"The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" is a single by Mott the Hoople, written by Ian Hunter. It is a release from 1974's ''

The Hoople ''The Hoople'' is the seventh and final studio album by British rock band Mott the Hoople. The album peaked in the UK Albums Chart at No. 11, whilst its highest chart rating in the US was No. 28. It was the 85th best selling album of 1974 and ...

''.

Background

Performed live by Mott, "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" would usually follow a piano take on the first verse of

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail", he is best known for his 1971 hit "American Pie (song), American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minut ...

's " American Pie", hence following the latter's statement, "The day the music died". Ian Hunter would declare: "Or did it? Ladies and gentlemen, The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll!", whereupon the whole band launched into the song. This can be heard among the 2006 bonus tracks on ''

'' and on the Broadway disc of the 2004 remastered and expanded 30th Anniversary Edition of ''

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film * ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film *'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...

''.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' called it a "hard driving rocker typical of the great work the group has been turning out of late" that is "highlighted by the strength of Hunter’s vocals and a strong keyboard and lead guitar." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said "Horn lines from

Larry Williams Lawrence Eugene Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist from New Orleans. He is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to ...

' ' Boney Maroney' wedded to Mott's brand of glitter rock means a hit marriage of the past and the future of rock."

Chart performance

It reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll " went to number 96, and was one three Mott the Hoople releases to hit the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

. In Canada, it reached number 64.

Cover versions

Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drummer), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, ...

covered the song for their 2006 covers album '' Yeah!''. "The one I assumed I'd breeze through was 'The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll'," observed singer

Joe Elliott Joseph Thomas Elliott (born 1 August 1959) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of the hard rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of the David Bowie tribute band the ...

, "which I know backwards, inside out and in foreign languages. We had to take that one down a key because I just couldn't do it."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden Age of Rock and Roll Mott the Hoople songs 1974 songs 1974 singles Songs written by Ian Hunter (singer) CBS Records singles