"The Stroke"
Single by Billy Squier
from the album Don't Say No
B-side"Two Daze Gone"
Released1981
Genre
Length3:38
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)William Squier
Producer(s)
Billy Squier singles chronology
"The Stroke"
(1981) 		"In the Dark"
(1981)
Music video
"The Stroke‬” on YouTube

"The Stroke" is a song written and recorded by American rock artist Billy Squier. It was released in 1981 as the debut single from his 3× Platinum album Don't Say No.

This was Squier's first single to chart, reaching No. 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[3] It was a bigger hit on rock radio, reaching No. 3 on the Top Tracks chart. It also reached the UK Singles Chart, rising to No. 52. It was named the 59th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.[4]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1981) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 5
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 3
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 7
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 32
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 52
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 17
US Billboard Top Tracks[3] 3
US Cash Box Top 100[10] 17
US Record World[11] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1981) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[12][5] 41
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 63
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 76

In popular culture

References

  1. ^ Talevski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-8460-9091-2. Later joining Billy Squier's hard rock group in the late Seventies, [Bobby] Chouinard appeared on the hard-rock anthems 'Everybody Wants You', 'In the Dark', and 'The Stroke'.
  2. ^ Elliott, Paul (May 30, 2016). "The Top 20 Greatest Funk Rock Songs". TeamRock. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Billy Squier – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014.
  4. ^ Winistorfer, Andrew (January 5, 2009). "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs list only slightly less annoying than their hip-hop list". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved February 7, 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  6. ^ "Billy Squier – The Stroke" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0363." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  8. ^ "Billy Squier – The Stroke". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  10. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 22, 1981". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012.
  11. ^ "Record World Singles" (PDF). Record World. August 29, 1981. p. 23. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  12. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. 4 January 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via Imgur.
  13. ^ "Top 100 Singles of 1981". RPM. Vol. 35, no. 22. December 26, 1981. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  14. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1981". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  15. ^ Russell, Alex (August 27, 2013). "Listen: Eminem "Berzerk" (Prod. By Rick Rubin)". Complex. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  16. ^ "Lucy, Daughter of the Devil – The Music: Episode 8". Quick Stop Entertainment. November 3, 2007. Archived from the original on January 21, 2008.
  17. ^ "Behind the Vinyl Podcast: Maestro Fresh-Wes , Darby Mills (Headpins), Kim Mitchell on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2022-07-16.

External links

Billy Squier
Authority control databases
Categories