Did Brownsville Station think "Smokin' in the Boys Room" would be a hit?

No, Brownsville Station did not expect "Smokin' in the Boys Room" to be a hit, with Donny Lutz stating they considered it a fun, rebellious topic without hit potential.

How did "Smokin' in the Boys Room" become popular?

A radio station in Bangor, Maine, began playing the song, and the listener response was so strong that it launched the song's success.

Did Mötley Crüe's cover of "Smokin' in the Boys Room" help the band?

Yes, Vince Neil suggested covering "Smokin' in the Boys Room" and felt it helped the band at the time, with their version reaching No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Unexpected Hit: 'Smokin' in the Boys Room' Story

Unexpected Hit: 'Smokin' in the Boys Room' Story

6 Apr

•

Summary

The band didn't expect their hit song to become popular.
A radio station in Maine sparked the song's success.
Mötley Crüe's cover version revitalized the track.

Unexpected Hit: 'Smokin' in the Boys Room' Story

Brownsville Station's iconic song "Smokin' in the Boys Room" was never anticipated to be a chart-topper. Band member Donny Lutz confessed he wrote it about a schoolyard rebellion theme without expecting it to be a hit. However, a radio station in Bangor, Maine, began playing the track, leading to an overwhelming listener response that launched the song's success.

Despite "Smokin' in the Boys Room" achieving gold status, it inadvertently typecast Brownsville Station as a 'bubblegum' band. The Michigan-based group disbanded in 1979 without another Top 10 hit, though a new iteration was formed in 2012. The song found new life in 1985 when Mötley Crüe released a cover version.

According to Vince Neil's memoir, he suggested covering "Smokin' in the Boys Room" to boost the band's standing. Mötley Crüe's rendition reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the charts for 15 weeks. Lutz later expressed admiration for Mötley Crüe's cover, noting they honored the song's original structure.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.