"Hole Hearted" is a song by American rock group Extreme. The song was released as the fourth and final single and closing track from their successful Pornograffitti album in 1991 and reached No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also charted at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 2 in Canada. The song ends with the sound of a thunderstorm, which closes Pornograffiti, similar to how "Decadence Dance" (the lead single and opening track on Pornograffiti) begins with the same sounds and starts the album.

"Hole Hearted"
European 7" sleeve
Single by Extreme
from the album Pornograffitti
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1991
GenrePop rock[1]
Length
  • 3:39 (7-inch)
  • 12:11 (CD maxi single)
  • 17:00 (EP)
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Nuno Bettencourt, Gary Cherone
Producer(s)Nuno Bettencourt
Extreme singles chronology
"More Than Words"
(1991)
"Hole Hearted"
(1991)
"Rest in Peace"
(1992)

Although the song's chart position was lower compared to the band's previous hit, "More Than Words", it remains their second-highest charting song overall. Like "More Than Words", the style of this song is different from the majority of its parent album. The song's videoclip was shot outside the Boston Centre for the Arts at 551 Tremont Street in Boston (street number seen on many of the pans around the band). The song is excluded from some editions of the vinyl LP version of the album.

Content edit

Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt said the album Pornograffiti was nearly done when he finally received a 12-string guitar he had ordered. He opened the guitar case and spontaneously started playing the eventual opening chords to "Hole Hearted" on the guitar. He was so excited that he needed to use the bathroom, where he came up with most of the song on the toilet. He said, "That song was written fast, and I remember coming out of the bathroom, saying, 'I've got this really cool tune,' and everybody looked at me kind of weird. I was listening to Led Zeppelin III at the time a lot, and there was a lot of acoustic stuff on there. So I kind of took the groove a little bit, borrowed that feel from being inspired by the Zep III album."[2]

Track listings edit

Single

  1. "Hole Hearted" – 3:39
  2. "More Than Words" (a cappella with congas) – 5:34
  3. "Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)" – 3:38

EP

  1. "Hole Hearted" – 3:40
  2. "Get the Funk Out" (12-inch remix) – 7:00
  3. "Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)" – 3:33
  4. "Sex N' Love" – 2:47

Charts edit

Release history edit

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States September 15, 1991 Cassette A&M [citation needed]
United Kingdom November 11, 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
[22]

References edit

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Extreme | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  2. ^ Prato, Greg (May 8, 2015). "Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  3. ^ "Extreme – Hole Hearted". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  4. ^ "Extreme – Hole Hearted" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  5. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1648." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  6. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 49. December 7, 1991. p. 33. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  7. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  8. ^ "Extreme – Hole Hearted" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  9. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hole Hearted". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  10. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  11. ^ "Extreme – Hole Hearted" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  12. ^ "Extreme – Hole Hearted". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  13. ^ "Extreme – Hole Hearted". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  14. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  15. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. October 19, 1991. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  16. ^ "Hot Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 46. November 16, 1991. p. 13.
  17. ^ "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. August 17, 1991. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  18. ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved November 23, 2017 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  19. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1991". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  20. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1991". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  21. ^ "The Year in Music: Top Album Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-41.
  22. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. November 9, 1991. p. 21.