History Music / Poison

** Also somewhat exaggerated in certain areas. Bret was seen by some fans in a backstage area with a needle and people assumed he was injecting morphine or heroin. Turns out Bret has Type 1 Diabetes and frequently injects insulin during C.C. Deville's guitar solo every concert.

* ContemptibleCover: Their first album, ''Look What the Cat Dragged In'', featured the band in make up so heavy they ended up looking like somewhat masculine women. ''Open Up and Say... Ahh!'' was better, but its picture of a creepy-looking demon girl was eventually censored (in this version, only her eyes are shown) to avoid provoking too much hostility.

For many listeners, Poison is the group that embodies the late eighties glam scene. They were famed for their hard-partying lifestyle, their seemingly endless bickering with one another and their ability to [[CriticalDissonance fill arenas and stadiums and sell millions of records even though most music critics aren't terribly keen on them]].

Still a popular live draw, like several other hair bands, they enjoyed something of a renaissance once {{Grunge}} died out.

For many listeners, Poison is the group that embodies the late eighties glam scene (and less charitably, it's often cited by folks who aren't so keen on hair bands as one of the reasons why the style sucks balls). They were famed for their hard-partying lifestyle, their seemingly endless bickering with one another and their ability to [[CriticalDissonance fill arenas and stadiums and sell millions of records even though music critics (and most metal fans) aren't terribly keen on them]].

Still a popular live draw, they enjoyed something of a renaissance later in their career.

!!Tropes:

* YourCheatingHeart: Banging Rikki Rockett's fiancée was what got Richie Kotzen thrown out of the band.

** They also covered {{Music/KISS}}' "Rock N Roll All Nite" on the ''Film/LessThanZero'' soundtrack album.

* DriveInTheater: "Talk Dirty To Me"

* YourCheatingHeart: Banging Rikki Rockett's fiance was what got Richie Kotzen thrown out of the band.

For many listeners, Poison is the group that embodies the late eighties glam scene (and less charitably, it's often cited by folks who aren't so keen on hair bands as one the reasons why the style sucks balls). They were famed for their hard-partying lifestyle, their seemingly endless bickering with one another and their ability to [[CriticalDissonance fill arenas and stadiums and sell millions of records even though music critics (and most metal fans) aren't terribly keen on them]].

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Their excessive tendencies were the stuff of legend in their heyday.
** This is also HEAVILY exaggerated. People make assumptions. One time Bret was seen by some fans in a backstage area with a needle. So of course everyone thought it was morphine or heroin. It wasn't. It was insulin. Bret has type 1 diabetes.

* WereStillRelevantDammit: The title track from ''Power to the People'' was basically Poison trying to appeal to Music/KidRock / Music/LimpBizkit fans.

--> ''Just like a lost soul\\
caught up in the Hollywood scene\\
All the parties and limousines\\
Such a good actress hiding all her pain\\
Trading her memories for fortune and fame\\
Just a step away from the edge of a fall\\
Caught between heaven and hell\\
Where's the girl I knew a year ago''\\

Their greatest success was the album ''Open Up and Say... Ahh!'', which included the number one hit "[[PowerBallad Every Rose Has Its Thorn]]" and peaked at number two on the Billboard charts, held off the top spot by either ''Music/AppetiteForDestruction'', ''[[BonJovi New Jersey]]'' and ''[[DefLeppard Hysteria]]''. While their next album (''Flesh and Blood'') did pretty well, they were eventually undermined by the rise of {{Alternative Rock}}, intra-band tensions and unsuccessful attempts to adjust their style to changing trends within rock music.

I just like my fun every now and then.

Their greatest success was the album ''Open Up and Say... Ahh!'', which included the number one hit "[[PowerBallad Every Rose Has Its Thorn]]" and peaked at number two on the Billboard charts, held off the top spot by either ''Music/AppetiteForDestruction'', ''[[BonJovi New Jersey]]'' and ''[[DefLeppard Hysteria]]''. While their next album (''Flesh and Blood'') did pretty well, they were eventually undermined by the rise of {{Grunge}}, intra-band tensions and unsuccessful attempts to adjust their style to changing trends within rock music.

* LongRunnerLineUp: First lineup, but second time around. Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, and C.C. [[=DeVille=]] lasted only 8 years the first time around (before C.C. was kicked out after a major fight), but they buried the hatchet and C.C. returned 5 years later, and the lineup has remained stable ever since.

* LongRunnerLineUp: First lineup, but second time around. Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, and C.C. DeVille lasted only 8 years the first time around (before C.C. was kicked out after a major fight), but they buried the hatchet and C.C. returned 5 years later, and the lineup has remained stable ever since.

--->"It's like heads they win/Tails you're gonna lose"