GLOBALRPH MUSICATLAS

Rockin' into the Night

.38 Special

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LIST YEAR

1980

Source-supported album or original-release association. First-release evidence and any conflicts are stated separately.

Genre

RockSouthern rock

Theme

Not classified

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Requested screenshot selection

The verified recording is added as the editorial destination for this requested title and performer. The screenshot was not audio-verified, and does not prove the exact mix, edit, pressing or mastering of the user file. Recording version: Original Rockin into the Night album recording; earliest release year under review

RELEASE DATE & LIST YEAR

Release: 1979

Release: 1979Source checked

Contemporaneous Billboard and Cash Box reviews in October 1979 identify the original A&M SP4782 album and its title cut. These establish 1979 public availability before the 1980 year used by the artist and songwriter retrospective lists. V3.6 therefore adopts 1979 at year precision and retains the conflicting older evidence. The 1980 listening-collection association remains unchanged.

The large badge identifies this listening list, not a newly issued recording. Later reissues and renewed chart popularity do not replace an original release date. How years are assigned.

38 Special official discography
The artist dates Rockin Into The Night to 1980 and Wild-Eyed Southern Boys to 1981. These conflict with some distributor metadata; they are album-year associations rather than an unqualified earliest-release claim.

38 Special - Rockin Into the Night program
Licensed artist program associates Rockin Into the Night with its original album and both Fantasy Girl and Hold On Loosely with Wild-Eyed Southern Boys.

Rockin Into the Night distributor year
The original-album program exposed by this licensed track shows 1979, while the artist dates the album to 1980. This conflicting metadata is not silently accepted.

Jim Peterik official discography
Cowriter discography dates Rocking Into the Night to 1980, Fantasy Girl to 1980, and Hold On Loosely and Wild Eyed Southern Boys to 1981. The Fantasy Girl date conflicts with the artist album chronology.

Billboard, October 27, 1979, page86 - Rockin Into the Night album review
Visually read the contemporary review identifying 38 Special, A&M SP4782 and the title cut. Publication date and page are recorded in the archive bibliography. This demonstrates the album was available in 1979, before the artist website 1980 association.

Cash Box, October27,1979, page20 - Rockin In the Night review
Visually read the original album review, A&M SP4782, producer Rodney Mills and contemporary album context. Archive bibliography identifies its 1979 issue date. It independently corroborates the 1979 album availability.

On A&M Records -38 Special trade-publication bibliography
Dates and page references for the two October27,1979 reviews and the February7,1981 Billboard review of Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. This archival index supplies provenance for the reviewed images; it is not the current record label website.

BEHIND THE SONG

Inspiration and background

Researched recording background

Contemporaneous Billboard and Cash Box reviews in October 1979 identify the original A&M SP4782 album and its title cut. These establish 1979 public availability before the 1980 year used by the artist and songwriter retrospective lists. V3.6 therefore adopts 1979 at year precision and retains the conflicting older evidence. The 1980 listening-collection association remains unchanged.

Evidence scope: Source-supported original recording chronology; prior conflicting note retained below.

Sources for this information

Billboard, October 27, 1979, page86 - Rockin Into the Night album review
Visually read the contemporary review identifying 38 Special, A&M SP4782 and the title cut. Publication date and page are recorded in the archive bibliography. This demonstrates the album was available in 1979, before the artist website 1980 association. | Retrieved 2026-10-19

Cash Box, October27,1979, page20 - Rockin In the Night review
Visually read the original album review, A&M SP4782, producer Rodney Mills and contemporary album context. Archive bibliography identifies its 1979 issue date. It independently corroborates the 1979 album availability. | Retrieved 2026-10-19

On A&M Records -38 Special trade-publication bibliography
Dates and page references for the two October27,1979 reviews and the February7,1981 Billboard review of Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. This archival index supplies provenance for the reviewed images; it is not the current record label website. | Retrieved 2026-10-19

Earlier note and its recorded status

Earlier status: Researched recording background. This earlier wording is retained as historical context; the reviewed account above is the current summary.

Rockin' into the Night is the title song of the album that .38 Special's official discography dates to 1980. Some distributor metadata assigns that program to 1979, so the earlier-release question remains visible instead of being resolved by a default date.

38 Special official discography

38 Special - Rockin Into the Night program

Rockin Into the Night distributor year

Jim Peterik official discography

Other appearances and versions

Original Rockin into the Night album recording; earliest release year under review

Contemporaneous Billboard and Cash Box reviews in October 1979 identify the original A&M SP4782 album and its title cut. These establish 1979 public availability before the 1980 year used by the artist and songwriter retrospective lists. V3.6 therefore adopts 1979 at year precision and retains the conflicting older evidence. The 1980 listening-collection association remains unchanged.

An annual chart year and an original release date are different. Similar titles may be covers or different masters; no audio fingerprint has been performed.

Sources and scope

Sourced recording context; screenshot audio identity and exact master not independently verified.

Conservative editorial listening tags reviewed for this specific previously added recording in v3.6. These broad classifications are separate from source-verified recording identity and do not assert that the cited source assigned these exact genre labels.

38 Special official discography
The artist dates Rockin Into The Night to 1980 and Wild-Eyed Southern Boys to 1981. These conflict with some distributor metadata; they are album-year associations rather than an unqualified earliest-release claim.

38 Special - Rockin Into the Night program
Licensed artist program associates Rockin Into the Night with its original album and both Fantasy Girl and Hold On Loosely with Wild-Eyed Southern Boys.

Rockin Into the Night distributor year
The original-album program exposed by this licensed track shows 1979, while the artist dates the album to 1980. This conflicting metadata is not silently accepted.

Jim Peterik official discography
Cowriter discography dates Rocking Into the Night to 1980, Fantasy Girl to 1980, and Hold On Loosely and Wild Eyed Southern Boys to 1981. The Fantasy Girl date conflicts with the artist album chronology.

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