Standing by your beliefs

In the fall of 1990, the metal band Warrant was on the verge of releasing their new album “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” when Jani Lane, the band’s lead singer and primary songwriter, got a call. It was a record executive at Sony who told Lane that the album needed a power ballad (i.e. a sentimental love song) in order to increase its chance of commercial success. At the time, releasing a power ballad was an easy way for a metal band to boost their sales and reach a wider audience, even if it didn’t fit their sound.

Lane knew this, and despite his reservations, agreed to play along. Over the course of a few hours he wrote the single “Cherry Pie” which became Warrant’s most popular song ever, eventually reaching number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Years later Lane recalled the experience of writing “Cherry Pie” in an interview for VH1:

I hate that song. I had no intention of writing that song. The record was done. The record was called “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” And Donny Ienner [Sony executive] called up and said, ‘I don’t hear the single.’So, that night I wrote “Cherry Pie.” Sent it to him. He looked at it over the weekend and all of a sudden the album’s called “Cherry Pie,” the record’s called “Cherry Pie,” I’m doing cherry pie eating contests … and my legacy is “Cherry Pie.” Everything about me is “Cherry Pie.” I’m “Cherry Pie” guy. I could shoot myself in the f***ing head for writing that song.

Lane would eventually drink himself to death in a hotel room.

The sad story of Jani Lane and “Cherry Pie” highlights the downsides of chasing commercial success at the expense of your beliefs and dignity. Unfortunately, with the rise of social media and algorithmically-controlled dopamine, this problem only seems to be getting worse.

Source: Reject the Algorithm, Nick Maggiulli

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