Round and Round (Ratt song)

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"Round and Round"
Round and Round (Ratt single - cover art).jpg
Artwork for US vinyl single, also used for German release with different titling layout
Single by Ratt
from the album Out of the Cellar
ReleasedFebruary 1984 (US) [1]
Recorded1984
GenreGlam metal[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Length4:26
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Beau Hill
Ratt singles chronology
"You Think You're Tough"
(1983) 		"Round and Round"
(1984) 		"Wanted Man"
(1984)
Music video
"Round and Round" on YouTube

"Round and Round" is a song by the American band Ratt. It was released as a single in 1984 on Atlantic Records.

Music video[]

In the song's music video, Milton Berle (uncle of Ratt manager Marshall Berle) plays both the staid head-of-household as well as the family matron (echoing his famous cross-dressing stunts of the 1950s). Both characters seem perturbed by the loud volume of Ratt's playing, and quickly leave the table. Meanwhile, a seemingly shy yet attractive woman is drawn by the music to the attic. On the way upstairs to the attic, her dress and wig fall off, and she gives herself a makeover. The girl (played by Lisa Dean, who would later turn up in the video for Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana"[10]) appears in the attic as a completely different person, and begins dancing to the song. At the end of the video, the butler is seen dressed up as a metalhead and "rocking out" in a separate room.

The song's video was placed on New York Times list of the 15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos.[11]

Reception[]

"Round and Round" proved to be the biggest hit of Ratt's career, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984. The tune was ranked number 51 on "VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s",[12] and was named the 61st best hard rock song of all time also by VH1.[13]

In popular culture[]

"Round and Round" was used in season 1 of the series Supernatural and season 2 of the Netflix series Stranger Things.[14] The song was also used in the end credits for Billy & Mandy Save Christmas and in the 2008 film The Wrestler. It also appeared in the 2006 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories on the fictional in-game radio station "V-Rock". It was also featured in the rhythm video game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s as a cover, and as a master recording in Guitar Hero Smash Hits and Rock Band 2.

In a 2020 TV commercial for GEICO, a young couple explains their new home has a rat problem—actually a Ratt problem, as the band is seen singing "Round and Round" in various parts of the house.[15] Thanks to this exposure, the tune became a hit all over again, reaching #18 on the Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales Chart on June 4, 2020.

Track listing[]

  1. "Round and Round" – 4:22
  2. "The Morning After" – 3:33

Personnel[]

Charts[]

Chart (1984) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[16] 16
US Billboard Hot 100[17] 12
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[18] 4

Year-end charts[]

Chart (1984) Position
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[19] 87

References[]

  1. ^ "Ratt singles".
  2. ^ "100 Best Singles of 1984: Pop's Greatest Year". Rolling Stone. September 17, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  3. ^ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Greatest Hair Metal Songs". Rolling Stone. February 5, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  4. ^ Corey, Irwin (January 13, 2020). "Ratt, Fozzy Added to Kiss Kruise X Lineup". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Sleazegrinder (December 4, 2015). "The 20 Best Hair Metal Anthems Of All Time Ever". loudersound. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  6. ^ "The Ultimate Hair Metal Party Playlist". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  7. ^ Masley, Ed. "Best '80s pop-metal songs, from Def Leppard to Poison". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Double Shot: Metal - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved August 9, 2021
  9. ^ "First Worsts: Remembering When Bon Jovi Gave "Hair Metal" A Bad Name". The Village Voice. June 4, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2021. and such catchy (and, I must say, excellent) pop-metal songs as Ratt’s “Round and Round”
  10. ^ "The Woman Above the Legs; LA Times, July 3, 1988". July 3, 1988.
  11. ^ Edwards, Gavin (May 5, 2020). "15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  12. ^ "VH1 the 80's". Retrieved February 7, 2009.
  13. ^ Stosuy, Brandon (January 5, 2009). "100 Best Hard Rock Songs Ever (According to VH1)". Stereogum. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  14. ^ "‘Stranger Things 2’ music is both heavy, mellow" The Indianapolis Star
  15. ^ "Ratt GEICO Commercial" Ultimate Classic Rock
  16. ^ "RPM - Library and Archives Canada - RPM - Bibliothèque et Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  17. ^ "Ratt Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  18. ^ "Ratt Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  19. ^ "Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 96 no. 51. December 22, 1984. p. TA-19.
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