Song · Blue Cheer
“Summertime Blues” by Blue Cheer
From the album Vincebus Eruptum (1968)
“Summertime Blues” by Blue Cheer appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1990 and 2012. It was first released in 1968 on the album Vincebus Eruptum. Its best result is #267 on the WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,374 hard rock song of all time.
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Blue Cheer took "Summertime Blues", the rocker Eddie Cochran wrote with his manager Jerry Capehart and first put out as a B-side in 1958, and cranked it until the speakers begged for mercy on Vincebus Eruptum in 1968. It's three players and a wall of noise: Dickie Peterson pounding the bass and bellowing the lead, Leigh Stephens' guitar blaring and smearing all over the place, Paul Whaley flailing at the drums like he's trying to break through the floor. Abe Kesh produced.
Nothing here is dainty, and nothing needs to be. The version became a hit in its own right, putting Blue Cheer alongside the Who among the acts who have scored with Cochran's song.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Hard Rock & Metal
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 969 | Z-Rock | Z-Rock Top 1001 Songs of All-Time (1990) | 1000 |
| 2012 | 267 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) | 885 |
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