"Poison" is a song by American musician Alice Cooper. Written by Cooper, producer Desmond Child and guitarist John McCurry, the song was released as a single in July 1989 from Cooper's 18th album, Trash. It became one of Cooper's biggest hit singles in the United States, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song performed better in the United Kingdom, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart.

"Poison" was ranked by Billboard as the 91st-most-successful song of 1989, while Ultimate Classic Rock ranked it as the "7th best Alice Cooper song", commenting "Poison sounds like a typical '80s pop-metal number at times, but Cooper’s intensity brings it to a whole other level." The song's main riff was written by guitarist John McCurry, who two years earlier had used it for the John Waite track "Encircled".

Music video There are two versions of the video to the song, one of which shows Alice Cooper being chained to a bizarre mechanism and singing while a ghostly woman looms over him. The original video had to be censored for showings during the day, due to shots of a topless model. Rana Kennedy plays the roles of both women in the video but the topless scene were shot with a body double. This is notably visible in the video.

Personnel Alice Cooper – lead and backing vocals John McCurry – lead and rhythm guitar Hugh McDonald – bass guitar, backing vocals Bobby Chouinard – drums Alan St. James – keyboards

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1989)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)9Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)7

Year-end charts Chart (1989)PositionAustralia (ARIA)18Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)67Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)94Netherlands (Single Top 100)61New Zealand (RIANZ)43UK Singles (OCC)40US Billboard Hot 10091

Certifications

Cover versions The Vandals, 1993 Groove Coverage, 2003 Husky Rescue, 2007 Tarja, 2007 Baracuda, 2008 (sampled in "Where Is The Love", alongside Amaranth by Nightwish) Alex Day, 2013 Powerwolf, 2023 Exit Eden, 2024 (Femmes Fatales)

Film and media usage

Tango & Cash, 1989 The Jackal, 1997 End of Days, 1999 Mean Creek, 2004 Pineapple Express, 2008 A modified version of the song was featured in a February 2011 television ad campaign for the Volkswagen Passat. Spartacus Vengeance, 2012

References