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Nothin' But a Good Time

{{About|the 1988 Poison single|other uses of the saying|Nothing but a good time (disambiguation){{!}}Nothing but a good time}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Nothin' But a Good Time

| cover = Nothinbutagoodtime.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Poison

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

| B-side = Look But You Cant Touch
Livin' For The Minute (UK 1989 re-release)

| released = April 6, 1988

| format =

| recorded = 1987

| studio = Conway (Hollywood, California)

| genre = Glam metal{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-10-greatest-hair-metal-songs-11547/10-poison-nothing-but-a-good-time-232661/|title=Readers' Poll: The 10 Greatest Hair Metal Songs|date=February 5, 2014|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=March 2, 2019}}{{Cite web|author=Sleazegrinder|date=December 4, 2015|title=The 20 Best Hair Metal Anthems Of All Time Ever|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-best-20-hair-metal-anthems-of-all-time-ever|access-date=March 3, 2021|website=loudersound|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=The Ultimate Hair Metal Party Playlist|url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/the-ultimate-hair-metal-party-playlist/|access-date=2021-03-04|website=Kerrang!|date=5 April 2018 }}{{Citation |title=Poison's 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' Turns 30: Bret Michaels Reflects on the 'Therapeutic' Smash|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8479565/poison-every-rose-has-its-thorn-anniversary-bret-michaels|access-date=2021-05-30|magazine=Billboard|language=en|quote=the adrenalized pop-metal anthems “Nothin’ But a Good Time” and “Fallen Angel”}}

| length = 3:43

| label = {{hlist|Enigma|Capitol}}

| writer = {{hlist|Bret Michaels|Bobby Dall|Rikki Rockett|C.C. DeVille}}

| producer = Tom Werman

| prev_title = Rock and Roll All Nite

| prev_year = 1987

| next_title = Fallen Angel

| next_year = 1988

| misc = {{External music video

| type = single

| header = Music videos

| 1 = {{YouTube|_88L-CU7PD4|"Nothin' But a Good Time"}}

}}

}}

"Nothin' But a Good Time" (also known as "Nothing But a Good Time") the first single from the hard rock/glam metal group Poison's second studio album Open Up and Say... Ahh!, with the band releasing that album in May 1988. B-sides "Livin' for the Minute" and "Look But You Can't Touch" were included in the single's release.

The song was released as a single in 1988 on Enigma Records and reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #19 on the Mainstream rock charts.{{cite web|url = {{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5162/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}|title = Allmusic (Poison charts and awards) Billboard singles}} It also charted at number 10 on the Australian charts and number 35 on the UK Singles chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/|title=Poison The Official Charts Company|website=Official Charts }}

Music video

The music video features a restaurant employee, played by the same actor who appeared in the video for Mötley Crüe's "You're All I Need", washing dishes while listening to Poison's 1987 cover of the Kiss hit single "Rock and Roll All Nite" (recorded for the Less than Zero soundtrack). The manager enters, turns off the radio, and scathingly chastises the employee that he is being paid "to wash dishes, not to listen to that... that rock 'n' roll," and accusing him of "moving in two speeds: slow, and stop." After threatening to fire the employee if he didn’t hurry up, the manager exits, whereupon the employee turns the radio back on, then he abandons the dishes and kicks open a nearby door to reveal a concert hall stage, upon which the band then performs the song. When the song is over, the manager returns, discovering, to his surprise, that all the dishes are washed. It was played in heavy rotation on MTV in 1987.

Reception and legacy

"Nothin' But a Good Time" is widely regarded as one of Poison's best songs. In 2017, Billboard and OC Weekly ranked the song number nine and number four, respectively, on their lists of the ten greatest Poison tracks.{{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}} Music critic Steve Huey of Allmusic has also stated that "Nothin' But a Good Time" became one of the bands "most widely recognized signature songs" as well as that parent album Open Up and Say... Ahh! wound up having "solidified the group's status as hair metal's top party band."{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/open-up-and-sayahh!-mw0000195785|title=Open Up and Say... Ahh!|first=Steve|last=Huey|website=AllMusic|accessdate=December 4, 2022}}

TV appearances

A 2007 Xbox commercial featured a cover version by a school choir. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcTqpSBoFbk]

"Nothin' But a Good Time" was performed by Poison, with the cast of Rock of Ages, at the 63rd Tony Awards on June 7, 2009. After the performance, as the band made their way backstage, a piece of the stage scenery collapsed on Bret Michaels.

It appears in a 2017 TV commercial for Nissan's Heisman House and ESPN, featuring Eddie George and other Heisman Trophy winners.

It also appears in a 2022 Direct Line television advert featuring Tessa Thompson in character as Valkyrie (Marvel Comics).{{cite web |title=King Valkyrie's Time Off {{!}} Direct Line |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4hdDcNeS0 |website=Youtube |language=en}}

Albums

"Nothin' But a Good Time" is on the following albums:

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

! scope="col"| Chart (1988–1989)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|10|artist=Poison|song=Nothin' But a Good Time|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|26|chartid=8696|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|UK|35|date=19880508|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|6|artist=Poison|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|19|artist=Poison|access-date=June 6, 2024|rowheader=true}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

! scope="col"| Chart (1988)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-50-singles-1988.htm|title=ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Singles 1988|publisher=ARIA Charts|work=Kent Music Report|access-date=August 22, 2020}}

| style="text-align:center;"|49

scope="row"|United States (Billboard Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1988/BB-1988-12-24.pdf#page=80|date=December 24, 1988|title=1988 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles|page=Y-20|magazine=Billboard|volume=100|issue=52}}{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1988|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1988|access-date=October 3, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|98

{{col-end}}

Cover versions

Reel Big Fish covered the song on their 2009 album Fame, Fortune and Fornication.

The song was used in the movie The Rocker where it was covered by the fictional band A.D.D. The actual recording was mostly done by Chad Fischer with Teddy Geiger singing lead vocals. This version was released on the film's soundtrack album.

Adam Brand and the Outlaws covered the song on the 2016 album Adam Brand and the Outlaws.

Appearances in other media

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Poison}}

{{Bret Michaels}}

Category:1988 singles

Category:1988 songs

Category:Enigma Records singles

Category:Songs written by Bobby Dall

Category:Songs written by Bret Michaels

Category:Songs written by C.C. DeVille

Category:Songs written by Rikki Rockett

Category:Poison (American band) songs

Category:Randy Travis songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Tom Werman