"The Bitterest Pill" was a single released by The Jam

The Jam

The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...

 after the success of the album The Gift

The Gift (The Jam album)

The Gift is the sixth and final studio album by British band The Jam. Released on 12 March 1982, it reached #1 on the British charts. Clocking in at 32:17 minutes, the album received a mixed reception from critics and fans....

. Although it did not appear on any of the band's studio albums it charted at #2 in the UK Singles chart following its release on 10 September 1982.

The B-side to the single was a medley of the Paul Weller-penned "Pity Poor Alfie" and Otis Blackwell

Otis Blackwell

Otis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll...

's "Fever

Fever (1956 song)

"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym John Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, notably Peggy Lee in 1958....

".

In the U.S., the song appeared on a five-track EP, The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow) (Polydor 506), which peaked at #135 on the Billboard 200

Billboard 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...

 album chart.

"The Bitterest Pill" was re-issued as a single in 1997, peaking at #30.

The popular Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation

Degrassi: The Next Generation

Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...

, which is known for naming each episode after an 80s hit song, named an episode after this song. The song also appeared on the end credits of the final episode of Channel 4 80s drama This Is England 86.