When Extreme set out to release their iconic 1991 song, “More Than Words,” little did they know they were about to land a major hit. The tune, at the time, was a far cry from the kind of music other rock bands were putting out, and the material was a departure from the Boston rock group’s other songs, many of which featured a funk metal sound.
Written by Extreme’s Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, and appearing on the band’s second album, Extreme II: Pornograffitti, “More Than Words” is a romantically-charged acoustic ballad about a man’s request to receive a different form of affection from his significant other rather than just hearing the words “I love you.”
The stunning harmony and stripped-back acoustic feel of the track is what ultimately sets it apart from other songs that were released around the same time, as well as in the years prior, as many hair bands had already released power ballads that featured explosive guitar solos and an anthemic chorus.
Due to the song structure and the confusion over Extreme’s stylistic variety, their label, A&M Records, was hesitant to release “More Than Words” as a single, and even believed the tune wasn’t strong enough to be a hit.
“It’s such a simple song, really,” Bettencourt acknowledged in an interview, according to American Songwriter, which sourced the Music Aficionado website. “It doesn’t have the standard verse-chorus-bridge arrangement. It doesn’t have that part in typical ballads where you go, ‘OK, everybody get ready for the big hook.’ It kind of meanders….”
“We were told by management and the label that it wasn’t a hit,” he confirmed, “....There was no home for a song like this ... .rock bands were doing power ballads – huge cannon drums and massive choruses. Two guys singing harmonies with an acoustic, it was like, ‘What is that? Is it Adult Contemporary?’ The last time you heard that was in the ’70s with James Taylor.”
Despite its unconventional structure, Bettencourt went to bat for the song’s release. So much so that he revealed he “threatened to stop touring and quit the band” if it didn’t get cut. Luckily, the band’s label agreed to market-test “More Than Words,” and Extreme went on to achieve global superstardom.
Released on March 12, 1991, “More Than Words” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 8 of that same year. The track also became a No. 1 hit in Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Belgium.
Not bad for a song that, according to Bettencourt, was written within an hour.
Recalling how he came up with the melody for the track, he explained: “I put it down on my little micro-cassette and sang along to it, and then I started singing the harmony part. Within an hour, I had the whole song. I put it on a four-track and bounced it down really quickly, and then I went to Gary’s place. He was crashed out, so I slipped the cassette under his bedroom door and said, ‘Check this out.’ He listened to it and started working on the lyrics. We wrapped it up right away.”
Related: 1987 Rock Classic, Written in a Single Day, Became a Timeless Road Trip Anthem, Despite Never Reaching No. 1
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