Bonnie Tyler originally recorded Holding Out for a Hero for the 1984 film Footloose, where its driving rock production and urgent vocal made it a defining anthem of the decade. It found a second life in Shrek 2 in 2004, when it underscored a dramatic fairy-tale showdown, and later became a staple of online edits, sports highlights and parody videos. Its association with last-minute rescues and larger-than-life entrances keeps it popular for creators who want instant drama without explaining the joke.