That's Rock 'n' Roll explained

That's Rock 'n' Roll
Cover:That's Rock 'n' Roll - Eric Carmen.jpg
Alt:cover art
Caption:Danish single picture sleeve
Type:single
Artist:Eric Carmen
Album:Eric Carmen
B-Side:"Great Expectations"[1]
Released:May 1976
Recorded:1975
Genre:Power pop
Label:Arista Records
Producer:Jimmy Ienner
Prev Title:Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
Prev Year:1976
Next Title:Sunrise
Next Year:1976

"That's Rock 'n' Roll" is a song written and originally recorded by Eric Carmen in 1976. It became a popular Billboard top 10 hit in 1977 for teen idol Shaun Cassidy.

Eric Carmen version

Background

American pop rock artist Eric Carmen released his version of "That's Rock 'n' Roll" in some nations as the third single from his first eponymous debut album, Eric Carmen.[2] The single's limited release did not include the United States. The song charted at number one in Denmark. Parts of the song are autobiographical.

Carmen performed the song on the Midnight Special TV program on March 26, 1976.[3]

In 1988, "That's Rock 'n' Roll" was featured as the B side of a subsequent major hit by Carmen, "Make Me Lose Control."

Chart performance

Chart (1976)Peak
position
Australia100
Denmark7
France (IFOP)[4] 72
Japan

Shaun Cassidy version

That's Rock 'n' Roll
Cover:Shaun_Cassidy,_That's_Rock_'n'_Roll_45_RPM_cover.jpg
Alt:cover art
Caption:US single picture sleeve
Type:single
Artist:Shaun Cassidy
Album:Shaun Cassidy
B-Side:I Wanna Be with You
Released:June 1976 (Europe)
July 1977 (US)
Genre:Pop[5]
Length:2:52
Label:Warner Bros.
Producer:Michael Lloyd
Prev Title:Da Doo Ron Ron
Prev Year:1977
Next Title:Hey Deanie
Next Year:1977

Background

"That's Rock 'n' Roll" was covered in 1976 by American teen idol Shaun Cassidy on his first solo LP, Shaun Cassidy.[6] It was Cassidy's second of three consecutive Top 10 hits. The following lyrics are omitted from his version:

"Well it's the roadies and the crowd, It's when the band's playin' way too loud, Your hips are shakin', ain't no mistakin'."

"That's Rock 'n' Roll" peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[7] It was his longest-charting hit, and spent three weeks longer in the Top 40 than did his number one hit, "Da Doo Ron Ron", with a total of six months on the chart. This song became a gold record, as did all of Cassidy's first three single releases.[8]

"That's Rock and Roll" was the first of two major hits written by Carmen and covered by Cassidy, the second being "Hey Deanie". Both songs charted concurrently with Carmen's own hit, "She Did It" from the fall of 1977.

On the Canadian chart, "That's Rock 'n' Roll" reached number one for one week, displacing the 'Star Wars Theme' to take its turn at number one.[9] It was Cassidy's second Canadian number-one hit. It was also Eric Carmen's second composition to reach the top spot, having reached number one a year earlier with a song he performed himself, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again."

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1977)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 2
Canadian RPM Top Singles[11] 1
West Germany[12] 11
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[13] 3
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[14] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)Rank
Australia4
Canada[15] 27
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[16] 79
U.S. Cash Box[17] 43

Other versions

The song has also been covered by:

Notes and References

  1. https://www.discogs.com/Eric-Carmen-Thats-Rockn-Roll/master/710668 Discogs: Eric Carmen - That's Rock 'n' Roll
  2. Web site: www.allmusic.com. allmusic.com. March 8, 2023.
  3. Web site: Eric Carmen Concert Setlist at The Midnight Special, Burbank on March 26, 1976 . Setlist.fm . 2016-10-13.
  4. Web site: Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70 . InfoDisc.fr . 1976-08-26 . 11 March 2019 . fr .
  5. Book: Cafarelli, Carl. Gary . Graff . Daniel . Durchholz . 1998 . MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide . Shaun Cassidy. . Detroit . 209.
  6. Web site: www.allmusic.com. allmusic.com. March 8, 2023.
  7. Web site: Shaun Cassidy lyrics . Top40db.net . 2014-07-03.
  8. Web site: 1977 Singles - Month By Month . Superseventies.com . 2014-07-03.
  9. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 2014-07-03.
  10. Web site: Steffen Hung . Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) . Australian-charts.com . 2016-10-13.
  11. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . https://web.archive.org/web/20150723220156/https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5438a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=irlum9t45dfcsara2r5f6smrg0 . dead . 2015-07-23 . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 2016-10-13 .
  12. Web site: INFINITY CHARTS: German Top 20 . Ki.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de . 2016-10-13.
  13. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 -
  14. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 10/22/77. June 23, 2015. February 8, 2020.
  15. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 2016-10-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161019075734/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php . 2016-10-19 .
  16. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977 . Musicoutfitters.com . 2014-07-03.
  17. Web site: Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1977. October 21, 2014. February 8, 2020.