"Bad Boys" is a 1987 song by the Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle, which gained high popularity in the United States after its re-release in 1993, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number seven on the Billboard Top 40/Mainstream chart. It is the opening theme to the American documentary TV show Cops and the theme song of the 1995 American action comedy film Bad Boys, and is also featured in the film's sequels.
History The song was originally included on the album One Way, released in October 1987. It was released as a single in mid-1991 in Norway and Finland, where it peaked at number one. In 1992, it was included on the Bad to the Bone album, and the song was released again as a single in 1993, after the unexpected success of their previous international hit single "Sweat (A La La La La Long)". "Bad Boys" reached number 52 in the United Kingdom and number eight in the United States. In the latter territory, it was certified gold and sold 600,000 copies. The song was also released as the B-side on the band's 1992 single, "Sweat (A La La La La Long)".
Charts Weekly charts Chart (1990–1991)PeakpositionFinland (Suomen virallinen lista)1
Chart (1993)PeakpositionIceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)18UK Dance (Music Week)30US Billboard Hot 1008US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)58US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)15US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)7US Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover (Billboard)27
Year-end charts Chart (1990)RankSweden (Topplistan)37
Chart (1991)RankSweden (Topplistan)22
Chart (1993)RankAustralia (ARIA)88New Zealand (RIANZ)15US Billboard Hot 10069
Certifications
Use on Cops "Bad Boys" was selected as the theme song for Cops because a field producer for the show happened to be a fan of Inner Circle. The song, which was very popular during the 1990s, is also used in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence action/comedy film series Bad Boys, which was named after the song.
See also List of number-one singles of 1991 (Finland) List of number-one songs in Norway
References