Song of the Day: “Bad Blood” by Cheap Trick
New release from rock’s most reliably self-aware band
After five decades of service, Cheap Trick has returned with All Washed Up, a title that confirms their status as rock’s most reliably self-aware band. For a group staring down the barrel of their 50th anniversary, this record doesn’t redefine their legacy per se. Rather, it engraves it deeper into the foundation of power-pop. It’s testament to the fact that when you’ve perfected the blend of Beatles-ish melody and garage-rock snarl, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel—you just need to put new tires on it.
Guitarist Rick Nielsen still sounds like a riff-generation machine powered by pure, unadulterated caffeine, and Robin Zander’s voice—defying the laws of rock erosion at 70-something—continues to hit every necessary high note. This isn’t an album for winning over new teenagers who are preoccupied with listening to music as a function of their Tik Tock views, but it does remind us that the band that invented the “wacky guitarist/handsome frontman” dichotomy is still funnier, hookier, and far more vital than most of their peers who, let’s face it, actually are washed up.
The album’s true anthem and arguably the best track for showcasing their enduring muscle is “Bad Blood” (even if the other critics don’t see it that way). While some people tend to fixate on the prettier, more precious pop songs, this track stomps in and demands attention, proving that Cheap Trick can still deliver a stadium-sized power ballad that isn’t choked by 1980s soft-rock syrup. It’s got the undeniable crunch of Nielsen’s guitar, Tom Petersson’s thunderous bass work, and a massive chorus that feels instantly familiar. This song confirms that even when Cheap Trick slows the pace, they are still hitting harder than bands a third of their age. It’s the late-career gem that justifies their continued refusal to simply cash in on Budokan nostalgia (which, to be fair, they are doing too, with a recent performance at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan on October 1, 2025, marking their return to the iconic venue where they originally recorded their legendary live album, Cheap Trick at Budokan, in 1978).
The Song
Spotify:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/bad-blood/1829835654
The Album
Spotify:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/all-washed-up/1829835370