"The Wild Boys" became one of the band's biggest hits, reaching number two on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 for four weeks, behind "Out of Touch" by Hall & Oates and "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, and also hitting number one on the US "Cash Box". It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, and also reached the top position in Germany, Italy, South Africa and Canada. It also became the band's biggest charting single in Australia, reaching number three. In popular culture, it is best-known as the walkout song of mixed martial arts and kickboxing star Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović.