Rock 'n' Roll Is King

"Rock 'n' Roll Is King" is a song written and performed by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) released as a single from the 1983 album Secret Messages. With this song the band returned to their rock roots. It features a violin solo by Mik Kaminski.

"Rock 'n' Roll Is King"
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Secret Messages
B-side	"After All" "Time After Time" (12" version)
Released	June 1983[1]
Recorded	1983 Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, the Netherlands
Genre	Rock and roll[2] roots rock[3]
Length	3:49 (Album version) 3:07 (Single version) 3:10 (Double-album version) 4:13 (Remix) 4:58 (Extended Mix)
Label	Jet
Songwriter(s)	Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)	Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"The Way Life's Meant to Be" (1982) "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" (1983) "Secret Messages" (1983)
Secret Messages track listing
10 tracks Side one "Secret Messages" "Loser Gone Wild" "Bluebird" "Take Me On and On" Side two "Four Little Diamonds" "Stranger" "Danger Ahead" "Letter from Spain" "Train of Gold" "Rock 'n' Roll Is King"
Music video
"Rock 'n' Roll Is King" on YouTube

The song went through many changes during recording and at one point was going to be called "Motor Factory" with a completely different set of lyrics. The single proved to be ELO's last UK top twenty hit single, and reached No. 19 in the US in August 1983.

In an interview in the King of the Universe fanzine, Dave Morgan, who was with ELO at the time, described his involvement with the recording as such:^[4]

I sang on quite a few tracks, I sang on 'Rock 'N' Roll Is King'. I played on that one, but it wasn't called that, it was something about something about working at Austin Longbridge! It was full of car plant sounds, you could hear it going clank, clank, clank, like somebody hitting a lathe with a hammer, and Jeff went away and made it into 'Rock 'n' Roll Is King', wiped off everything we'd done, no, there was still some backing left in there, It was much better how he finished it off than it was before.

Chart history

Weekly charts Chart (1983) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 13 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 16 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 4 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 6 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 8 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 4 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 17 Norway (VG-lista)[13] 6 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[14] 7 Spain (AFYVE)[15] 30 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 20 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 8 UK Singles (OCC)[18] 13 US Billboard Adult Contemporary[19] 36 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 19 US Billboard Top Tracks[19] 19 US Cash Box[20] 22 West Germany (GfK)[21] 17 Chart (2021) Peak position Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[22] 74

Year-end charts Chart (1983) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[23] 92 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[24] 36 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[25] 57 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26] 74 US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[27] 123

References

1. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 264. ISBN 9780862415419.
2. Mathews, Kevin. "Electric Light Orchestra: Secret Messages". PopMatters. Retrieved 5 June 2014. the rock 'n' roll homage of "Four Little Diamonds" and "Rock 'N' Roll Is King"
3. Considine, J.D.; Coleman, Mark; Evans, Paul; McGee, David (1992). "Electric Light Orchestra". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Random House. p. 111.
4. Morgan, David. "Dave Morgan Interview - 4th March 1999". Welcome to The ELO Network (Interview). Interviewed by Alan Heath. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970—1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
6. "Electric Light Orchestra – Rock'n'Roll Is King" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
7. "Electric Light Orchestra – Rock'n'Roll Is King" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4325." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
9. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 1983" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
10. "Electric Light Orchestra – Rock'n'Roll Is King" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rock 'n' Roll Is King". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
12. "Electric Light Orchestra – Rock'n'Roll Is King". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
13. "Electric Light Orchestra – Rock'n'Roll Is King". VG-lista. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
14. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (E)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
15. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
16. "Electric Light Orchestra – Rock'n'Roll Is King". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
17. "Electric Light Orchestra – Rock'n'Roll Is King". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
19. "Electric Light Orchestra – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
20. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 27, 1983". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012.
21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Electric Light Orchestra – Rock'n'Roll Is King" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
22. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
23. "Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 22 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.
24. "Jaaroverzichten 1983" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
25. "The Top Singles of 1983". RPM. Vol. 39, no. 17. Library and Archives Canada. 24 December 1983. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
26. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1983" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
27. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.