Synopsis

A rebellious student is punished by an authoritarian teacher for drawing the Twisted Sister logo on his textbook. When the teacher demands to know what he wants to do with his life, the student answers, "I wanna rock!" The declaration transforms him and four classmates into Twisted Sister, who launch into a full-scale performance. The teacher tries to suppress the noise and rebellion, but every attempt fails. His defeat culminates in the principal's office, where the school's authority figures turn against him.

Factoids & Trivia

• Released in 1984 as a video for the song from Twisted Sister's album "Stay Hungry."

• Mark Metcalf reprises the authoritarian persona associated with his role as Douglas C. Neidermeyer in "National Lampoon's Animal House." Several lines and character details deliberately echo that performance.

• Stephen Furst, who plays the principal, also appeared in "Animal House" as Kent "Flounder" Dorfman. His casting creates a direct reunion between two of the film's best-known performers.

• The video continues the rebellious school-and-authority theme established in Twisted Sister's earlier "We're Not Gonna Take It" clip, with Metcalf again serving as the comic embodiment of adult opposition.

• The band's transformation is triggered by the student's answer, "I wanna rock!" This links the video's narrative directly to the song's instantly recognizable opening lyric.

• The clip has remained part of the band's pop-culture legacy. It later appeared in "Beavis and Butt-Head" and the song was featured in the video games "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" and "Burnout Paradise."

• VH1 ranked "I Wanna Rock" No. 17 on its 2009 list of the greatest hard rock songs.