The Streak

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The Streak was a popular song written, produced, and sung by Ray Stevens. The Streak capitalized on the then popular craze of streaking.

One of Steven's most successful recordings, The Streak was his second number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the USA, spending three weeks at the top in May 1974 and reached #3 on the Billboard Country singles chart. A major international hit it also reached #1 on the UK singles chart, spending a single week at the top of the chart in June 1974. In total it sold over 5 million copies internationally.

The song is told as a series of three "news flashes", featuring the "Action News Reporter" on the scene of a reported streaking event (the supermarket, the gas station, and the basketball playoffs). The reporter interviews a man (Stevens) who responds with his view of what happened. The response contains several double entendres, and the man tries to warn his wife, Ethel, not to look ("don't look, Ethel!"), but always too late.

After the third chorus, the man sees the streaker again, but to his horror the streaker is joined by his wife, "Ethel"!

Preceded by "The Loco-Motion" by Grand Funk Railroad	Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 18, 1974	Succeeded by "Band on the Run" by Paul McCartney and Wings
Preceded by "Sugar Baby Love" by The Rubettes	UK number one single June 11, 1974	Succeeded by "Always Yours" by Gary Glitter