Poison

Band

Photo: Osvaldo Loiacono · CC BY-SA 3.0
Active 1983-2012, 2017-2023
Origin Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Albums 7
Tracks 90
Most frequent collaborator Richie Zito · 15 tracks
Genres Glam MetalHard RockHeavy Metal
Artist
82%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 74 of 90 tracks

Does Poison write its own songs?

Yes, and always together. Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett appear on 74 of the 90 album tracks in this catalogue, always with whoever is playing lead guitar. No member has a solo writing credit on any album track.

By the Numbers

7
Studio Albums
90
Tracks Credited
82%
Self-Written
over 65 million
Records Sold
29
Years Active
38
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 74 / 90 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 90 tracks: how many Poison wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Poison has a writing credit82%
82%
18%
Sole author74tracks82%
Co-written0tracks0%
Outside writers16tracks18%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Poison's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 90 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)82%
Composer (music)82%
Producer0%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 90 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Bret Michaels 1983-2012, 2017-2023
82%
82%
0%
0%
C.C. DeVille 1985-1991, 1996-2012, 2017-2023
50%
50%
0%
0%
Bobby Dall 1983-2012, 2017-2023
82%
82%
0%
0%
Rikki Rockett 1983-2012, 2017-2023
82%
82%
0%
0%
Matt Smith 1983-1985
0%
0%
0%
0%
Richie Kotzen 1991-1993
17%
17%
0%
0%
Blues Saraceno 1993-1996
16%
16%
0%
0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Poison's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 82%
100%
90%
100%
100%
93%
92%
0%
1986Look What the Cat Dragged In
1988Open Up and Say... Ahh!
1990Flesh & Blood
1993Native Tongue
2000Crack a Smile... and More!
2002Hollyweird
2007Poison'd!
Early · 97% written
Mid · 95% written
Late · 0% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

95%
1980s
Look What the Cat Dragged In, Open Up and Say... Ahh!
100%
1990s
Flesh & Blood, Native Tongue
63%
2000s
Crack a Smile... and More!, Hollyweird +1 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Poison sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Poison
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Whitney Houston5%
Selena13%
Ricky Martin25%
New Kids on the Block38%
Cyndi Lauper60%
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts73%
Motley Crue95%
82%Poison
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Talk Dirty to Me
Look What the Cat Dragged In
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
I Won't Forget You
Look What the Cat Dragged In
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
I Want Action
Look What the Cat Dragged In
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Open Up and Say... Ahh!
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
Nothin' But a Good Time
Open Up and Say... Ahh!
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
Your Mama Don't Dance
Open Up and Say... Ahh!
Written by Kenny Loggins, Jim Messina
Outside writers
Fallen Angel
Open Up and Say... Ahh!
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
Unskinny Bop
Flesh & Blood
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
Something to Believe In
Flesh & Blood
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
Life Goes On
Flesh & Blood
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
Ride the Wind
Flesh & Blood
Written by Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Bret Michael Sychak, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream
Wrote it
Stand
Native Tongue
Written by Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, Richie Kotzen, Bret Michael Sychak, Robert Harry Kuykendall, Richard Allan Ream, Richard Dale Kotzen Jr.
Wrote it

Discography 7 albums

All seven studio albums. The live records, the compilations and the box sets sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Poison90 tracks
RZ15Richie Zito, 15 tracks JP15John Purdell, 15 tracks DB15Duane Baron, 15 tracks BF14Bruce Fairbairn, 14 tracks TP13Thom Panunzio, 13 tracks RB11Ric Browde, 11 tracks TW11Tom Werman, 11 tracks DW9Don Was, 9 tracks KL2Kenny Loggins, 2 tracks JM2Jim Messina, 2 tracks JW2Jai Winding, 2 tracks BP2Billy Powell, 2 tracks on Lynyrd Skynyrd's page PT2Pete Townshend, 2 tracks SS1Shel Silverstein, 1 track NC1Nicky Chinn, 1 track MC1Mike Chapman, 1 track DB1David Bowie, 1 track DR1David Robert Jones, 1 track AC1Alice Cooper, 1 track DW1Dick Wagner, 1 track TP1Tom Petty, 1 track TC1Toy Caldwell, 1 track WP1Wally Palmar, 1 track MS1Mike Skill, 1 track JM1Jimmy Marinos, 1 track J1Jagger-Richards, 1 track RO1Ric Ocasek, 1 track RT1Richard Theodore Otcasek, 1 track PS1Paul Stanley, 1 track on Kiss's page GS1Gene Simmons, 1 track on Kiss's page RR1Rick Rubin, 1 track JC1Jim Croce, 1 track JJ1James Joseph Croce, 1 track DB1Don Brewer, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. RZ Richie Zito · JP John Purdell · DB Duane Baron · BF Bruce Fairbairn · TP Thom Panunzio · RB Ric Browde

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Whoever holds the lead guitar seat gets the fourth share. C.C. DeVille has 45 tracks, Richie Kotzen 15 on Native Tongue, Blues Saraceno 14 on Crack a Smile, and none of them ever writes alone. The exception is Poison'd!, thirteen covers with no band credit anywhere on it.

Quick Facts

  • The three constantsMichaels, Dall and Rockett on 74 of the 90 tracks
  • The rotating seatDeVille 45 tracks, Kotzen 15, Saraceno 14
  • Nobody writes aloneNo solo credit on any album track
  • Number one"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" topped the Hot 100
  • SalesOver 65 million records and DVDs worldwide
  • The covers recordPoison'd! has no band writing credit at all

Creative Fingerprint

Three constants and a rotating fourth: whoever plays lead guitar joins the credit, and nobody on this band writes alone.

The Story

Poison splits the writing four ways every time, and three of the four names never change. Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett are on 74 of the 90 album tracks.

Frequently Asked Questions Poison

Does Poison write its own songs?
Yes, and always together. Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett appear on 74 of the 90 album tracks in this catalogue, always with whoever is playing lead guitar. No member has a solo writing credit on any album track.
Who wrote "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"?
Michaels, Dall, Rockett and C.C. DeVille, the same four-way credit the rest of the album carries. It is the band's only Hot 100 number one.
Who wrote "Talk Dirty to Me"?
The same four. It reached number 9 on the Hot 100 and was the first single to break them.
What happens when the guitarist changes?
The new one joins the credit. Richie Kotzen wrote all fifteen tracks on Native Tongue with the other three, and Blues Saraceno fourteen on Crack a Smile.
How many albums did they release?
Seven studio albums between 1986 and 2007. The live records and compilations sit outside this catalogue.
Why does Poison'd! have no band credits?
It is a covers album. All thirteen tracks belong to other writers, from Pete Townshend and David Bowie to Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina.
How well did they sell?
Over 65 million records and DVDs worldwide. Open Up and Say... Ahh! was certified 5x platinum in the US and Look What the Cat Dragged In 3x platinum.
Which album sold best?
Flesh & Blood, their third consecutive multi-platinum record.
Which songs were not written by the band?
"Your Mama Don't Dance" on Open Up and Say... Ahh!, "Cover of the Rolling Stone" on Crack a Smile, "Squeeze Box" on Hollyweird, and everything on Poison'd!.
Are they still active?
The band ran from 1983 to 2012 and again from 2017 to 2023.

Sources

Wikipedia: Poison Wikipedia: Poison discography Wikipedia: Bret Michaels Wikipedia: C.C. DeVille Wikipedia: Rikki Rockett Wikipedia: Richie Kotzen Discogs: Bobby Dall