Official Charts Pop Gem #59: Hole – Celebrity Skin

We're sure Courtney would approve… Hole's hit from 1998 grabs the honour of our rock-themed Pop Gem this week.

Every week, we ask our Twitter buddies and Facebook pals for their Pop Gems, those overlooked classics that used to be all over the radio and in your pop face, but have somehow slipped off the radar.

This week’s theme was songs with a rock element. It didn’t matter whether it was rock, pop, R&B or even Japanese pipe music – as long as there was a serious guitar riff in there, all would be considered.

It seems all of you love a go on your air guitar – if you’ll pardon the expression – and you’re not short of options for background music.

We subjected each track to a mosh test, and these are the 10 that got our heads banging the most.

If you need a refresher, we have very helpfully created a video playlist of all 10 big ones. Grab your weapon and get strumming! (Are you sure about this? – Guitar Ed)

Here's what ended up in the final 10:

After careful consideration, we opted for none other than Courtney Love-fronted band Hole, with Celebrity Skin.

Watch the video for Celebrity Skin before we explain ourselves.

Why it had to be Hole

It’s bolshy, brassy and features the First Lady of hedonistic, loud rock – Courtney Love. While the band’s efforts may have been overshadowed in part by Courtney’s marriage to Nirvana legend Kurt Cobain, Hole have more than enough bangers in the back catalogue to prove their worth.

The song

Celebrity Skin is three minutes of exhilarating, relentless rock, with plenty of hooks on hand to keep you interested.

From the opening “Oh make me overrrrr…” to the closing riff, Celebrity Skin takes no prisoners, except maybe your ears – oh, and your lungs as you try to catch your breath after some serious rocking out.

Celebrity Skin peaked at Number 19 in 1998 and has sold almost 100,000 copies.

Hole’s chart story

Hole have scored four Top 40 hits on the Official Singles Chart – their highest peak was 1995’s equally epic Doll Parts, which reached Number 16. Two albums – Live Through This and Celebrity Skin – have made it into the Top 40, peaking at Numbers 13 and 11 respectively.

Solo, the closest Courtney has made it to the Top 40 is Number 41 on the Official Singles Chart, with 2004’s Mono the tune just missing out.

Watch the video for Courtney’s equally breath-robbing latest track You Know My Name.

Video playlist

Grab your axe and rock out with our Top 10 rifftastic potential rock-tinged Pop Gems.

Pop Gem Hall Of Fame

Today's Pop Gem is the latest in a long line of amazing pop songs that have been inducted into our Pop Gem Hall Of Fame. Take a look at all the tracks who've received the honour so far

Your Pop Gem needs you

Got a Pop Gem of your own? Want to suggest a theme for another week? Find out how you can get involved in the Pop Gem party.