"Block Buster!" (also sometimes listed as "Blockbuster!") is a 1973 single by Sweet. Written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, and produced by Phil Wainman, "Block Buster!" was the band's sole UK No. 1 hit. Released in January 1973, it spent five weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart,[6] and also made #1 in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Ireland, and #3 in Finland, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. Outside Europe it peaked at #1 in New Zealand, #29 in Australia and at #73 on the American Billboard Hot 100.
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| "Block Buster!" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Sweet | ||||
| from the album The Sweet | ||||
| B-side | "Need a Lot of Lovin'" | |||
| Released | January 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1972 | |||
| Genre | blues rock[5] | |||
| Length | 3:13 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman | |||
| Producer(s) | Phil Wainman | |||
| Sweet singles chronology | ||||
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| Official audio | ||||
| "Blockbuster!" on YouTube | ||||
Its Muddy Waters-inspired blues riff is markedly similar to that featured on fellow RCA act David Bowie's "The Jean Genie", released shortly before, but all parties maintained this was a coincidence.[7]
Some controversy arose after the band's performance of the song on the British television program Top of the Pops on 25 December 1973, for which bassist Steve Priest wore a swastika arm band.[8]
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| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 29 |
| Austria | 1 |
| Belgium | 2 |
| Denmark | 1 |
| Finland | 3 |
| Germany | 1 |
| Ireland | 1 |
| Italy | 30 |
| Netherlands | 1 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| Norway | 3 |
| South Africa | 7 |
| Spain | 12 |
| Switzerland | 3 |
| United Kingdom[9] | 1 |
| United States[10] | 73 |
In the case of Belgium, there are two types of lists. The one for the Flemish speaking part of Belgium (Flanders) saw the song reach number two, for five consecutive weeks,.[11] In the French speaking part (Wallonia) the song climbed to number one, for two consecutive weeks.[12]
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