Song · The Heartbreakers
“Chinese Rocks” by The Heartbreakers
From the album L.A.M.F. Revisited (1984)
“Chinese Rocks” by The Heartbreakers appears on 1 radio countdown from 1 station in 2002. It was first released in 1984 on the album L.A.M.F. Revisited. Its best result is #1218 on the Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #5,726 alternative song of all time.
"Chinese Rocks" is a junkie's diary with the volume turned up, and the Heartbreakers got to it first. Dee Dee Ramone wrote it in 1975 with a hand from Richard Hell, and Hell's band cut it before Dee Dee's own Ramones ever did. Taking its cue from Lou Reed's "Heroin", it grinds through the daily routine of a heroin habit, drawn from Dee Dee's own life, and onstage the Heartbreakers sometimes swapped sexual references in for the title phrase.
Who wrote what has been argued over ever since: Hell has claimed it as his, though most give the bulk of it to Dee Dee. This take appears on L.A.M.F. Revisited, a 1984 release produced by the band with John David Keen and engineered by Iain O'Higgins.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1218 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
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