"Block Buster!" (also sometimes listed as "Blockbuster!") is a 1973 single by The Sweet. Written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, and produced by Phil Wainman, "Block Buster!" was the band's sole UK No. 1 hit. Released in January 1973, it spent five weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart, and also made No. 1 in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Ireland, and No. 3 in Finland, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. Outside Europe it peaked at No. 1 in New Zealand, No. 29 in Australia and at No. 73 on the American Billboard Hot 100.
Music and lyric
Its Muddy Waters-inspired blues riff is markedly similar to that featured on fellow RCA act David Bowie's "The Jean Genie", released shortly before, but all parties maintained this was a coincidence.
TV performances
Some controversy arose after the band's performance of the song on the British television program Top of the Pops on 25 December 1973, for which bassist Steve Priest wore a swastika arm band, a painted Hitler moustache and a Pickelhaube.
Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 29 |
| Austria | 1 |
| Belgium | 2 |
| Denmark | 1 |
| Finland | 3 |
| Germany | 1 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 1 |
| Italy | 30 |
| Netherlands | 1 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| Norway | 3 |
| South Africa | 7 |
| Spain | 12 |
| Switzerland | 3 |
| United Kingdom | 1 |
| United States | 73 |
In the case of Belgium, there are two types of lists. The one for the Flemish speaking part of Belgium (Flanders) saw the song reach number two, for five consecutive weeks. In the French speaking part (Wallonia) the song climbed to number one, for two consecutive weeks.