Hanging on a Heart Attack


"Hanging on a Heart Attack" is a song by American pop rock band Device, released in 1986 as the lead single from their only studio album 22B3. The song was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman, and was produced by Chapman. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Brian Grant and produced by Frank Hilton for MGMM Productions. It achieved heavy rotation on MTV and peaked at number 10 on the Cash Box Top 30 Music Videos chart.

Critical reception

Upon its release, Cash Box praised Knight as a "songwriter par excellence" and considered "Hanging on a Heart Attack" to be a "tough and eery rocker that has immediate appeal". The reviewer added that the "strong production and vocals from Paul Engemann highlight this latest Knight gem". Nancy Erlich of Billboard noted that the song's "heavy duty dance beat and snippets of weirdness should please both mainstream and alternative rock crowds". Gavin Report wrote, "Device is meticulously constructed from the ground up – right down to the odd guitar lick and a well timed key change. Straddling the line between Album Radio and Top Forty, a record like pretty much defines the 80s modus operandi of airplay rock." Pan-European magazine Music & Media picked the song as one of their "sure hits" in their issue of 16 August 1986 and noted its "melodic and powerful pop chording".

Track listing

7–inch single
  1. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 4:02
  2. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 5:58
7–inch single
  1. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 4:02
  2. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 5:58
12–inch single
  1. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 7:21
  2. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 6:37
  3. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 4:24
12–inch single
  1. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 7:21
  2. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 6:37
  3. "Hanging on a Heart Attack" – 5:58

Personnel

Device
Production
Other