| You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll | |
| Cover: | Twisted Sister You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll 1983 single cover.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Twisted Sister |
| Album: | You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll |
| B-Side: | "Let The Good Times Roll"/"Feel So Fine" |
| Released: | August 12, 1983[1] |
| Length: | 4:41 |
| Label: | Atlantic |
| Producer: | Stuart Epps |
| Prev Title: | The Kids Are Back |
| Prev Year: | 1983 |
| Next Title: | We're Not Gonna Take It |
| Next Year: | 1984 |
"You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll" is a song by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released in 1983 as the third and final single from their second studio album, You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll. The song was written by Dee Snider and produced by Stuart Epps. "You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll" reached number 43 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 75 for four weeks.[2]
Snider wrote "You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll" in 1981 and it was originally recorded for the band's debut album, Under the Blade, in 1982. The album was originally going to be named after the song, but Martin Hooker, the head of the band's label, Secret Records, ultimately decided against the name and convinced the band to change it. "You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll" was also removed from the album, but was re-recorded and included on the band's second studio album in 1983, which was given the same name.[3] In 2023, Snider picked it as his favorite Twisted Sister song and stated, "Between the message, the metallic sound and the anthemic nature of the song, it best captures all that Twisted Sister was."[4]
The song's music video was directed by Arthur Ellis for Limelight Films and he also came up with the plot idea. Snider recalled in his 2012 autobiography Shut Up and Give Me the Mic: A Twisted Memoir, "[The] story line [was] about the Taste Squad, an organization whose sole purpose was to monitor and track the activities of Twisted Sister. Ultimately, the band's nemesis would be 'converted' to heavy metal and the ways of the band. With no idea as to what constituted a 'rock video', we ran with Arthur's idea. He seemed to get our overall attitude. The video showed us both with and without makeup, which we liked, and it had a sense of humor."[5]
Upon its release as a single, Dave Dickson of Kerrang! noted "You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll" "doesn't possess quite the same 'SingalongaDee' appeal" of "I Am (I'm Me)", but added it was "a marvellous ditty nonetheless, with some furious fret-burning courtesy of Jay Jay".[6] Allan McQuillan of the Western Daily Press described it as "simple, honest heavy raucous rock" and added, "You can't stop Dee Snider and the boys bashing your ears in a frenzy of heavy rock excitement."[7] Peter Trollope of the Liverpool Echo wrote, "Makes Ritchie's boys look like wimps. Meat 'n' muscle with Dee Snider in full swing!"[8]
Eleanor Levy of Record Mirror considered it "more of the same" from Twisted Sister and added, "Listen to it with a straight face if you can."[9] Lynn Hanna of Number One stated, "Unfortunately this isn't inspired, even by Twisted Sister's standards. This guitar break sounds like someone's steeped on the cat. Heavy as lead."[10]
7–inch single (UK)[11]
7–inch single (Australia)[12]
12–inch single (UK)[13]
12–inch promotional single #1 (US)[14]
12–inch promotional single #2 (US)[15]
Twisted Sister
Production
Other