Modern Rock Tracks No. 1s - The Sisters of Mercy and "More"

The Sisters of Mercy team up with the incomparable Jim Steinman to produce a song that apparently rocked the holiday season 33 years ago

The Sisters of Mercy - “More”

Weeks atop the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart: 5 weeks (December 15, 1990 to January 12, 1991)

Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers during this time:

• Stevie B - “Because I Love You (The Postman Song)” (12/15/90 to 12/29/90, 4 total weeks)

• Madonna - “Justify My Love” (1/5/91 and 1/12/91)

There was a time when you could have told me I’d be writing about Jim Steinman within the context of the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and I wouldn’t have believed you. Of course, I’ve seen some crazy music come through this space over the past year, so at this point if you told me the creative force behind some of the most bombastic, operatic music of the ‘70s and ‘80s played a role in a long-running MRT chart-topper, I’d be more inclined to accept that.

So it goes with this week’s #1, a track that so many alt-rock fans hold near and dear in their memories of Christmases long past (or not), the nearly 9-minute long, Steinman-produced magnum opus from The Sisters of Mercy: “More.”

The music video is a stripped-down version of the album cut, which is 8 minutes and 23 seconds of pure … whatever this is. I’m not sure if it’s a dance track, an homage to the goth stylings of The Cure, an adrenalin-fueled follow-up to Love and Rockets’ “So Alive,” or something completely different. Before I dive into whatever it is, I will talk a little bit about Sisters of Mercy, a band that I did not know existed until the moment I started typing this article.

First, I love that one of the “band members” is a drum machine named “Doktor Avalanche.” I appreciate it because it’s such a unique way to recognize a contributor to the band, given its use in most of the band’s songs. I wonder, too, if the machine is actually a doctor … or doktor … in which case I’d like to know more about their medical school training. Mostly, I appreciate how the band created a biography for this drum machine, calling it the “next President of the United States, and greatest drummer in the world apart from that bloke in Def Leppard.”

Doktor Avalanche definitely sets a mood in “More,” something akin to an industrial-goth sound. But the song itself flourishes due to the guitar and keyboard effects of Andrew Eldritch, the only other person/entity other than Dok Avalanche to be a part of Sisters of Mercy for the band’s entire run. The song starts slow but then builds to an over-the top crescendo, with blazing guitars, blistering keyboard play, a three-part backing vocal group, and wild flourishes of lights and texture and oomph. Which is where Jim Steinman comes into play.

You may not know Jim Steinman by name, but you definitely know Jim Steinman. I owe a lot of my firsthand knowledge of his work to Chris Molanphy’s superlative podcast “Hit Parade,” on which he did a two-part retrospective on the life and career of Steinman and his approach to the theatrics of music. Steinman is the main catalyst behind virtually all of Meatloaf’s success as an artist due to their lifelong collaboration. Steinman also hit the top of the charts with such familiar ‘80s standards as Air Supply’s “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” and Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

And, of course, who could forget Steinman’s work on Bonnie Tyler’s follow-up hit, “Holding Out For A Hero,” featured prominently in the excellent ‘80s classic film “Short Circuit 2.”

Steinman filled a very specific niche in pop music: Taking a pop hit and expanding its reach, making it both theatrically bombastic while incorporating orchestral sounds and voices to make the song larger than life. Considering the music of the early ‘80s ranged from Ronnie Milsap-style country-pop (this was a top-five hit on the Hot 100 in 1981, believe it or not) to new wave to whatever the heck Thomas Dolby was doing, Steinman’s approach to music found a home among the mish-mash of popular songs at the time and succeeded most when the pop charts were at their most fragmented.

While he never managed to get to the same heights in the ‘90s than he did in his ‘70s and ‘80s heyday, Steinman was able to put his unique touch onto this alt-rock track from Sisters of Mercy and, honestly, I think the track is better for it. Steinman’s strengths match the aesthetics Sisters of Mercy became known for, and the flourishes on the chorus of “More” tend to lift the song up from what would otherwise be a long, dour track about wanting more love.

And it’s still a dour song by all accounts, given the lyrics are really a non-stop wailing for more love from someone who’s clearly not getting enough love. Maybe this fits in well at Christmastime for those who don’t have the love and are feeling down about the lack of love, and in that sense it’s really good counter-programming to radio station playlists featuring songs about traditional Christmas love and happiness. Additionally, if one happens to view Christmas as a time for receiving rather than a time for giving, this song is all about wanting more, more, more.

Heck, Eldritch wants the love so bad he’s willing to accept fake versions of it, just to have it:

Learning to cry for fun and profit
I'm not done yet
Counterfeit dollars or the English zloty
Anything I can get

The truth is I like Steinman and I like this track, but it’s not something I’d need to hear on repeat over and over again. Like most of Steinman’s most popular tracks, it definitely fills a niche that’s pleasant to hear on occasion, but similar to your current Christmas music playlists, it’s good in short bursts and then happily put on the shelf for awhile.

“More” topped the MRT chart for five weeks, dominating the Christmas listening cycle for 1990 into 1991. Due to issues with the band’s recording label, the band’s album “Vision Thing,” from which “More” came from, would be the last studio album released under the name Sisters of Mercy. Nevertheless, the band continued with a variety of musicians and artists, and is still performing to this day. Even Doktor Avalanche managed to stay with the band for its entire run, though it occasionally changes itself with upgrades and modern technological enhancements.

It’s a fine song but, honestly, hardly one worth revisiting unless you have a particular interest in doing deeper dives on Steinman or on goth-adjacent synth-drum guitar rock from the turn of the decade. And while I didn’t hate it on first listen, I can’t say it’s a song I need to listen to on the regular, and it seems most ‘90s radio-station producers agree, as I can’t say I’ve ever heard it on a U.S.-based alt-rock channel or playlist.

This was the last of 22 tracks to top the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1990, an absurd number of songs to cycle in and out of the top spot and 15 percent of all the #1 songs for the entire decade. There’s still a lot more to go as I continue this project, but for now we can bid adieu to 1990 and see what the next year holds for the charts.

Rating: 4/10

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Chart Check: A look at other notable MRT chart songs from this time period

U2 and The Sisters of Mercy had a death-grip on Christmas musical counterprogramming in 1990, apparently, both releasing relatively downbeat songs. Thankfully, the likes of Morrissey, The Connells, and Trashcan Sinatras managed to bring some happy vibes and jangly guitars to the airwaves.

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“Night and Day” by U2: Somewhere between “Rattle and Hum” in 1988 and “Achtung Baby” in late 1991, U2 joined several artists participating on an album titled “Red Hot + Blue,” a tribute to legendary songwriter Cole Porter. This cover of a 1932 song from the musical “Gay Divorce” managed to find a home on the charts and peaked at #2 behind “More.”

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“Piccadilly Palare” by Morrissey: The fifth single off Morrissey’s successful album “Bona Drag,” “Piccadilly Palare” takes a softer and decidedly more upbeat approach to alternative music at a time when U2 and Sisters of Mercy presented a less enthusiastic sound. This song peaked at #2 behind “More,” and would be the third single from this album to peak in the top 3 of the MRT charts. Morrissey will eventually get to #1, and this album helped set the stage for his future solo successes.

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“Stone Cold Yesterday” by The Connells: Thank goodness for jangle-pop! The Connells bring some happy vibes to the charts with “Stone Cold Yesterday,” a relic of the late ‘80s alt-rock scene that managed to find an audience in the early ‘90s. This would be The Connells’ highest-charting track, peaking at #3 behind “More.” They’ll grab one more top-10 appearance in this chart before too long.

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“Only Tongue Can Tell” by Trashcan Sinatras: I picked out this track because I love the name of the band, and figured there might be some kind of kitschy musical silliness associated with a song titled “Only Tongue Can Tell.” I’m surprised to say that the track is actually pretty great, and it managed a #8 peak on the MRT charts. They would chart some other top-20 hits on alternative radio, but this single off the band’s first album, “Cake,” would be their high-water mark in America.

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Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!

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