A blonde bombshell cartwheeling across the hood of a Jaguar. A frontman with a voice like polished thunder. And a chorus — “here I go again on my own” — that somehow feels triumphant and lonesome at the same time. Whitesnake’s 1987 explosion is one of the most vivid images the whole decade produced, and it came from the unlikeliest place: a song the band had already released years earlier.

Whitesnake is the hard-rock band fronted by former Deep Purple singer David Coverdale, who hit superstardom in 1987 when a glossy re-recording of “Here I Go Again” topped the American charts. It’s the ultimate 80s reinvention story.

From bluesy also-ran to glam-metal titan

Coverdale had built Whitesnake in the late 70s and early 80s as a bluesy British hard-rock outfit — respected, but not a chart-topping American act. Then came the reinvention. For the 1987 self-titled album Whitesnake, the band went bigger, glossier, and more MTV-ready, and it worked spectacularly: the album became a multi-platinum smash and made Coverdale a household name in the States.

The centerpiece was “Here I Go Again.” Coverdale had first released it back in 1982 as a bluesier, more modest tune. On the advice of record-label bosses, the band re-recorded it in 1987 as a soaring glam-metal anthem — and that version hit No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart on October 10, 1987. Same song, brand-new decade, completely different destiny.

The video that ate MTV

You can’t talk about 80s Whitesnake without the video. “Here I Go Again” starred model and actress Tawny Kitaen — who would marry Coverdale in 1989 — writhing and cartwheeling across the hoods of two Jaguars in a white negligee. It went into heavy MTV rotation and became one of the most iconic (and endlessly parodied) music videos of the era. It’s a perfect snapshot of what MTV did for hair metal: a great song, plus an unforgettable visual, equals a cultural moment.

Remember when re-recording your own old song for a new audience seemed almost like cheating — and then it became the biggest hit of your career? Whitesnake proved the 80s rewarded reinvention. The blues version was fine. The glam version was immortal.

Why Whitesnake endures

Whitesnake’s story is the decade in miniature: take something solid, wrap it in gloss, aim it at MTV, and watch it conquer. Coverdale’s remarkable voice was always the constant — the thing that made the reinvention believable rather than cynical. Decades later, “Here I Go Again” still fills rooms, and Coverdale toured on that 1987 magic for the rest of his career. Sometimes the second time really is the charm.

Not just one song

While “Here I Go Again” is the calling card, the 1987 Whitesnake album was stacked. “Is This Love” became a massive ballad hit, all smoldering romance, and “Still of the Night” was a thunderous, Led Zeppelin-sized rocker that showed the band could bring genuine heavy-rock muscle when they wanted to. Coverdale’s Deep Purple pedigree — that rich, powerful, blues-schooled voice — was the throughline connecting the bluesy early years to the glossy MTV superstardom. It’s why the 1987 reinvention never felt hollow: there was a world-class singer at the center of it. Whitesnake proved you could chase the mainstream and still deliver the goods, and for one blazing year they were about as big as a rock band could get.

FAQ

Who is the singer of Whitesnake?
David Coverdale, the former lead singer of Deep Purple, who founded and fronts Whitesnake.

Why was “Here I Go Again” re-recorded?
Whitesnake first released a bluesier version in 1982; they re-recorded it as a glam-metal track in 1987 on label advice, and that version hit No. 1.

Who was in the “Here I Go Again” video?
Model and actress Tawny Kitaen, who later married David Coverdale, in the famous scene atop two Jaguars.

What are Whitesnake’s biggest songs?
“Here I Go Again,” “Is This Love,” and “Still of the Night,” all from the blockbuster 1987 self-titled album — three staples of any serious 80s rock-radio playlist.

Was David Coverdale in another famous band?
Yes — before Whitesnake, Coverdale was a lead singer of the legendary British hard-rock band Deep Purple, where he first built his reputation as a powerhouse vocalist.

Whitesnake mastered the 80s reinvention — meet more of the scene in our best 80s hair bands guide, or plug in with Dokken next.