| Bad Boys | |
| Cover: | Bad Boys Inner Circle Sweden 1990.jpg |
| Alt: | Bad Boys (Swedish edition) |
| Border: | yes |
| Caption: | Swedish single picture sleeve, 1990 |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Inner Circle |
| Album: | One Way Bad Boys/Bad to the Bone |
| B-Side: | Sweat (A La La La La Long) |
| Released: | 1 October 1987 |
| Genre: | Reggae |
| Label: | Island |
| Producer: | Ian Lewis, Touter Harvey, Roger Lewis |
| Next Title: | Sweat (A La La La La Long) |
| Next Year: | 1992 |
"Bad Boys" is a 1987 song by the Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle, which gained high popularity in the United States after its re-release in 1993, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number seven on the Top 40 Mainstream. It is the opening theme to the American TV show Cops and the theme song of the Bad Boys franchise.
The song was originally released on the week of October 18–24, 1987 on the album One Way.[1] In 1992, it was also included on the Bad to the Bone album, and the song was released as a single in 1993, after the unexpected success of their previous international hit single "Sweat (A La La La La Long)". "Bad Boys" reached number 52 in the United Kingdom and number eight in the United States. In the latter territory, it was certified Gold and sold 600,000 copies.[2] [3] The song was also released as B-side on Inner Circle's 1992 single, "Sweat (A La La La La Long)".[4] The song was also released as a single in mid-1991 in Norway and Finland, where it peaked at number one.
| Chart (1993) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| UK Dance (Music Week)[6] | 30 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 8 | |
| US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard) | 15 | |
| US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard) | 58 | |
| US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard) | 27 | |
| US Top 40 Mainstream (Billboard) | 7 |
| Chart (1993) | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[8] | 88 | |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] | 15 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 69 |
"Bad Boys" was selected as the theme song for Cops because a field producer for the show happened to be a fan of Inner Circle.[11] The song, which was very popular during the 1990s, is also used in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence action/comedy film series Bad Boys, which was named after the song.[12] [13]
A parody of the song was used in a fourth season episode of ABC's Fresh Off the Boat where the chorus goes "Good boys, good boys; whatcha gonna do?"[14]
Another parody of the song is used in the 125th episode of Your Grammar Sucks where Jack Douglass goes "Bad boys, bad boy; Was you gonna do? What you gonna do if it's come for you?"[15]
Another parody of this song is used in a Wendy's commercial for the new Biggie Bag, the song goes, "Bag boys, bag boys, what you gonna do, what you gonna do when we bring your food?" It follows with Bad Boys being played in the background near the end of the commercial. [16]
The song was parodied in the Simpsons episode Homer's Triple Bypass, and is depicted as the title song for the fictional TV series COPS: In Springfield. After the titular phrase is repeated several times, the lyrics are heard, "Springfield Cops are on the take, But what do expect for the money we make? Whether in a car or on a horse, We don't mind using excessive force!"