Rock and Roll (Gary Glitter song)

Glitter

Company type	Album
Industry	Music
Founded	1972
Founder	Gary Glitter, Mike Leander
Products	Music album

Rock and Roll is a track released in 1972 by English vocalist Gary Glitter, featured on his first album, Glitter. Co-created with producer Mike Leander, the song is divided into two segments: Part 1 contains lyrics with a chorus repeating "Rock and Roll, Rock" alongside verses that reflect on the genre’s origins; Part 2 is mainly instrumental, marked by the intermittent shout of "Hey" in various intonations.

The single reached number two on the UK Singles Chart for three consecutive weeks, prevented from claiming the top spot by Donny Osmond's rendition of "Puppy Love". During live shows, Glitter frequently performed both sections together.

In the United States, "Rock and Roll" stands as Glitter’s sole top ten entry, with Part 2 gaining recognition as a popular sports anthem, especially within American football, where it is used by professional teams to hype up audiences. Nevertheless, its association has become contentious due to Glitter’s convictions for child sex offenses.

Within the UK market, the song was one of more than 25 hit singles for Glitter. In contrast, in the US, it was primarily the instrumental Part 2 that garnered attention, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The US mono 45 rpm version lasts 3:10, differing slightly from the album version’s 2:58 duration. Meanwhile, in France, Part 1 achieved greater success by reaching number one.

Sports

In North America, "Rock and Roll Part 2" became strongly linked to sports culture after being adopted by numerous professional franchises to celebrate scoring and energize fans. Often referred to as "The Hey Song" due to its repeated "Hey" refrain, its sports usage began in 1974 when Kevin O'Brien, then public relations director for the Kalamazoo Wings of the International Hockey League, introduced it. He subsequently brought it to the NHL’s Colorado Rockies in 1976. Following the Rockies’ relocation to New Jersey as the New Jersey Devils in 1982, teams such as the Denver Nuggets and Denver Broncos became pioneers in adopting the song in NBA and NFL contexts. Supporters often chant along with it; however, some chants have included offensive phrases like "you suck!", prompting the Devils to replace it with a track by New Jersey native Bon Jovi.

After Glitter’s 1999 conviction related to downloading child pornography and a subsequent child sexual abuse conviction in Vietnam in 2006, the NFL requested that teams cease playing the song. Although a cover version performed by Tube Tops 2000 was initially allowed, by 2012 the NFL advised against its use following media criticism over the New England Patriots’ continued playing of it. By 2014, Billboard reported a decline in its popularity as teams opted for more contemporary anthems amid ongoing controversy.

Film

The track first appeared in film with the 1988 Doctor Who parody "Doctorin' the Tardis," followed by inclusion in the 1994 movie Mighty Ducks D2, and later featured in Adam Sandler’s 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore.

In 2019, "Rock and Roll Part 2" was used prominently in Todd Phillips’ film Joker, accompanying a memorable scene where Arthur Fleck dances down what became known as the Joker Stairs. This usage sparked public debate. Some sources claimed that Glitter would receive royalties due to his co-writing credit; however, according to the Los Angeles Times, Glitter does not earn income from this usage because he sold his rights—the US rights are currently held by Universal Music Publishing Group.

Chart performance

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Chart (1972)	Highest ranking
Australia (Go-Set Top 40)	2
Canada (RPM Top Singles)	3
France (SNEP)	1 (Part 1) 9 (Part 2)
Irish Singles Chart	4
New Zealand (Listener)	8
United Kingdom (Official Charts Company)	2
United States Billboard Hot 100	7

Cover versions

British electronic band The Human League recorded a rendition of Part 1 under the title Rock 'n' Roll, which appeared on their 1980 EP Holiday '80. Although they performed it on Top of the Pops in May of that year, the track did not manage to enter the Top 40 charts. One particular version of this cover flows seamlessly into a rendition of Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing."

In January 1980, Northern Ireland's post-punk group The Undertones performed "Rock n Roll" during their fourth session for BBC Radio 1 with John Peel, with this recording officially released only in 2004.

Philadelphia-based post-punk outfit Executive Slacks issued a version of Part 2 as a 12" single in 1986, incorporating electronic elements alongside guitar and percussion.

Part 2 has been extensively sampled in the Timelords' track "Doctorin' the Tardis", with modified lyrics referencing Doctor Who. It was also sampled by Sammy Hagar and The Waboritas on their 1999 album Red Voodoo, as well as by Argentine artist Gustavo Cerati in "Paseo Inmoral" from his album Bocanada (1999).

Moreover, Part 2 forms the basis for "Boris Johnson Is Still a Fucking Cunt" by the Kunts.