I Like to Rock (song)
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| "I Like to Rock" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Ladies Man" |
"I Like to Rock" is a song written by Myles Goodwyn and recorded by Canadian hard rock band April Wine, appearing on the band's ninth studio album Harder ... Faster (1980), as the second single. The song contains a combination of Myles Goodwyn's familiar vocals, as well as the band's well known combination of hard rock and blues rock.
The song was a moderate success when released in 1980, reaching #75 on the Canadian Hot 100, #86 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #41 on the UK Singles Chart; their highest peak in England. It has gained substantial popularity internationally since the 1980s, becoming a mainstay of April Wine's setlist. The song is arguably the band's song signature song and has become a staple of classic rock and album-oriented rock radio stations in Canada and the United States. [1][2]
Content
Music
The song features lead vocalist Myles Goodwyn's well known vocals, similar to many of the group's other songs. It is also accompanied by a blues rock electric guitar and hard rock sounds. The final guitar solo in the song includes brief riffs from the songs "Day Tripper" by The Beatles and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones, clearly paying homage to these rock songs and bands due to the fact that the song's narrator is discussing his love of rock music.
Lyrics
The lyrics of "I Like to Rock" have the narrator singing about his love of rock music, while the chorus says "I like to rock, some like it hot". The lyrics also refer to partying late at night and singing in front of large crowds at concerts.
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 86 |
| UK Singles Chart | 41 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 75 |
Accolades
- CKKQ-FM "the Q" ranked the song #65 on their list of the "150 Best Canadian Songs of All Time".
- Rock Klassics ranked it the 94th greatest Canadian rock song.
- Placed at #226 on the 500 Greatest Classic Rock Songs compiled by WXKR.
- Ranked #33 on CBC's list of the "50 Greatest Canadian Songs", in 2009.
- VH1 ranked the song #93 on their list of the "100 Greatest Rock Songs".
Popular culture
"I Like to Rock" was used in the films Flower & Garnet, Gutterballs, High Life, and Drive Angry, as well as S1 E6 of Being Erica titled "Something Wrong With...", as well as the 2010 comedy television special Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town, and the video game Grand Theft Auto V (2013).
Music video
The music video for "I Like to Rock" was directed by Brian Greenway, the band's main guitarist (who also directed the music videos for "Just Between You and Me" and "Enough is Enough"), and the video features the band playing the song inside a studio, which is clearly located in the wilderness. The same location, Le Studio, would be used to film the video for the song "Tom Sawyer" by fellow Canadian rock band Rush,[3] in 1981.
References
- ^ "April Wine singles at the CHUM Chart (Toronto, Canada) archives". 1050CHUM.com. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- ^ "Canadian Top-30 Music Chart #1262 for Saturday, March 21, 1981". WebFitz.com. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- ^ "Remembering Le Studio". Rush.com. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2018.