Rock Me (Steppenwolf song)

{{short description|1969 song by Steppenwolf}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Rock Me

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Steppenwolf

| album = At Your Birthday Party

| B-side = Jupiter Child

| released = {{Start date|1969|2|22}}{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Steppenwolf&titel=Rock+Me&cat=s|title=Steppenwolf singles}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Rock

| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=45}}

| label = ABC

| writer = John Kay{{cite web|url=https://repertoire.bmi.com/Error.aspx|title=BMI | Repertoire Search|website=repertoire.bmi.com}}

| producer = Gabriel Mekler

| prev_title = Magic Carpet Ride

| prev_year = 1968

| next_title = It's Never Too Late

| next_year = 1969

}}

"Rock Me" is a song by the Canadian-American hard rock band Steppenwolf. It was released on their 1969 album At Your Birthday Party. It was written by the band's lead singer John Kay, and was the band's fifth American single release. The song was produced by Gabriel Mekler and released as a single in 1969, originally as the B-side to "Jupiter Child", but the sides were later flipped. It peaked at #10 on the Hot 100 on April 19, 1969{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/steppenwolf/chart-history/hsi/|title=Steppenwolf Rock Me Chart History|magazine=Billboard |publisher=}} and #6 on both WLS{{cite web|url=http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls690407.htm|title=WLS89 Hit Parade|publisher=WLS|date=1969-04-07|accessdate=2020-06-11}} and WCFL.{{cite web|url=http://www.oldiesloon.com/ilc/wcfl690409|title=1000 WCFL-AM Sound 10 Survey-Chicago|publisher=WCFL|date=1969-06-09|accessdate=2020-06-11}} It was both Billboard'sHot 100, 1 March 1969 and Cashbox's{{cite web|url=http://www.tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/1969.html|title=Cash Box Top Singles - 1969|website=www.tropicalglen.com}} top debut the week of March 1, 1969. The song is considered the highlight of the album{{cite web|url=https://steppenwolf.com/files/record-collector-magazine-full-article.pdf |title=Rebel with a cause |publisher=steppenwolf.com |date= |accessdate=2019-12-09}} though it had been released for the soundtrack well ahead of the album.{{cite web|url=https://steppenwolf.com/p-4254-1960s.html|title=1960's|website=steppenwolf.com}} The song followed on the heels of the band's two 1968 hits,{{cite web|url=https://bestclassicbands.com/radio-hits-april-1969-4-1-17/|title=Look Back: Radio Hits April 1969 - Best Classic Bands|date=12 August 2015|publisher=}} "Born to Be Wild" which peaked at #2 and "Magic Carpet Ride" which peaked at #3. Cash Box particularly praised the "pulverizing vocal performance."{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=February 22, 1969|page=24|accessdate=2021-12-08|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1969/CB-1969-02-22.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}}

Dave Grusin used the song when he scored the 1968 psychedelic sex farce movie Candy, in which it is the culmination to the soundtrack.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/candy-original-soundtrack-mw0000860799|title=Candy [Original Soundtrack] - Steppenwolf - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic}} Steppenwolf performed the song on the January 5, 1969, episode of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and on the German Beat-Club.{{cite web|url=https://jackfmfargo.com/music/track/steppenwolf/rock-me-live/|title=rock-me-live – steppenwolf – Music – 101.9 Jack FM – Playing What We Want – Fargo ND, Moorhead MN|publisher=Midwest Communications|website=101.9 Jack FM}} The song later appeared in the band's live albums Live at 25 released in 1995 and Live in Louisville released in 2004 as well as all of the band's compilation albums.

Way Back Attack ranks it #31 on its list of the Top 100 Psychedelic Hits of 1966–1969.{{cite web|url=http://www.waybackattack.com/top100-psychedelichits.html|title=Way Back Attack - Top 100 Psychedelic Hits 1966-1969|website=www.waybackattack.com}}

In his book Die at the Right Time!: A Subjective Cultural History of the American Sixties, Erik v. d. Luft noted the surprising theme from the all-male band, fronted by John Kay's gruff voice "complaining that a woman was being objectified for sex."{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ryvnZiTBAAC&q=%22rock+me%22+candy+movie&pg=PA366|title=Die at the Right Time!: A Subjective Cultural History of the American Sixties|first=Eric v d|last=Luft|date=21 September 2009|publisher=Gegensatz Press|isbn=9781933237398|via=Google Books}}

Cash Box described the original A-side, "Jupiter Child" as sounding "steel-hard on the sole basis of the distinctive lead vocal and smouldering instrumentation" despite a relatively slow tempo.{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=February 15, 1969|page=20|accessdate=2021-12-08|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1969/CB-1969-02-15.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}}