Pump

The band rehearsed and wrote at Rik Tinory Productions in Cohasset, Massachusetts, in December 1988, producing nineteen songs. Fairbairn, who had also produced Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet, concentrated on hooks, and the aim was a rawer sound than Permanent Vacation. Motley Crue were recording Dr. Feelgood in the same studio, and Tyler and the Margarita Horns contributed to it. Geffen reportedly left the lyrics out of the booklet for fear of protest from the PMRC. A small band called Pump sued over the title and Aerosmith won. Holland-Dozier-Holland threatened a suit over the melody of The Other Side, which was settled with a songwriting credit.

Singles were Love in an Elevator, Janie's Got a Gun, What It Takes and The Other Side. The album reached number five on the Billboard 200 and number four on the 1990 year-end list, sold seven times platinum, and reached number three in the United Kingdom, number two in Canada and number one in Australia. Q called it a high-water mark of glam metal and the year's best metal album. AllMusic gave it four and a half stars, Christgau a B+, and Spin placed it at 279 on its list of the 300 best albums of 30 years.