Stop This Game
| "Stop This Game" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Cheap Trick | ||||
| from the album All Shook Up | ||||
| B-side | "Who D'King" | |||
| Released | October 1980[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:45 | |||
| Label | Epic Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |||
| Cheap Trick singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Stop This Game" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, released in 1980 as the lead single from their fifth studio album All Shook Up. It was written by Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander, and produced by George Martin.[2] "Stop This Game" reached No. 48 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 32 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles.[3][4]
Critical reception
[edit]Upon release, Billboard described the song as one that "starts off on a mellow note before some thunderous guitar licks take charge and the tune becomes a forceful rocker. Lead vocals are full of gut level intensity."[5] In a review of All Shook Up, Billboard described the song as an "epic, mid-tempo rocker".[6] David Fricke of Rolling Stone described the song as one of the album's "clever pop curves", describing it as recalling The Who and noting the "dense, pseudo-ELO orchestration".[7] Record World said of it that "Robin Zander provides one of his finest vocal efforts on this insistent rocker."[8] In a retrospective review of the album, Stewart Mason of AllMusic recommended the song by selecting it as an AMG Pick Track.[9]
The song did best in the group's home base of northern Illinois, where it reached #27 on superstation WLS-AM in Chicago. It spent 14 weeks in the Top 40 on their weekly survey.[10]
Track listing
[edit]- 7" single
- "Stop This Game" – 3:45
- "Who D'King" – 2:16
- 7" single (US promo)
- "Stop This Game" – 3:50
- "Stop This Game" – 3:50
Personnel
[edit]- Robin Zander – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Rick Nielsen – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Tom Petersson – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Bun E. Carlos – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
[edit]- George Martin - producer, arranger, piano
- Geoff Emerick – engineer
- Nigel Walker – assistant engineer
- Tony George – assistant engineer
- George Marino – mastering
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (1980–81) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Top Singles[4] | 32 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 48 |
| US Cash Box [11] | 44 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Cheap Trick - Stop This Game / Who D' King - Epic - USA - 19-50942". 45cat. 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
- ^ "Cheap Trick - Stop This Game at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ a b Billboard. "Cheap Trick Stop This Game Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
- ^ a b "Item: 264 - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
- ^ Billboard magazine - Billboard's Top Single Picks - November 8, 1980 - page 62
- ^ "Billboard - Google Books". 1980-11-08. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
- ^ David Fricke (1981-03-19). "All Shook Up | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 15, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Mason, Stewart. "All Shook Up - Cheap Trick". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ WLS Musicradio Survey, February 14, 1981
- ^ Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 20, 1980