Love Bites (Def Leppard song)

"Love Bites" is a power ballad recorded by the English rock band Def Leppard in 1987 on the album Hysteria. It is Def Leppard's only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 to date.

"Love Bites"
Single by Def Leppard
from the album Hysteria
B-side"Billy's Got a Gun (Live)"
ReleasedJuly 1988 (UK)
August 1988 (US)
Recorded1986
GenreHard rock
Length5:46
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Def Leppard singles chronology
"Pour Some Sugar on Me"
(1987)		 "Love Bites"
(1988)		 "Armageddon It"
(1988)

Song

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.[1] 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.

Following the huge momentum generated by "Pour Some Sugar on Me", the song was released in August 1988 and quickly shot to the top of the U.S. charts for one week. The song also hit number eleven in the UK (their second best showing from the album).

The "Love Bites" 45 release in Canada and U.K. included limited edition gatefold - with complete "Hysteria" lyrics. This was the only official release of the "Hysteria" lyrics. [2]

Track listing

7": Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / Polygram / 830 675-1 (USA)
  1. "Love Bites"
  2. "Billy's Got a Gun (Live)"

12" /CD: Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / Polygram / (USA/UK)
  1. "Love Bites"
  2. "Billy's Got a Gun (Live)"
  3. "Excitable (Orgasmic Mix)"

The live track was recorded at Tilburg, Netherlands in 1987[3]

Personnel

Def Leppard

Additional

Charts
Chart (1988–89) Peak
position
scope="row"Australia (ARIA)[4] 21
Canada 30 Retail Singles (RPM)[5] 1
Canada 100 Singles (RPM)[6] 6
scope="row"Ireland (IRMA)[7] 7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] 23
scope="row"New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 2
scope="row"UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[10] 11
scope="row"US Billboard Hot 100[11] 1
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[12] 3

Year-end charts
Chart (1988) Position
United States (Billboard)[13][14] 30

See also

References
  1. Classic Albums: Def Leppard – The Making of Hysteria DVD
  2. http://www.defleppardworld.info/7_kuvat_singles_love_bites_canada_sov2417.html
  3. notes on record label
  4. "Australian-charts.com – Def Leppard – Love Bites". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  5. "RPM 30 Retail Singles" (PDF). RPM. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada. 48 (24). 1 October 1988. OCLC 352936026. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  6. "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada. 48 (26). 15 October 1988. OCLC 352936026. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  7. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Bites". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  8. "Def Leppard – Love Bites". Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  9. "Charts.nz – Def Leppard – Love Bites". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  11. "Def Leppard Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  12. "Def Leppard – Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  13. "1988 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 100 (52): Y-20. 24 December 1988.
  14. "Billboard Top 100 – 1988". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
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