"Rock and Roll" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter that was released in 1972 as the first single from his debut album Glitter. Co-written by Glitter and Mike Leander, the song is in two parts: Part 1 is a vocal track reflecting on the history of the genre, and Part 2 is a mostly instrumental piece. Both parts were popular in Britain, and the single went to No. 2 on the British charts. In concert, Glitter merged both into one performance.

"Rock and Roll" is Glitter's only top 10 hit in the U.S. It was also in North America that the "Part 2" became popularly associated with sports, as a number of professional teams began to play the song during games to invigorate the audience. Since Glitter's convictions for child sex offences, the song's continued use has been controversial.


Glitter is the 1972 debut album by British glam rock singer Gary Glitter, produced by Bell Records. Two tracks, "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)" and "Rock and Roll", the latter a song in two parts, achieved success as singles; each spent time amongst the top 40 singles in both the US and UK.

"I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" (Glitter, Leander)
"It's Not a Lot (But It's All I Got)" (Glitter, Leander)
"Just Fancy That" (Glitter, Leander)
"Thank You Baby for Myself"
2009 CD bonus tracks

"I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" (Glitter, Leander)
"Just Fancy That" (Glitter, Leander)
"I Love You Love Me Love" (Glitter, Leander)
"Hands Up! It's a Stick-Up"
"Remember Me This Way"

The album featured, in addition to including the two singles, other original songs that generated fan support, including "Rock On!", "Shakey Sue" and "The Famous Instigator", as well as Glitter's versions of "Baby, Please Don't Go" (written and first performed by American Big Joe Williams) and "The Wanderer" (first recorded by Dion DiMucci & the Del-Satins). The disc was a best-seller, reaching a high of # 8 in the UK charts.