Poison Songs Ranked

Poison is an American rock band which achieved commercial success in the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s and has sold over 45 million records. The band has charted ten singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, including six Top 10 singles and the Hot 100 number-one, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. The band’s breakthrough debut album, the multi-platinum Look What the Cat Dragged In, was released in 1986, followed by Open Up and Say… Ahh!, which was certified 5× platinum in the US. Their third consecutive multi-platinum selling album was Flesh & Blood.

In the 1990s following the release of the band’s first live album, Swallow This Live, the band experienced some lineup changes and the fall of pop-metal with the grunge movement. But the band’s fourth studio album, Native Tongue, still achieved Gold status. Since their debut in 1986, they have released seven studio albums, four live albums, five compilation albums, and have issued 28 singles to radio. Here are all of Poison’s songs ranked from worst to best.

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20. Rock and Roll All Nite (Less Than Zero, 1987)

“Aerosmith recorded a cover of Huey Smith’s funky “Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” for the _Less Than Zero_ soundtrack, in 1987. The rare promotional only single (CBS/CSK-2892) for “Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” was issued with the inclusion of Poison’s reworked version of the KISS arena rocking anthem “Rock and Roll All Nite”.”

19. Stand (Native Tongue, 1993)

“Distancing themselves from their tacky early days of glam pop ‘n’ roll, Poison upped the ante in 1993 as the group parted company with guitarist CC DeVille, while maturing in the songwriting department. The addition of deft fretboard burner Richie Kotzen improved the once pouting party band exponentially.  “

18. Want Some, Need Some (Look What the Cat Dragged In, 1986)

“Want Some, Need Some” is a fairly classic track of the group which lacks a little something to allow it to emerge from the album.”

17. Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice) (Native Tongue, 1993)

“My favourite Poison album is Native tongue.And I’m looking for more songs like this.Poison is such a great band.They did many songs with different styles.”

See more: Poison Albums Ranked

16. I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine (Power to the People, 2000)

“Like most of their songs, trash, and really elevated by a reliably solid guitar solo, but I have to say I really like the almost punk-influenced guitar rhythm, and the kickstart into full rhythm halfway through the first verse is slightly more than just catchy – in truly inspired territory.”

15. Little Willy (Poison’d!, 2007)

“LITTLE WILLY” Gives us hope that a decent album is on it’s way. This is a decent cover, where the boys seem to be having fun.”

14. Valley of Lost Souls (Flesh & Blood, 1990)

“One of the few decent songs from Poison, which I personally find mediocre despite being one of the most popular glam metal or ’80’s hard rock bands of the ’80’s.”

13. Your Mama Don’t Dance (Open Up and Say… Ahh!, 1988)

“This song is awesome.I can’t get this song out of my head,Best Guitar performance.Way better than the other songs.And Bret Michaels Vocals also So good.”

12. Life Goes On (Flesh & Blood 1990)

“This song should be on top 10,CC’s best Solo is in this song.Their finest and best Solo.This song shows How Clever CC as a Guitarist.This song is So much Underrated.CC is one of my favourite guitarist.Probably the best hair metal Guitarist.”

11. I Want Action (Look What the Cat Dragged In, 1986)

“What an awesome video man, I mean it is so awesome the guys with there long hair metal hair, and the girls oh so beautiful oh so promiscuous looking the same way. This song is played pretty much at every strip club from here to Miami and back to Galveston, TX for sure because the gas station is one for some greezy perv’s any way.”

10. Cry Tough (Look What the Cat Dragged In, 1986)

“Rikki sure does rock this one with the drums! And it just is a great song about the rise to success.  “Cry Tough” was their first video ever, but no one seems to remember that.”

9. Ride the Wind (Flesh & Blood, 1990)

“A real song with a real hook, no soppy ballad, A solid rocker. Poison is my feel-good music especially this song. I can’t believe beautiful songs like this are so underrated “

8. I Won’t Forget You (Look What the Cat Dragged In 1986)

“This song is the best ballad of them.Better than “Every rose has its thorn”.Maybe the best ballad of the world or Glam metal history.Dreamy sound,Beautiful vocals,Great work.I love this song so much.”

7. Look at What the Cat Dragged In (Look What the Cat Dragged In 1986)

“The true metal song by Poison.Most of their songs are Glam metal.But this song is much more metal than others,Like a heavy metal song.that’s why I love this”

See more: Def Leppard Albums Ranked

6. Something to Believe In (Flesh & Blood, 1990)

“Sad song, perfect story and lyrics. Got Brett emotional when he recorded it. Worth the listen. This song has good message.I love songs like this.This Song is one of the best ballad.I love it everyday.My favourite Poison song.”

5. Unskinny Bop (Flesh & Blood, 1990)

“So this was one of those catchy songs that gets caught in your head and runs on a loop. I’ve learned when that happens, it’s best to just play the song because it’s telling you that it wants to be heard.”

4. Fallen Angel (Open Up and Say… Ahh!, 1988)

“This is the best Poison song,One of my favourite songs,In their album “Flesh and blood” compared to other songs this song is the best.Actually songs like ” Talk dirty to me” & “nothing but a good time” are also masterpieces.”

3. Nothin’ but a Good Time (Open Up and Say… Ahh!, 1988)

“I personally like this so much more than Every Rose Has It’s Thorns, because this feels like a party anthem, where as ERHIT is too slow for my taste. I’m not saying I dislike ERHIT, I’m just saying I like faster/louder songs better.”

2. Talk Dirty to Me (Look What the Cat Dragged In 1986)

“Heavy on eyeliner, hair spray and rags, the image-over-substance Poison let their powder puff pop ‘n’ glam do the talkin’. Struttin’ on stage and talkin’ dirty to the busty bleach blonde bimbos, Brett Michaels paced the posers through the sugar sweet steps.”

1. Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Open Up and Say… Ahh!, 1988)

“Just beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Best song by them ever, no doubt. May be way different from their other rock songs, but it does give a broken-hearted-cowboy vibe, which always makes people sad, but also gives people the time to realize that you shouldn’t try to break your lover’s heart when you truly love them, and that seeing past lovers that broke your heart is always a hard thing deal with, even if they or you are with somebody else, which gives this song much more meaning as well, which is always great for songs like this, and also means that to me, Every Rose Has It’s Thorn is Poison’s most famous song, because of the meaning behind it, and how truly beautiful it is.”