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Cheap Trick

A Rockford, Illinois quartet who bridged 1960s guitar pop, 1970s hard rock and punk, and became stars in the United States after a live album from Japan.

Origin
Rockford, Illinois, United States
Years active
1973-present
Genres
power pop, hard rock
Labels
Epic, Warner Bros., Red Ant, BMG

Rockford

Cheap Trick formed in Rockford, Illinois, in 1973. Rick Nielsen had led a band called Fuse with Tom Petersson since 1967, and with Bun E. Carlos on drums they moved to Philadelphia in 1971 and spent 1972 and 1973 as Sick Man of Europe. According to Rolling Stone, they took the name Cheap Trick on 15 August 1973, after Petersson said at a Slade concert that Slade used every cheap trick in the book. Robin Zander joined as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist in the fall of 1974.

The band played warehouses and bowling alleys across the midwest, recorded a demo in 1975 and signed to Epic in early 1976. Nielsen said the producer Jack Douglas saw them at Sunset Bowl, a bowling alley, and told the label to sign them. Their first album arrived in early 1977 and was favored by critics but sold poorly. In Color followed later that year, produced by Tom Werman. It reached 73 on the Billboard 200 and did far better in Japan. Nielsen remembered a number one there with Clock Strikes Ten.

Budokan

They toured Japan for the first time in April 1978 and were received with a frenzy reminiscent of Beatlemania. Nielsen remembered about 5,000 kids at the airport and taxis chasing the band to the hotel, and said every show was sold out. Concerts at the Nippon Budokan on 28 and 30 April were recorded. Carlos said CBS/Sony was splitting into two companies and wanted a series of live albums from visiting Epic and Columbia acts, with Bob Dylan and Cheap Trick the first.

At Budokan was meant for Japan only. Strong airplay of a promotional album called From Tokyo to You helped sell an estimated 30,000 imports in the United States, and Epic released it there in February 1979. It reached number four, sold over three million copies and went to number one in Canada. The live I Want You to Want Me reached number seven on the Hot 100, and Ain't That a Shame number 35. The album is officially credited to the Budokan shows, but Jack Douglas, who supervised the mix with Jay Messina, said on a podcast that the audio is really from Osaka, because the Budokan tapes had microphones pointed the wrong way and no bass drum. Pitchfork's Stuart Berman called it one of rock's most triumphant underdog tales.

Stardom and struggle

Heaven Tonight, with Surrender, had come out in 1978. Dream Police was finished by early 1979 but held back by the live album's success, and appeared on 21 September 1979 as their most successful studio record, reaching number six. By 1980 they were headlining arenas. Petersson left on 26 August 1980, and Pete Comita and then Jon Brant took the bass role. George Martin produced All Shook Up that year.

Petersson returned in 1987. Lap of Luxury (1988), produced by Richie Zito, was the comeback: The Flame became their first number one single, and the album went platinum. They moved to Warner Bros. in 1994 and signed to Red Ant for the 1997 Cheap Trick, which was critically acclaimed, though the label's parent company declared bankruptcy eleven weeks after release. In 1998 they toured behind At Budokan: The Complete Concert, and in 1999 their recording of Big Star's In the Street became the theme of That '70s Show. In 2007 they played Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in full with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and in April 2008 they returned to the Budokan for the album's thirtieth anniversary.

Later years

Carlos officially left in 2010, and Nielsen's son Daxx became the touring drummer. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 8 April 2016 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, introduced by Kid Rock. With Carlos on drums they played I Want You to Want Me, Dream Police, Surrender and Ain't That a Shame. In Another World followed in 2021, and All Washed Up in November 2025.

The Library of Congress added At Budokan to the National Recording Registry in 2019. Cheap Trick have been cited as an influence by Nirvana, Green Day, Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. The Rock Hall says they proved bands do not have to take themselves seriously to fill stadiums, and Nielsen's own line is that they are a lot of people's fifth favorite band.

Members

Records

Songs

Kiss, Queen, Big Star, Nirvana

Where to go next

Reference

Writing and criticism

Interviews

Sources

  1. Cheap Trick, Wikipedia
  2. Cheap Trick at Budokan, Wikipedia
  3. Budokan!, Pitchfork (2008-11-19)
  4. Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick reviews Cheap Trick's biggest albums, Uproxx (2021-03-26)
  5. Cheap Trick, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  6. Why Cheap Trick's At Budokan Was Not Recorded at Budokan, Ultimate Classic Rock (2025-12-02)