Thirty-First Anniversary of Some “Youth Gone Wild”

It was on this date, January 24, in 1989 that four troublesome punks from New Jersey and one punk from Canada(Sebastian Bach, Dave "The Snake" Sabo, Scotti Hill, Rachel Bolan, and Rob Affuso)collectively known as Skid Row, released their self-titled debut.

Many debut releases feature the sound of a band trying to find their feet, but Skid Row featured a band that arrived with their look, personality and sound pretty much intact(although follow-up Slave to the Grind and future releases would feature a harder, louder and more raw-edged sound).

Skid Row's tight musicianship and honest songwriting almost guaranteed Top 40 hits. And hits there were. The first single, "Youth Gone Wild" was a huge hit on Rock stations while the second and third singles were major Top 40 hits. "18 and Life" made it to #4 on the Billboard chart and "I Remember You" made it as high as #6.

Hit songs, videos in heavy rotation on MTV, plus high-profile tours with Bon Jovi, Guns n' Roses and Aerosmith, helped to make Skid Row one of the biggest bands in the world, if only for a brief, shining moment. Happy Anniversary to Bas and the boys!