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 and No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as No. 23 in the UK Singles Chart. 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"
ReleasedMarch 1986 (March 1986)
Recorded1985
Genre
Length
  • 4:52 (album version)
  • 3:45 (single version)
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
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."[1]

Reception

Cash Box called it a "rapturous teen ballad" in which "the band turns its leather-tough into pure silk."[2]

Music video

The music video (directed by Steve Barron[3]) 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
Chart (1986) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 22
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks 5
Canadian RPM Top Singles[4] 58
Dutch Singles Chart 81
French Singles Chart[5] 22
Swiss Singles Chart 38
UK Singles Chart 23

Personnel

References
  1. Tripplet, Gene (March 8, 2007). "On the road or recording, ZZ Top still ready to rock". The Oklahoman.
  2. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. March 29, 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  3. "ZZ Top - 'Rough boy'". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
  4. Peaked on RPM 100 Singles Chart on May 31, 1986
  5. Steffen Hung. "ZZ Top Singles". lescharts.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
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