Billy Squier Songs Ranked
William Haislip Squier (born May 12, 1950) is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, and guitarist, who had a string of arena rock and crossover hits in the early 1980s. His best-known songs include “The Stroke”, “Lonely Is the Night”, “My Kinda Lover”, “In the Dark”, “Rock Me Tonite”, “Everybody Wants You”, “Emotions in Motion”, “Love Is the Hero”, “Don’t Say You Love Me” and “The Big Beat”. Squier’s best-selling album, 1981’s Don’t Say No, is considered a landmark release within the arena rock genre and bridging the gap between power pop and hard rock. His 1980 song “The Big Beat” is one of the most sampled drum breaks ever, being used by artists such as Run-DMC, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, UTFO, and Dizzee Rascal, to name a few. “The Stroke” has also shared its fair amount of sampling, most notably in Eminem’s 2013 hit “Berzerk”. Here are all of Billy Squier’s songs ranked.
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20. Don’t Say You Love Me (Hear & Now, 1989)
“It’s a really good song, and their vocals are great! of course its ages since this cd came out, but no one had reviewed this single. Their voices and writing techniques has improved a lot since this song, but i still think this is one of their best songs!”
19. The Big Beat (The Tale of the Tape, 1980)
“Loved Billy Squier since his very early days. The Big Beat..has the best Squier sound and Billy’s vocals..the best. An old song good for parties.”
18. Too Daze Gone (Don’t Say No, 1981)
“I like it, doesn’t really matter whether or not anyone else does. Music is for personal enjoyment and everyone had different taste.”
17. All Night Long (Signs of Life, 1984)
“A great live recording documenting why Hagar was so important during those high school days of yesteryear. No frills just straight ahead rock and roll. I like ’em all but Young Girl Blues made me buy this to replace my original cassette. And Space Station #5 flat out rocks, the interplay with Gary Pihl is awesome.”
See more: Billy Squier Albums Ranked
16. Love is the Hero (Enough Is Enough, 1986)
“Love Is The Hero” was the first single off of Billy Squier’s Enough Is Enough album. The song starts with a dark and menacing vibe with a popping synth and a buzzing guitar before changing courses on the chorus which has a generic arena rock sound. Mr. Squier’s run as a hit maker was nearly done at this point and the song sadly barely scraped into the Hot 100 topping at number 80.”
15. Hands of Seduction (Creatures of Habit, 1991)
“An underrated classic, for sure. This album provides more than just the obvious, smash-hit, second track as potency for hard-rocking good times.”
14. Alone In Your Dreams (Don’t Say Goodbye) (Creatures of Habit, 1991)
“It is a quite good hard rock album, with really good songs like the stroke and lonely is the night. He just fails to show something new, and make the album sufficiently interesting to grip the listener throughout the whole length.”
13. Fast Times (The Best Years of Our Lives) (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 1982)
“1982 was a great year, and this brought back a lot of memories, because this was one of the records (records!) that was part of our own soundtrack to me and my sophomore year buddies. The soundtrack is more rock than I prefer because I was a New Wave sort of guy, but it’s still not bad.”
12. Everybody Wants You (Emotions in Motion, 1982)
“This one randomly popped up four times in the last twelve days. I cranked it up three times. It would’ve been four, but I didn’t have access to the volume knob to the sound system at the local grocery store. I contented myself with bobbing my head and lip-synching in the cereal aisle. Worth all the bemused looks I got.”
11. She’s a Runner (Emotions in Motion, 1982)
“This is a crisp, clear remaster of one of what I believe to be Billy Squier’s greatest. Had to purchase it separately to get all the songs I wanted, along with “Essential Billy Squier.”
10. Shake Down (St. Elmo’s Fire, 1985)
“Billy is one of the most underrated guitar players out there. He’s got some great riffs and writes some great songs! Also he has a very good “rock” voice..kinda unique if you ask me and just adds to his songs”
9. Eye on You (Signs of Life, 1984)
“I think that this song is about George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. “I watch you on your TV” is similar to the telescreens that exist in their world. “Sharing the moments when you’re all in rage” could be two minutes hate. Winston is fueling O’Brien’s suspicion for not reacting during two minutes hate.”
8. Lonely Is the Night (Don’t Say No, 1981)
“This is another great song from Billy Squier, it isn’t my favorite, but it’s up there. It brings back memories of my childhood, and great music from the day. I believe if you are an 80’s music fan or Rock fan this is a song for you, check it out.”
7. Your Love is My Life (Hear & Now, 1989)
“When it comes to rock n’ roll, there are a few artists that I think of immediately, and one of them is always Billy Squier… as a singer/songwriter, he is in a class all his own and his band was one of the best bands of the ”80s…”
See more: Hinder Albums Ranked
6. In the Dark (Don’t Say No, 1981)
“I’ve heard this song many times over the years, but I listened to it recently and was really amazed by the depth of it. Like so much of good art, it is meant to be perceived in different ways. In one sense, it really touches the heart of existential isolation, a compelling invitation to leave the tragic world of human avoidance and find something real in the unknown and uncertain. Just beautiful, the passion and desperation in his voice, really good stuff.”
5. Rock Me Tonite (Signs of Life, 1984)
“Billy had a string of hit’s in the’80! Rock Be Tonight was one of these! The title suggestive! Billy’s voice seductive! Oh how I miss the ease of the’80’s
4. Conscience Point (Creatures of Habit, 1991)
“Billy Squier is one of my favorite singers and I remember his songs playing on the radio all of the time during the 80’s. I heard him on the radio and I had to purchase a couple of his songs. Very pleased!!”
3. My Kinda Lover (Don’t Say No, 1981)
“Third single, but still surprisingly strong. Nice guitar lick to open the song, and a good (if pedestrian) chorus to sing along to. I’m pushing it up to four due to the fun holiday number on the flip. It’s the sort of song local bands should stomp their way through at their December gigs after having a few.”
2. Facts of Life (Creatures of Habit, 1991)
“Clearly Billy was struggling with getting to, becoming, and being a rock star. Then he figured out how to handle it, and manage it without letting it destroy him.”
1. The Stroke (Don’t Say No, 1981)
“The only song about this vicious cycle of the music business; The record executive jerking the metaphorical cock of a man’s ego and then squeezing every dollar he can from the tip: the most obnoxious riffs in hard rock play as Billy Squier uses masturbation metaphors and handshake double-entendres in the best Jagger-esque holler he can come up with.”
