"Unskinny Bop" is a song by American glam metal band

Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

, released as the first single from their third studio album, '' Flesh & Blood'' (1990), on June 18, 1990. The song peaked at number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number five on the ''Billboard''

Album Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...

chart, and number three on the Canadian and New Zealand charts. It also entered the top 20 in Australia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Background

The meaning of "Unskinny Bop" has always been shrouded in obscurity.

C.C. DeVille C.C. DeVille (born Bruce Anthony Johannesson; May 14, 1962) is an American guitarist best known as a member of rock band Poison. The band has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, including 15 million in the United States. In addition to ...

later confessed that the phrase "unskinny bop" has no particular meaning: he invented it as a temporary measure while writing the song, before vocalist

Bret Michaels Bret Michael Sychak (born March 15, 1963), known professionally as Bret Michaels, is an American singer and musician. He gained fame as the frontman of rock band Poison who has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and 15 million records in the U ...

had begun working on the lyrics. The phrase was used on the basis that it was

phonetically Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds, or in the case of sign languages, the equivalent aspects of sign. Linguists who specialize in studying the physical properties of speech are phoneticians. ...

suited to the music. The song was later played to producer

Bruce Fairbairn Bruce Earl Fairbairn (December 30, 1949 – May 17, 1999) was a Canadian record producer. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999, and is considered one of the best of his era. His most successful productions are ''Slippery When Wet'' an ...

, who stated that, although he did not know what an "unskinny bop" was, the phrase was perfect."In Samantha 7 Heaven: An Interview with C.C. DeVille of Samantha 7
by Cindy Harper, " ''Ink 19'', Retrieved October 18, 2005.

Music video

The music video for the song has

, dancing with a couple of animated neon cowgirls next to him.

Track listings

7-inch and cassette single # "Swampjuice (Soul-O)" – 1:26 # "Unskinny Bop" – 3:47 # "Valley of Lost Souls" – 5:37 12-inch and CD single # "Swampjuice (Soul-O)" – 1:26 # "Unskinny Bop" – 3:47 # "Valley of Lost Souls" – 5:37 # "Poor Boy Blues" – 5:19 Japanese mini-CD single # "Unskinny Bop" # "Valley of Lost Souls"

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control Poison (American band) songs 1990 singles 1990 songs Capitol Records singles Enigma Records singles Song recordings produced by Bruce Fairbairn Songs written by Bobby Dall Songs written by Bret Michaels Songs written by C.C. DeVille Songs written by Rikki Rockett