Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy

"Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" is a song by the rock supergroup Bad Company. The track was written by vocalist and frontman Paul Rodgers, and released as the lead single from their 1979 studio album Desolation Angels.

For the Kinks song, see A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy.
"Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy"
Single sleeve
Single by Bad Company
from the album Desolation Angels[1]
B-side"Crazy Circles"
Released1979
Recorded1978
StudioRidge Farm Studios, Surrey, England
Genre
Length3:15
LabelSwan Song
Songwriter(s)Paul Rodgers
Producer(s)Bad Company
Bad Company singles chronology
"Burnin' Sky"
(1977)		 "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy"
(1979)		 "Gone, Gone, Gone"
(1979)
Audio
"Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" on YouTube

The song remains a staple of Bad Company's discography and has become an essential track on classic rock radio.

Background

"Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" was inspired by a guitar synthesizer riff that Paul Rodgers had come up with. While not the band's highest charting single in America, it is their best selling, having been certified Gold by the RIAA.[2]

Reception

Cash Box said "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" has a "stout beat and heavy fuzz guitar sound and excellent singing" as well as "solid" production.[3] Record World called it "a hard rocker with a sure shot at AOR and Top 40 play" and praised Rodgers' lead vocals as being "inspired."[4] Democrat and Chronicle critic Jack Garner said it "contains the most varying material yet from the band, indicating continued growth and maturity on their part."[5] Allmusic reviewer Mike DeGagne commented on Rodgers' "vocal passion" on the song.[6] Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine regarded it as one of the band's best "big, brawny arena rockers" and noted that it's a "quintessential classic rock staple."[7]

In 2016, Classic Rock ranked the song at number nine on their list of Bad Company's 10 best songs, praising Ralphs' "curt, sharp [guitar] solo" and the "clipped rhythmic accompaniment" from drummer Simon Kirke bassist Boz Burrell.[8] Classic Rock History critic Janey Roberts rated it as Bad Company's 8th best song.[9] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Matt Wardlaw rated it as Bad Company's 4th best song, saying that it "is probably one of the best songs ever written about what it's like living life as a star in the music business."[10]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy"3:15
2."Crazy Circles"3:31

Chart performance

The song peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1979, ultimately climbing to number 54 for the Billboard Year-End singles chart in that year.[11]

References
  1. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  2. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - April 23, 2010: Bad Company certified singles". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  3. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. March 3, 1979. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  4. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. March 3, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  5. Garner, Jack (April 11, 1979). "Bad Company – but good music". Democrat and Chronicle. p. 20C. Retrieved 2022-06-21 – via newspapers.com.
  6. DeGagne, Mike. "Desolation Angels". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  7. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy: The Very Best of Bad Company". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  8. Dome, Malcolm (July 13, 2016). "The Top 10 Best Bad Company Songs - Classic Rock". Classic Rock. Team Rock. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  9. Roberts, Janey (October 19, 2022). "Top 10 Bad Company songs". Classic Rock History.
  10. Wardlaw, Matt (December 17, 2011). "Top 10 Bad Company Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  11. Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1979
  12. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". RPM. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  14. "Bad Company - Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  15. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending June 16, 1979". Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 2018-04-05.Cash Box magazine.
  16. "Top 100 Hits of 1979/Top 100 Songs of 1979". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  17. "Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles". Cash Box. December 29, 1979. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
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