Tone Lōc “Wild Thing” charted

Wild Thing Tone Lōc

Writer(s): Marvin Young, Anthony Terrell Smith, Matt Dike, Michael Ross, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen, Edward Van Halen (see lyrics here) Released: October 1988 First Charted: December 3, 1988 Peak: 2 BB, 3 CB, 7 GR, 4 RR, 3 RB, 10 CO, 21 UK, 7 CN, 15 AU, 5 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.5 US, -- UK, 2.59 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 69.08 video, 75.76 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Rapper Tone Lōc was born Anthony Terrell Smith in 1966 in Los Angeles, California. He released his first single, “On Fire,” in 1987. It failed to chart, but his second outing, 1988’s “Wild Thing” became a monstrous hit and a significant marker in rap history, bringing “the deep-throated Tone Lōc from underground obscurity to mainstream pop stardom in one giant leap.” TB Author Toby Creswell called it “one of the most delightful tracks from rap’s first golden era.” TC The phrase “wild thing” was used as a euphemism for having sex in an era when it was still taboo to openly talk about it. Tone was inspired by Spike Lee’s 1986 movie She’s Gotta Have It, specifically a scene where rapper Fab 5 Freddy says to a woman, “Let’s do the wild thing!” WK The original lyrics were “far more lustful.” SF Tone infused the song with more “ambiguity and comedy to pass the taste tests of most radio stations.” SF Still, the subject matter did hurt the song somewhat when it came to airplay, which prevented it from topping the charts. It did, however, become the best-selling song of the year, giving Tone Lōc the distinction of being the first black rap artist to achieve a platinum single. SF The song also garnered controversy over its unauthorized use of Van Halen’s “Jamie’s Cryin’.” With rap still in its commercial infancy, it was common for artists to sample songs without crediting the original artists. The members of Van Halen were eventually credited as co-writers and received a $180,000 settlement. WK In the song, Loc describes encounters with four women. When the last one turns out to be a prostitute, he opts not to do the wild thing and tells her, “Hasta la vista, baby.” It became a catchphrase for Arnold Schwarzengger in the 1991 movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day. SF Resources: TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, NY. Pages 436-7. SF Songfacts TB Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 234. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 1/22/2026.