Cry Tough (song)

"Cry Tough" is the debut single by the American glam metal band Poison. It was featured on the group's first album Look What the Cat Dragged In.^[3]

"Cry Tough"
Single by Poison
from the album Look What the Cat Dragged In
B-side	"Look What the Cat Dragged In"
Released	August 5, 1986
Recorded	1986
Genre	Glam metal[1][2]
Length	3:38
Label	Enigma/Capitol Records
Songwriter(s)	Bret Michaels Bobby Dall Rikki Rockett C.C. DeVille
Producer(s)	Ric Browde
Poison singles chronology
"Cry Tough" (1986) "Talk Dirty to Me" (1987)
Music videos
"Cry Tough" on YouTube

Background

"Cry Tough" was released as a single in 1986 on Capitol Records' Enigma label. It is about believing in yourself to make your dreams come true.

The B-side is the title track "Look What The Cat Dragged In".

The song failed to chart in the US but charted at number 97 on the UK Singles Chart.^[4]

Critical reception

Upon the single release John Aizlewood left warm review for Number One on 29 August 1986. He considered that "Poison put the groove in groovy", song has "an impossible sound to ignore" and "it would be nice to see them chartbound".^[5]

Music video

The song's video was placed on New York Times list of the 15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos.^[6]

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)[7]	97

References

1. "Top 50 Glam Metal Albums". Metal Rules. Archived from the original on November 26, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
2. Breihan, Tom (August 11, 2021). "The Number Ones: New Kids On The Block's "Hangin' Tough". Stereogum. Retrieved December 1, 2023. Lyrically, "Hangin' Tough" and "Cry Tough" have the same basic, vague message...but Poison presented that image through the medium of knowingly trashy glam metal.
3. "Allmusic Poison Cry Tough".
4. "Poison Official Charts Company".
5. Aizlewood, John (29 August 1986). "Singles: Poison – "Cry Tough" (Music for Nations)". Number One. No. 219. London: IPC Magazines Ltd. p. 50. ISSN 0266-5328. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via Flickr.
6. Edwards, Gavin (2020-05-05). "15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2024.