It Hit Me Like a Hammer

"It Hit Me Like a Hammer"
Single by Huey Lewis and the News
from the album Hard at Play
B-side	"Do You Love Me, or What?"
Released	1991
Length	4:01
Label	EMI USA
Songwriter(s)	Robert John "Mutt" Lange Huey Lewis
Producer(s)	Bill Schnee Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News singles chronology
"Couple Days Off" (1991) "It Hit Me Like a Hammer" (1991) "He Don't Know" (1991)

"It Hit Me Like a Hammer" is a song by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released in 1991 by EMI USA as the second single from their sixth album, Hard at Play (1991). The song was co-written by band leader Huey Lewis and songwriter/producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange. ^[1] The song peaked at No. 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their final top-40 hit in the US, and No. 9 on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. The single release contains a remix of the song with a saxophone solo that did not appear on the album.

Track listings

• 7-inch and cassette single ^{[2] [3]}

A. "It Hit Me Like a Hammer" – 4:01

B. "Do You Love Me, or What?" – 3:46

• 12-inch and CD single ^{[4] [5]}

1. "It Hit Me Like a Hammer" (remix sax solo version) – 4:02
2. "It Hit Me Like a Hammer" – 4:01
3. "Do You Love Me, or What?" – 3:46

• Japanese mini-album ^[6]

1. "It Hit Me Like a Hammer" (single remix)
2. "It Hit Me Like a Hammer" (album version)
3. "Do You Love Me, or What?"

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1991) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [7] 106 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [8] 9 Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [9] 8 Europe (European Hit Radio) [10] 7 Germany (GfK) [11] 51 Spain (Top 40 Radio) [12] 12 US Billboard Hot 100 [13] 21 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [14] 10

Year-end charts Chart (1991) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM) [15] 77 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) [16] 70 Europe (European Hit Radio) [17] 66

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	1991	Cassette	EMI USA
Australia	August 12, 1991	7-inch vinyl CD cassette		[18]
Japan	September 20, 1991	Mini-CD		[19]

References

1. Hard at Play (Media notes). Huey Lewis and the News. EMI Records. 1991. 93355.
2. It Hit Me Like a Hammer (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Huey Lewis and the News. EMI USA. 1991. 006 20 4402 7.
3. It Hit Me Like a Hammer (US cassette single sleeve). Huey Lewis and the News. EMI USA. 1991. 4KM-50364.
4. It Hit Me Like a Hammer (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Huey Lewis and the News. Chrysalis Records. 1991. HUEYX14, 3237496.
5. It Hit Me Like a Hammer (UK CD single liner notes). Huey Lewis and the News. Chrysalis Records. 1991. HUEYCD 14, 3237492.
6. It Hit Me Like a Hammer (Japanese mini-album liner notes). Huey Lewis and the News. EMI USA. 1991. TODP-2321.
7. "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing August 26, 1991" . Retrieved August 27, 2022.
8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1630." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
9. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1613." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
10. "EHR Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 8, no. 35. 31 August 1991. p. 31. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
11. "Huey Lewis and the News – It Hit Me Like a Hammer" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
12. Fernando Salaverri (September 2013). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2012 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
13. "Huey Lewis the News Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
14. "Huey Lewis the News Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
15. "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM . Retrieved November 23, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.
16. "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved April 29, 2020– via Library and Archives Canada.
17. "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
18. "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 12/08/91: Singles". The ARIA Report . No. 81. August 11, 1991. p. 19.
19. "ヒット・ミー・ライク・ア・ハマー | ヒューイ・ルイス&ザ・ニュース" [Hit Me Like a Hammer | Huey Lewis & the News] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved January 26, 2024.