Teenage Rampage
{{Infobox song
| name = Teenage Rampage
| cover = Teenage Rampage record label.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Sweet
| album =
| B-side = Own Up, Take A Look At Yourself
| released = January 1974
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Glam rock
| length = 3:31
| label = RCA Victor
| writer = Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman
| producer = Nicky Chinn and Phil Wainman
| prev_title = The Ballroom Blitz
| prev_year = 1973
| next_title = The Six Teens
| next_year = 1974
}}
"Teenage Rampage" is a 1974 glam rock song performed by English band Sweet.{{cite web|url=https://www.thatericalper.com/2025/03/20/sweets-platinum-rare-1-brings-unreleased-tracks-to-fans-for-the-first-time-on-may-23/|title=Sweet’s Platinum Rare 1 Brings Unreleased Tracks to Fans for the First Time on May 23|website=Thatericalper.com|access-date=26 May 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/the-sweet-tour-dates-21701648.html|title=The Sweet Tour Dates|date=February 25, 2014|website=Yahoo Life}}
Song history
The song was written by prolific songwriting duo Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/sep/12/blockbuster-nicky-chinn-songs-mud-and-sweet-jukebox-musical|title=That's neat: Chinnichap's blitz of 70s hits become a musical|first=Nicholas|last=Wroe|date=September 12, 2014|via=The Guardian}}
It was released by (The) Sweet in January 1974 and reached number 1 in the Irish singles chart for two weeks in September 1974. It was also number 1 in West Germany and number 2 in Britain.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/documentaries/glam.shtml|title=BBC - Radio 2 - Documentaries - Chinnichap: The True Story of Glam|website=Bbc.co.uk}}
Reception
Gold Radio named it as Sweet's best song, saying it "was inspired by the growing youth culture and rebellion in Britain at the time, and the lyrics express the frustration and anger of the teenagers who feel ignored and oppressed by the older generation."{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldradio.com/features/song-lists/sweet-songs-best-ranked/|title=The Sweet's 10 greatest songs, ranked|website=Gold Radio}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/05/steve-priest-the-sweet-bassist-heavy-metal|title=Steve Priest: the outrageous Sweet bassist who presaged heavy metal|first=Alexis|last=Petridis|date=June 5, 2020|via=The Guardian}}
Moral campaigner Mary Whitehouse wrote to BBC director-general Ian Trethowan to demand its immediate ban, saying it was "inadvisable in the present circumstances" for a song promoting teenage revolution to be played on the radio; the UK was experiencing a recession, industrial strife as well as the ongoing Troubles. Trethowan refused, saying that the song was harmless on account of being "totally empty of real content – like all too much pop music."{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/sep/20/chirpy-chirpy-cheep-cheep-why-singalong-70s-pop-was-edgier-than-you-think|title=Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep! Why singalong 70s pop was edgier than you think|first=Will|last=Hodgkinson|date=September 20, 2022|via=The Guardian}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|AdPpQRzcSk8|Teenage Rampage}}
- {{IMDb title|11136764}}
{{The Sweet}}
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