#40 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: "Rock This Town" by Stray Cats (1981)

Its time for #40 of the countdown! And the song is...Rock This Town, by 80's American rockabilly band the Stray Cats. Stray Cats originated out of the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York and were active on the rock-music scene by 1980. They consisted of members Brian Setzer (vocalist and guitarist), Lee Rocker (bass guitar), Slim Jim Phantom (on drums), and Gary Barnacle (on saxophone). They are one of those 80's bands that has had active and inactive periods, with members (such as Brian Setzer) doing work with other bands as well as solo-projects, but Stray Cats have been active as a group as recently as 2009. Stray Cats were a unique band for the time, as there weren't a whole lot of other rockabilly bands that I am aware of from the 80's era that were at all successful or in the mainstream much like the Stray Cats were. Rock this Town would be a major hit coming off of their 1981 release album, self-titled Stray Cats, it was their first studio album. The Stray Cats album was never actually released in the United States however, and hit singles Rock This Town, Stray Cat Strut, and Runaway Boys would later be released onto their Build for Speed album in the USA. The Stray Cats album was released in the UK in 1981 where it was very successful, and Rock This Town peaked at #9 on the UK Singles chart. Once released on their second US album, Rock This Town would also reach #9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and it was their first of three eventual top 10 US singles. Rock This Town was listed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 most important songs in the history of rock and roll and it appeared in the video game Guitar Hero II. I really like this song, and the Stray Cats as they were one of those 80's bands that really added some variety to the over-all 80's music scene making it one of those great musical decades. And now, on to the 30's portion of the countdown!