"Love Bites" is a song by English

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...

band

Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), a ...

from their album ''

Hysteria Hysteria is a term used colloquially to mean ungovernable emotional excess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion. In the nineteenth century, hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in women. It is assumed that ...

''. The

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...

is Def Leppard's only number-one single and penultimate top ten hit on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became a top-10 hit in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. On the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, the track peaked at number 11.

Song history and composition

When

Robert John "Mutt" Lange Robert John "Mutt" Lange (born 11 November 1948) is a South African record producer and songwriter, mainly known for his work in rock music as well as his previous marriage to Canadian singer Shania Twain, for whom he wrote and produced several ...

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. 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 The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

and later on the album ''

Retro Active ''Retro Active'' is a compilation album by the English rock band Def Leppard, released in 1993. The album features touched-up versions of B-sides and previously unreleased recordings from the band's recording sessions from 1984 to 1993. The al ...

''. Musically, the song has been described as

, and is considered a classic of the genre. Following the huge momentum generated by "

Pour Some Sugar on Me "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by the English rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album ''Hysteria''. It reached number 2 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on 23 July 1988, behind "Hold On to the Nights" by Richard Marx. "Pour Some Sugar on ...

", the song was released in August 1988 and peaked atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for one week. The song also reached number eleven in the United Kingdom, number two in New Zealand, number three in Canada, and number seven in Ireland. 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.

Track listings

"Billy's Got a Gun" was recorded at Tilburg, Netherlands, in 1987.notes on record label 7-inch: Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / Polygram / 830 675-1 (US) # "Love Bites" # "Billy's Got a Gun" (live) 12-inch and CD: Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / Polygram / (US, UK) # "Love Bites" # "Billy's Got a Gun" (live) # "Excitable" (Orgasmic mix)

Personnel

Joe Elliott Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott (born 1 August 1959) is an English–Irish rock singer, best known as the lead singer and one of the founding members of the hard rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of the David Bowie tribute ba ...

– lead vocals *

Phil Collen Philip Kenneth Collen (born 8 December 1957) is an English musician who is best known as the co-lead guitarist for the rock band Def Leppard, joining the band in 1982 during the recording of the ''Pyromania'' album. Prior to joining Def Leppa ...

– rhythm guitar, backing vocals *

Steve Clark ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...

– lead guitar *

Rick Savage Richard Savage (born 2 December 1960) is an English musician best known for being the bass guitarist and one of the founding members of the English rock band Def Leppard. Savage and lead singer Joe Elliott are the only two remaining original ...

– bass, backing vocals * Rick Allen – drums *

– backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

Song lyrics
{{authority control 1987 songs 1988 singles 1980s ballads Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Def Leppard songs Mercury Records singles Glam metal ballads Song recordings produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange Songs written by Joe Elliott Songs written by Phil Collen Songs written by Rick Savage Songs written by Robert John "Mutt" Lange Songs written by Steve Clark Rock ballads