Let's Get Rocked
Encyclopedia
"Let's Get Rocked" is a 1992 single by British
hard rock
band Def Leppard
from their multi-platinum album Adrenalize
. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, #15 on the Billboard Hot 100
, and #2 on the UK Singles Chart
.
has claimed the song is about popular cartoon character Bart Simpson
disobeying the orders of his parents and also tells the story of Joe himself as a child. He has also stated people from the band's hometown Sheffield
, England
will understand the lyrics better than anyone else.
Also, according to a Joe Elliott
statement on the "Rock of Ages" and "Best Of" compilation albums, this song was an escapism since the band was working on the "White Lightning" song and felt like doing something to lighten the atmosphere.
, which is believed to be one of the most groundbreaking CG music videos created along with "Money for Nothing
" by Dire Straits
. The video consists of the band playing in a computer generated stadium on top of an LED lit stage in the shape of the flag of the United Kingdom
, along with CGI animated scenes featuring a character named Flynn, based on Bart Simpson
according to lead singer Joe Elliott. Flynn is seen in various moments of a typical day of a teenager's life, which include being berated by his father to do chores, or sexual activity from his girlfriend.
film Encino Man
, but it does not appear on the film's soundtrack. The song has also been used to promote the NBC
comedy series 30 Rock
, starring Alec Baldwin
and Saturday Night Live
alumnus Tina Fey
. It was also featured in the film Rock Star
starring Mark Wahlberg
. Professional darts
player Dean Winstanley
also uses the song as his walk-on music.
track 3 was recorded at McNichols Arena, Denver, Colorado on 12 & 13 February 1988
12" maxi (Bludgeon Riffola) / DEFXP 7 - UK / INT 866 587-1 / Picture Disc
7" single
This 12" single picture disc has a blue eye graphic in the cover. On the back side of the picture disc has the band's picture. The back cardboard has the 12" single information and the same band picture. Pictures by Pamela Springsteen. Artwork and Design by Andie Airfix at Satori. The "Women" live performance was recorded at McNichols Arena, Denver, in February 1988.
Cassette Single: Bludgeon Riffola/ 866 586-4 / DEF MC7 (UK)
The Side A and Side B of the cassette is the same one.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
from their multi-platinum album Adrenalize
Adrenalize
-Deluxe Edition :*Tracks 1-4 are taken from the band's Live: In the Clubs, in Your Face EP, recorded at Bonn, Germany, on 29 May 1992*Tracks 5 & 6 taken from "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" single....
. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, #15 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and #2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Background and release
Lead vocalist Joe ElliottJoe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
has claimed the song is about popular cartoon character Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
disobeying the orders of his parents and also tells the story of Joe himself as a child. He has also stated people from the band's hometown Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
will understand the lyrics better than anyone else.
Also, according to a Joe Elliott
Joe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
statement on the "Rock of Ages" and "Best Of" compilation albums, this song was an escapism since the band was working on the "White Lightning" song and felt like doing something to lighten the atmosphere.
Music video
The song was accompanied by a then state-of-the-art computer animated music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, which is believed to be one of the most groundbreaking CG music videos created along with "Money for Nothing
Money for Nothing (song)
"Money for Nothing" is a single by British rock band Dire Straits, taken from their 1985 album Brothers in Arms. It was one of Dire Straits' most successful singles, peaking at number one for three weeks in the United States, and it also reached number one for three weeks on the U.S. Mainstream...
" by Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
. The video consists of the band playing in a computer generated stadium on top of an LED lit stage in the shape of the flag of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, along with CGI animated scenes featuring a character named Flynn, based on Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
according to lead singer Joe Elliott. Flynn is seen in various moments of a typical day of a teenager's life, which include being berated by his father to do chores, or sexual activity from his girlfriend.
Films appearances
The song was first used in the 19921992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
film Encino Man
Encino Man
Encino Man, released in Europe as California Man, is a 1992 comedy film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Brendan Fraser, Sean Astin and Pauly Shore. The plot revolves around two geeky teenagers from Encino, Los Angeles, California played by Astin and Shore, who discover a caveman in their...
, but it does not appear on the film's soundtrack. The song has also been used to promote the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
comedy series 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, starring Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
and Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
alumnus Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
. It was also featured in the film Rock Star
Rock Star (2001 film)
Rock Star is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Herek and starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. It tells the story of Chris "Izzy" Cole, a tribute band singer whose ascendance to the position of lead vocalist of his favorite band was inspired by the real-life story of Tim...
starring Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
. Professional darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
player Dean Winstanley
Dean Winstanley
Dean Winstanley is an English darts player.Winstanley won the German Open, England Open, and Belgium Open in 2010. As a result of his performances on the BDO circuit, he qualified for the 2010 Winmau World Masters as the fourth seed...
also uses the song as his walk-on music.
Track listings
CD maxi (Bludgeon Riffola) / 866-591-2 - UK - INT- "Let's Get Rocked"
- "Only After Dark"
- "Women (live)"
track 3 was recorded at McNichols Arena, Denver, Colorado on 12 & 13 February 1988
12" maxi (Bludgeon Riffola) / DEFXP 7 - UK / INT 866 587-1 / Picture Disc
- "Let's Get Rocked"
- "Only After Dark"
- "Too Late for Love (live)"
7" single
- "Let's Get Rocked" – 4:56
- "Only After Dark" – 4:02
This 12" single picture disc has a blue eye graphic in the cover. On the back side of the picture disc has the band's picture. The back cardboard has the 12" single information and the same band picture. Pictures by Pamela Springsteen. Artwork and Design by Andie Airfix at Satori. The "Women" live performance was recorded at McNichols Arena, Denver, in February 1988.
Cassette Single: Bludgeon Riffola/ 866 586-4 / DEF MC7 (UK)
- "Let's Get Rocked"
- "Only After Dark"
The Side A and Side B of the cassette is the same one.
Peak positions
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 6 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Dutch Mega Top 100 | 19 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 23 |
| German Singles Chart | 22 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 18 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 98 |