(You Can Still) Rock In America – Night Ranger | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#51) & Rock (#15); 1984
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Arena rockers Night Ranger’s massive radio and MTV breakthrough ballad single – Sister Christian – overshadowed the band’s more beat-driven leanings as exemplified by the first single from Midnight Madness, (You Can Still) Rock In America.
Hailing from San Francisco, Night Ranger included musicians who’d honed their chops with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne (guitarist Brad Gillis) and Montrose (keyboard player Alan Fitzgerald).
Singer/bassist Jack Blades played with Gillis in Rubicon, and with the addition of Jeff Watson on guitar and Kelly Keagy on drums, the line-up was complete. Named after Eddie, a homeless man from SF who took other homeless people under his wing and whom everyone called the “Night Ranger,” the group released Dawn Patrol in 1982.
It was still on the charts when Midnight Madness appeared. (You Can Still) Rock In America, penned by Blades and Gillis, kicked off NR’s hot streak of four rock hits from the album.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Pat Glasser
Lyrics Written by:
- Jack Blades
- Brad Gillis
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).