Kickstart My Heart
1989 single by Mötley Crüe
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"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]
| "Kickstart My Heart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Mötley Crüe | ||||
| from the album Dr. Feelgood | ||||
| B-side | "She Goes Down" | |||
| Released | November 20, 1989 | |||
| Genre | Glam metal[1][2][3][4] | |||
| Length | 4:48 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter | Nikki Sixx | |||
| Producer | Bob Rock | |||
| Mötley Crüe singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music videos | ||||
| "Kickstart My Heart" on YouTube | ||||
Background
Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx wrote "Kickstart My Heart" on acoustic guitar during the Dr. Feelgood sessions. When the group's former manager read the lyric, he encouraged a reluctant Sixx to share it with the band and the track came together quickly.[6]
The song's title refers an incident where a paramedic was said to have injected Sixx's heart with adrenaline to revive him after a drug overdose. Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler claimed the incident involved no injection, instead consisting of him dragging Sixx into a cold shower before paramedics arrived and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.[7]
Personnel
Personnel taken from Dr. Feelgood CD booklet.[8]
Mötley Crüe
- Vince Neil – lead and backing vocals
- Mick Mars – guitars
- Nikki Sixx – bass
- Tommy Lee – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Mark LeFrance – backing vocals
- David Steele – backing vocals
- Emi Canyn – backing vocals
- Donna McDaniel – backing vocals
Charts
| Chart (1989–1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[9] | 34 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] | 51 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] | 31 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 27 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[13] | 18 |
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales[14] | 15 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[15] | 6 |
| UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[16] | 17 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[17] | 9 |
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[18] | 3 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[19] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[20] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Spain (Promusicae)[21] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[22] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||