Hot Legs

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"Hot Legs"
Single by Rod Stewart
from the album Foot Loose & Fancy Free
B-side"You're Insane" or "I Was Only Joking"
Released20 January 1978 [1]
Recorded1977
Genre
Length
  • 5:15 (album)
  • 3:55 (single)
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Rod Stewart, Gary Grainger
Producer(s)Tom Dowd
Rod Stewart singles chronology
"You're in My Heart"
(1977)
"Hot Legs"
(1978)
"I Was Only Joking"
(1978)

"Hot Legs" is a single by Rod Stewart released in 1978 as the second single for his 1977 album Foot Loose & Fancy Free. The single performed moderately on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 28, but performed better on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 5. In the UK, "Hot Legs" and "I Was Only Joking" charted together as a double A-side.[2]

In 1993, Stewart recorded a live version during his MTV Unplugged session which appeared on the album Unplugged...and Seated. Since the original recording, the lyrics in the last verse have been changed.

The lead guitar that is prominent throughout the song was performed by Billy Peek, a Saint Louis, Missouri native who was in Stewart's band in the mid-seventies.

Reception[edit]

Billboard described "Hot Legs" as a "blistering blues rocker" comparable to the best Rolling Stones songs.[3] Cash Box said that it is a "solid kicker from the proven Stewart rock n' roll good-time format."[4] Record World said that Stewart's " voice and sense of humor are intact, while his L.A.-session-allstar cast lays down a satisfyingly raunchy backup."[5]

Covers[edit]

Artists who have recorded cover versions of "Hot Legs" include Tom Jones, Tina Turner, and American rock band Orgy. Bon Jovi occasionally covered this song on the Circle Tour.

Charts[edit]

Chart (1977) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 22
Germany (Official German Charts)[7] 34
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 28
Ireland (IRMA)[9] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 31
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 28

References[edit]

  1. ^ "BPI certifications".
  2. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 531/2. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 11 February 1978. p. 64. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  4. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 4 February 1978. p. 18. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 11 February 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Rod Stewart – Hot Legs" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  7. ^ "Rod Stewart – Hot Legs" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  8. ^ "Rod Stewart – Hot Legs" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  9. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hot Legs". Irish Singles Chart.
  10. ^ "Rod Stewart – Hot Legs". Top 40 Singles.
  11. ^ "Rod Stewart: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  12. ^ "Rod Stewart Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.