Rough Boy

"Rough Boy" was the third single by American rock band ZZ Top from their 1985 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 album El Loco.

"Rough Boy"
Single by ZZ Top
from the album Afterburner
B-side"Delirious"
ReleasedMarch 1986
Recorded1985
GenreRock
Length4:52 (album version)
3:45 (single version)
LabelWarner 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)

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/space shuttle 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
Polish Singles Chart[6] 12
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. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  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.
  6. "Polish Singles Chart". Lp3.polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
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