"Edge of a Broken Heart" is a power ballad[3] by the American glam metal band Vixen, that was released as a single in 1988. It was written by Richard Marx, who was also on keyboards, and Fee Waybill.[4] The song peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, and although the band had another top 40 hit on that chart, "Cryin'", they are often cited as a one-hit wonder, with this song "being their one hit".[5][6] According to Marx's memoir Stories to Tell, Michael Landau, not the band's Jan Kuehnemund, played lead guitar on this song.[7]
| "Edge of a Broken Heart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Vixen | ||||
| from the album Vixen | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Recorded | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Glam metal[1][2] | |||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Manhattan (US), EMI (UK) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Richard Marx, Fee Waybill | |||
| Producer(s) | Richard Marx | |||
| Vixen singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video
editThe song's video received heavy rotation on MTV.[8] Richard Marx, a popular soft rock artist and co-writer/producer of this song, has a cameo in the video.[9]
Legacy
editIn 2018, Vixen released a new acoustic version of the song on their Live Fire album.[10]
Charts
edit| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Billboard Hot 100[11] | 26 |
| Mainstream Rock[12] | 24 | |
| UK Singles Chart[13] | 51 | |
| 1989 | UK Singles Chart[13] | 59 |
References
edit- ^ "Cue the Guitar Solos, Here Are Ten Hott [sic] Hair Metal Love Ballads for Valentine's Day". Vice.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Richard Marx & Trivium's Matt Heafy Have Turned "Right Here Waiting" into a Triumphant Metal Rager: Listen". June 10, 2021.
- ^ "Heavy Metal Love - Various Artists", AllMusic, retrieved May 31, 2021
- ^ Beaujour, Tom; Bienstock, Richard; Eddy, Chuck; Fischer, Reed; Grow, Kory; Johnston, Maura; Weingarten, Christopher R. (August 31, 2019). "50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Ali, Rahsheeda (May 2, 2013). "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s". VH1 News. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "8 '80s One-Hit Wonders You Need To Listen To Now". WDHA FM. January 26, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Marx, Richard (July 2021). Stories To Tell. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781982169435.
- ^ McPadden, Mike (March 3, 2015). "The 10 Greatest Heavy Metal Front-Women". VH1 News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Vixen Is On The Edge Of A Broken Heart". GRAMMY.com. December 2, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "VIXEN Releases New Acoustic Version Of 'Edge Of A Broken Heart' From 'Live Fire' Album". Blabbermouth. June 14, 2018. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Vixen - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Vixen - Mainstream rock". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 389. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.