HEART - ALONE

Released: May 15, 1987

Charted:  US: #1 (3 weeks)  UK: #3 

"Alone" is a song originally composed by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who recorded it under the name i-Ten. Heart covered the song on their 1987 album Bad Animals, and their version achieved widespread success, reaching number one in both the US and Canada. Heart's rendition of the song is characterized by its powerful ballad style, featuring a piano-driven introduction and a subdued vocal delivery by Ann Wilson, leading into a synth-driven hard rock chorus. Tom Kelly, one of the song's coauthors and an experienced session singer, provided the high harmony vocals on the recording.

In "Alone," Heart lead singer Ann Wilson expresses her intense emotions for a guy, contemplating how to reveal her feelings to him. Alone in her dark room, she grapples with the daunting prospect of sharing her secret. The lyrics convey her internal struggle as she ponders how to convey her desire to be alone with him.

Billy Steinberg shared the backstory of "Alone," revealing that it was written before some of his other hits but released later. Alongside Tom Kelly, he formed the duo i-Ten and recorded an album under that name. Despite the album's lackluster reception, "Alone" stood out as a notable track. Steinberg expressed dissatisfaction with the recording process, which colored his perception of the album. 

Steinberg recounted how "Alone" resurfaced when Tom Kelly suggested it to Heart for a power ballad. Initially hesitant due to past experiences, Steinberg revised the chorus lyrics and melody, breathing new life into the song. Ron Nevison, Heart's producer at the time, embraced the revamped version, leading to its inclusion on their album. Steinberg and Kelly then met the Wilson sisters during the recording process, with Kelly providing high harmony vocals on the track.

Directed by Marty Callner, known for his work with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi, the music video for "Alone" predominantly features performance footage, interspersed with a subplot featuring Ann Wilson on a balcony wearing a black veil. The video played a significant role in Heart's resurgence, receiving airplay on both MTV and VH1, the latter of which launched in 1985.

"Alone" enjoyed significant chart success, spending three weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in July 1987. It ranked No. 2 on the Billboard Year-End Top Pop Singles of 1987. Notably, it became Heart's most successful single in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart in June. Remarkably, it remains the band's only song to peak inside the UK Top 5. Internationally, the song was a global hit, reaching No. 1 in Canada and the top five in Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland. It also achieved top ten positions in Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands, as well as landing in the top twenty in West Germany. An unplugged rendition of the song was later featured on Heart's 1995 album “The Road Home”.