Love Bites (Def Leppard song)

"Love Bites"
Single by Def Leppard
from the album Hysteria
B-side	"Billy's Got a Gun" (live)
Released	4 July 1988
Genre	Glam metal
Length	5:46
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Robert John "Mutt" Lange Phil Collen Steve Clark Joe Elliott Rick Savage
Producer(s)	Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Def Leppard singles chronology
"Armageddon It" (1988) "Love Bites" (1988) "Rocket" (1989)
Music video
"Love Bites" on YouTube

"Love Bites" is a song by English glam metal band Def Leppard from their album Hysteria. The power ballad^[1][2] is Def Leppard's only number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a top-10 hit in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. On the UK Singles Chart, the track peaked at number 11.

Song history and composition

When Robert John "Mutt" Lange originally brought the song to the band's attention, it was a country ballad, which the band thought sounded like nothing they had done before. The band then added power rock elements and emotive backing vocals similar to those used in R&B ballads at the time.^[3] The title "Love Bites" was originally used for a very different song that was eventually re-titled "I Wanna Be Your Hero", and which appeared as a Hysteria B-side and later on the album Retro Active. Musically, the song has been described as glam metal,^[4][5][6] and is considered a classic of the genre.^[2]

Following the huge momentum generated by "Pour Some Sugar on Me", the song was released in August 1988 and peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100 for one week.^[7] The song also reached number eleven in the United Kingdom, number two in New Zealand, number three in Canada, and number seven in Ireland.^{[8][9][10][11]} The "Love Bites" 45 release in Canada and UK included limited edition gatefold with complete "Hysteria" lyrics. This was the only official release of the "Hysteria" lyrics.^[12]

Track listings

"Billy's Got a Gun" was recorded at Tilburg, Netherlands, in 1987.^[13]

7-inch: Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / Polygram / 830 675-1 (US)

1. "Love Bites"
2. "Billy's Got a Gun" (live)

12-inch and CD: Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / Polygram (US, UK)

1. "Love Bites"
2. "Billy's Got a Gun" (live)
3. "Excitable" (Orgasmic mix)

Personnel

• Joe Elliott – lead vocals
• Phil Collen – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Steve Clark – lead guitar
• Rick Savage – bass, backing vocals
• Rick Allen – drums
• Robert John "Mutt" Lange – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988–1989) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[14] 21 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 3 Canada Retail Singles (RPM)[15] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[16] 38 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 7 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 25 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 23 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 2 UK Singles (OCC)[8] 11 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 1 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[7] 3 US Cash Box Top 100[20] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[21] 51 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 25 US Billboard Hot 100[23] 30 Chart (1989) Position Australia (ARIA)[24] 84

See also

• List of glam metal albums and songs
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1988

References

1. "The Top 8 Romantic Metal Songs to Make Love To". MetalSucks. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
2. Bernstein, Scott. "THE B LIST: FAVORITE HAIR-METAL POWER BALLADS". Glidemagazine.com. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
3. Classic Albums: Def Leppard – The Making of Hysteria DVD
4. "Def Leppard Reflects on the 'Early Years' and Why Those Iron Maiden Comparisons Were 'Tiresome'". Billboard. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
5. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn: A Tribute to the Syrupy-Sweet Sounds of '80s Hair-Metal Ballads". SPIN. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
6. Smith, Troy L.; Clevel; .com (13 May 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1980s ranked from worst to best". cleveland. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
7. "Def Leppard Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
9. "Def Leppard – Love Bites". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
10. "RPM 100 Singles – October 29, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 2. 29 October 1988. p. 6. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Bites". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
12. "Def Leppard Discography". Defleppardworld.info. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
13. notes on record label
14. "Def Leppard – Love Bites". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
15. "RPM 30 Retail Singles – October 1, 1988". RPM. Vol. 48, no. 24. Library and Archives Canada. 1 October 1988. OCLC 352936026. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
16. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 31. 30 July 1988. p. 18. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
17. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 3, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
18. "Def Leppard – Love Bites" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
19. "Def Leppard Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
20. "U.S. Cash Box Charts" (PDF). popmusichistory. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
21. "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
22. "End of Year Charts 1988". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
23. "1988 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 52. 24 December 1988. p. Y-20.
24. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – 1989". ARIA. Retrieved 29 July 2022 – via Imgur.

External links

• Song lyrics