Bad To The Bone – George Thorogood & The Destroyers | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Mainstream Rock (#27); 1982

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

Ironically, for a musician who steadfastly refused to play anything more modern than rockin’ blues, George Thorogood’s career boost came via MTV. The former minor league ball player caught the music bug after attending a concert by bluesman John Hammond. Just three years later, in 1973, George formed the Delaware Destroyers in his home state. Better opportunities beckoned in Boston, so he and the band moved there, where they backed up all the big blues stars. A self-titled first LP arrived in 1977, followed in 1978 by Move It On Over. George’s cover of the title track, a Hank Williams original released as his debut single in 1947, quickly became a mainstay on album-oriented radio. In 1982 George moved from an indie to a major label for Bad To The Bone. His new label also chipped in for a music video – featuring the legendary Bo Diddley – that received extensive exposure on MTV, and introduced George and the blues to a new generation.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2023 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

• The Delaware Destroyers

Lyrics Written by:

• George Thorogood