Songoftheday 3/5/18 - You know I'm a dreamer but my heart's of gold, I had to run away high so I wouldn't come home low...
from the album Decade Of Decadence (1991)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #37 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 3
Today's song of the day comes from the glam metal band Mötley Crüe, whose fifth studio album Dr. Feelgood had scored them four top-40 pop hits with "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)", "Kickstart My Heart", and two that made the top ten in "Dr. Feelgood" and "Without You". The group celebrated the tenth anniversary of the release of their debut album with their first hits compilation Decade of Decadence in 1991. Along with a smattering of their singles, two new recordings were included, with one of them being first single "Primal Scream" which climbed to #21 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock radio chart and was a minor pop hit at #63 (it did reach the top-40 in the UK at #32). That was followed by one of their older songs remixed specifically for this collection. "Home Sweet Home", which originally appeared on their third album Theatre Of Pain (the one that gave the boys their first top-40 hit with "Smokin' In The Boys Room"), was written by Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, and the band's lead singer, Vince Neil. In 1985, that version went to #38 on the Mainstream Rock chart and snuck on to the pop Hot 100 at #89....
In 1991, the song was reworked as a more serene power-ballad like those of Poison, Firehouse, and the like...
The Crue's 1991 version of "Home Sweet Home" became their seventh and (so far) final top-40 pop hit in January of 1992. The song also climbed to #41 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock radio chart. Internationally, the track hit the top-40 in the UK (#37).
After this collection, Neil split from the rest of the band, who recruited singer John Corabi for their next album Mötley Crüe, and although they stiffed on the pop chart, they rose to #10 on the Mainstream Rock list with "Hooligan's Holiday" in 1994 (the song also reached #36 in Britain). But with lackluster sales on that record, Corabi left and Vince Neil returned for their 1997 record Generation Swine. The lead single "Afraid" got them back into the rock radio top ten (#10), but again pop radio had left them behind. Hoisted by touring and their rock fans, they released a series of albums and collections since, returning to the rock radio top ten twice with "If I Die Tomorrow" (#4) and "Saints Of Los Angeles" (#5). Their most recent charting single "All Bad Things Must End" reached #32 in 2015. The Crue finally announced their retirement at the start to 2016.
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Here's the band live in concert in 1987...
In 2009, American Idol Carrie Underwood covered the song, and peaked at #21 on Billboard's pop Hot 100 and #52 on the country airplay tally...
Country singer Justin Moore recorded "Home Sweet Home" as a duet with Neil on the tribute album Nashville Outlaws in 2014. It went to #30 on the country airplay chart...
and finally, from their final show in 2015, the show closer...
Up tomorrow: Overweight rapper asks about quality.
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