Bob Rock facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

For the heavy metal singer, see Rob Rock. For the drummer, see Bobby Rock. For the American Olympic luger, see Bob Rock Jr..

Quick facts for kids Bob Rock
Rock presenting at the 2009 Juno Awards
Background information
Birth name	Robert Jens Rock
Born	(1954-04-19) April 19, 1954 (age 70)
Origin	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Genres	Rock heavy metal punk rock
Instruments	Bass guitar keyboards vocals
Years active	1976–present
Associated acts	Payolas Rock and Hyde Rockhead Metallica

Robert Jens Rock (born April 19, 1954) is a Canadian record producer, sound engineer and musician, best known for producing rock bands and music artists such as Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, the Tragically Hip, the Cult, 311, Our Lady Peace, Bryan Adams, the Offspring, Michael Bublé, Black Veil Brides, David Lee Roth, and Ron Sexsmith.

Early life
Payolas and Rock and Hyde
Production career
- Metallica
Awards
Discography
See also

Early life

Rock was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1954, where he grew up and was a big hockey fan. He discovered music in the 1960s and later moved to British Columbia with this family.

Payolas and Rock and Hyde

Rock began his music career in Langford, British Columbia (a suburb of Victoria), as a guitarist playing with friends William Alexander and Paul Hyde in the former's household basement. After high school graduation, Rock left Victoria and became the co-founder of the Payolas, who became well known with the success of their 1980s hit, "Eyes of a Stranger", which was used as part of the soundtrack of the movie Valley Girl starring Nicolas Cage.

In 1983, the Payolas won the Juno Award for Single of the Year. Rock also worked as an assistant engineer at Little Mountain Sound in Vancouver. In 1987, the band (who had by then changed their name to Paul Hyde and the Payolas) again changed their name to Rock and Hyde and had two hit singles in Canada with the song "Dirty Water" (#20), which also charted on Billboard's Hot 100, and "I Will (#40). In 2007, the Payolas became briefly active once more as a touring and recording act, releasing the EP Langford Part One.

Production career

Rock is well known as a producer for heavy metal bands such as Metallica and Mötley Crüe. He has also worked with Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Blue Murder, the Moffatts, Cher, the Cult, David Lee Roth, Skid Row, Veruca Salt, Nina Gordon, the Offspring, 311, Our Lady Peace, the Tragically Hip, the Tea Party, Lostprophets, American Hi-Fi, Simple Plan, Tonic, Nelly Furtado, Jann Arden, and Ron Sexsmith.

Rock briefly returned to performing, forming the band Rockhead with ex-Payolas drummer Chris Taylor. The band released one self-titled album and two singles before splitting up. Rock produced the five finalist songs of CBC Sports's Hockey Night in Canada Anthem Challenge in late 2008.

Metallica

In 1990, Rock was chosen to produce Metallica's Diamond-certified (16× Platinum) self-titled album (commonly referred to as The Black Album). He would subsequently produce Load (1996), ReLoad (1997), the new material for the band's cover album, Garage Inc. (1998), and St. Anger (2003).

Rock also wrote and played all of the bass guitar parts on St. Anger, as Jason Newsted left Metallica in January 2001, and was the bassist for the band's few live performances until Robert Trujillo joined the band in February 2003. Rock was featured prominently in the 2004 documentary film Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, which dealt with Metallica's internal strife and their struggles with the creative process during the recording of St. Anger.

In February 2006, Metallica chose producer Rick Rubin to produce their next album, ending the band's long-time relationship with Rock, being 13 years. At Metallica's 30th Anniversary Concert on December 10, 2011, Rock joined Metallica onstage, and performed bass alongside Trujillo on the songs "Dirty Window" and "Frantic".

Awards

Rock's career both as a producer and musician was recognized at the 2007 Juno Awards ceremony in Saskatoon for his lifetime contribution to popular music. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). "Bob is a musical craftsman whose wide range of talents show no signs of slowing," said Melanie Berry, CARAS President. "He has helped to define rock as we know it today, and we are very proud to recognize him in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame."

Rock has received 4x multi-platinum for "Wanted Dead or Alive" and 2x multi-platinum for "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi.

Rock confirmed his acceptance of the award: "It is an honour to join great producers like Bob Ezrin, Bruce Fairbairn, Daniel Lanois, Jack Richardson, and David Foster in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame" said Rock. "They are all giants of the industry, and to be recognized, means that I had to have worked with truly great artists. I thank them for their confidence and inspiration."

Rock has received nominations for 17 Juno Awards in various categories, including "Producer of the Year", "Recording Engineer of the Year", "Composer of the Year", and "Entertainer of the Year". He has won on numerous occasions for both his production work and his work with Payola$ and Rock and Hyde.

Rock last won Producer of the Year in 2005 for Simple Plan's "Welcome to My Life". He was nominated for 2007 Producer of the Year for his work on The Tragically Hip's album World Container. In 2014, Rock won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his work on Michael Bublé's album To Be Loved. In 2023, he won a Grammy Award for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” for his work on Bublé's album Higher.

Discography

Musician

Payolas – In a Place Like This (1981)
Payolas – No Stranger to Danger (1982)
Strange Advance – Worlds Away (1982)
Payolas – Hammer on a Drum (1983)
Paul Hyde & The Payolas – Here's the World for Ya (1985)
Zappacosta – A to Z (1986)
Rock and Hyde – Under the Volcano (1987)
Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood (1989)
Rockhead – Rockhead (1992)
Metallica – St. Anger (2003)
Gord Downie – Lustre Parfait (2023)

Producer

1979 – Young Canadians – Hawaii (EP)
1979 – The Subhumans – Death Was Too Kind (EP)
1980 – Pointed Sticks – Perfect Youth
1981 – Payolas – In a Place Like This
1984 – Servant – Light Maneuvers
1986 – Zappacosta – A to Z
1986 – The Cheer – Shot with Our Own Guns
1987 – Rock and Hyde – Under the Volcano
1988 – Kingdom Come – Kingdom Come
1988 – Colin James
1989 – The Cult – Sonic Temple
1989 – Blue Murder – Blue Murder
1989 – Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood
1989 – Loverboy – Big Ones (new material)
1990 – Little Caesar – Little Caesar
1990 – Electric Boys – Funk 'o Metal Carpet Ride
1991 – David Lee Roth – A Little Ain't Enough
1991 – Metallica – Metallica (The Black Album)
1991 – Mötley Crüe – Decade of Decadence (new material)
1992 – Cher – Love Hurts
1992 – Bon Jovi – Keep the Faith
1992 – Rockhead – Rockhead
1993 – Quireboys – Bitter Sweet & Twisted
1994 – Mötley Crüe – Mötley Crüe
1994 – The Cult – The Cult
1995 – Skid Row – Subhuman Race
1996 – Metallica – Load
1997 – Metallica – Reload
1997 – Veruca Salt – Eight Arms to Hold You
1998 – Metallica – Garage Inc. (Disc 1)
1998 – Bryan Adams – On a Day Like Today
1998 – Mötley Crüe – Greatest Hits (new material)
1999 – Tal Bachman
1999 – Metallica – S&M
2000 – Sins of the Fallen Son – The Raven
2000 – Nina Gordon – Tonight and the Rest of My Life
2000 – Paul Hyde – Living off the Radar
2000 – Metallica – I Disappear
2000 – The Moffatts – Submodalities
2001 – American Hi-Fi – American Hi-Fi
2001 – Antifreez – The Sunshine Daisies
2001 – The Cult – Beyond Good and Evil
2001 – Econoline Crush – Brand New History
2002 – Our Lady Peace – Gravity
2003 – Tonic – Head on Straight
2003 – Metallica – St. Anger
2004 – The Tea Party – Seven Circles
2004 – Simple Plan – Still Not Getting Any...
2005 – Mötley Crüe – Red, White & Crüe (new material)
2005 – Our Lady Peace – Healthy in Paranoid Times
2006 – Nina Gordon – Bleeding Heart Graffiti
2006 – Lostprophets – Liberation Transmission
2006 – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – Sinner
2006 – The Tragically Hip – World Container
2007 – Payolas – Langford Part 1
2007 – Michael Bublé – Call Me Irresponsible
2008 – Gavin Rossdale – Wanderlust
2008 – The Offspring – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
2008 – The Sessions – The Sessions Is Listed as In a Relationship
2008 – D.O.A – Northern Avenger
2009 – The Tragically Hip – We Are the Same
2009 – 311 – Uplifter
2009 – Art Bergmann – Lost Art Bergmann
2009 – Michael Bublé – Crazy Love
2010 – Michael Bublé – Crazy Love (Hollywood Edition)
2010 – American Bang – American Bang
2011 – Sins of the Fallen Son – End Time
2011 – 311 – Universal Pulse
2011 – Bush – The Sea of Memories
2011 – Jann Arden – Uncover Me 2
2011 – Michael Bublé – Christmas
2011 – Ron Sexsmith – Long Player Late Bloomer
2012 – The Cult – Choice of Weapon
2012 – Loverboy – Rock 'n' Roll Revival
2012 – The Offspring – Days Go By
2012 – Nelly Furtado – The Spirit Indestructible
2013 – Michael Bublé – To Be Loved
2014 – Black Veil Brides – Black Veil Brides IV
2014 – Sarah McLachlan – Shine On
2014 – Jann Arden – Everything Almost
2014 – Bryan Adams – Tracks of My Years
2015 – The Offspring – Coming for You (Single)
2016 – The Cult – Hidden City
2017 – Bush – Black and White Rainbows
2018 – Jann Arden – These Are the Days
2018 – RSO (Richie Sambora and Orianthi) – Radio Free America
2019 – Bryan Adams – Shine a Light
2019 – Mötley Crüe – The Dirt
2021 – The Offspring – Let the Bad Times Roll
2024 – The Offspring – Supercharged

Engineer/mixer

1979 – Prism – Armageddon
1979 – Survivor – Survivor
1979 – Servant – Shallow Water
1980 – Private Lines – Trouble in School – assistant engineer
1980 – Prism – Young and Restless
1980 – Loverboy – Loverboy
1980 – Modernettes – Teen City
1981 – Servant – Rockin' Revival
1981 – Loverboy – Get Lucky
1982 – Strange Advance – Worlds Away
1982 – Payolas – No Stranger to Danger
1983 – Loverboy – Keep it Up
1983 – Payolas – Hammer on a Drum
1984 – Krokus – The Blitz
1984 – Sins of the Fallen Son – The Raven
1984 – Chilliwack – Look in Look Out
1985 – Paul Hyde and the Payolas – Here's the World for Ya
1985 – Northern Lights – "Tears Are Not Enough"
1985 – Black 'n Blue – Without Love
1986 – Zappacosta – A to Z
1986 – Honeymoon Suite – The Big Prize
1986 – Paul Janz – Electricity
1986 – Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet
1987 – Rock and Hyde – Under the Volcano
1987 – Loverboy – Wildside
1987 – Aerosmith – Permanent Vacation
1988 – Bon Jovi – New Jersey
1989 – Paul Dean – Hard Core
2022 – Kirk Hammett – Portals