"Wicked Game" is a song by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

musician

Chris Isaak Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. He is widely known for his breakthrough hit and signature song "Wicked Game", as well as other songs such as "Blue Hotel", "Baby D ...

, released from his third album, '' Heart Shaped World'' (1989). Despite being released as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

in July 1989, it did not become a hit until it was featured in the 1990

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

film '' Wild at Heart'', starring

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gu ...

and

Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born to actor Bruce Dern and ac ...

. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who loved David Lynch films, began playing the song, and it quickly became an American top-10 hit in January 1991, reaching number six on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, making it the first hit song of Isaak's career. The single also became a number-one hit in Belgium and reached the top 10 in several other nations. "Wicked Game" has been

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

by many other artists and been featured in numerous movies and television series and advertisements, so much so that ''

Dazed ''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a bi-monthly British style magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. Dazed is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for producing ...

'' magazine questioned whether it might be the most influential love song in modern music. It has subsequently received retrospective critical acclaim, being listed in the 2010 book ''1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die'', and noted by Dave Marsh in an updated edition of his 1989 book ''The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made''.

Composition

The song is in the key of B

Dorian mode Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to three very different but interrelated subjects: one of the Ancient Greek ''harmoniai'' (characteristic melodic behaviour, or the scale structure associated with it); one of the medieval musical modes; or—mos ...

performed in what

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

describes as a "brooding, sorrowfully conflicted" tone. Although it is often interpreted as a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

about

unrequited love Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and pure affection, or may consciously reject it. The Merriam Webster Online Dic ...

, Isaak has said that the song was inspired by a telephone call from a woman seeking to arrange a

casual sex Casual sex is sexual activity that takes place outside a romantic relationship and implies an absence of commitment, emotional attachment, or familiarity between sexual partners. Examples are sexual activity while casually dating, one-night ...

ual liaison and is about "what happens when you have a strong attraction to people that aren't necessarily good for you". It was written shortly after the call. During the sessions for Isaak's third album, many different versions and arrangements of the song were made before the final version was completed.

James Calvin Wilsey James Calvin Wilsey (July 12, 1957 – December 24, 2018) was an American musician. He played bass with San Francisco punk band the Avengers, but became better known as the lead guitarist for Chris Isaak's band Silvertone. He featured on Isaak's ...

came up with the distinctive guitar lead; both the bassline and drums (except the cymbals) were

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...

from previous recordings of the song and then looped.

Critical reception

Scottish newspaper ''

Aberdeen Evening Express The ''Evening Express'' is a daily local newspaper serving the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. History It was first published in November 1879. It was a tabloid during the 1930s to the 1950s until it resumed as a broadsheet in November 1958, six da ...

'' extolled " hehaunting strains" of "Wicked Game." Grant Walters from Albumism praised the song as a "pristine union of

Isaak Isaac was one of the patriarchs of the Abrahamic faiths. Isaac may also refer to: * Isaac (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname of Isaac and its variants Organizations * International Society ...

's aching vocal and the desolate wail of

's '65

Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...

." He added, "Underneath, the brushed drum loop, simple bass line, and muted background vocals create a simmering atmospheric buzz." Steve Huey from

described it as a "shimmering," "spare," and "moody masterpiece."

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

'' called it " delicious treat." Alaister Moughan from ''

'' wrote, "Some songs are masterpieces, some represent moments in time, and others are simply good jams. Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" is all three." Joe Rhodes from ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' stated that this is "perhaps the

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

's darkest mood piece," noting its "otherworldly" opening guitar line. Pan-European magazine ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' described it as " laid-back C&W tinged song featuring Isaak's Orbison-esque vocals." Duncan Holland from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' felt that its "dexterity and panache is something rarely heard. The touches of Roy Orbison only make it stronger and given the right airplay, Isaak should score a significant, if unpredictable hit." A reviewer from '' Sunday Life'' complimented it as " brooding

, image-laden, and worthy of Roy Orbison in his heyday."

Music videos

There are two different

music videos A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

for this song. The more well-known video was directed by

Herb Ritts Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on black a ...

, shot in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

at what was formerly known as Kamoamoa beach in

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

on the Big Island. The newly formed black-sand beach was created from lava from Kilauea volcano flowing into the ocean about a mile away. The beach was covered by lava not long after the video was shot. The video features

supermodel A supermodel, also spelled super-model or super model, is a highly paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in ''haute couture'' and commercial modeling. The term ''supermodel'' became prominent in the po ...

Helena Christensen Helena Christensen (born 25 December 1968) is a Danish model and photographer. She is a former Victoria's Secret Angel, clothing designer and beauty queen. Christensen was also the co-founder and original creative director for ''Nylon'' magazine, ...

rolling and frolicking on the beach with Isaak. It was mostly filmed in black and white. Christensen is topless through most of the video, although her nudity is concealed by camera angles. In the middle of the video, Christensen is seen only in her black lace

bra A bra, short for brassiere or brassière (, or ; ), is a form-fitting undergarment that is primarily used to support and cover breasts. It can serve a range of other practical and aesthetic purposes, including enhancing or reducing the appea ...

and panty; other times, she wears only a men's white

brief Brief, briefs, or briefing may refer to: Documents * A letter * A briefing note * Papal brief, a papal letter less formal than a bull, sealed with the pope's signet ring or stamped with the device borne on this ring * Design brief, a type of ed ...

. The video received

heavy rotation In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time. However, they are not completely sh ...

MTV Europe MTV Global (formerly as MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV, a 24-hour music and entertainment TV channel that began broadcasting on August 1, 1987, as part of the worldwide MTV network. Initially, MTV serve ...

, winning the

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

for

Best Male Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video was one of four original general awards that have been handed out every year since the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, though, the award was briefly renamed Male Artist of the Year, and ...

and Best Cinematography. It was ranked number 13 on VH1's "100 Greatest Videos", number four on VH1's "50 Sexiest Video Moments", number 73 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine's "The 100 Top Music Videos", number one on ''

'' magazine's "The 30 Sexiest Music Videos of All Time", and number one on

Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...

's "40 Sexiest Videos" in 2010. Another video was commissioned for the '' Wild at Heart'' VHS release and was directed by

. It features scenes of Lula (

) and Sailor (

) from the film, interspersed with black-and-white footage of Isaak and his band performing the song. This video won the MTV Video Music Award for

Best Video from a Film The MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks beca ...

Track listings

* US 7-inch and cassette single :A. "Wicked Game" (edit) – 4:06 :B. "Wicked Game" (instrumental) – 4:48 * European 7-inch single (1989) :A. "Wicked Game" – 4:46 :B. "Don't Make Me Dream About You" – 3:30 * UK 7-inch and cassette single :A. "Wicked Game" :B. "Cool Cat Walk" (by

Angelo Badalamenti Angelo Daniel Badalamenti (March 22, 1937 – December 11, 2022) was an American composer, best known for his work scoring films for director David Lynch, notably '' Blue Velvet'', the ''Twin Peaks'' saga (1990–1992, 2017), ''The Straight St ...

) * UK 12-inch and CD single # "Wicked Game" # "Cool Cat Walk" (by Badalamenti) # "Dark Spanish Symphony" (by Badalamenti; string version) * French CD single # "Wicked Game" – 4:46 # "Don't Make Me Dream About You" – 3:30 # "Wicked Game" (instrumental) – 4:48 * French cassette single # "Wicked Game" (edit) – 4:46 # "Don't Make Me Dream About You" – 3:30

Personnel

– vocals, acoustic guitar *

– electric guitar *

Rowland Salley Rowland Salley (born November 2, 1949) is an American musician, sometimes called Roly Salley. He is a bass guitarist and vocalist for Chris Isaak's band Silvertone. His best-known tune is "Killing the Blues", which has been covered by John Prin ...

– bass guitar, vocals * Kenney Dale Johnson – percussion * Frank Martin – keyboards

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Other versions

Covers (studio releases)

HIM

The Finnish band HIM remade this song, first using it in their demo ''This Is Only the Beginning'', then on their EP '' 666 Ways To Love: Prologue'', followed by another recording of it on their first album ''

Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 ''Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666'' is the debut studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM. The album was recorded in fifteen days during the summer of 1997 with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, whom vocalist Ville Valo has credited as the honorary s ...

'', and again on the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

versions of their second album ''

Razorblade Romance ''Razorblade Romance'' is the second studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM. HIM initially began recording the album with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, who had helmed the group's 1997 debut album, however these sessions proved unsuccessful, ...

''. The last recording they made of it then reappeared on their compilation album '' And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997–2004''. "Wicked Game" became the band's breakthrough song in their native

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. Their version appeared on an episode of ''

Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...

''.

=Track listings

= * German release # "Wicked Game" – 3:54 # "For You" – 4:00 # "Our Diabolical Rapture" – 5:20 # "Wicked Game" (666 Remix) – 3:58 * Finnish release # "Wicked Game" # "For You" * 2000 UK release # "Wicked Game" – 3:36 # "When Love and Death Embrace" (Amnt Mix) – 3:34 # "The Heartless" (Serdlidlim Mix) – 3:11 * 2000 Swedish release # "Wicked Game" 2000 # "When Love and Death Embrace" (Amnt Mix) – 3:34

Parra for Cuva

In 2013, German house producer Parra for Cuva released a cover version that featured

Anna Naklab Annika Klose (born 14 July 1993 in Göttingen), known professionally as Anna Naklab, is a German singer-songwriter. Naklab grew up in the town of Northeim in the German state of Lower Saxony near Göttingen, Germany. Singers and bands that i ...

. The single was re-titled as "Wicked Games" in plural. It was first released on

Beatport Beatport is an American electronic music-oriented online music store owned by LiveStyle. The company is based in Denver, Los Angeles, and Berlin. Beatport is oriented primarily towards DJs, selling full songs as well as resources that can be used ...

worldwide as a digital download in August 2013, then a mainstream release as a digital download in France in October 2013 and in Germany on February 14, 2014. The song has charted in Australia, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

=Track listing

= #"Wicked Games" (radio edit) – 3:15 #"Wicked Games" (original mix) – 5:58

=Charts

Weekly charts

=Year-end charts

=Certifications

Others

References

{{Authority control 1989 songs 1990 singles American folk rock songs Chris Isaak songs HIM (Finnish band) songs Il Divo songs MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video Music videos directed by Herb Ritts Music videos directed by David Lynch Black-and-white music videos Song recordings produced by Erik Jacobsen Bertelsmann Music Group singles Reprise Records singles Syco Music singles Spinnin' Records singles Songs written by Chris Isaak Country ballads Folk ballads Rock ballads 1980s ballads Songs about casual sex 1998 singles