Released on May 3, 1993, “In These Arms” marked the third single from Bon Jovi’s fifth studio album, “Keep the Faith”. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and David Bryan, and produced by Bob Rock, the song represents the band’s early-’90s reinvention — a shift from their arena-rock dominance of the ’80s toward a more mature, emotionally charged sound. The track became one of the standout hits from the album, reaching No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 14 on the Top 40/Mainstream chart, and achieving strong international success, peaking at No. 9 in the U.K., No. 7 in the Netherlands, and Top 10 in Australia, Portugal, and Canada.
At its heart, “In These Arms” is a declaration of enduring love and devotion — a plea to hold on to what truly matters. It combines the urgency of Bon Jovi’s rock roots with a soulful, almost gospel-like conviction. Driven by a pulsing bassline, jangling guitars, and tight, punchy drumming, the track balances power and vulnerability. Jon Bon Jovi delivers one of his most impassioned vocal performances, his voice cutting through with both strength and longing.
While often mistaken for a ballad, the song maintains an upbeat pop-rock energy more akin to “Born to Be My Baby” than to the softer anthems of the band’s earlier years. Keyboardist David Bryan, who co-wrote the song, later recorded his own version for his 1994 solo album “On a Full Moon, infusing it with a more introspective tone.
The music video captures Bon Jovi’s onstage charisma and the energy of their Keep the Faith Tour. It combines live performance footage from their New Year’s Eve concert at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on December 31, 1992, with additional scenes shot at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin in March 1993. The same Bethlehem concert footage had also appeared in the video for “Bed of Roses.”
BELINDA CARLISLE - I GET WEAK
Released: January 1988
Charts: UK: #10 US: #2
Released in January 1988 as the second single from “Heaven on Earth”, Belinda Carlisle’s “I Get Weak” captured the intoxicating vulnerability that comes with falling hopelessly in love. Written by Diane Warren and produced by Rick Nowels, the song followed the global success of “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” and became another major hit—peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 4 in Canada, and No. 10 in the United Kingdom.
At its heart, “I Get Weak” is about surrender—about the dizzying loss of composure that love can bring. Carlisle’s warm, emotive voice gives life to Warren’s lyrics of infatuation and helpless desire: a woman so captivated by someone that she literally loses her balance when he looks her way.
Hit songwriter Diane Warren originally penned the track with Stevie Nicks in mind, but producer Rick Nowels—who had worked extensively with both Nicks and Carlisle—felt that it was a better fit for Belinda. His instinct proved right. Carlisle’s combination of strength and vulnerability brought emotional depth to Warren’s melodic hooks, transforming the song into one of her defining performances.
Warren, who became one of the most prolific hitmakers of the modern era, was at a creative peak during this time. Her catalogue already included and would go on to feature timeless anthems such as “If I Could Turn Back Time” (Cher), “When I See You Smile” (Bad English), and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Aerosmith). Following the monumental success of “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” expectations were high, and “I Get Weak” did not disappoint.
The music video, was directed by actress Diane Keaton—who had also helmed “Heaven Is a Place on Earth”. Shot in a mixture of black-and-white and color, it portrayed Carlisle in moments of passion and reflection, often mixed within the same frame. Her on-screen love interest was Tony Ward, a model and actor who would appear in Madonna’s “Justify My Love” and “Cherish” videos.
GO-GO’S - HOW MUCH MORE
Released: May 9, 1980
Album: Beauty And the Beat
Written by Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin, “How Much More” marked one of the earliest songwriting collaborations between the two Go-Go’s guitarists and helped define the melodic punk-pop sound that would carry the band to stardom. The track appeared on their groundbreaking 1981 debut album, “Beauty and the Beat”, though its origins date back to the Go-Go’s early club days, when their sound leaned more toward raw punk energy. The Go-Go’s first recorded the song in early 1980, releasing it through Stiff Records as the B side of the first edition of “We Got the Beat” in the UK.
Wiedlin recalled that the original version of the song “was faster, but I wouldn’t say it sounded a ton different.” She added, “I don’t even remember who we wrote it about, but I’m sure at the time it was very heart-rending.” The song later found new life decades later when it was included in the soundtrack of the Broadway musical “Head Over Heels”, which featured the Go-Go’s catalog reimagined for the stage.
According to Belinda Carlisle “How Much More” was written in early 1980 during an especially fertile creative period for Caffey and Wiedlin, when the pair also wrote future Go-Go’s staples like “We Got the Beat” and “Lust to Love.”
Caffey recalled that she started the song and Wiedlin helped her finish it shortly after joining the band. “Originally,” she explained, “the song was more pop, but we still couldn’t play very well, so we kind of created a new sound: melodic but raw.” Bringing a pop-oriented song to a punk group, however, felt risky. “I brought in a song called ‘How Much More.’ I was really scared because it’s super pop and it’s about a relationship,” Caffey admitted. “I thought, ‘Well, I’m either going to get fired from the band, or maybe they’ll really like it!’ Jane immediately jumped on board and helped me finish it.”
Fortunately, the band loved the track. Carlisle recalled that she loved the song the first time she heard it, but that it truly came alive once producer Paul Wexler recorded it for their debut album.
The song’s bright hooks and breathless pace capture the Go-Go’s unique blend of vulnerability and attitude—a yearning love song wrapped in punk exuberance. Carlisle has noted that the chorus line “How much more can I take before I go crazy?” seemed to resonate on multiple levels. “One reviewer said how we fell perfectly into sync when we played ‘How Much More’ and chanted that line,” she reflected. “It could have been a mantra for the band as well as for each of us individually—especially me.” The Go-Go’s continued performing “How Much More” in their reunion concerts during the 2000s.
BELINDA CARLISLE – LEAVE A LIGHT ON
Publicada: 25 de setembre de 1989
Llistes: Regne Unit: #4 · Estats Units: #11
Publicada el setembre de 1989, “Leave a Light On” va ser el single principal del tercer àlbum d’estudi de Belinda Carlisle, “Runaway Horses.” Escrita pels col·laboradors habituals Rick Nowels i Ellen Shipley, i produïda pel mateix Nowels, la cançó es va convertir en una de les peces més emblemàtiques de Carlisle a finals dels anys vuitanta: un himne pop-rock intens i emotiu, que combinava l’energia radiofònica amb un toc de melancolia al fons.
Amb un solo de guitarra slide de George Harrison, la cançó uneix el pop lluminós de Califòrnia amb una calidesa espiritual. La participació de Harrison li va donar al tema un prestigi especial; més tard es va saber que havia acceptat tocar-hi simplement perquè admirava la veu de Carlisle. En una carta a Nowels, Harrison va escriure en to de broma que “esperava que [Belinda] hagués gaudit del seu solo de guitarra, perquè s’havia fet una butllofa tocant-lo.”
A la primera escolta, “Leave a Light On” sona com una cançó d’amor optimista, però el seu significat és molt més profund. La lletrista Ellen Shipley la va descriure com una reflexió sobre el creixement personal i la independència emocional. “Tracta de dues persones que s’estimen, però una d’elles necessita marxar per trobar-se a si mateixa”, va explicar. “Ella li demana que deixi un llum encès —que l’esperi—, però és una petició difícil. Sempre hi ha el dubte de si ell encara hi serà quan torni.”
Shipley va afegir que la cançó reflectia la seva pròpia filosofia sobre l’amor i la identitat: “Si estàs en una relació i alguna cosa no funciona, normalment té a veure amb el fet de trobar-te a tu mateix primer. Només pots tenir una relació sana quan hi entres com una persona completa i autèntica.”
El videoclip, dirigit per Peter Care, es va rodar al desert de Las Vegas. Carlisle, que hi apareix caminant sola per paisatges oberts i infinits, encarna tant la llibertat com la distància emocional —una dona en un viatge per redescobrir-se.
“Leave a Light On” va continuar la fructífera col·laboració entre Nowels i Shipley, que ja havien coescrit els èxits mundials de Carlisle “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” “Circle in the Sand,” i “(We Want) The Same Thing.” La cançó es va convertir en l’últim gran èxit internacional de Carlisle i en un moment clau de la seva carrera. També va marcar la fi d’una etapa: al cap d’un any, The Go-Go’s es reuniren per primera vegada, reconnectant-la amb les seves arrels punk, d’on havia sorgit la seva polida carrera en solitari.
BELINDA CARLISLE - LEAVE A LIGHT ON
Released: September 25, 1989
Charts: UK: #4 US: #11
Released on September 1989, “Leave a Light On” was the lead single from Belinda Carlisle’s third studio album, “Runaway Horses”. Written by longtime collaborators Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley and produced by Nowels, the track became one of Carlisle’s signature songs of the late 1980s—a soaring, emotional pop-rock anthem that balanced radio-friendly brightness with an undercurrent of melancholy.
Featuring a slide guitar solo by George Harrison, the song bridged glossy California pop with a touch of spiritual warmth. Harrison’s contribution lent the track a rare prestige; it would later emerge that he had agreed to play on it simply because he admired Carlisle’s voice. In a letter to Nowels, Harrison jokingly wrote that he “hoped [Belinda] liked his guitar work because he got a blister playing it.”
At first listen, “Leave a Light On” sounds like an uplifting love song, but its meaning runs deeper. Lyricist Ellen Shipley described it as a meditation on personal growth and emotional independence. “It’s about people who love each other, but one of them needs to leave to find themselves,” she explained. “She asks him to ‘leave a light on’—to wait for her—but it’s a lot to ask. There’s always the doubt that he’ll be there when she returns.”
Shipley added that the song reflected her own philosophy on love and identity: “If you’re in a relationship and something feels wrong, it usually has to do with finding yourself first. You can only be in a healthy relationship when you come into it as a full, authentic person.”
The music video, directed by Peter Care, was filmed in the Las Vegas desert. Carlisle, seen wandering alone through vast, open landscapes, embodies both freedom and emotional distance—a woman on a journey to rediscover herself.
“Leave a Light On” continued the creative partnership between Nowels and Shipley, who had previously co-written Carlisle’s global hits “Heaven Is a Place on Earth”, “Circle in the Sand,” and (“We Want) The Same Thing.” “Leave a Light On” became Carlisle’s last major international hit and a poignant milestone in her career. It also marked the end of a chapter: within a year, The Go-Go’s would reunite for the first of many comebacks, reconnecting her to the punk roots from which her polished solo career had sprung.
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IRON MAIDEN – THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
Publicada: 26 d’abril de 1982
Classificació a les llistes: Regne Unit: #3
“The Number of the Beast” és una cançó d’Iron Maiden, publicada el 1982 com el segon single del seu tercer àlbum d’estudi, també titulat “The Number of the Beast”. Escrita pel baixista i fundador de la banda, Steve Harris, la peça continua sent una de les més icòniques i controvertides del grup —una fusió atronadora de potència metàl·lica, imatgeria bíblica i desafiament teatral que va consolidar la reputació d’Iron Maiden com una de les forces més provocadores del gènere. La cançó va arribar al número 18 de les llistes britàniques i més tard va assolir el número 3 quan va ser reeditada el 1990 i el 2005.
L’era de “The Number of the Beast” va estar envoltada de rumors sobre fenòmens sobrenaturals durant les sessions de gravació —llums que parpellejaven, sorolls estranys i suposades visions demoníaques—, cosa que només va amplificar el pànic moral que envoltava la banda. En el moment del seu llançament, la cançó va provocar indignació entre grups religiosos dels Estats Units, que van acusar Iron Maiden de promoure el satanisme. Harris sempre ha insistit que la peça no estava inspirada en cap culte al dimoni, sinó en un malson que havia tingut després de veure la pel·lícula de terror “Damien: Omen II” (1978). “Bàsicament, aquesta cançó tracta d’un somni”, va explicar. “No tracta sobre l’adoració del dimoni.”
Durant la gira “Beast on the Road”, protestants cremaven discos d’Iron Maiden fora dels recintes, brandant creus. Dickinson, fidel al seu esperit provocador, va adreçar-se al públic durant un concert de 1982 a Nova York: “A tota la gent que posa els discos al revés i crema àlbums al carrer —que es fiquin el cap pel cul. No ens interessa.”
La cançó comença amb un passatge parlat esgarrifós, adaptat del Llibre de l’Apocalipsi (13:18) —el famós vers que identifica el “666” com el nombre de la bèstia. La banda volia que el llegendari actor de terror Vincent Price fes la narració, però el seu cachet era massa alt. En lloc seu, la cita va ser interpretada per un actor anònim, establint un dels intros més reconeixibles del heavy metal.
“The Number of the Beast” mostra el poderós debut de Bruce Dickinson com a nou vocalista d’Iron Maiden, després de la marxa de Paul Di’Anno. L’ampli rang operístic i la veu teatral de Dickinson van transformar el so del grup, ajudant a impulsar l’àlbum fins al número 1 al Regne Unit i a obtenir discos de platí als EUA. El crit climàtic abans del primer vers —un esclat espontani de frustració durant la gravació— es va convertir en llegendari, capturant a la perfecció la tensió i la fúria de la peça.
La caràtula del single, creada per Derek Riggs, mostra Eddie, la mascota esquelètica del grup, brandant el cap decapitat del dimoni —una continuació de la narrativa iniciada a l’artwork de “Run to the Hills”. La signatura oculta de Riggs, un símbol críptic que incorpora les seves inicials, es pot veure amagada al costat del turmell del dimoni.
IRON MAIDEN - THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
Released: April 26, 1982
Charts: UK: #3
“The Number of the Beast” is a song by Iron Maiden, released in 1982 as the second single from their landmark third studio album of the same name. Written by bassist and band founder Steve Harris, the track remains one of the band’s most iconic and controversial works — a thunderous fusion of metal power, biblical imagery, and theatrical defiance that positioned Iron Maiden’s reputation as one of the genre’s most provocative forces. The song reached No. 18 on the UK Singles Chart and later climbing to No. 3 when reissued in 1990 and 2005.
Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast era was plagued by rumors of supernatural disturbances during recording sessions — flickering lights, strange noises, and alleged demonic visions — which only amplified the moral panic surrounding the band. Upon its release, the song sparked outrage among religious groups in the United States, who accused the band of promoting Satanism. Harris has always maintained that the song was inspired not by devil worship, but by a nightmare he had after watching the 1978 horror film Damien: Omen II. “Basically, this song is about a dream,” he explained. “It’s not about devil worship.”
During their “Beast on the Road” world tour, protesters burned Iron Maiden albums outside venues, waving crosses. Dickinson, never one to shy away from controversy, addressed the crowd during a 1982 show in New York: “To all the people who play records backwards and burn albums in the streets — they can go stick their heads up their arses. We’re not interested.”
The track opens with a chilling spoken passage adapted from the Book of Revelation (13:18) — the infamous verse that identifies “666” as the number of the beast. The band originally wanted horror legend Vincent Price to record the narration, but his fee proved too high. Instead, the quote was delivered by an anonymous actor, setting the stage for one of the most recognizable intros in metal.
“The Number of the Beast” showcases Bruce Dickinson’s powerful debut as Iron Maiden’s new frontman, following the departure of Paul Di’Anno. Dickinson’s operatic range and theatrical delivery transformed the band’s sound, helping push the Number of the Beast album to No. 1 in the UK and Platinum status in the US. His climactic scream before the first verse — a spontaneous outburst of frustration during recording — became legendary, perfectly capturing the song’s tension and fury.
The single’s cover art, created by Derek Riggs, depicts Iron Maiden’s skeletal mascot Eddie triumphantly holding the decapitated head of the devil — a continuation of the narrative begun in the artwork for “Run to the Hills.” Riggs’ signature, a cryptic symbol incorporating his initials, can be found hidden beside the devil’s ankle.
