Pour Some Sugar on Me
Encyclopedia
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by British hard rock
band Def Leppard
from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
. Pour Some Sugar on Me was ranked #2 on VH1
's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's" in 2006.
was jamming with a riff he had come up with recently on an acoustic guitar. Producer Mutt Lange, expressing great liking of it, suggested that it be developed into another song. Although already behind schedule Lange felt that the album was still missing a strong crossover hit and that this last song had the potential to be one. Within two weeks the song was completed, smoothed out and included as the twelfth track on Hysteria.
The American version of the "Pour Some Sugar on Me" video spent 73 days as the number 1 requested song on TRL precursor Dial MTV
.
chart (now the Billboard 200) a year after release, and sold four million copies during the single's run. The video remained at number 1 on the request show Dial MTV
for 88 days, the longest run ever on Dial MTV. The song reached number 1 in Canada, number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
, number 18 in the UK Singles Chart
and number 26 on the ARIA charts
(Australia).
MTV
ranked "Pour Some Sugar on Me" number 82 in its "Top 100 Videos of All Time" countdown in 1991. In 2006, VH1
ranked the song number 2 on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s."
In 2005, the single was awarded RIAA
Gold certification
for digital download
s of over 500,000 units. It is one of very few songs recorded before 2004 to accomplish this feat.
s for the song were produced. The first version shows the band playing inside a derelict Irish stately home (Mount Merrion House at Stillorgan
, Dublin) while it is being demolished by wrecking-balls and a burly, sledgehammer-wielding, female construction worker. Generally disliked by the band members, and filmed before Pour Some Sugar on Me became a huge mega-hit in the US, a second video simply of the band playing the song live was released for American MTV
(the original video was only ever shown in the UK). This video was edited together from live concert footage that would eventually be released as the band's full-length 1989 video Live: In the Round, in Your Face
. It also featured an extended, distortion-laden intro in lieu of the album version's "Step inside, walk this way..." line. Most compilations use this extended music video version of the song.
US Vinyl, 12"
CD single: Bludgeon Riffola / Mercury / 8724872 (Germany)
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Pour Some Sugar on Me was ranked #2 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's" in 2006.
Origins
Near the end of recording the album Hysteria singer Joe ElliottJoe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
was jamming with a riff he had come up with recently on an acoustic guitar. Producer Mutt Lange, expressing great liking of it, suggested that it be developed into another song. Although already behind schedule Lange felt that the album was still missing a strong crossover hit and that this last song had the potential to be one. Within two weeks the song was completed, smoothed out and included as the twelfth track on Hysteria.
Reception
By the spring of 1988, Hysteria had sold 3 million copies, but it still was not enough to cover the album's production costs (the most expensive ever at the time). Thus, the band edited footage from an upcoming concert film to make a new promo clip for "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and finally released it as the fourth single in North America.The American version of the "Pour Some Sugar on Me" video spent 73 days as the number 1 requested song on TRL precursor Dial MTV
Dial MTV
Dial MTV was a television series on MTV that played music videos. It premiered February 17,1986. Much like Total Request Live, Dial MTV played the top five or top ten most requested videos of the day, as requested by viewers who dialed in to vote for their favorite video...
.
Success
The somewhat delayed success of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (due to the new promo release) sent sales of Hysteria higher than the band ever imagined. It reached number 1 on the Top Pop AlbumsBillboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart (now the Billboard 200) a year after release, and sold four million copies during the single's run. The video remained at number 1 on the request show Dial MTV
Dial MTV
Dial MTV was a television series on MTV that played music videos. It premiered February 17,1986. Much like Total Request Live, Dial MTV played the top five or top ten most requested videos of the day, as requested by viewers who dialed in to vote for their favorite video...
for 88 days, the longest run ever on Dial MTV. The song reached number 1 in Canada, number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, number 18 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number 26 on the ARIA charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
(Australia).
MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
ranked "Pour Some Sugar on Me" number 82 in its "Top 100 Videos of All Time" countdown in 1991. In 2006, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
ranked the song number 2 on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s."
In 2005, the single was awarded RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
Gold certification
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
s of over 500,000 units. It is one of very few songs recorded before 2004 to accomplish this feat.
Music video
Two different music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for the song were produced. The first version shows the band playing inside a derelict Irish stately home (Mount Merrion House at Stillorgan
Stillorgan
Stillorgan , formerly a village in its own right, is now a suburban area of Dublin in Ireland. Stillorgan is located in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, and contains many housing estates, shops and other facilities, with the old village centre still present...
, Dublin) while it is being demolished by wrecking-balls and a burly, sledgehammer-wielding, female construction worker. Generally disliked by the band members, and filmed before Pour Some Sugar on Me became a huge mega-hit in the US, a second video simply of the band playing the song live was released for American MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
(the original video was only ever shown in the UK). This video was edited together from live concert footage that would eventually be released as the band's full-length 1989 video Live: In the Round, in Your Face
Live: In the Round, in Your Face
Live: In the Round, in Your Face is a live video from Def Leppard. The video contains a full Def Leppard live show at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado and additional footage from shows at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia, compiled from footage shot during the band's 1987/1988 US Hysteria...
. It also featured an extended, distortion-laden intro in lieu of the album version's "Step inside, walk this way..." line. Most compilations use this extended music video version of the song.
Cover versions
- Singer-songwriter Emm GrynerEmm GrynerEmm Gryner is a Canadian singer-songwriter and occasional actress.-Biography:Gryner's childhood was spent in Forest, Lambton County, Ontario. Her father was of half Irish heritage and her mother was Filipina....
performed an acoustic version of the song on her 2001 covers album Girl Versions. - The band The MaineThe Maine (band)The Maine is an American rock band from Tempe, Arizona. They were formed in January 21st, 2007, they released EP Stay Up, Get Down in the same year. On December 11 2007, The Maine made their debut with a five song EP called The Way We Talk produced by Matt Grabe...
covered the song for the Fearless RecordsFearless RecordsFearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...
compilation Punk Goes Classic RockPunk Goes Classic RockPunk Goes Classic Rock is the ninth album in the Punk Goes... series, released by Fearless Records. It was released on April 27, 2010. This also features Your Love by The Outfield for the second time to be covered. And also has a Bonus Sampler CD with it...
in 2010. - Glam Metal band L.A. GunsL.A. GunsL.A. Guns is the name of a hard rock group formed in Los Angeles, California, of which two rival incarnations currently exist due to numerous line-up changes. The first incarnation of the group was formed, by Tracii Guns, in 1983 but disbanded in 1985 following its merger with fellow Los Angeles...
covered the song for their 2010 cover compilation, Covered in GunsCovered in GunsCovered in Guns is a cover album released by Phil Lewis's version of L.A. Guns in 2010.-Track listing:#"Pour Some Sugar on Me" – 4:23#"Rock & Roll All Night" – 3:36#"Crazy Bitch" – 3:23...
. - Sugarland has covered the song during their live shows.
Track listing
7": Bludgeon Riffola / Mercury / 870 298-7 (USA)- "Pour Some Sugar on Me"
- "Ring of Fire"
US Vinyl, 12"
- "Pour Some Sugar on Me" [Extended Version]
- "Pour Some Sugar on Me" [Album Version]
- "I Wanna Be Your Hero"
CD single: Bludgeon Riffola / Mercury / 8724872 (Germany)
- "Pour Some Sugar on Me" [Extended Version]
- "Release Me"
- "Rock of Ages" [Live Medley]