I'm In Love With My Pet Rock

Album: single release only (1976)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • You know a trend has peaked when there's a song about it. "I'm In Love With My Pet Rock" was inspired by one of the biggest and most bizarre fads of the 1970s: the Pet Rock.

    Selling for $3.95 (about $20 today), the Pet Rock was just a rock packaged in small box (with air holes) with a cleverly written instruction manual. You didn't have to feed it or take it for walks, and it always obeyed a small set of commands: sit, stay, play dead. The manual explains how it can be used for security: If you're being threatened the rock could be used to "bash the mugger's head in."

    The craze hit during the Christmas season of 1975; the song was released in February 1976 as the novelty was wearing off but many folks still had the Pet Rocks they got as gifts on display.

    In the song, a boy brings home a pet rock and asks his dad to keep it - it's already housebroken. The rock quickly becomes part of the family.
  • The song went to #85 on the Country chart. There were other Pet Rock songs as well, including an audio collage called "The Pet Rocks Are Coming" (by "Walter Rockite") and "Pet Rock Rock" by Merlin.
  • Bill Pineo wrote the song and it was produced by Hal Freeman. Al Bolt never hit the big time but did land another song on the Country chart with "Family Man" later in 1976.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

John Waite

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Don Brewer of Grand Funk

Don Brewer of Grand FunkSongwriter Interviews

The drummer and one of the primary songwriters in Grand Funk talks rock stardom and Todd Rundgren.

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.