"Rock This Town" is the second single by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released January 30, 1981 by Arista Records in the U.K., where it peaked at No. 9 on the Singles Chart.[2] It was taken from the band's 1981 debut album, Stray Cats.
| "Rock This Town" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Stray Cats | ||||
| from the album Stray Cats/Built for Speed | ||||
| B-side | "You Can't Hurry Love" | |||
| Released | January 30, 1981 (U.K.)[1] August 31, 1982 (U.S.) | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Genre | Rockabilly | |||
| Length | 2:39 (Single Version) 3:28 (Album Version) | |||
| Label | Arista (UK) EMI America (U.S.) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Brian Setzer | |||
| Producer(s) | Dave Edmunds | |||
| Stray Cats singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative covers | ||||
 US 7" single cover | ||||
Its first US release, by EMI America, was on the June 1982 album Built for Speed. Released as a single on August 31, 1982, it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of September 18, 1982, and peaked at No. 9.[3]
"Rock This Town" was listed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".[4]
The song has been featured in a variety of media, including the video games Guitar Hero II, Elite Beat Agents, and the video game based on the 2006 Pixar film Cars (video game).
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1981–1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 38 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] | 3 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 6 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[7] | 6 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] | 3 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] | 18 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[11] | 10 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[12] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[13] | 9 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[14] | 4 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1981) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[15] | 35 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] | 56 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] | 41 |
References
edit- ^ "News". Record Mirror: 2. 24 January 1981. Retrieved December 18, 2020 – via flickr.com.
- ^ "STRAY CATS". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ Schatz, Lake (January 4, 2018). "Brian Setzer's Stray Cats to reunite for first show in 10 years". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Stray Cats – Rock This Town" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rock This Town". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 11, 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Stray Cats – Rock This Town" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Stray Cats – Rock This Town". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Stray Cats – Rock This Town". VG-lista. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Stray Cats: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Stray Cats Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Stray Cats Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1981". Ultratop. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
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