"I Wanna Be Your Dog" is a song by American rock band
the Stooges, released as the group's debut single from the band's 1969
self-titled debut album. The riff is composed of only three
chords (G, F♯ and E), is played continuously throughout the song (excepting two brief 4-bar
bridges). The 3-minute-and-9-second-long song, with its distortion-heavy guitar intro, single-note piano riff played by producer
John Cale of
the Velvet Underground, and steady, driving beat, gave the cutting edge of the early
heavy metal and
punk sound.[4]
In 2004, the song was ranked number 438 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "
500 Greatest Songs of All Time",[5] but it was dropped to number 445 on its 2010 revision, then was re-ranked at number 314 on its 2021 list.[6]Pitchfork Media placed it at number 16 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".[7]
Actor
John McCrea sang a cover version heard in the 2021 film Cruella. McCrea also appeared in the film.[10]Damiano David, lead vocalist of
Måneskin, performed a cover of the song for the Italian dub of the film.[11]
Modern Life Is War released a cover in 2021 on their EP "Tribulation Worksongs, Vol. 3".[12]