THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

686-Suzi Quatro-Can the Can.

1973-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 2.40. Many Pop stars need to choose a cool stage name in order to appear cool, ‘Suzi Q’ was born with hers.

Susan Kay Quatro was born on June 3rd, 1950, in Detroit, Michigan, United States, she has said that her earliest music influence, at the age of six, was seeing Elvis Presley (1935-1977) (see also best songs 954-6643-442 and 194) perform on television. She has stated that she had no direct female role models in music, but was inspired by Billie Holiday, (1915-1959) (see also best songs 624) and liked the dress sense of Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las, (see also best songs 331) ‘Because she wore tight trousers, and a waistcoat on top. She looked hot.’ In 1964 Suzi Quatro joined the all girl group ‘The Pleasure Seekers,’ whom had been formed by her sister Patti Quatro, who would later in 1974 join the all female American Rock band ‘Fanny.’ With ‘The Pleasure Seekers,’ Suzi Quatro released two commercially unsuccessful singles in 1965, and 1968, before leaving the group in 1969. It was Suzi’s brother Michael Quatro, who at that time was an independent entertainment executive, who persuaded Mickie Most (1938-2003) (see also best songs 851) the music producer, and founder of ‘RAK Records,’ to watch Suzi Quatro perform when he was in Detroit. This led to Most signing Suzi to ‘RAK Records,’ and her being introduced to the songwriters and music producers Nicky Chin, and Mike Chapman (see also best songs 860 and 773 and 402.) Suzi Quatro led and others followed, she was the first female bass guitar player to front a ‘Rock’ group, influencing many future ladies of ‘Rock,’ including Joan Jett, The Runaways, and Girlschool. In America where her music was far less commercially successful than in other parts of the world, she is best known for playing the character ‘Leather Tuscadero,’ in the television sitcom ‘Happy Days.’

The discography of Suzi Quatro, who has sold in excess of 50 million records worldwide, includes, 18 studio Albums released between 1973-2023, and 63 singles issued between 1966-2021, there are also 20 official compilation Albums, and two live Albums available. In America on Billboard, only her 1978 Album ‘If You Knew Suzi…’ has charted within the top 40, when reaching Number 37, while on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, none of her solo singles reached the top 40, although her 1978 duet with Chris Norman, ‘Stumblin’ In,’ did make Number 4. In the UK, Suzi Quatro has had 11 top 40 singles, with both ‘Can the Can,’ (1973) and ‘Devil Gate Drive,’ (1974) both reaching the Number 1 spot.

‘Can the Can’ was the second solo single release from Suzi Quatro, the first single called ‘Rolling Stone,’ which had been co-written by Suzi, with Errol Brown, (1943-2015) (see also best songs 864) and Phil Dennys, had failed to chart, except for in Portugal, where it had made Number 1, ‘Can the Can’ which was later added to Suzi Quatro’s self titled debut solo studio Album from 1973, was co-written, and co-produced by Mike Chapman, and Nicky Chinn. While working with Chinn and Chapman the agreement was that they would write all of Suzi Quatro’s singles, while Quatro would write the Album tracks, and ‘B’ sides.

When ‘Can the Can’ went to Number 1 in 1973 in the UK, it made Suzi Quatro the first solo female artist since Mary Hopkin in 1968 with ‘Those Were the Days,’ (see also best songs 692) to top the chart. ‘Can the Can’ was a major success, even so no one knew what the songs subject was about, Nicky Chinn has since explained,’It means something that is pretty impossible, you can’t get one can inside another if they are the same size, so we’re saying you can’t put your man in the can if he is out there and not willing to commit. The phrase sounded good, and we didn’t mind if the public didn’t get the meaning of it.’ Suzi Quatro has said,’I can hear a record for the first time and know whether it will be a hit, and I knew as soon as we had finished recording that we had a big hit on our hands.’

Well you call your mamma tiger, and we all know you are lying, and your boyfriend’s name is eagle, and he lives up in the sky. Watch out the tiger don’t go claw the eagle’s eye, but let the eagle take the tiger by surprise, scratch out her eyes. So make a stand for your man, honey, try to can the can.’