However, music journalist Stephen Thomas Erlewine calls it one of Williams's "genuine rock & roll classics" and notes its popularity among 1960s British Invasion groups, such as the Beatles.

[3] The lyrics reflect a teenage sensibility: "He's a guy who causes trouble in the classroom, puts chewing gum in little girls' hair, and doesn't want to go to school to learn to read and write", according to critic Richie Unterberger.

He made it more effective than a common generic early rock'n'roll tune, however, with some start-stop tempos, devious blues-rock guitar, spoken comic "he's a ... bad boy" interjections after lines in the verse, and exaggerated whoops and, most memorably, falsetto commands "Now Junior, behave yourself!".

[3]Music writer Gene Sculatti compares it to Williams's earlier song "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy", but with backup vocals more like the Coasters "Charlie Brown" and the Everly Brothers "Bird Dog", both Billboard chart hits.

"Bad Boy" was first released on the American album Beatles VI in June 1965, while "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy" appeared on the British Help!