More Than Words
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "More than Words" | ||
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| Song by Extreme | ||
| from the album Extreme II: Pornograffiti | ||
| Released | August 7, 1990 | |
| Recorded | Early 1990 | |
| Genre | Power Ballad | |
| Length | 5:33 | |
| Label | A&M Records | |
| Producer(s) | Michael Wagener | |
"More Than Words" is a song originally performed by the rock band Extreme. A power ballad built around intricate acoustic guitar work by Nuno Bettencourt and the vocals of Gary Cherone, it was released in 1990 on the album Extreme II: Pornograffiti. The song was a departure from the funk metal that had permeated the band's style previous to its release. On March 23, 1991, "More Than Words" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 81 and soon after reached the number one. Though they had made a few European charts before, this brought the band to their first mainstream success in the United States. Extreme followed "More Than Words" with another power ballad, "Hole-Hearted," which was slightly faster paced than "More Than Words," but nevertheless topped at number 4 in the United States.
Even years after the mainstream success, "More Than Words" has retained popularity as a romantic ballad. Its lyrics have led it to be used at dances and even at weddings. Because of this, several artists have remade the song, leading "More Than Words" on its way to become a romantic classic. Cover versions of "More Than Words" include:
- Westlife in 1999, on their first album, Westlife
- Walters & Kazha in 2005, as a live performance
- Frankie J in 2005, as a single
The video for "More Than Words" was parodied by Weird Al Yankovic for his original song, "You Don't Love Me Anymore."
| Preceded by "I Don't Wanna Cry" by Mariah Carey |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single June 8, 1991 |
Succeeded by "Rush Rush" by Paula Abdul |
