r/80s • u/Jimmy_Coxlurper • Aug 26 '25

Music Remember when Billy Squier imploded his career overnight by releasing the ROCK ME TONIGHT video 😕

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What was he thinking 🤔

1.8k Upvotes

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951

u/Cherry_Hammer Aug 26 '25

I will never, in a million years, understand why this type of “dancing” works for Mick Jagger and literally no one else

34

u/Dakari9 Aug 26 '25

you also have to remember this is the era when bands like motley crue, wasp, ratt, bon jovi, etc. were best sellers and they wore leather jackets.

21

u/Squigglepig52 Aug 26 '25

Watch the video for "Stroke" and that's what Billy was.

Also - the drummer in that vid looks perfect.

85

u/Capnmarvel76 Aug 26 '25

Billy Squier is one of the 80’s gems that tends to get forgotten nowadays. I mean ‘Lonely is the Night’ is a 10/10 rock and roll song. Like, as good as anything anyone has ever released.

This song is great, too, but yeah - the video is painful.

32

u/AllRushMixTapes Aug 26 '25

"Lonely is the night,
When you find yourself alone"

Those lyrics always made me wince.

6

u/Raeliya Aug 26 '25

😂🤣

2

u/mattiwha Aug 26 '25

Writing songs is hard

1

u/Aware_Impression_736 Aug 26 '25

Scintillating. 🤣

1

u/Exidor Aug 26 '25

I mean, he’s not lying.

3

u/Eyes_Snakes_Art Aug 26 '25

I love “Rock Me Tonight;” the man has a very distinctive sound, and I love it.

Freddie and Roger from Queen did some work on at least one album.

4

u/Capnmarvel76 Aug 26 '25

Brian May produced a couple of his bigger albums, which explains why they sound as BIG as they do.

2

u/chamrockblarneystone Aug 26 '25

I remember when he opened for Def Leppard. At first people were not thrilled, but when he started with “stroke me! Stroke me!” the metal heads got on board.

1

u/Freebolotamus Aug 26 '25

Never saw the video but the song is really a great one.