Under Lock and Key is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Dokken, released on November 22, 1985, through Elektra Records.[7] The album reached No. 32 on the U.S. Billboard 200[8] and remained on that chart for 67 weeks.[9] Two singles also charted: "The Hunter" and "In My Dreams", both reaching No. 25 and 24 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock respectively, with "In My Dreams" at No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100.[10] Under Lock and Key was certified Gold on March 4, 1986, and Platinum on April 14, 1987.[7]

Under Lock and Key
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 22, 1985 (1985-11-22)
Studio
GenreGlam metal[1][2][3]
Length42:25
LabelElektra
ProducerNeil Kernon, Michael Wagener
Dokken chronology
Tooth and Nail
(1984)
Under Lock and Key
(1985)
Back for the Attack
(1987)
Singles from Under Lock and Key
  1. "The Hunter"
    Released: December 10, 1985[4]
  2. "In My Dreams"
    Released: February 25, 1986[5]
  3. "It's Not Love"
    Released: June 1986[6]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [8]
The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal6/10[11]

The album received mostly positive reviews. Eduardo Rivadavia in his review for AllMusic calls Under Lock and Key "quite possibly Dokken's most 'complete' album, with a little something for every type of fan", like "fist-pumping headbangers", extraordinary "bittersweet mid-paced rockers" ("Unchain the Night" and "The Hunter") and "saccharine ballads". Rivadavia recommends the album as the best introduction to new listeners of Dokken, but notes that heavy metal purists would likely prefer the band's 1984 album Tooth and Nail.[8]

Canadian journalist Martin Popoff considers the album "too weighted towards Def Leppard's fat-and-open formula rock", resulting "a bit subdued and predictable" in comparison with its predecessor. The band's glamorous look, the media exposure and George Lynch's "attempt to define the L.A. sound in his own image" do not save Under Lock and Key from sounding "like the work of a band just fed".[11]

Track listing

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All credits adapted from the original LP.

All tracks are written by Dokken

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Unchain the Night"5:19
2."The Hunter"4:07
3."In My Dreams"4:20
4."Slippin' Away"3:48
5."Lightnin' Strikes Again"3:48
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."It's Not Love"5:01
7."Jaded Heart"4:16
8."Don't Lie to Me"3:37
9."Will the Sun Rise"4:10
10."Til the Livin' End"3:59
Total length:42:25

Personnel

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All credits adapted from the original LP.

Dokken

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Additional musicians

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Production

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Charts

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Chart (1985-1986) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[12] 95
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[13] 56
US Billboard 200[14] 32

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[15] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

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Publication Country Accolade Rank
Rolling Stone US 50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time[1] 21
Metal Rules Top 50 Glam Metal Albums[2] 11

Unchain the Night

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Unchain the Night
 
Video by
Released27 October 1986 (1986-10-27)
Genre
Length44:30[16]
LabelElektra/Asylum Records
Dokken video albums chronology
Unchain the Night
(1986)
One Live Night
(1995)

The music videos produced for the singles from the three Dokken albums were featured on a longform videocassette release, Unchain the Night, by Elektra/Asylum Records through Elektra Entertainment.[17] That video debuted on Billboard's Top Music Video—Longform chart at No. 11 in January 1987, peaking at No. 5 that May.[18] The video collection was certified Gold in April 1987, and Platinum the following April.[7]

In 2007 the collection was re-released in DVD by Rhino Home Video through Warner Music Vision, debuting on the Billboard Comprehensive Music Videos chart at No. 27.[19]

VHS track listing

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  1. "Into The Fire"
  2. "Just Got Lucky"
  3. "Breaking The Chains"
  4. "Alone Again"
  5. "The Hunter"
  6. "In My Dreams"
  7. "It's Not Love"

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[20] Platinum 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. August 31, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "METAL RULES". November 26, 2017. Archived from the original on November 26, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  3. ^ Popoff, Martin (2014). The big book of hair metal: the illustrated oral history of heavy metal's debauched decade. Minneapolis, MN. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-7603-4546-7. OCLC 858901054.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ "Dokken singles".
  5. ^ "Dokken — In My Dreams". Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  6. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 230. ISBN 9780862415419.
  7. ^ a b c "RIAA Searchable Database: search for Dokken". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c "Under Lock and Key Billboard Albums". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  9. ^ "Dokken – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  10. ^ "Under Lock and Key Billboard Singles". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  11. ^ a b The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. November 1, 2005. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0621". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  13. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  14. ^ "Dokken - Chart history - Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  15. ^ "American album certifications – Dokken – Under Lock and Key". Recording Industry Association of America.
  16. ^ "Unchain the Night - Dokken | Release Info". AllMusic.
  17. ^ "Unchain the Night - Dokken | Release Info". AllMusic. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  18. ^ "Unknown". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2023.[dead link]
  19. ^ "Unknown". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2023.[dead link]
  20. ^ "American video certifications – Dokken – Unchain the Night". Recording Industry Association of America.
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