Rock This Town
| "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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
"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.[3] It was taken from the band's 1981 debut album, Stray Cats.
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.[4]
"Rock This Town" was listed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".[5]
The song has been featured in a variety of media including the video games Guitar Hero II and Elite Beat Agents, as well as the video game based on the 2006 Pixar film Cars.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1981–1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 38 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] | 3 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 6 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[8] | 6 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 3 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] | 18 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[12] | 10 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[13] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 9 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[15] | 4 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1981) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[16] | 35 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] | 56 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] | 41 |
References
- ^ "News". Record Mirror: 2. 24 January 1981. Retrieved December 18, 2020 – via flickr.com.
- ^ a b Mawer, Sharon. Stray Cats - Stray Cats (1981) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ "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.

