Kickstart My Heart

For the song of the same name by Alannah Myles, see Alannah Myles (album).
"Kickstart My Heart"
Single by Mötley Crüe
from the album Dr. Feelgood
B-side"She Goes Down"
ReleasedNovember 20, 1989
GenreGlam metal[1][2][3][4]
Length4:48
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)Nikki Sixx
Producer(s)Bob Rock
Mötley Crüe singles chronology
"Dr. Feelgood"
(1989) 		"Kickstart My Heart"
(1989) 		"Without You"
(1990)
Music videos
"Kickstart My Heart" on YouTube

"Kickstart My Heart" is a song by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, originally released on their 1989 album, Dr. Feelgood. Released as the album's second single in 1989, "Kickstart My Heart" reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in early 1990.[5]

In a 2015 interview, Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx related the origins of "Kickstart My Heart", which he wrote while the band was already working on Dr. Feelgood. Sixx was playing acoustic guitar in his house while scribbling words on a piece of paper. When the group’s former manager read the words, he encouraged Sixx to share it with the rest of the band. Sixx was reluctant, but eventually did show the band and the track came together quickly.[6] The phrase "kickstart my heart" supposedly refers to Sixx's overdose incident where a paramedic injected his heart with adrenaline; Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler disputes the accuracy of the story, saying he revived Sixx before the paramedics arrived.[7]

The video clip was shot at the Whisky a Go Go on October 5, 1989, during Mötley Crüe's warm-up show before embarking on the Dr. Feelgood world tour. Sam Kinison is featured at the start of the video chauffeuring the band to the Whisky in a 1946 Buick ambulance.[citation needed]

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart (1989–1990) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 34
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 51
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 31
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 27
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[12] 18
Chart (2019) Peak
position
Canada Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales[13] 15
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[14] 6
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[15] 17
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[16] 9

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[17] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Use in media

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References

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  1. ^ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Greatest Hair Metal Songs". Rolling Stone. February 5, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  2. ^ "Top 20 Hair Metal Albums of the Eighties – Guitar World". Guitar World. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2021. "Dr. Feelgood," "Kickstart My Heart," "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" and "She Goes Down" are as good as pop metal ever got
  3. ^ "The Ultimate Hair Metal Party Playlist". Kerrang!. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  4. ^ "Watch Ten Second Song Guy Sing Mötley Crüe's Kickstart My Heart In 17 Different Styles". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  5. ^ "Allmusic (Motley Crue charts & awards) Billboard singles".
  6. ^ Robinson, Will (2015-12-22). "Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx shares the stories behind the band's biggest songs". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  7. ^ Childers, Chad (15 May 2018). "Steven Adler on Motley Crue's 'Kickstart My Heart' Actual Origins". Loudwire.
  8. ^ "Mötley Crüe – Kickstart My Heart". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  9. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5105". RPM. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  10. ^ "Mötley Crüe – Kickstart My Heart". Top 40 Singles.
  11. ^ "Motley Crue Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  12. ^ "Motley Crue Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  13. ^ "Mötley Crüe – Canadian Digital". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  14. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 13, 2019" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  15. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  16. ^ "Motley Crue Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  17. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  18. ^ "British single certifications – Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
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