On this day in 1988: Def Leppard went to #1 on The Billboard Hot 100 with “Love Bites.” It is Def Leppard’s only #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 to date.

When Robert John “Mutt” Lange originally brought the song to the band’s attention, it was a country ballad, which the band thought sounded like nothing they had done before. The band then added power rock elements and emotive backing vocals similar to those used in R&B ballads at the time. The title “Love Bites” was originally used for a very different song that was eventually re-titled “I Wanna Be Your Hero”, and which appeared as a Hysteria B-side and later on the album Retro Active.

Following the huge momentum generated by “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, the song was released in August 1988 and peaked atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for one week in October 1988. The song also reached #11 in the United Kingdom, #2 in New Zealand, #3 in Canada, and #7 in Ireland.

Here’s the complete Top 20 on the U.S. Singles Chart from this day back in 1988:

1 2 LOVE BITES –•– Def Leppard – 9 (1)
2 5 RED RED WINE –•– UB40 – 24 (2)
3 1 DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY –•– Bobby McFerrin – 11 (1)
4 6 DON’T BE CRUEL –•– Cheap Trick – 11 (4)
5 4 ONE GOOD WOMAN –•– Peter Cetera – 12 (4)
6 14 GROOVY KIND OF LOVE –•– Phil Collins – 6 (6)
7 3 I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU –•– Taylor Dayne – 18 (3)
8 8 I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU –•– Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – 16 (8)
9 10 WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND (PURE ENERGY) –•Information Society – 13 (9)
10 12 PLEASE DON’T GO GIRL –•– New Kids On The Block – 16 (10)

11 15 DON’T BE CRUEL –•– Bobby Brown – 12 (11)
12 16 FALLEN ANGEL –•– Poison – 11 (12)
13 18 DON’T YOU KNOW WHAT THE NIGHT CAN DO Steve Winwood – 8 (13)
14 21 FOREVER YOUNG –•– Rod Stewart – 10 (14)
15 20 TRUE LOVE –•– Glenn Frey – 8 (15)
16 7 SWEET CHILD O’ MINE –•– Guns N’ Roses – 16 (1)
17 11 IF IT ISN’T LOVE –•– New Edition – 15 (7)
18 26 NEVER TEAR US APART –•– INXS – 9 (18)
19 28 THE LOCO-MOTION –•– Kylie Minoque – 7 (19)
20 27 WILD, WILD WEST –•– The Escape Club – 8 (20)