Universe. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  15. ^ "Singer, Songwriter and Actress Miley Cyrus Launches 54-Date "Best of Both Worlds Tour" on October 18". BusinessWire. August 8, 2007. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  16. ^ Dave Tianen (January 11, 2008). "For the parents". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 21, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  17. ^ Johnathon Cohen (March 4, 2008). "'Hannah Montana' Tour Heading To CD/DVD". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 11, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  18. ^ a b Jennifer Axman (June 29, 2007). "Hannah Montana Soundtrack". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  19. ^ a b Chris Willman (October 24, 2006). "Hannah Montana Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  20. ^ a b "Hannah Montana by Hannah Montana on MSN Music". MSN Music. Microsoft. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  21. ^ a b David Hiltbrand (November 14, 2006). "Reviews of new pop, country/roots, jazz and classical releases". Orlando Sentinel via The Philadelphia Inquirer. Knight Ridder.
  22. ^ Chris Harris (November 1, 2006). "Hannah Montana Rains On My Chemical Romance's Parade". MTV News. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  23. ^ "'Hannah Montana' Soundtrack Tops the Charts". Zap2It. November 1, 2006. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  24. ^ "'Hannah Montana' Trumps My Chem, Legend At No. 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  25. ^ "'Montana' Zooms By Manilow For Second Week At No. 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  26. ^ Gaby Whitehill (October 16, 2013). "Miley Cyrus scores US Billboard chart No. 1 with new album Bangerz". Gigwise. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  27. ^ a b "American album certifications – Hannah Montana – Hannah Montana". Recording Industry Association of America.
  28. ^ Paul Grein (January 2, 2014). "The Top 10 Soundtracks of 2013". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  29. ^ "Hannah Montana - Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  30. ^ a b "Canadian album certifications – Hannah Montana – Hannah Montana". Music Canada. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  31. ^ a b c "Soundtrack - Hannah Montana". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  32. ^ a b "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved January 20, 2014. Type Varios in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Hannah Montana in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  33. ^ a b "British album certifications – Various Artists – Hannah Montana - Original Tv Soundtrack". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  34. ^ Caulfield, Keith (May 1, 2014). "Miley Cyrus' 'Bangerz' hits 1 Million In Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  35. ^ a b "iTunes - Music - Hannah Montana (Songs from and Inspired By the Hit TV Series) by Hannah Montana". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. October 24, 2006. Archived from the original on January 20, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  36. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Soundtrack – Hannah Montana". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  37. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Soundtrack – Hannah Montana" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  38. ^ "Hannah Montana Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  39. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Soundtrack – Hannah Montana". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  40. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Soundtrack – Hannah Montana" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  41. ^ "Lescharts.com – Soundtrack – Hannah Montana". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  42. ^ "Charts.nz – Soundtrack – Hannah Montana". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  43. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Soundtrack – Hannah Montana". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  44. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Soundtrack – Hannah Montana". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  45. ^ "Hannah Montana Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  46. ^ "Hannah Montana Chart History (Soundtrack Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  47. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  48. ^ "Soundtracks – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  49. ^ "Charts Year End 2007: AMPROFON" (PDF). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2010. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  50. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  51. ^ "Soundtracks – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  52. ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 2008". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  53. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  54. ^ "Soundtracks – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  55. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 50. December 19, 2009. p. 168. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021 – via World Radio History.
  56. ^ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  57. ^ "Brazilian album certifications – Hannah Montana – Hannah Montana" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  58. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Hannah Montana; 'Hannah Montana')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  59. ^ "New Zealand Gold/Platinum Albums". Radioscope. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  60. ^ "A Pop Star in Four Acts" (PDF). Billboard. May 13, 2017. p. 44. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via World Radio History.
  61. ^ "Hannah Montana Original Soundtrack". Amazon UK. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.