Lights Out (Peter Wolf song)
| "Lights Out" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Peter Wolf | ||||
| from the album Lights Out | ||||
| Released | July 1984 | |||
| Studio | Syncro Sound (Boston, Massachusetts) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:27 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers | ||||
| Peter Wolf singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Lights Out" on YouTube | ||||
"Lights Out" is a song by American rock singer Peter Wolf, formerly of the J. Geils Band, as the epynonymous track from his debut solo album, Lights Out. It was released as a single in 1984 and became his biggest solo hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #12.
Reception
The song entered the Hot 100 at No. 56 on July 14, 1984, and reached its peak position of No. 12 on September 8, 1984.
AllMusic described the song as a "bouncing, machine funk monster" and a "raft of catchy, candy-coated '80s pop".[1] Cashbox commented that "Peter Wolf displays the same, soulfoul [sic], gritty vocals that marked his tenure with [the J. Geils Band]".[2]
In popular culture
The song appeared on the soundtrack to the Rob Reiner film The Sure Thing.
Personnel
- Peter Wolf - lead vocals
- Elliot Easton, Elliott Randall, Ed Stasium, Rick "Rice" Peppers - guitar
- Michael Jonzun, Leon Mobley, Gordon Worthy, Peter Wolf - congas
- Robin Beck, Will Lee, Peter Wolf, Michael Jonzun - backing vocals
- Yogi Horton - percussion
- Will Lee - bass
- Gordon Worthy - keyboards
- P-Funk Horns Section - horns
Weekly charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] | 46 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] | 12 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[5] | 6 |
Samples
The song was sampled by novelty artist Dickie Goodman in "Election '84".
References
- ↑ "'Lights Out'". AllMusic. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. July 14, 1984. p. 7. Retrieved May 3, 2026 – via World Radio History.
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 342. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 122.
- ↑ "Peter Wolf Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2026.