Rocks (song)

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1994 single by Primal Scream

title: "Rocks (song)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1994-singles", "1994-songs", "creation-records-singles", "music-videos-shot-in-london", "primal-scream-songs", "sire-records-singles", "song-recordings-produced-by-tom-dowd", "songs-written-by-andrew-innes", "songs-written-by-bobby-gillespie", "songs-written-by-robert-young-(musician)", "uk-independent-singles-chart-number-one-singles"] description: "1994 single by Primal Scream" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocks_(song)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1994 single by Primal Scream ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Rocks
cover	Rocks Funky Jam cover.jpg
type	single
artist	Primal Scream
album	Give Out but Don't Give Up
A-side	"Funky Jam" (Hot Ass mix)
B-side	Everybody Needs Somebody
released
genre	Alternative rock
length	3:36
label	Creation
producer	Tom Dowd
prev_title	Damaged
prev_year	1992
title	Rocks
title2	Funky Jam
next_title	Jailbird
next_year	1994
::

Bobby Gillespie
Andrew Innes
Robert Young | producer = Tom Dowd | prev_title = Damaged | prev_year = 1992 | title = Rocks | title2 = Funky Jam | next_title = Jailbird | next_year = 1994 "Rocks" is a song by the Scottish rock band Primal Scream from their fourth studio album, Give Out but Don't Give Up (1994). This track was the first indication of the band's evolution in musical genre, contrasting with the approaches used in Primal Scream's previous album, titled Screamadelica, which had gotten released in 1991 and featured dance-related leanings. "Rocks" (and the Give Out but Don't Give Up album as a whole) feature a more bluesy hard rock approach akin to arena-friendly songs of the past, being inspired by British artists such as T. Rex, the Rolling Stones, and Faces.

"Rocks" was released as a single on 28 February 1994, and the track reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart as a double A-side with another of the band's songs: the Hot Ass mix of "Funky Jam". Together, they were the highest-charting Primal Scream single until "Country Girl" reached number five in 2006. In 2024, the song received a gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streams exceeding 400,000.

Critical reception

In retrospective terms, music journalist Steve Huey (who has also been associated with AllMusic) highlighted the song as a part of a musical trend involving "guitar-oriented, post-Nirvana alternative rock" performed "by bands who received some measure of radio or [even] MTV exposure". He described Primal Scream in the context of "Rocks" as one of a group of "groundbreaking cult artists who scored at least a little crossover success in the alternative mainstream" alongside bands such as the Afghan Whigs, Dinosaur Jr., and Screaming Trees. Similarly, Johnny Loftus (of the same publication) retrospectively described "Rocks" as sounding "raucous" and wrote in a supportive yet glib fashion that the song "is sure to please your English foreign exchange student friend."

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Rocks" was directed by Chris Symes and produced by him for Propaganda. It was released on 28 February 1994 and features a hedonistic glam rock shot at Million Dollar Babes with 200 of London's grooviest clubbers.

Track listings

All tracks were written by Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes, and Robert Young.

UK 7-inch and cassette single

"Rocks" – 3:36
"Funky Jam" (Hot Ass mix) – 5:21

UK 12-inch and CD single; Japanese CD single

"Rocks" – 3:36
"Funky Jam" (Hot Ass mix) – 5:21
"Funky Jam" (club mix) – 5:27

US and New Zealand 7-inch single

"Rocks" (album version) – 3:36
"Everybody Needs Somebody" (album version) – 5:22

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1994) | Peak position | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | Europe (European Hit Radio) | Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | UK Airplay (Music Week) | UK Indie (Music Week) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 21 | | | | | | | | 28 | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | 13 | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1994)	Position	Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)	UK Singles (OCC)
76
170
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table]

Region	Date	Format(s)
28 February 1994		Creation
7 March 1994
24 March 1994	CD
::

Cover versions

The Faces' Rod Stewart would later cover the song, including a version on his 1998 album When We Were the New Boys. Music journalist Stephen Thomas Erlewine highlighted the peculiarity of Stewart "tackling the music of his Brit-pop offspring" while praising the track for AllMusic. Erlewine directly compared the artist's assertive interpretation of "Rocks" to Stewart's previously released song "Hot Legs".

References

"Double Shot: Alt Rock".
"Frosh, Vol. 5".
(26 February 1994). "Promos In Production".
(1994). "Rocks / Funky Jam". [[Creation Records]].
(1994). "Rocks / Funky Jam". Creation Records.
(1994). "Rocks / Funky Jam". Creation Records.
(1994). "Rocks / Funky Jam". Creation Records.
(1994). "Rocks / Funky Jam". Creation Records.
(1994). "Rocks". [[Sire Records]].
(March 19, 1994). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
(April 2, 1994). "EHR Top 40".
(2 June 1994). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (02.6.–08.6. '94)". [[DV (newspaper).
(19 March 1994). "The Airplay Chart".
(April 2, 1994). "Indie Singles".
(2 January 1995). "Árslistinn 1994". Dagblaðið Vísir.
(7 January 1995). "1994 – Singles".
(26 February 1994). "Promos in Production".
(6 March 1994). "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 07/03/94: Singles".
"ロックス {{!}} プライマル・スクリーム". [[Oricon]].
"When We Were the New Boys - Rod Stewart".

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