You can't resent it. Not publically, at least.
I'm talking to you, Jani Lane. You ought to be thankful for "Cherry Pie." There were not other songs on that album that were somehow crowded out by its success. Songs that, had there been no "Cherry Pie", would have somehow blown up huge. Nope No how no way. The success of "Cherry Pie" didn't distract or detract in the slightest from the success of any other material you ever came up with, on that album or after. If anything, a great big dumb hit like that will serve as a springboard for deeper and deeper album cuts to penetrate the consciousness of the rock and roll nation.
But only if the quality is there. Only if the rest of the album has the tracks to back it up. Look at Hysteria and "Pour Some Sugar On Me." That song was so dumb, they held it back until the 4th single, as if ashamed (or maybe they were just showing uncommon restraint and sagacity, secure in the knowledge of a sure thing? Doubtful!). But after it was finally released, and had been instantly and universally acclaimed as the Greatest Song Ever Written In English, all of the previous singles burned right back up the charts and great album tracks like "Rocket" (which never would have seen the light of day otherwise) were foisted off as singles to meet the insatiable demand for that sharp n' hard yet luscious Def Leppard sound. To this day I still don't understand why "Love and Affection" got no a-side 45 love (or in that day and age, "cassingle love" I suppose). It would have done bonkers in that climate.
"Cherry Pie" was just another attempt at a song in that quick-and-simple lunkheaded pop-a-rocka PSSoM mode. Everybody (including Def Leppard, playing catch-up with themselves) was trying to come out with another one of those - something big, dumb, catchy, preferably with some kind of "Hey!" or "Whoa!" involved. It's harmless, nothing to be ashamed of. It certainly didn't hurt your career.
Anyone who has a great big dumb hit and really...nothing else too special besides...well, they ought to at least feel grateful for the great big dumb hit that they did have. But for you, Mr. Lane, there really is no excuse. You had at least two other decent hits to hang your hat on. It really seems petty of you to resent your blue-ribbon prize-winning pie just because it's cringingly hokey in retrospect (as it was in pre-spect and during-spect, one suspects). Trashing the song that hit biggest isn't going to cue any critical reevaluation of the songs that couldn't cut it!
Yes, yes, I understand that the song is not what you want to be remembered for. I sympathize. I could be a frustrated artist myself at heart, for all I know. And I agree with you that the song itself was and is spectacularly craptastic. But you know what? "Down Boys" was not better by any appreciable order of magnitude.
Success, to be sweet, must be seasoned with humility. At least a pinch.
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