“Glory” is a song by American rapper Common and American singer John Legend. It was written by John Legend, Common, and Rhymefest. The song was released in December 2014, by Columbia as the theme song from the 2014 film Selma, which portrays the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. Common also co-starred in the film as Civil Rights Movement leader James Bevel.
Commercially, the song peaked at number 49 on the US Billboard. A music video for the song was directed by Paramount and was released in January 2015. The music video was put on Common’s official Vevo account. The video stars Legend and Common and includes footage from the film, begins with Legend playing the piano and then singing, with Common rapping in a different location.
“Glory” was performed by Legend and Common on the American morning television show Good Morning America in January 2015. In February of that year the duo performed the song as culmination to the 57th Annual Grammy Awards ceremonies held at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. Legend and Common also performed “Glory” during the 87th Academy Awards show the following week using a stage-setting of Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge. The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
In October 2015, Common surprised a student choir in Compton, California with a live performance of “Glory” in support of My Brother’s Keeper Challenge. The promotion was run by Omaze, a private internet company that raises funds for charity through online auctions and merchandise sales. It was performed by Legend and Common, backed by a choir, at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. They also played it during a Joe Biden rally in Pennsylvania, a day before the 2020 Presidential Election.
