"Cherry Pie," Warrant

Hair metal was many things, but subtle it was not – it was sex, drugs, and pounds of makeup cranked up to 11.  The music videos were a mere tribute to the lifestyle hair metal bands were living as the then-kings of the music industry in the late 80s and (very) early 90s. 

Rewatching Warrant’s “Cherry Pie,” one of the era’s most popular anthems, is like digging up a time capsule from a long-forgotten era – one that was all about partying, looking good, and scoring with as many chicks as possible.  If you were looking for deep, philosophical lyrics, or complex chord structures, you weren’t going to find it here.

The video “Cherry Pie” was criticized for its overt sexuality and sexist tone. Even today, there’s no doubting what all the imagery surrounding the band and model Bobbie Brown is all about. The overall style recalls Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and Aerosmith’s raunchier tunes in the 1980s, a similarity that is more than just a coincidence.  Lead singer Jani Lane reportedly wrote the song at the request of Warrant’s record label, who wanted a hit single in the style of “Dude Looks Like A Lady” for their second album.  Lane wrote “Cherry Pie” in response and crafted the lyrics on a pizza box in just 15 minutes. 

Though Warrant had other hits both before and after “Cherry Pie,” the song became their most recognized tune.  Lane himself expressed a love-hate relationship with “Cherry Pie” in interviews, as it brought Warrant great commercial success but much critical disdain.

Warrant never had the chance to prove itself after "Cherry Pie," as its popularity quickly plummeted just a year later as grunge began to take over the airwaves.  The band nonetheless continued on and still performs today.  Lane would split with the band several times and left Warrant for good in 2008.   

On August 11, Lane was found dead in a hotel room in California.  He was 47 years old. 


For more hair metal, check out our throwbacks on Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" and Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."