Mötley Crüe is and always has been the hardest partying rock ‘n’ roll band of all time. So much so, that their talent often gets overlooked, as their hijinks and debauchery seemingly always steal away the spotlight. Although, when those partying antics are forgotten, all you are left with is a hard-core band that was and is pretty good a their craft. Specifically, lead singer, Vince Neil.
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All the group’s members certainly added to Mötley Crüe’s success, however, arguably the most memorable part of the band’s music is Vince Neil’s high-flying vocals. That being so, here are three Neil performances that helped define Mötley Crüe’s sweeping success.
“Home Sweet Home”
Released in 1985, “Home Sweet Home” is one of the group’s more intimate songs. Written by Neil, Nikki Sixx, and Tommy Lee, the single rivals all the other gluttonous party songs that the band is known for. With that in mind, Neil’s voice takes on a far more vulnerable tone than what fans are used to. Needless to say, Neil’s performance is why this song remains a favorite in Mötley Crüe’s catalog.
Upon its release, the song peaked at No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite the fact that the single did not outperform the majority of their other popular songs, it is still a stand-alone classic. Though, regardless, the song portrays a different side of Mötley Crüe, and it’s partially thanks to Vince Neil.
“Live Wire”
Hailing on their debut album, Too Fast for Love, “Live Wire” cemented Mötley Crüe as a loud, violent, and intense ’80s rock band. A major contributor to their commercial success and sound was Vince Neil’s ear-piercingly smooth vocals. Frankly, if it wasn’t for Neil, the song would not have lived up to its name.
Following its release in 1981, “Live Wire” did not garner a whole lot of commercial success. Although, the track gave the general public a taste of what was going to come as the band progressed. In essence, Vince Neil and “Live Wire” set up Mötley Crüe for years and years of success.
“Dr. Feelgood”
Mötley Crüe’s “Dr. Feelgood” is undeniably the band’s biggest commercial success of all time. After releasing in 1989, the song peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the group’s first-ever top 10 hit. Furthermore, the song helped the album of the same name chart on the Billboard 200. This became the band’s first-ever album to do so.
Besides Neil’s impeccable vocal performance, the song is a nod to the rest of the band members, as the creation of the album came at a time when all the members were seeking sobriety and rehabilitation. That being so, Vince Neil and Mötley Crüe showed the world that they were above their self-indulgent rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.
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