Bad to the Bone was released in 1982 by George Thorogood and the Destroyers on the album of the same name, building on classic blues riffs. The song became a staple in films, adverts and trailers for rebellious characters, notably in Terminator 2 and other biker and outlaw scenes. Online, creators isolated the opening riff as a standalone meme sound, so a two second burst now instantly communicates cool confidence without needing the full track, and it remains popular for ironic tough guy edits.