Rough Boy

"Rough Boy" is a song by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in the US in March 1986, as the third single from their ninth studio album, Afterburner. The song reached No. 5 on the Album Rock Tracks chart^[1] and No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[2] as well as No. 23 in the UK Singles Chart.^[3] Unlike the other songs on the album, this song has a much slower tempo and is more of a power ballad. It also shares a similar tune to their song "Leila", from their seventh studio album, El Loco.

"Rough Boy"
Single by ZZ Top
from the album Afterburner
B-side	"Delirious"
Released	March 1986 (March 1986)
Recorded	1985
Genre	Rock synth-rock
Length	4:52 (album version) 3:45 (single version)
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Billy Gibbons Dusty Hill Frank Beard
Producer(s)	Bill Ham
ZZ Top singles chronology
"Stages" (1985) "Rough Boy" (1986) "Velcro Fly" (1986)
Music video
"Rough Boy" on YouTube

Background

Dusty Hill said in 2007, "'Rough Boy' is a pretty li'l song. We're doin' it this tour. We pulled it back out. I like that song so much, I had it played at my wedding."^[4]

Reception

Cash Box called it a "rapturous teen ballad" in which "the band turns its leather-tough into pure silk."^[5]

Music video

The music video (directed by Steve Barron^[6]) features the band's "Eliminator" car/spaceplane hybrid (from the Afterburner album cover) visiting a space car wash, interspersed with images of the band members' hands and faces, as well as a woman's legs, protruding from metal plates, some of which double as lighted message signs or crosswalk signals.

Charts

1986 weekly chart performance for "Rough Boy" Chart (1986) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 85 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 58 France (SNEP)[9] 22 Ireland (IRMA)[10] 23 UK Singles (OCC)[3] 23 US Billboard Hot 100[2] 22 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[1] 5

1992 weekly chart performance for "Rough Boy" Chart (1992) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[11] 165 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 81 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 38 UK Singles (OCC)[14] 49

Personnel

• Billy Gibbons - guitar, lead vocals
• Dusty Hill - bass, keyboard, backing vocals
• Frank Beard - drums

References

1. "ZZ Top Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
2. "ZZ Top Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
3. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
4. Tripplet, Gene (March 8, 2007). "On the road or recording, ZZ Top still ready to rock". The Oklahoman.
5. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. March 29, 1986. p. 11. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
6. "ZZ Top - 'Rough boy'". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
7. "Kent Music Report No 620 – 2 June 1986 > National Top 100 Singles (Continued)". Kent Music Report. Retrieved July 14, 2024 – via Imgur.com.
8. "RPM 100 Singles – May 31, 1986" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
9. "ZZ Top – Rough Boy" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rough Boy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
11. "ZZ Top chart history, received from ARIA on July 30, 2021". ARIA. Retrieved July 14, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column indicates the release's peak on the national chart.
12. "ZZ Top – Rough Boy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
13. "ZZ Top – Rough Boy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2024.