Never Had a Lot to Lose explained

Never Had a Lot to Lose
Cover:	Cheap Trick 1989 Single Never Had a Lot to Lose.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Cheap Trick
Album:	Lap of Luxury
B-Side:	All We Need Is a Dream
Released:	January 1989 (US)^[1] April 1989 (Australia)^[2]
Genre:	Rock, power pop
Length:	3:22
Label:	Epic
Producer:	Richie Zito
Prev Title:	Let Go
Prev Year:	1988
Next Title:	Can't Stop Fallin' Into Love
Next Year:	1990

"Never Had a Lot to Lose" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1989 as the fifth and final single from their tenth studio album Lap of Luxury (1988). It was written by lead vocalist Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson, and produced by Richie Zito.^[3] The song reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[4]

Background

Recalling the writing of the song, Petersson stated in the Cheap Trick biography Reputation is a Fragile Thing that he and Zander "sat down [and] did a track. We put the lyrics together as we were doing it in a demo studio. That was fun."

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Jim Yukich and produced by Paul Flattery for FYI.^[5] It achieved medium rotation on MTV.^[6]

Critical reception

Upon its release, Billboard listed the song as a recommended single under the "Pop" category and described it as a "lively power rocker" and a "definite highlight" from Lap of Luxury.^[7]

In a review of Lap of Luxury, Ira Robbins of Trouser Press described the song as "durable" and one of the album's few bright spots.^[8] Steve Huey of AllMusic considered it a "catchy hard rocker."^[9] In the 1998 Cheap Trick biography Reputation Is a Fragile Thing, authors Mike Hayes and Ken Sharp call the song a "gem" and "an up-tempo commercial rocker, featuring a classic Cheap trick riff". They highlighted it as possibly the best song on Lap of Luxury.^[10] In the 2007 book Shake Some Action - The Ultimate Guide to Power Pop, author John M. Borack described it as the "crown jewel of the record".^[11]

Track listing

7-inch single (US and Australia)

1. "Never Had a Lot to Lose" - 3:22
2. "All We Need is a Dream" - 3:40

Personnel

Cheap Trick

• Robin Zander - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• Rick Nielsen - lead guitar, backing vocals
• Tom Petersson - bass, backing vocals
• Bun E. Carlos - drums, percussion

Production

• Richie Zito - producer
• Phil Kaffel - engineer, mixer
• Jim Champagne, Bernard Frings, Mike Tacci, Bob Vogt, Toby Wright - second engineers

Charts

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA Charts)^[12]	118
US Billboard Hot 100 Chart	75
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles^[13]	54

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cheap Trick - Never Had A Lot To Lose / All We Need Is A Dream - Epic - USA - 34-68563 . 45cat . 2018-03-02.
2. Web site: Cheap Trick - Never Had A Lot To Lose / All We Need Is A Dream - Epic - Australia - 654675 7 . 45cat . 2018-03-02.
3. Web site: Cheap Trick - Lap Of Luxury at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2012-03-11.
4. Web site: Cheap Trick Chart History . Billboard . 2018-03-02.
5. Music Video: New Videoclips . . March 11, 1989 . Billboard Publications, Inc. . 101 . 10 . 67 . 0006-2510.
6. Music Video: The Clip List . . March 25, 1989 . Billboard Publications, Inc. . 101 . 12 . 53 . 0006-2510.
7. Billboard magazine - Single reviews - February 11, 1989 - page 71
8. Web site: Cheap Trick. Trouser Press. 2016-05-03. Robbins, Ira.
9. Web site: Huey . Steve . Lap of Luxury - Cheap Trick . AllMusic . 2012-03-11.
10. Book: Reputation Is a Fragile Thing. Hayes, M. . Sharp, K. . amp . 154. 1998. Poptastic. 978-0-9662081-0-8.
11. Book: Shake Some Action - The Ultimate Guide To Power Pop - John M. Borack - Google Books . 9780979771408 . 2018-03-02. Borack . John M. . 2007 .
12. Web site: Bubbling Down Under Week commencing 24 April 1989. April 24, 2020. July 24, 2021.
13. Book: Downey . Pat . Albert . George . Hoffman . Frank . Cash Box Pop Singles Charts, 1950-1993 . 1994 . Libraries Unlimited, Inc. . Englewood, Colorado . 1563083167 . 60 . registration . September 28, 2022.