Get ready to bang your head with the iconic anthem that shattered expectations and kicked open the doors for heavy metal on MTV!
The Song
"Cum On Feel the Noize" is not an original Quiet Riot track, but a cover of a 1973 glam rock hit by the British band Slade. Slade's version was a number one hit in the UK but had limited success in the United States, peaking at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100. Quiet Riot's producer, Spencer Proffer, suggested they cover the song for their album "Metal Health". Lead singer Kevin DuBrow was initially against covering it, wanting the band to write all their own material and reportedly not being a big fan of Slade. The band members even tried to sabotage the recording by playing it badly, hoping the label would reject it. However, their raw, unpolished take on the song ended up sounding fresh and energetic, leading to its inclusion on the album.
The Quiet Riot version kicks off immediately with its infectious chorus, unlike the original Slade track. Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea of Slade, the song captures the electrifying atmosphere of a live concert, an energy that Quiet Riot amplified for a new generation.
The Artist
Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band that formed in Los Angeles in 1973. The band's most commercially successful lineup featured Kevin DuBrow (vocals), Carlos Cavazo (guitar), Rudy Sarzo (bass), and Frankie Banali (drums). They were a prominent fixture in the Los Angeles hard rock scene of the 1970s but struggled to secure a major record deal during the disco-dominated era.
Their breakthrough came in 1983 with the release of their album "Metal Health", which made history as the first heavy metal album to reach number one on the Billboard album chart. The band has undergone numerous lineup changes and brief hiatuses over the years, continuing to record and tour even after DuBrow's death in 2007.
Chart Performance
"Cum On Feel the Noize" was released as a single by Quiet Riot on August 27, 1983. It quickly became a smash hit, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 1983, where it remained for two weeks. This achievement was groundbreaking, as it was the first heavy metal song to ever crack the Hot 100's top five. The single's success was instrumental in propelling its parent album, "Metal Health", to the number one spot on the Billboard 200, displacing The Police's Synchronicity and becoming the first heavy metal album to top the US chart. The song was certified gold by the RIAA.
Cultural Impact
Quiet Riot's rendition of "Cum On Feel the Noize" had an immense cultural impact, particularly for the heavy metal genre. It served as a critical "proof of concept" for record labels, demonstrating the commercial viability of heavy metal music to a mainstream audience. Its success opened the floodgates for other "hair metal" bands from the Sunset Strip scene to secure record deals and dominate MTV and radio throughout the 1980s.
The music video for "Cum On Feel the Noize" was a staple on the burgeoning MTV, further cementing the band's, and the genre's, presence in popular culture. In 2009, VH1 ranked Quiet Riot's version at number 41 on their "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" list. The song's enduring legacy is evident in its continued use in popular culture, including its appearance in the opening scenes of the 2008 movie Tropic Thunder.
Fun Facts
- Kevin DuBrow initially resisted covering "Cum On Feel the Noize" and the band intentionally tried to play it poorly during recording to deter their producer, Spencer Proffer, but it backfired spectacularly when Proffer loved it.
- The original Slade song was initially titled "Cum On Hear the Noize," but lead vocalist Noddy Holder changed it, believing that at a Slade concert, you felt the music and the crowd.
- The "Baby, baby, baby" opening in Slade's original recording was actually just a microphone test that sounded good enough to keep in the final track.
- The music video features a teenager whose room is literally shaken by the song's volume, eventually transporting him to a Quiet Riot concert.
- Quiet Riot went on to cover another Slade song, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," on their next album, Condition Critical, though it didn't achieve the same level of success.
- "Metal Health" sold over six million copies in the US, largely propelled by the success of "Cum On Feel the Noize."