Sweet – Blockbuster

In December 1973, David Bowie’s “The Jean Genie” peaked at #2 in the UK charts. The following month, this song went one better going all the way to #1. Both songs used the same Yardbirds riff from Bo Diddley’s “I’m A Man.”

Guitarist Andy Scott recalled to Uncut the band’s panicked reaction after an A&R man played them “Jean Genie.” “We sat there with horrified looks on our faces. The guy asked what was wrong, and we said ‘That’s the same f—ing guitar riff as Blockbuster” He said, ‘Well, it’s quite similar isn’t it?’ ‘It’s the f—ing same!’

I got on the blower to Nicky Chinn and said, ‘We can’t release this.’ He said, ‘Don’t worry, they’re completely different kinds of records and I predict this will be a number one.’ I thought, ‘Good luck with that.’ But he was proved right. A few weeks later, we were at number one and Bowie was at number two.”
This proved to be The Sweet’s only British #1, and it stayed at the top for five weeks. Their next three releases stalled at #2: “Hell Raiser,” “Ballroom Blitz” and “Teenage Rampage.”

This song featured an air-raid siren over a decade before one was used on Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Two Tribes.”

“Block Buster!” – Single by Sweet from the album The Sweet
Released 5 January 1973
Songwriters Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman
Producer Phil Wainman
Chrted No.1 in UK; No.73 in US; No.29 in Australia; No.2 in Belgium; No.1 in West Germany; No.1 Netherlands.