Mötley Crüe Covered The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’ Even Though Nikki Sixx Called the Band ‘Wimpy’
TL;DR:
- Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx discussed his feelings about The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.”
- Sixx compared The Beatles to The Rolling Stones.
- Mötley Crüe’s cover of “Helter Skelter” appeared on a successful album.
Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe called some of The Beatles‘ songs “f****** wimpy.” Subsequently, his band covered The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” Sixx also revealed his opinion of The Rolling Stones.
What Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx thought about Jimmy Dean’s ‘Big Bad John’ and The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’
During a 1986 interview with The Guardian, Sixx discussed his musical upbringing. “I remember, when I was a kid, listening to the radio and hearing ‘Big Bad John’ by Jimmy Dean — and it just blew me away,” Sixx recalled. “I used to sit there and call the radio stations and request that song.”
Subsequently, Sixx revealed his feelings about the Fab Four. “And then The Beatles were obviously out already, but I really didn’t know about The Beatles,” he remembered. “I remember I ran across some Beatles tapes — f****** wimpy. Except I kept listening to ‘Helter Skelter,’ I remember that one, which we covered on our album [Shout at the Devil].” Sixx revealed The White Album was one of his favorite albums.
What Nikki Sixx thought about The Rolling Stones
Sixx had a more positive reaction to The Rolling Stones. “Then I found The Rolling Stones, and I says, ‘This is getting better’ — and it just kept getting better, y’know?” he recalled. “Gettin’ heavier. And I always liked that more punchy stuff.”
Sixx returned to discussing “Big Bad John.” “But it all started with that one song that had that big, baritone voice,” Sixx remembered. “Y’know, it sounded big! It sounded rough. I always liked that. You can’t say why you like it, you just do.”
How The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’ and Mötley Crüe’s version of it performed on the charts in the United States
“Helter Skelter” was never a single, so it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The song appeared on The White Album, which topped the Billboard 200 for nine weeks. It remained on the chart for a total of 215 weeks, becoming one of the Fab Four’s most popular records.
Mötley Crüe’s version of “Helter Skelter” did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 either. The track’s parent album, Shout at the Devil, was far more popular. It reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 111 weeks. None of the band’s other albums lasted as long on the Billboard 200. It became one of the defining hair metal albums.
Sixx wasn’t the biggest fan of the Fab Four — but he proved the band’s influence stretched into the 1980s.
