Billy Don't Be a Hero US version sold over three and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in June 1974. Donaldson and the Heywoods's version was a massive hit in Latin America and Japan as well, but it remained largely unknown elsewhere as of late July 2017. "Billboard" ranked it as the No. 21 song for 1974. Despite the song's popularity, it was poorly received, and it was voted No. 8 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's readers' poll of "10 Worst Songs of the 1970s." The song is mentioned as having played on K-Billy's "Super Sounds of the '70s
A Hero A Fake which would be the last lineup change for the next three years. In December 2007, A Hero A Fake entered The Basement Recording studios with producer Jamie King to record their first full-length album. The band released the songs "I Know I", "F-16", and "Superwoman" on MySpace in April 2008. Three months later the band announced via their MySpace that they had signed a record deal with Chicago, Illinois based Victory Records. Their debut full-length "Volatile" was released on October 28, 2008 to mixed reviews noting the band's use of "non-standard song structures" and its "fresh approach to technical metal."