Something to Believe In (Poison song)

"Something to Believe In" is a power ballad by American glam metal band Poison, being the second single from their 1990 album Flesh & Blood. "Something to Believe In" was also released on the Best of Ballads & Blues album in 2003, with alternate lyrics (part 2).

"Something to Believe In"
Single by Poison
from the album Flesh and Blood
B-side"Ball and Chain"
ReleasedSeptember 4, 1990
Recorded1990
GenreGlam metal[1][2]
Length5:29
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Michaels; DeVille; Dall; Rockett
Producer(s)Bruce Fairbairn
Poison singles chronology
""Unskinny Bop"
(1990)		 "Something to Believe In"
(1990)		 "Ride the Wind"
(1991)
Music video
"Something to Believe In" at YouTube.com

The song peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their 6th and last top 10 hit, number 5 on the mainstream rock charts,[3] number 35 in the UK[4] and number 44 on the Australian charts. It was the last Top 10 on the Billboard chart for the band to date.

Background

This song was dedicated to James Kimo Maano, a security guard and best friend of Bret Michaels who had died some time earlier.

The cover art for the single depicts a tattoo on Michaels' arm of a cross with the words "Something to Believe In". The tattoo artist, according to Michaels, had been drinking and spelled "believe" incorrectly putting the "e" before the "i". It was attempted to be corrected by adding a rose to the cross that covered the misspelling, but Michaels was never satisfied with the results. In the first season of the reality show Rock of Love, Michaels goes to a tattoo shop where the tattoo artist properly touches up the tattoo.

Music video

During the filming of the video, unbeknownst to Michaels, the director had inserted footage of James Kimo Maano which was playing on a screen in front of Bret. This was done to try to draw an emotional reaction from Michaels. It worked so well that Michaels lost his composure and had to leave the set for several hours. On the final cut of the video, during the second verse, Michaels can be seen visually holding back tears as he momentarily stops singing.

Reception

"Something to Believe In" is widely regarded as one of Poison's best songs. In 2017, Billboard and OC Weekly ranked the song number four and number one, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest Poison songs.[5][6]

Personnel
  • Bret Michaels - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
  • C.C. DeVille - Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar (Used in the choruses and sporadically in the verses), Backing Vocals
  • Bobby Dall - Bass, Backing Vocals
  • Rikki Rockett - Drums, Backing Vocals

with

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[17] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. Popoff, Martin (2014). The big book of hair metal : the illustrated oral history of heavy metal's debauched decade. Minneapolis, MN. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-7603-4546-7. OCLC 858901054.
  2. Let It Rock 1990 - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-04-06
  3. "Allmusic (Poison charts and awards) Billboard singles".
  4. "Poison The Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
  5. Titus, Christa (July 5, 2017). "Poison's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  6. Silver, Michael (June 13, 2017). "The 10 Best Poison Songs". OC Weekly. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  7. "Poison – Something to Believe In". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9112." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  9. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 45. November 10, 1990. p. V. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  10. "Poison – Something to Believe In". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  12. "Poison Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  13. "Poison Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  14. "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990". RPM. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  15. "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-14.
  16. Lwin, Nanda. "Top 100 singles of the 1990s". Jam!. Archived from the original on August 29, 2000. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  17. "American single certifications – Poison – Something to Believe In". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
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