"Hot Child in the City" is a song by English-Canadian musician Nick Gilder. It was released in June 1978 as a single from the album City Nights. It went to No. 1 both in Canada (October 14, 1978) and in the United States (October 28, 1978). It was not his first No. 1 single: as the lead singer of Sweeney Todd, he had hit No. 1 in Canada on June 26, 1976 (in the RPM listing) with the single "Roxy Roller", which remained at the top for three weeks. He won 2 Juno Awards in Canada and a People's Choice Award in the US. According to The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, it held the record for taking the longest amount of weeks to reach No. 1 at the time, taking 21 weeks to reach the summit. The song became a platinum record.
Content The tune is based on Gilder's experiences witnessing child prostitution in Los Angeles. "I've seen a lot of young girls, 15 and 16, walking down Hollywood Boulevard with their pimps. Their home environment drove them to distraction so they ran away, only to be trapped by something even worse. It hurts to see that so I tried writing from the perspective of a lecher – in the guise of an innocent pop song."
Speaking with the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, Gilder backed away from the prostitution backstory. “In Los Angeles, you see every walk of life ….You see a lot of would-be actors, the adventurous, the disenfranchised,” he explained. “[The song is] a celebration of life, ultimately, of going out and finding yourself. L.A. was a magnet for people trying to find themselves. I wanted to write this song about what I’d experienced and seen.”
Chart history
Weekly charts Chart (1978)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)18Canada Top Singles (RPM)1US Billboard Hot 1001US Cash Box Top 1001
Year-end charts Chart (1978)RankCanada Top Singles (RPM)7New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)36US Billboard Hot 10022US Cash Box Top 1006
Certifications
See also List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1978
References