“Cruisin'” became a big pop hit for Smokey Robinson, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on Billboard’s R&B Singles chart in February 1980.

Guitarist Marv Tarplin had written the music five years before Robinson came up with lyrics he was finally satisfied with. After hearing The Rascals “Groovin'”, he considered making that the main concept of the song, but later came up with “Cruisin'” instead and felt it matched the song’s ‘sensual’ sound better.