Hometown Glory

A ten-minute composition born from a teenager's reluctance to leave West Norwood for university.

C/N N/G from Chennai, India · CC BY-SA 2.0

Hometown Glory is the debut single by English singer-songwriter Adele, released exclusively as a limited 7-inch vinyl on 22 October 2007. Written entirely within ten minutes when she was just 16 years old, the track emerged after her mother urged her to leave her home suburb of West Norwood for university. It appears on her debut studio album, 19 (2008). Initially released on Jamie T's Pacemaker Recordings label as a limited edition 7-inch vinyl with only 500 copies made, the song failed to chart at first. Following its re-release in July 2008 as the fourth official single from the album and massive download activity during her album launch week, it charted once in the UK Singles Chart top 40, peaking at No. 19.

Quick Facts

Artist: Adele
Album: 19
B-side: "Best for Last"; "Fool That I Am" (live)
Released: 22 October 2007
Recorded: 2007
Studio: Angel (London); RAK (London)
Label: Pacemaker; XL
Writer: Adele Adkins

Lore & Background

The song was born in a flash of inspiration. At age 16, Adele wrote Hometown Glory within just 10 minutes after her mother tried to persuade her to move away from West Norwood, London, to attend university. Originally issued in 2007 on Jamie T's Pacemaker Recordings as a limited 7-inch vinyl of only 500 copies, it initially failed to chart. The narrative changed during the release week of her debut album, 19. High download numbers propelled the track into the UK Singles Chart top 40 for the first time, peaking at No. 19. It was re-released on 21 July 2008 as the fourth official single from the album (the limited 2007 release is not counted in official campaign totals), featuring a live cover of Etta James' "Fool That I Am" as its B-side, recorded during a performance at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles. By July 2008, it had secured her fourth top-20 hit, following 'Chasing Pavements', 'Cold Shoulder', and 'Make You Feel My Love' (which peaked at No. 4).

Reader's Guide

Musically, Hometown Glory is played in the key of B♭ minor. It begins with an intro tempo of 60 beats per minute before accelerating to 124 bpm. The chord progression follows a specific pattern: B♭m(i) – D♭/A♭(III) – D♭/F(III) – G♭maj7/B♭(VI M7). Adele's vocal range on the track spans from D♭3 to A5. For listeners seeking deeper cuts, the 2008 re-release included a digital EP with Axwell and High Contrast remixes, while the original B-side featured her live cover of "Fool That I Am." The song earned Adele a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, though it lost to Beyoncé's "Halo." It was also released as her debut single for the US market in 2008.

Did You Know?

The song peaked at No. 19 on the UK Singles Chart in July 2008, marking Adele's fourth top-20 hit at that time, following 'Chasing Pavements', 'Cold Shoulder', and 'Make You Feel My Love' (which peaked at No. 4).
The official music video was filmed in 2007 and features London streets, not American cities.
The track was used in a tribute video for the Parkland high school shooting victims on 22 February 2018 and as the winning free skate music at the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships.