Blue Collar Man ( Long Nights ) - wikipedia Blue Collar Man ( Long Nights ) `` Blue Collar Man ( Long Nights ) '' Single by Styx from the album Pieces of Eight B - side `` Superstars '' / `` Aku - Aku '' Released September 1978 Format 7 '' Genre Progressive rock, Hard rock Label A&M Songwriter ( s ) Tommy Shaw Styx singles chronology `` Fooling Yourself ( The Angry Young Man ) '' ( 1977 ) `` Blue Collar Man ( Long Nights ) '' ( 1978 ) `` Sing for the Day '' ( 1978 ) `` Fooling Yourself ( The Angry Young Man ) '' ( 1977 ) `` Blue Collar Man ( Long Nights ) '' ( 1978 ) `` Sing for the Day '' ( 1978 ) `` Blue Collar Man ( Long Nights ) '' is the first single that Styx released from the Pieces of Eight ( 1978 ) album. Released in 1978, the single came in two 7 '' vinyl formats : one with the b - side `` Superstars '' ( a track from The Grand Illusion ) and a second single with the instrumental album track `` Aku - Aku '' as the b - side. Some printings of the single were also issued in a translucent blue vinyl, which are now highly sought after collectors items. As read in a Circus magazine ( or the like ) of the time, the song was composed by Tommy Shaw after hearing the sound of his motor boat engine when it failed to start. He said it sounded like a good riff to a song. The song reached No. 21 in the United States, and spent two weeks at No. 9 on the Canada RPM Top 100 Singles chart. A promo video for this song was filmed by director Bruce Gowers of the band performing on a soundstage. Videos were also shot for `` Sing for the Day '' and `` I 'm OK ''. The song is in D natural minor, with moments of D harmonic minor due to the use of the V chord, A major. It was featured on the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati on the episodes `` Fish Story '' and `` Johnny Comes Back ''. A re-recorded version has been released as downloadable content for the Rock Band video game. Contents 1 Chart performance 1.1 Weekly charts 1.2 Year - end charts 2 Personnel 3 Sources 4 External links Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1978 ) Peak position Canada 9 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 21 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 20 Year - end charts Chart ( 1978 ) Rank Canada 99 U.S. ( Joel Whitburn 's Pop Annual ) 139 Personnel Tommy Shaw -- lead vocals, lead guitar James Young -- rhythm guitar, backing vocals Dennis DeYoung -- keyboards, backing vocals Chuck Panozzo -- bass John Panozzo -- drums Sources Jump up ^ `` Styx : Billboard Singles ''. All Music Guide. Retrieved 7 June 2011. Jump up ^ Stephenson, Ken ( 2002 ). What to Listen for in Rock : A Stylistic Analysis, p. 89. ISBN 978 - 0 - 300 - 09239 - 4. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Lorelei '' Billboard Hot 100 Chart history. Billboard.com, Accessed May 27, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 12 - 19. Retrieved 2015 - 09 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada ''. Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1999 ). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin : Record Research Inc. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 142 - X. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Styx - `` Blue Collar Man ( Long Nights ) '' song to be listened as stream at Spotify.com Styx Chuck Panozzo James `` J.Y. '' Young Tommy Shaw Todd Sucherman Lawrence Gowan Ricky Phillips Dennis DeYoung John Panozzo John `` J.C. '' Curulewski Glen Burtnik Studio albums Styx ( 1972 ) Styx II ( 1973 ) The Serpent Is Rising ( 1973 ) Man of Miracles ( 1974 ) Equinox ( 1975 ) Crystal Ball ( 1976 ) The Grand Illusion ( 1977 ) Pieces of Eight ( 1978 ) Cornerstone ( 1979 ) Paradise Theatre ( 1981 ) Kilroy Was Here ( 1983 ) Edge of the Century ( 1990 ) Brave New World ( 1999 ) Cyclorama ( 2003 ) The Mission ( 2017 ) Live albums Caught in the Act ( 1984 ) Return to Paradise ( 1997 ) Arch Allies : Live at Riverport ( 2000 ) Styx World : Live 2001 ( 2001 ) At the River 's Edge : Live in St. Louis ( 2002 ) 21st Century Live ( 2003 ) One with Everything : Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra ( 2006 ) The Grand Illusion / Pieces of Eight - Live ( 2012 ) Live at the Orleans Arena, Las Vegas ( 2015 ) Compilations Best of Styx ( 1977 ) Lady ( 1980 ) Styx Classics Volume 15 ( 1987 ) Styx Radio - Made Hits 1975 - 1991 ( 1991 ) Greatest Hits ( 1992 ) Greatest Hits ( 1995 ) Styx Greatest Hits Part 2 ( 1996 ) The Best of Times : The Best of Styx ( 1997 ) Best of Styx 1973 - 1974 ( 1999 ) Extended Versions ( 2000 ) Singles Collection ( 2000 ) Styx Yesterday & Today ( 2001 ) 20th Century Masters ( 2002 ) Rockers ( 2003 ) Come Sail Away -- The Styx Anthology ( 2004 ) The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings ( 2005 ) Regeneration : Volume I & II ( 2011 & 2012 ) Cover albums Big Bang Theory ( 2005 ) Songs `` Best Thing '' ( 1972 ) `` Lady '' ( 1973 ) `` You Need Love '' ( 1975 ) `` Lorelei '' ( 1976 ) `` Mademoiselle '' ( 1976 ) `` Crystal Ball '' ( 1977 ) `` Come Sail Away '' ( 1977 ) `` Fooling Yourself ( The Angry Young Man ) '' ( 1978 ) `` Blue Collar Man ( Long Nights ) '' ( 1978 ) `` Sing for the Day '' ( 1979 ) `` Renegade ( 1979 ) `` Babe '' ( 1979 ) `` Why Me '' ( 1980 ) `` Boat on the River ( 1980 ) `` Borrowed Time '' ( 1980 ) `` Lights '' ( 1980 ) `` First Time '' ( 1980 ) `` The Best of Times '' ( 1981 ) `` Too Much Time on My Hands '' ( 1981 ) `` Nothing Ever Goes as Planned '' ( 1981 ) `` Rockin ' the Paradise ( 1981 ) `` Snowblind '' ( 1981 ) `` Mr. Roboto '' ( 1983 ) `` Do n't Let It End '' ( 1983 ) `` High Time '' ( 1983 ) `` Music Time '' / `` Heavy Metal Poisoning '' ( 1984 ) `` Love Is the Ritual '' ( 1990 ) `` Show Me the Way '' ( 1991 ) `` Love at First Sight '' ( 1991 ) `` Paradise '' ( 1997 ) `` On My Way '' ( 1997 ) `` Waiting for Our Time '' ( 2003 ) `` I Am the Walrus '' ( 2003 ) `` Ca n't Stop Rockin ' '' ( 2009 ) `` Gone Gone Gone '' ( 2017 ) Related articles Discography Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_Collar_Man_(Long_Nights)&oldid=790295646 '' Categories : Styx ( band ) songs 1978 singles Songs written by Tommy Shaw A&M Records singles Songs about labor 1978 songs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Português Edit links This page was last edited on 12 July 2017, at 20 : 22. 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Question: who sang lead vocals on blue collar man
Answer: Tommy Shaw