Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” Was A Make-Or-Break Song For The Band—The Daily Earworm

’80s and ’90s glam rockers Poison found their biggest hit in an unlikely source. On this date in 1989, their single “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” was starting its third week atop the Billboard Hot 100. The ballad was the band’s first, and ultimately, their only #1 single. The song was certified gold and helped Poison’s sophomore studio album, Open Up and Say… Ahh!, reach #2 on the charts. The album went on to receive five platinum certifications in the United States and sell over eight million copies worldwide.

However, as rosy as things turned out for Poison in the end, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” put the band at a crossroads in their career that very much could have turned out much thornier. Here’s a look in today’s Daily Earworm breakdown.

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn”: The Origin Story

Breakup ballads are notorious for backstories—ask Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande. While this breakup didn’t have as high-profile a partner involved, that doesn’t mean that it hurt any less. Poison was touring in support of their 1987 debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In. The band was in Dallas, staying at a seedy motel after their show. Frontman Bret Michaels was doing his laundry at the nearby laundromat late at night and decided to call his girlfriend, an exotic dancer, at their apartment in Hollywood.

He made the call from the payphone outside the laundromat while his clothes were drying. She answered the phone, but seemed anxious to end the call quickly. Then it happened. Michaels heard a male voice whispering to his girlfriend in the background. The call was short, and a devastated Michaels grabbed his acoustic guitar and headed back inside, where he penned what would later become the band’s biggest hit. He would later explain that the rose was getting to play music, and the thorn, well, that was the casualties of that life on the road.

Poison Sticks to Their Guns

Poison recorded the song for their second album in 1988. When they played the song for their label, Capitol Records, they were told that the song was just sad and had a cowboy vibe that just didn’t fit the band’s image. Michaels defended the song, and Capitol eventually let the band include it on the record.

When the album was released, Michaels wanted the song to be one of the singles. Capitol was obviously not keen on that idea. After the success of the album’s first two singles, “Nothin’ But a Good Time” and “Fallen Angel,” Capitol wanted to release Poison’s cover of “Your Mama Don’t Dance” as the third single. Michaels again spoke up. The label told the band that if they released “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” it would kill their careers, but Michaels held his ground. The rest of the band stood firmly behind him, and the label was forced to relent.

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” was released as a single on October 12. For a while, it looked like Capitol may be right, but the ballad slowly climbed the charts. On December 24, the song hit #1, and the execs at the label were forced to eat crow. The song went on to become a part of pop culture, being used in an episode of “The Simpsons,” a sketch on “Saturday Night Live,” and a scene in the film “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.”

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” was not just a hit for Poison. It was an affirmation of the faith that Poison’s members had in their music. It was a Robert Frost “The Road Not Taken” moment for the band. They chose the road less traveled, and it made all the difference.

The Daily Earworm is a daily column that tells the stories, from the historic to the lesser-known, of some of the music industry’s greatest songs, albums, and artists. Here are some other music tales that you may find interesting:

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