I Like to Rock A Canadian Anthem Endures in Restored Clarity
April Wine’s I Like to Rock remains one of the most recognizable statements in Canadian rock history. Written by lead singer and principal songwriter Myles Goodwyn, the track was released as the second single from the band’s eighth studio album Harder Faster in 1979. Decades later, the song continues to define the group’s identity, and its recent presentation in enhanced high definition has renewed attention on a recording that never truly faded from radio.
Upon its release in 1980, I Like to Rock achieved moderate chart success. It reached number seventy five in Canada, number eighty six on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and number forty one on the United Kingdom Singles Chart, marking the band’s highest peak in the UK. While the initial chart performance was modest, the song steadily gained international recognition through consistent radio airplay and live performances. Over time, it became widely regarded as April Wine’s signature song and a staple of classic rock and album oriented rock stations in both Canada and the United States.
Musically, I Like to Rock is driven by a direct guitar riff and a confident vocal delivery that reflects the band’s straightforward hard rock approach. One of its most discussed elements appears in the final verse, where the band incorporates the central guitar riffs of the Beatles’ Day Tripper and the Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction, played simultaneously as a tribute to those foundational British rock influences. The moment stands as a clear homage rather than imitation, acknowledging the lineage from which April Wine emerged.
The music video for I Like to Rock was directed by guitarist Brian Greenway. It features the band performing inside Le Studio, a recording facility located in a wooded area of Quebec. The same location would later appear in the video for Rush’s Tom Sawyer in 1981, linking two prominent Canadian rock acts through a shared visual setting.
The song’s cultural presence has extended beyond radio. It has been featured in films including Flower and Garnet, Gutterballs, High Life, and Drive Angry, and appeared in television programs such as Being Erica and Kids in the Hall Death Comes to Town. It was also referenced in Trailer Park Boys, further embedding it in Canadian pop culture. Recognition has followed accordingly, with CKKQ FM ranking it number sixty five among the 150 Best Canadian Songs of All Time and Rock Klassics placing it among the greatest Canadian rock songs.
With its restored high definition video circulating widely online, I Like to Rock continues to affirm its place as a defining Canadian rock anthem, rooted in tradition yet enduring across generations.