The Stroke

"The Stroke" is a song written and recorded by American rock artist Billy Squier. It was released in 1981 as the debut single from his 3× platinum album Don't Say No. This was Squier's first single to chart (although "In the Dark" charted first at Album Rock), peaking at No. 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100. It was a much bigger hit on rock radio, hitting No. 3 on the Top Tracks chart. It was Squier's only single released in the UK, where it made #52. The lyrics refer to the music business stroking the egos of musicians so that they will continue to play the game, though many likely assumed it was a sexual metaphor. It was named the 59th best hard rock song of all time by VH1. An acoustic blues version, "Stroke Me Blues", was released on his 1998 album Happy Blue.