Punkrocker (song)

For the Ramones song, see Sheena Is a Punk Rocker.

"Punkrocker"
Single by Teddybears featuring Iggy Pop
from the album Soft Machine
Released	2006
Studio	Apmamman Studios (Stockholm) Hit Factory Criteria (Miami)
Genre	Electronic rock
Length	4:06
Label	Big Beat
Songwriter(s)	Teddybears Iggy Pop
Producer(s)	Teddybears
Teddybears featuring Iggy Pop singles chronology
"Little Stereo" (2004) "Punkrocker" (2006) "Yours to Keep" (2006)
Music video
"Punkrocker" on YouTube

"Punkrocker" is a song written and originally performed by the Swedish electronic/alternative group Teddybears. The song first appeared on their 2000 album Rock 'n' Roll Highschool , and was covered later that year by Caesar's Palace (later known as Caesars), a band which also includes Teddybears member Joakim Åhlund.

The song has been covered multiple times, with the best known version internationally being a 2006 re-recording by Teddybears with American singer Iggy Pop on lead vocals. This version was a minor hit in the United States,^{[ when? ]} and appeared in a Cadillac ad campaign in 2007. It was also featured in the 2025 film Superman .

Music video

The music video portrays parts of New York's skyline at nighttime. Everyone's (except Iggy Pop who is seen in a car) head is replaced with a bear (so is the Statue of Liberty seen at the end.)

Track listings

12-inch vinyl

1. "Punkrocker" (album version)
2. "Punkrocker" (instrumental)
3. "Punkrocker" (acapella)
4. "Punkrocker" (Squeak E. Clean remix)
5. "Punkrocker" (Squeak E. Clean instrumental)

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Soft Machine. ^[1]

• Joakim Åhlund  – producer, songwriter, mixing
• Klas Åhlund  – producer, songwriter, mixing
• Patrik Arve – producer, songwriter, mixing
• Iggy Pop  – songwriter, lead vocals
• MixInc – mixing
• Andreas Kleerup  – drums
• Chris Athens  – mastering

Notable covers

It has been performed by:

• Caesar's Palace on the album Cherry Kicks (2000)
• Thomas Rusiak featuring Teddybears STHLM as "Hiphopper" on the album Magic Villa (2000). Though not a hip hop song itself, the song is a parody of the hip hop culture.
• Slagsmålsklubben as "Synthpopper" on the album Fest i valen - Edition (2001)
• Torgny Melins (a Swedish dansband) as "Dansbander" on the album Dansbander (2006) ^[2] also releasing it as a single the same year. ^[3]
• Teddybears featuring Iggy Pop on the album Soft Machine (2006).
• Träd, Gräs och Stenar live since 2002 and on the album Homeless Cats (2009).
• The Swedish radio show Rally as "Jag är Hiphop-Yngve, jojomen" (2000).
• Snutjävel (a Swedish punkband) as "Punksvin" CDS (2010)
• Crazy & the Brains on the single Punk Rocker (2021).
• Slamgubbe by Dom Viktiga Skorna, from the album Är det så fel (2021)

In the media

The Teddybears' single, "Punkrocker" (featuring Iggy Pop), is featured in a Cadillac television commercial directed by Daniel Askill, titled 'Roll' and features a time-line of Cadillac automobiles, from the original 1902 Cadillac to the 2007 Cadillac XLR sports convertible. The song also appeared in the background of a scene of NBC's Bionic Woman .

Thomas Rusiak's version "Hiphopper" can be heard in Kevin Smith's 2001 film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back .

The 2016 video game Mark McMorris Infinite Air includes this song as a part of its tracklist.

The song is featured in the end credits of the 2025 DC Universe film Superman . ^[4] The song serves as a callback to an earlier scene in the film, in which Lois Lane (portrayed by Rachel Brosnahan) describes herself as "punk rock" due to her cynicism, while describing her boyfriend Clark Kent (portrayed by David Corenswet), as more kind and trusting, to which Kent replies "maybe [kindness and trust are] the real punk rock." The song saw a huge increase in streaming numbers following its inclusion in the film, going from 1,572 streams as of July 4 to nearly 190,500 by July 12, the day after Superman released. Iggy Pop expressed his approval of the song's inclusion to The Hollywood Reporter , saying "I always thought the track had soul. Superman is the best friend you could have.” ^[5]

Charts

Chart performance for "Punkrocker"

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA) [6]	32
UK Singles (OCC) [7]	55
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 ( Billboard ) [8]	9
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [9]	20

References

1. Big Beat Records (2006). Soft Machine (Media notes). Teddybears.
2. "Dansander" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
3. "Dansander" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
4. Stopper, Jessica (9 July 2025). "'70s Rock Star, 78, Brings Fans Joy With Song at the End of New Superman Movie". Parade . Retrieved 10 July 2025.
5. Abramovitch, Seth (15 July 2025). "Iggy Pop on Closing Out 'Superman' Soundtrack: Hero is "the Best Friend You Could Have"". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 16 July 2025.
6. "IRMA – Irish Charts (Week 30, 2025)". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved 25 July 2025.
7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
8. "Iggy Pop Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
9. "Iggy Pop Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 July 2025.