Dreadlock Holiday
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"Dreadlock Holiday" is a reggae song by 10cc. Written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman, it was the lead single from the band's 1978 album Bloody Tourists. It was a number one hit in several countries.
Composition
The song was based on real events Eric Stewart and Moody Blues vocalist Justin Hayward experienced in Barbados, and Graham Gouldman experienced in Jamaica. Graham Gouldman commented: "Some of the experiences that are mentioned are true, and some of them are ... fairly true!" Stewart recalled seeing a White man "trying to be cool and he looked so naff" walking into a group of Afro-Caribbeans and being reprimanded, which became the lyric "Don't you walk through my words, you got to show some respect". Another lyric came from a conversation Gouldman had with a Jamaican, who when asked if he liked cricket replied, "No, I love it!".
Music video
The music video for the song was directed by Storm Thorgerson. The beach scene in the official video was filmed on the Dorset coast near Charmouth.
Reception
"Dreadlock Holiday" became the group's international number 1 hit topping the charts in the UK, Belgium, New Zealand and The Netherlands. The single also reached number 2 in Ireland and Australia, became a top 10 hit in Norway and Switzerland and top 20 in Germany and Sweden. In Austria the song was 10cc's sole entry in the charts, peaking at number 18.
In North America, "Dreadlock Holiday" became a minor hit, peaking at number 45 in Canada's RPM charts and number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100. When asked why he thought the song did not do better in the US, Gouldman said that reportedly some radio stations would not play reggae of any kind.[better source needed]
In the UK, the song was the band's third number 1 and at the same time final top 10 hit.
In a 2025 interview, Gouldman responded to claims that the song's lyrics perpetuated stereotypes about the Caribbean by stating that while people from the region he had encountered had expressed uniformly positive opinions, he would not have written some of the lines in the present day.
Charts
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Weekly charts Chart (1978) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 2 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 18 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 1 Canada (RPM) Top Singles 45 Ireland (IRMA) 2 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 1 Netherlands (Single Top 100) 1 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 1 Norway (VG-lista) 7 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 16 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 5 UK Singles (OCC) 1 US Billboard Hot 100 44 West Germany (GfK) 11 | Year-end charts Chart (1978) Position Australia (Kent Music Report) 27 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 15 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 5 Netherlands (Single Top 100) 15 New Zealand (Top 40 Singles) 22 UK 12 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 2 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 18 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 1 |
| Canada (RPM) Top Singles | 45 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 2 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 1 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 1 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 1 |
| Norway (VG-lista) | 7 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 16 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 5 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 44 |
| West Germany (GfK) | 11 |
| Chart (1978) | Position |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 27 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 15 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 5 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 15 |
| New Zealand (Top 40 Singles) | 22 |
| UK | 12 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands (NVPI) | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | 3× Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Usage in media
- In 2000, Guy Ritchie's film Snatch contained the song.
- The song is used in the first episode of The Mighty Boosh, "Killeroo". It is danced to by Rich Fulcher's character, Bob Fossil, who cuts the song off after the lyric, 'I do not like cricket' before saying, 'That's why I do not like cricket.'
- In 2002, Intenso Project sampled the track in their hit "Luv Da Sunshine".
- In 2010, David Fincher's film The Social Network contained the song being mixed by a college DJ.
- The song has been used as the theme music for cricket programming in the UK on Sky Sports.
- The song is used in the 2013 film Life of Crime.
- The song appears in the 2016 video game Watch Dogs 2.
- The song was used in the 2019 Christmas Special of Gavin and Stacey.