"Ride The Wind" - Was this absolute peak Poison?

[Mister Freeze]

Hear me out.

Poison was riding high on album #3. Had a couple top-5 singles with "Unskinny Bop" and "Something To Believe In"... Then they released the "Ride The Wind" video while on the road.

Huge tour. Huge video. But I think this is the moment they started to roll down the other side of the peak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juhBVAnLkHk

It all maxed out here.

[aznsquirt]

I agree

[Domino]

yep

[Rocker4Real]

Coming out with Stand as the opening single for their next album didn't help them return with a bang.

[FreddyFender]

Ride the Wind and Wont Forget You are two Poison songs I don't think I've ever let play all the way through. Pass.

[DonJuanDeMarco]

It all maxed out here.

According to Wiki, they had 8 top 40 singles before this.

Then this song and next single Life Goes On BARELY cracked the top 40 but they did. MTV played the videos a lot. Not as much as the others, but quite a bit.

So that's 10 top 40 singles in 3 records! My God...no wonder the band and Bret can still tour nonstop. So many bands out there continue with only 1 or 2 top 40 hits!

You're right though. That was it as far as their initial success. No other hits. So Tell Me Why didn't chart. Stand was only #50 and that was mostly because diehards bought the record. I personally love it but it did not perform well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_discography

[SchenkerFan]

One of my favourite Poison songs. Flesh and Blood is their most consistent album overall.

[Darrien]

I was a huge Poison fan back in the day and I don't recall this song ever being played on the radio, and I barely remember seeing the video on MTV.

[Love_Industry]

One of my favourite Poison songs. Flesh and Blood is their most consistent album overall.

Agree. Can't believe how huge they must have been in the US.
F&B was their peak in Europe too, Unskinny Bop got quite some rotation on MTV and Every Rose was a hit before that but they never made it bigger than playing 2nd or 3rd at various Monsters of Rock shows, below Whitesnake and Aerosmith.... no wonder they never play here.

[kc primo]

Look What the Cat Dragged In is their best album, they should’ve toured it like Motley did for Feelgoods anniversary
Every song could’ve been a single/video.

[JamesHetfieldsAcneScars]

Garbage like ride the wind, Something to Believe in and Life Goes On is what makes poison hard to stomach. They were trying to be serious.

[MetalSludgeCEO]

"Rock Like A Rocker" was clearly the peak of their music and video career... anyone who thinks otherwise should seek professional help!

Now, let's sit back and watch an amazing musical display that has yet to be seen or heard since...

"Rock Like A Rocker" watch it here > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWEdDokkGVI

$tEvil

[War_in_D]

"Rock Like A Rocker" was clearly the peak of their music and video career... anyone who thinks otherwise should seek professional help!

Now, let's sit back and watch an amazing musical display that has yet to be seen or heard since...

"Rock Like A Rocker" watch it here > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWEdDokkGVI

$tEvil

Your career actually ended up being at a pretty even level as Rock Like a Rocker.

[MetalSludgeCEO]

"Rock Like A Rocker" was clearly the peak of their music and video career... anyone who thinks otherwise should seek professional help!

Now, let's sit back and watch an amazing musical display that has yet to be seen or heard since...

"Rock Like A Rocker" watch it here > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWEdDokkGVI

$tEvil

Your career actually ended up being at a pretty even level as Rock Like a Rocker.

I kind of agree... lol

$tEvil

[dmbrocker]

Nah, I'd say "Something to Believe In" was their last big peak. "Ride the Wind" was just a slight drop, but still a drop nonetheless. Then the real downhill slide began with "Life Goes On".

[Bono Nettencourt]

Garbage like ride the wind, Something to Believe in and Life Goes On is what makes poison hard to stomach. They were trying to be serious.

Yep. F&B was definitely their attempt at becoming a "serious band", Unskinny Bop notwithstanding.

[Mister Freeze]

Nah, I'd say "Something to Believe In" was their last big peak. "Ride the Wind" was just a slight drop, but still a drop nonetheless. Then the real downhill slide began with "Life Goes On".

To clarify what I meant ... "Ride the Wind" was the very last moment of the do-no-wrong period where everything is great, nothing to worry about, this will go on forever, and MTV will play everything we release in heavy rotation.

I think they were totally fine with "Ride the Wind" cracking the top 40 at #38. It was an uptempo single to bridge the gap between two power ballads (like "Piece of Me" for Skid Row). It was for MTV more than radio anyway. "Life Goes On" only getting to #35 was probably the first sign of trouble for them. That one was meant to go top-15.

[Brainy Lane]

I was a huge Poison fan back in the day and I don't recall this song ever being played on the radio, and I barely remember seeing the video on MTV.

I got my first speeding ticket to Ride the Wind! lol Z100 in NY so it wa played at least once!

[dmbrocker]

Nah, I'd say "Something to Believe In" was their last big peak. "Ride the Wind" was just a slight drop, but still a drop nonetheless. Then the real downhill slide began with "Life Goes On".

To clarify what I meant ... "Ride the Wind" was the very last moment of the do-no-wrong period where everything is great, nothing to worry about, this will go on forever, and MTV will play everything we release in heavy rotation.

I think they were totally fine with "Ride the Wind" cracking the top 40 at #38. It was an uptempo single to bridge the gap between two power ballads (like "Piece of Me" for Skid Row). It was for MTV more than radio anyway. "Life Goes On" only getting to #35 was probably the first sign of trouble for them. That one was meant to go top-15.

Good point when you put it that way. "Life Goes On" sounds like something that could have charted higher but didn't because it was largely seen as kind of bland and generic for the time, and in a way it was.

[Wednesday 13 Fan]

Nah, I'd say "Something to Believe In" was their last big peak. "Ride the Wind" was just a slight drop, but still a drop nonetheless. Then the real downhill slide began with "Life Goes On".

To clarify what I meant ... "Ride the Wind" was the very last moment of the do-no-wrong period where everything is great, nothing to worry about, this will go on forever, and MTV will play everything we release in heavy rotation.

I think they were totally fine with "Ride the Wind" cracking the top 40 at #38. It was an uptempo single to bridge the gap between two power ballads (like "Piece of Me" for Skid Row). It was for MTV more than radio anyway. "Life Goes On" only getting to #35 was probably the first sign of trouble for them. That one was meant to go top-15.

Good point when you put it that way. "Life Goes On" sounds like something that could have charted higher but didn't because it was largely seen as kind of bland and generic for the time, and in a way it was.

CC being out by this point didn't help matters.