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 US Billboard Hot 100 to date.

"Love Bites"
Single by Def Leppard
from the album Hysteria
B-side"Billy's Got a Gun (Live)"
Released
  • July 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 history

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 peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100 for one week.[2] The song also reached number eleven in the United Kingdom, number two in New Zealand, number three in Canada, and number seven in Ireland.[3][4][5][6] 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.[7]

Track listings

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

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

12-inch/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[8]

Personnel

Charts

See also

References
  1. Classic Albums: Def Leppard – The Making of Hysteria DVD
  2. "Def Leppard Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  3. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  4. "Charts.nz – Def Leppard – Love Bites". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  5. "RPM 100 Singles – October 29, 1988" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49 no. 2. 29 October 1988. p. 6. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  6. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Bites". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  7. http://www.defleppardworld.info/7_kuvat_singles_love_bites_canada_sov2417.html
  8. notes on record label
  9. "Australian-charts.com – Def Leppard – Love Bites". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  10. "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.
  11. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5 no. 31. 30 July 1988. p. 18. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 3, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  13. "Dutchcharts.nl – Def Leppard – Love Bites" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  14. "Def Leppard Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  15. "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49 no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  16. "End of Year Charts 1988". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  17. "1988 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 100 no. 52. 24 December 1988. p. Y-20.
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