THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
433-Kid Rock-All Summer Long.
2008-Number 1 single.
Best Bit-At 1.07. If he can have that much fun reminiscing about ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ think how much more fun he would have had, had it been ‘Freebird.’ (see also best songs 12.)
Kid Rock was born Robert James Ritchie, on January 17th, 1971, in Romeo, Michigan, United States, he is a singer, songwriter, and musician. Kid Rock was brought up in an affluent family on his fathers six acre estate. As a teenager he became interested in ‘Hip-Hop’ music, he learnt how to break-dance, and taught himself to rap, entering talent shows around the Detroit area. His first endeavour as a professional musician was as a member of a ‘Hip-Hop’ group called ‘The Beast Crew,’ where he came to be noticed by the music producer Mike E. Clark. Kid Rock’s sound has gradually changed over the years, having began as a Rapper, he moved away from that genre, and over the course of his Albums he became a singer, encompassing ‘Rock,’ ‘Country,’ and ‘Nu Metal.’ His song ‘Cowboy’ from 1999 is considered a pioneering song in the ‘Country Rap’ genre. It would be true to say that Kid Rock has definitely pushed the boundaries with his fusing of musical genres. In the 2007 book ‘Is Hip Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music,’ the author Mickey Hess identified Kid Rock as ‘Connecting ‘Hip-Hop’ music to ‘Rap Rock,’ due to having started out as a Hip-Hop artist, before shifting his style from sample-based Hip-Hop to guitar-driven Alternative Rock that fused Hip-Hop beats, boasting and fashioned with hard rock guitar and Southern Rock attitude, influenced by classic rock and Country Music.’
The discography of Kid Rock, who has sold in excess of 35 million Albums worldwide, includes 12 studio Albums released between 1990-2022, and 41 singles released between 1990-2023, there are also three extended plays, (EP’s) two official compilation Albums, and one live Album available. In America on Billboard, eight of his Albums have reached the top 10, with ‘Rock n Roll Jesus,’ making Number 1 in 2007. In the UK, ‘Rock n Roll Jesus,’ is his only top 40 charting Album, peaking at Number 4. On the American Billboard Hot 100, Kid Rock has had three top 40 charting singles, with ‘Picture,’ featuring Sheryl Crow, or Allison Moorer, peaking the highest at Number 4 in 2002. In America ‘All Summer Long’ only reached Number 23, since Kid Rock had not made his catalogue available for legal digital download at the time, therefore, the song received no digital sales, and it’s chart position was based solely on airplay. In the UK, Kid Rock has had three top 40 charting singles, with the other two being ‘Cowboy,’ (1999-Number 36) and ‘American Bad Ass’ (2000-Number 25.)
‘All Summer Long’ was the third of six singles released from ‘Rock n Roll Jesus,’ the seventh studio Album by Kid Rock, from October 2007, the record company wanted to issue ‘All Summer Long’ as the Albums lead single, but due to the time of year it was decided to wait until March 2008, in order to give the track a chance of becoming a summer hit. ‘All Summer Long’ samples three classic tracks from the 1970’s, ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ (see also best songs 204) by Lynyrd Skynyrd,’ ‘Werewolves of London,’ by Warren Zevon, (1947-2003) and ‘Night Moves,’ by Bob Seger, and because of this there are eight official songwriters credited, the production was by Kid Rock.
The piano on ‘All Summer Long’ was played by Billy Powell, (1952-2009) who had been a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and had played keyboards on ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ According to Kid Rock’s close associate, the DJ Uncle Kracker, ‘All Summer Long’ came about because ‘Atlantic Records’ were wanting to capitalise on the trend of ‘mashup’ songs at that time, Uncle Kracker has said, ‘One morning, he (Kid Rock) had this track from Mike Clark (music producer) where he looped ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ and ‘Werewolves Of London.’ I happened to be home off tour, and he was home off tour. He was like, ‘Man, I’ve got this banger, you’ve got to come out here. Let’s write this thing today.’ I drove out to his studio and we wrote that in probably about a half hour, I bet.’
‘All Summer Long’ sees the songs narrator reminiscing fondly about his youth. Kid Rock has said, ‘I knew the track was solid, it’s got two of the best songs of all time mashed up together. It’s got great melodies, so really, my work was done’.
‘Splashing through the sand bar, talking by the campfire, it’s the simple things in life, like when and where. We didn’t have no internet, but man I will never forget the way the moonlight shined upon her hair.’