Lick It Up (song)

"Lick It Up"
Single by Kiss
from the album Lick It Up
ReleasedSeptember 18, 1983
Recorded1983
StudioRight Track Studios, New York City
Genre
Length3:56
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)Paul Stanley, Vinnie Vincent
Producer(s)Michael James Jackson, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons
Kiss singles chronology
"I Love It Loud" / "Danger"
(1982) 		"Lick It Up" / "Dance All Over Your Face"
(1983) 		"All Hell's Breakin' Loose" / "Young and Wasted"
(1984)
Audio sample
"Lick It Up"
Music video
"Lick It Up" on YouTube

"Lick It Up" is a song by American rock band Kiss. It is the title track to the group's 1983 album of the same name. The song was released as the album's first single, with musicians Paul Stanley and Vinnie Vincent having composed the track.[5] It was a Top 40 hit in the United Kingdom,[6] although it failed to chart as highly in the band's native U.S.

"Lick It Up" is a staple of the band's live performances. Due to its popularity among fans, Kiss has performed the song over 1,500 times as of June 2023, making it one of the group's top ten most-played pieces.[7]

Song information

A video was made to promote the single. It was the first music clip to feature the band without its makeup. The video premiered on MTV on September 18, 1983, in a half-hour special hosted by J. J. Jackson. Despite the hype and promotion for the single, it stalled at #66 on the American Billboard Hot 100.[8] However, the song broke into the Top 40 in several other countries.[9]

Kiss has performed "Lick It Up" on most of its tours since the single's release. The track was featured on the group's live albums Alive III and Kiss Symphony: Alive IV. It also appears on 2001's The Box Set. While a few others have been played in limited to rare occasions over the years, it is the only song from the band's unmasked era that has been regularly played live as a setlist staple since they returned to wearing their trademark makeup in 1996.

Reception

The American trade publication Cash Box stated that "high lead and backup vocals over a slowly throbbing guitar and drum rhythm set up an instructive lesson in feeling good." The single was named as one of the journal's 'Feature Picks'.[5]

Personnel

Kiss

Charts

Chart (1983–84) Peak
position
Argentina (CAPIF)[10] 4
Australia (Kent Music Report) 82
Canada (RPM)[11] 32
France (IFOP)[12] 58
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 24
UK Singles (OCC)[6] 31
US Billboard Hot 100 66

Popular culture

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Ultimate Hair Metal Party Playlist". Kerrang!. April 5, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Prato, Greg. "KISSology - Kiss | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  3. ^ Masley, Ed (July 8, 2014). "Best '80s pop-metal songs, from Def Leppard to Poison". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  4. ^ Everley, Dave; Barton, Geoff; Elliott, Paul; Sharp, Ken (July 15, 2019). "The 40 best Kiss songs of all time". Classic Rock. p. 3. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 12, 1983. p. 8. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Officialcharts.com - Kiss". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  7. ^ "Kiss Tour Statistics - Songs Played Total". Setlist.fm. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  8. ^ "Billboard singles chart history-Kiss". Retrieved February 18, 2009.
  9. ^ International Chart History
  10. ^ "International Bestsellers" (PDF). Cashbox. February 4, 1984.
  11. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 39, No. 17, December 24, 1983". Library and Archives Canada. December 24, 1983. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  12. ^ "Accès direct aux Artistes (K): choose Kiss". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  13. ^ "KISS – Lick It Up". hitparade.ch (in German).