▁second ▁single ▁on ▁their ▁debut ▁album , ▁V ivid , ▁released ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁" C ult ▁of ▁Person ality " ▁reached ▁No . ▁ 1 3 ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁Hot ▁ 1 0 0 ▁and ▁No . ▁ 9 ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁Album ▁Rock ▁Tra cks ▁chart . ▁It ▁won ▁the ▁Gram my ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁Hard ▁Rock ▁Performance ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁Its ▁music ▁video ▁earned ▁the ▁MTV ▁Video ▁Music ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁Group ▁Video ▁and ▁MTV ▁Video ▁Music ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁New ▁Art ist . ▁▁ ▁The ▁band ' s ▁guitar ist ▁and ▁founder , ▁Vern on ▁Re id , ▁described ▁the ▁song ▁as ▁very ▁special ▁for ▁the ▁band ▁not ▁just ▁for ▁its ▁commercial ▁success ▁but ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁essentially ▁written ▁in ▁just ▁one ▁re he ars al ▁session . ▁The ▁r iff ▁was ▁st umbled ▁upon ▁while ▁pract icing ▁something ▁else ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁session ▁they ▁had ▁written ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁Living ▁Col our ' s ▁best ▁known ▁song . ▁The ▁title ▁comes ▁from ▁a ▁psych ological ▁phenomen on ▁called ▁cult ▁of ▁person ality , ▁and ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁contain ▁many ▁political ▁references . ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁ranked ▁No . ▁ 6 9 ▁on ▁V H 1 ' s ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Great est ▁Hard ▁Rock ▁Songs . ▁The ▁solo ▁was ▁ranked ▁No . ▁ 8 7 ▁in ▁Gu itar ▁World s ▁" 1 0 0 ▁Great est ▁Gu itar ▁Sol