The Stroke – Billy Squier | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#17) and Mainstream Rock (#3); 1981
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
By the time of The Stroke, Billy Squier had already gained experience in the house band at Boston’s Psychedelic Supermarket, and with the Sidewinders and Piper.
The latter unit recorded two albums in the late 1970’s before Squier disbanded it and signed a solo deal with Capitol Records. His debut effort, Tale Of The Tape, showed off Squier’s songwriting and guitar playing skills.
Although it only rose to #169 here, it garnered enough attention to secure Squier a spot on tour with Alice Cooper and Whitesnake. His sophomore release, 1981’s Don’t Say No, shifted Squier up to a whole ‘nother level.
In The Dark caught favor with rock radio programmers, followed quickly by The Stroke. While both tracks grabbed on-air spins, The Stroke crossed over to the Hot 100 and began its climb to #17.
In the end, both blasted into the Mainstream Rock Top 10, and boosted sales of Don’t Say No to three times platinum.
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:
- Reinhold Mack
- Billy Squier
Lyrics Written by:
- William Squier
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).