| Love Bites | |
| Cover: | Def Leppard - Love Bites.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Def Leppard |
| Album: | Hysteria |
| B-Side: | "Billy's Got a Gun" (live) |
| Released: | 4 July 1988 |
| Genre: | Glam metal |
| Length: | 5:46 |
| Label: | Mercury |
| Producer: | Robert John "Mutt" Lange |
| Prev Title: | Armageddon It |
| Prev Year: | 1988 |
| Next Title: | Rocket |
| Next Year: | 1989 |
"Love Bites" is a song by English glam metal band Def Leppard from their album Hysteria. The power ballad[1] is Def Leppard's only number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a top-10 hit in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. On the UK Singles Chart, the track peaked at number 11.
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.[2] 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. Musically, the song has been described as glam metal,[3] [4] [5] and is considered a classic of the genre.[6]
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. 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.[7]
"Billy's Got a Gun" was recorded at Tilburg, Netherlands, in 1987.[8]
7-inch: Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / Polygram / 830 675-1 (US)
12-inch and CD: Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / Polygram (US, UK)
| Chart (1988–1989) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] | 3 | |
| Canada Retail Singles (RPM)[10] | 1 | |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] | 38 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100[12] | 1 |
| Chart (1988) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] | 51 | |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] | 25 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[15] | 30 |
