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The Rock Show

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox song

| name = The Rock Show

| cover = Blink-182 - The Rock Show cover.jpg

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Blink-182

| album = Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

| released =

| recorded = JanuaryMarch 2001

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop punk

| length = 2:51

| label = MCA

| writer =

* Mark Hoppus

* Tom DeLonge

* Travis Barker

| producer = Jerry Finn

| prev_title = Man Overboard

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title = First Date

| next_year = 2001

| misc =

}}

"'The Rock Show'" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 for the group's fourth studio album, 'Take Off Your Pants and Jacket' (2001). It was released as the lead single from the album on May 7, 2001. The track was composed primarily by bassist Mark Hoppus about meeting a girl at a rock concert. It was inspired by the band's early days touring punk rock clubs, mainly Soma in their hometown of San Diego.

The song's creation stems from Blink-182 manager Rick DeVoe's opinion that the album lacked a catchy, "feel-good" song. Hoppus composed "The Rock Show" in response, while guitarist Tom DeLonge composed the album's second single, "First Date". The song was influenced by bands such as the Ramones, Screeching Weasel, and the Descendents.

The song peaked at number two on 'Billboard' Modern Rock Tracks chart, making it the most successful single from the album. It also reached number 14 in the United Kingdom. The song's music video finds the band given an unusually large budget for the video, and spending needlessly on random things. In promotion of the single, Blink-182 performed the song live on late-night talk show 'Late Show with David Letterman'.

Background



Prior to recording the group's fourth studio album, 'Take Off Your Pants and Jacket', Blink-182 recorded demos at DML Studios, a small practice studio in Escondido, California, where the band had written 'Dude Ranch' and 'Enema of the State'. The group had written a dozen songs after three weeks and invited the band's manager, Rick DeVoe, to be the first person outside Blink-182 to hear the new material, which the band found "catchy [but with] a definitive edge". DeVoe sat in the control room and quietly listened to the recordings, and pressed the band at the end on why there was no "Blink-182 good-time summer anthem [thing]". DeLonge and Hoppus were furious, remarking, "You want a fucking single? I'll write you the cheesiest, catchiest, throwaway fucking summertime single you've ever heard!" Hoppus went home and wrote "The Rock Show" in ten minutes, and DeLonge similarly wrote "First Date", which became the most successful singles from the record and future live staples.

Hoppus wrote the song based on his memories of the San Diego club Soma. In their early days, Blink-182 performed dozens of concerts at the venue, mainly at the 5305 Metro Street location. "It was covered with graffiti, it stunk, it was made of concrete and metal so the sound sucked and the toilets were always over-flowing. It was the best, we loved it," he recalled. Barker remembered that the song's arrangement was worked in the Famous Stars and Straps warehouse in San Diego. The band felt the song captured "the spirit of the Ramones and Screeching Weasel," and "[it was] definitely influenced by bands like the Descendents." The band members expanded upon this in a 2001 interview with BBC Music:

Although it only peaked at number 71 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and number 33 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart, it reached number two on 'Billboard' Modern Rock Tracks chart.Shooman, 2010. p. 87

Reception



Eric Aiese of 'Billboard' examined the song through the lens of its airplay competition: "As the face of rock radio has yielded toward the emerging hard sounds on "nu metal," Blink continues to provide a contrasting voice [] "The Rock Show" clearly shows the band's talent for writingand performinghooks."

Music video



The band filmed a music video that included them trashing televisions, trains, taking the homeless for a spa makeover, handing out cash to strangers and paying dancers to mow people's lawns. The relatively large budget for the video, reportedly $500,000, was the basis of the joke and needlessly spent.

Track listing



Charts and certifications



Weekly charts

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2001)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

|-

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|-

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|-

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!scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)

|35

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|-

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|-

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|-

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|-

!scope="row"|Portugal (AFP)

|10

|-

!scope="row"

|-

!scope="row"

|-

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|-

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!scope="row"

|-

!scope="row"|US Hot Modern Rock Tracks ('Billboard')

|2

|-

!scope="row"

|}

Year-end charts



Certifications



Release history



In popular culture



* During the hiatus, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker regularly played this song in their band, +44. Craig Fairbaugh, guitarist and background vocalist of +44, replaced DeLonge on backing vocals.

* "The Rock Show" appears in the video games 'Amplitude', 'Guitar Hero 5', 'Guitar Hero Live', and 'Splashdown'.

* The song is available as DLC for both 'Rock Band' and its portable counterpart, 'Rock Band Unplugged'.

References



Category:2001 singles

Category:2001 songs

Category:Blink-182 songs

Category:MCA Records singles

Category:Music videos directed by The Malloys

Category:Songs written by Mark Hoppus

Category:Songs written by Tom DeLonge

Category:Songs written by Travis Barker

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