"All Summer Long" was a number-one hit in Australia and six countries across Europe, including the United Kingdom. In the United States, it crossed over tocountry radio, giving Kid Rock his first top-10 country hit. Kid Rock performed the song at the2009 Grammy Awards and atWrestleMania 25, both in medleys. He also promoted the song in Europe performing at theMTV Europe Music Awards and theWorld Music Awards. The song led to the TV special VH-1 Storytellers in November 2008.
The song, musically, is amashup ofLynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" andWarren Zevon's "Werewolves of London".[3] This composition originated from a beat developed byViolent J ofInsane Clown Posse while working withMike E. Clark, a mutual collaborator of Kid Rock's, who sampled Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" and had put the tape aside for an Insane Clown Posse song,[4] which would be released to that year'sGathering of the Juggalos. However, Clark decided to play Violent J's beat for Kid Rock, who was unimpressed by the track, even though Clark loved it.[5] Later, Kid Rock insisted that Clark play the track again, and Kid Rock later came up with the idea to do a mashup of "Werewolves of London" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and add a new melody, resulting in the new composition "All Summer Long".[5][6]
"All Summer Long" was Kid Rock's fourth song to chart on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming his third top-40 hit on the Hot 100 and the biggest solo hit of his career.[7] It reached number 23 on the Hot 100 based solely on airplay, since Kid Rock had not made his catalog available for legal digital download at the time (therefore, the song received no digital sales). It also became a pop crossover hit, reaching the top 10 on theMainstream Top 40 chart.[8] "All Summer Long" has also reached the top 10 onBillboard'sAdult Top 40.[9]
The song was Kid Rock's third entry on theBillboardHot Country Songs chart, after "Picture" and "Single Father" in 2003, reaching number four to become his first top-20 and top-10 single on that chart.[10] It was a moderate hit on American rock radio, peaking at number 17 on theMainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 38 on theModern Rock Tracks chart.[11][12] The song has sold 943,000 copies in the US as of April 2016.[13]
In the United Kingdom, "All Summer Long" peaked atop theUK Singles Chart on the week of August 2, 2008.[14] In the rest of Europe, the song was available as a physical and digital release; it topped the charts of Ireland,[15] Austria,[16] Germany,[17] the Netherlands,[18] and Switzerland.[19] In Austria, it was the most successful song of 2008.[20] It reached the top five inFlanders,[21] Norway,[22] and Sweden.[23] In addition, it topped theEuropean Hot 100 Singles chart for four weeks, ending 2008 as Europe's eighth-most-successful single.[24][25] In Australia, the song was his first top-10 hit and number-one single,[26] while in New Zealand, the song peaked at number three.[27]
The music video for the song was shot inNashville, Tennessee, and features Kid Rock driving a Grand Craft Grand Sport[28] boat out on theOld Hickory Lake,[29] while two teenagers are shown enacting the song's lyrics, taking place in the implied year of 1989 as mentioned in the first verse. Kid Rock is also shown partying with girls or women on a different boat, and singing the song on a platform on the lake during night time. The platform, float & lights are a homage to the "Playboy girls" scene in the filmApocalypse Now.[30] As the video ends, the small boat Kid Rock is driving can be seen with the word "cowboy" on the back.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
A recording of the song was released digitally byHit Masters, akaraoke company whose version was made available in theiTunes Store inNorth America. Due to Kid Rock's decision to withhold his music from the iTunes market,[78] sales from the karaoke version eventually caused it to overtake Kid Rock's original on theBillboard Hot 100 in the United States peaking at number 19. This version also peaked at number 28 on theCanadian Hot 100 due to digital downloads. As Rock's version remained in the top 30 based on radio airplay alone, Hit Masters jumped into the top 20 due to its sales strength.[79][80] However, the radio success of "All Summer Long" propelledRock N Roll Jesus back up to number two on theBillboard 200, nearly a year after its release.[81]
Another recording of the song bykaraoke bandthe Rock Heroes was released on iTunes for digital downloads in North America in September 2008. In the U.S. it debuted at number 38 on theBillboard Hot 100 and then rose to number 29 the next week, and also in Canada it debuted at number 16 on the Canadian Hot 100 due to digital downloads.
^"Music Upfront: June 30".Music Week. June 21, 2008. p. 21.
^Masterton, James (July 13, 2008)."Week Ending July 19th 2008". Chart Watch UK. RetrievedMarch 1, 2023.Physical release this week should send this memorable hit skyrocketing even further.
