| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Number One |   [2] |
"Fire Woman" is a song by British rock band the Cult, written by singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy. It was the first single released from their fourth studio album, Sonic Temple, and was subsequently featured on all of the Cult's compilation/greatest hits albums, as well as being a steady fixture of the band's live performances.
"Fire Woman peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 1 on New Zealand's Recorded Music NZ (then RIANZ) chart and No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart. Two remixed versions of the song were released as B-sides or promos—the "LA Rock Mix" and the "NYC Rock Mix". Astbury claims the eponymous "fire woman" is a universal symbol, along the lines of a primary element.[3]
Crush 40, best known for their contributions to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, featured a cover of "Fire Woman" as the ninth track of their 2009 compilation album The Best of Crush 40 - Super Sonic Songs, and the tenth in their first live album Live!.
Track listings
UK 7-inch single
- A Side: "Fire Woman"
- B Side: "Automatic Blues"
UK 12-inch single
- A Side: "Fire Woman", "Automatic Blues"
- B Side: "Messing Up the Blues"
- A Side: "Fire Woman (LA Rock Mix)"
- B Side: "Fire Woman (NYC Rock Mix)"
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[15] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[16] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
In popular culture
- The song was used during the closing credits of every Australian broadcast of the Formula One season since 2007.[3]
- The song was used in the 2013 Doctor Who episode "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS".
- The song, along with its video, was featured in the first episode of the second season of Beavis and Butt-Head.
- The song was used in the closing credits of the Severance season 2 episode "Sweet Vitriol".
References
- ^ Rolli, Bryan (1 July 2021). "Top 30 Glam Metal Albums". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ Adeva (22 March 1989). "Spot the Spin: The Cult – "Fire Woman" (Beggars Banquet)". Number One. No. 300. London: IPC Magazines Ltd. p. 42. ISSN 0266-5328. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Flickr.
- ^ a b "Fire Woman by The Cult". Songfacts. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "The Cult – Fire Woman". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6338." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "Eurohart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 15. 15 April 1989. p. 16. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Fire Woman". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "The Cult – Fire Woman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "The Cult – Fire Woman". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "The Cult Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "The Cult Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "The Cult Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "End of Year Charts 1989". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – The Cult – Fire Woman". Music Canada. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – The Cult – Fire Woman". Radioscope. Retrieved 12 January 2025. Type Fire Woman in the "Search:" field.
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