Every Rose Has Its Thorn

{{about||the TV episode|Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Friday Night Lights)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Every Rose Has Its Thorn

| cover = Every Rose Has Its Thorn-Cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Poison

| album = Open Up and Say... Ahh!

| B-side =

"Livin for the Minute" (US)
"Back to the Rocking Horse" (UK)

| released = 1988

| recorded = 1988

| studio = Conway (Hollywood, California)

| venue =

| genre =

Glam metal{{cite web|title=Every Rose Has Its Thorn: A Tribute to the Syrupy-Sweet Sounds of '80s Hair-Metal Ballads|url=https://www.spin.com/photos/hair-metal-ballads-tribute/|access-date=June 11, 2021|website=Spin|date=17 November 2020 }}
hard rock{{cite book|last=Harrison|first=Thomas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MBEZBL7Dr7YC&pg=PA59|title=Music of the 1980s|date=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-36600-0|page=59}}
acoustic rock{{cite web|last=Bosso|first=Joe|date=August 23, 2019|title=The 25 best acoustic rock songs|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/acoustic-nation-25-greatest-acoustic-songs-hard-rock|access-date=July 1, 2021|website=Guitar World}}
country rock

| length = 4:20

| label = Capitol

| writer =

| producer = Tom Werman

| prev_title = Fallen Angel

| prev_year = 1988

| next_title = Your Mama Don't Dance

| next_year = 1989

| misc = {{External music video

| type = single

| header = Music videos

| 1 = {{YouTube|j2r2nDhTzO4|"Every Rose Has Its Thorn"}}

}}

"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is a power ballad{{cite news|date=July 23, 2015|title=The 21 best power ballads|newspaper=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/21-best-power-ballads/every-rose-has-its-thorn/|access-date=January 6, 2018}} by American glam metal band Poison. It was released in October 1988 as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up and Say... Ahh!. The band's signature song, it is also their only number-one hit in the US, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 24, 1988, for three weeks.{{cite web|last=Breihan|first=Tom|date=June 16, 2021|title=The Number Ones: Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2150625/the-number-ones-poisons-every-rose-has-its-thorn/columns/the-number-ones/|access-date=July 2, 2021|website=Stereogum}} It also charted at number 11 on the Mainstream Rock chart.{{cite magazine|title=Poison - Mainstream Rock Airplay|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/poison/chart-history/rtt/|access-date=June 5, 2012|magazine=Billboard}} It was a number 13 hit in the UK.{{cite web|url = https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/|title = Poison The Official Charts Company|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=June 5, 2012}} "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was named number 34 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s", number 100 on their "100 Greatest Love Songs" and number seven on MTV and VH1 "Top 25 Power Ballads". Billboard ranked the song number five on their list of "The 10 Best Poison Songs".{{cite magazine|last=Titus|first=Christa|date=July 5, 2017|title=Poison's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7857128/poison-songs-best-hits-list|access-date=July 2, 2021|magazine=Billboard}}

Background and writing

In an interview with VH1's Behind the Music, Bret Michaels said the inspiration for the song came from a night when he was in a laundromat in Dallas waiting for his clothes to dry, and called his girlfriend on a pay phone. Michaels said he heard a male voice in the background and was devastated; he said he went into the laundromat and wrote "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" as a result.{{cite web|title=Something to believe in|url=https://www.thegazz.com/guide/articles/stories/171/Something+to+believe+in|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060528101310/https://www.thegazz.com/guide/articles/stories/171/Something+to+believe+in|archive-date=May 28, 2006|access-date=October 26, 2007|website=The Gazz}}

Critical reception

Jerry Smith, reviewer of British music newspaper Music Week, described this song as "over-wrought ballad, but it makes a change from their ponderous metal posturing".{{cite magazine|last=Smith|first=Jerry|authorlink=|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-02-04.pdf|title=Review: Poison – Every Rose Has Its Thorn|magazine=Music Week|date=4 February 1989|access-date=4 November 2021|page=23|location=London|publisher=Spotlight Publications Ltd.|via=World Radio History|issn=0265-1548|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102183251/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-02-04.pdf|archive-date=2 November 2021}} Cash Box said that "Poison slows it down with a bevy of acoustic guitars, and deliver a well-measured ballad."{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1988/CB-1988-10-29.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|date=October 29, 1988|accessdate=2022-12-22|page=10}}

Music video

The music video to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was directed by Marty Callner. It starts out with a forlorn Bret Michaels in bed with a young woman, they both look unhappy. He gets up, does the heavy sigh that is at the start of the song and walks away to play the acoustic guitar, the video then goes into video clips of the band's tour. The same young woman is seen driving a Thunderbird in the rain (two different times), listening to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" on the car's radio. The video was shot at the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and in an empty warehouse nearby.{{cite news|last=Meinert|first=Kendra|date=February 8, 2019|title=Bret Michaels will close down the Brown County arena concert era with a show April 6|work=Green Bay Press-Gazette|url=https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/02/08/bret-michaels-play-brown-county-arenas-final-concert-before-demolition/2803660002/|access-date=April 24, 2021}} The video ends with Michaels playing the last of the song on his acoustic guitar and walking away.

Legacy

The song has been seen as a glam metal classic, being ranked on multiple "best of" lists.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-10-greatest-hair-metal-songs-11547/6-poison-every-rose-has-its-thorn-232433/|title=Readers' Poll: The 10 Greatest Hair Metal Songs|date=February 5, 2014|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=February 19, 2019}}{{cite web|last=Bowar|first=Chad|title=Best 20 Hair Metal Ballads of the '80s and '90s|url=https://www.liveabout.com/best-hair-metal-ballads-1752387|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=LiveAbout}}{{cite web|last=Bernstein|first=Scott|date=January 4, 2007|title=THE B List: Favorite Hair-Metal Power Ballads|url=https://glidemagazine.com/133653/the-b-list-favorite-hair-metal-power-ballads/|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=Glide Magazine}} In 2017, Billboard and OC Weekly ranked the song number five and number two, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest Poison songs.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/poison-songs-best-hits-list-7857128/|title=Poison's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks|first=Christa|last=Titus|magazine=Billboard|date=July 5, 2017|accessdate=September 18, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ocweekly.com/the-10-best-poison-songs-8181486/?sfw=pass1663529189|title=The 10 Best Poison Songs|first=Michael|last=Silver|work=OC Weekly|date=June 13, 2017|accessdate=September 18, 2022}}

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row"\|Canada Top Singles (RPM)[http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+49-No.+13-January+23-28%2C+1989.pdf Top Singles - January 23, 1989, p.6] RPM Magazine \| align="center"\| 2
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1988–1989) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{single chart\|Australia\|16\|artist=Poison\|song=Every Rose Has Its Thorn\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1989/M&M-1989-03-18.pdf\|title=European Hot 100 singles\|magazine=Music & Media\|page=10\|date=March 18, 1989\|access-date=August 21, 2020}} \| align="center"\|25
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|8\|song=Every Rose Has Its Thorn\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|18\|artist=Poison\|song=Every Rose Has Its Thorn\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|18\|artist=Poison\|song=Every Rose Has Its Thorn\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|8\|artist=Poison\|song=Every Rose Has Its Thorn\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Sweden\|20\|artist=Poison\|song=Every Rose Has Its Thorn\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Switzerland\|12\|artist=Poison\|song=Every Rose Has Its Thorn\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|UK\|13\|date=19890305\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|1\|artist=Poison\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboardmainstreamrock\|11\|artist=Poison\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|West Germany\|38\|artist=Poison\|song=Every Rose Has Its Thorn\|songid=1908\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1989) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
scope="row"\|Australia (ARIA){{cite web\|url=https://i.imgur.com/9GTxuJZ.jpg\|title=The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – 1989\|publisher=ARIA, via Imgur.com\|access-date=January 7, 2020}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|87
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|58\|chartid=6684\|access-date=June 6, 2024\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\|New Zealand (RMNZ){{cite web\|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1989-12-31\|title=Top Selling Singles of 1989\|publisher=Recorded Music NZ\|access-date=April 28, 2016\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710045627/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=3878\|archive-date=July 10, 2015}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|18
scope="row"\|United States (Billboard Hot 100){{cite magazine \|date=December 23, 1989 \|title=1989 The Year in Music: Top Pop Singles \|page=Y-22 \|magazine=Billboard \|volume=101 \|issue=51 }}{{cite web\|url=https://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1989\|title=Longbored Surfer - 1989\|website=Longboredsurfer.com\|access-date=April 24, 2021}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|3

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

! scope="col"| Chart (1989)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/9GTxuJZ.jpg|title=The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – 1989|publisher=ARIA, via Imgur.com|access-date=January 7, 2020}}

| style="text-align:center;"|87

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|58|chartid=6684|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}

scope="row"|New Zealand (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1989-12-31|title=Top Selling Singles of 1989|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=April 28, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710045627/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=3878|archive-date=July 10, 2015}}

| style="text-align:center;"|18

scope="row"|United States (Billboard Hot 100){{cite magazine |date=December 23, 1989 |title=1989 The Year in Music: Top Pop Singles |page=Y-22 |magazine=Billboard |volume=101 |issue=51 }}{{cite web|url=https://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1989|title=Longbored Surfer - 1989|website=Longboredsurfer.com|access-date=April 24, 2021}}

| style="text-align:center;"|3

=All-time charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Chart (1958–2018) ! Position
scope="row"\|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100-60th-anniversary\|title=Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=December 10, 2018}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|261

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

Chart (1958–2018)

! Position

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100-60th-anniversary|title=Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 10, 2018}}

| style="text-align:center;"|261

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Poison|title=Every Rose Has Its Thorn|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1988|certyear=2024|source=radioscope|access-date=28 January 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Poison|title=Every Rose Has Its Thorn|award=Silver|relyear=2014|certyear=2021|id=17301-697-1|access-date=June 11, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Poison|title=Every Rose Has Its Thorn|award=Gold|relyear=1988|certyear=1989|access-date=August 21, 2020}}

Cover versions

On May 26, 2010 Bret Michaels performed a more up-tempo country and blues version of the song featuring guest vocals by Casey James on the season finale of the ninth season for the singing competition tv series American Idol. The performance was released as a music video on American Idol's official YouTube channel.{{cite news | url=https://people.com/tv/video-bret-michaels-rocks-gently-on-american-idol/ | title=VIDEO: Bret Michaels Rocks (Gently) on American Idol | newspaper=People }}{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/ailing-bret-michaels-performs-on-idol-finale-958021/ | title=Ailing Bret Michaels Performs on 'Idol' finale | magazine=Billboard }}
American recording artist Miley Cyrus recorded a version of the song for her 2010 album Can't Be Tamed.{{cite web | url=https://www.mtv.com/news/1627962/miley-cyrus-covers-poisons-every-rose-has-its-thorn/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813003140/http://www.mtv.com/news/1627962/miley-cyrus-covers-poisons-every-rose-has-its-thorn/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 13, 2014 | title=Miley Cyrus Covers Poison's 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' | website=MTV }}
In 2013, composer Bret Michaels recorded a duet with the country music singer Loretta Lynn. It can be found on his album Jammin' with Friends.{{cn|date=April 2025}}