Pet Rocks: From 1970s Fad to Interplanetary Travelers

Can you dig it? It’s been half a century since advertising genius (or madman?) Gary Dahl pulled off one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll swindles—except there was no music, just rocks. And not the Rolling Stones kind, either. This guy put a rock in a box, called it a Pet Rock, and laughed all the way to the bank. No, not the Bank of Bedrock—this was cold, hard cash, baby.

The Rise of the Pet Rock Phenomenon

It’s 1975, bell bottoms are flaring, disco is growing, and Dahl is sitting in a bar, listening to his friends gripe about the hassles of pet ownership. Feeding, grooming, training—ugh, the responsibility! That’s when inspiration struck like a meteor from outer space: Why not sell the perfect pet? No mess, no vet bills, no midnight barking—just a rock. Simple. Genius. Ridiculous.

Each Pet Rock came packaged in a cozy little cardboard carrier, complete with ventilation holes (because, you know, rocks need to breathe) and a bed of straw for ultimate pet comfort. And people? They went stone-cold crazy for it. For a few glorious months, America lost its collective marbles and forked over $4 a pop for a rock with zero tricks, no tail to wag, and less personality than a pet brick. But hey, it also never chewed the furniture, so there’s that.

By Christmas 1975, sales were rocketing like KISS on a world tour. But, like all fads, the novelty wore off faster than a pair of platform shoes at a Led Zeppelin concert. By February 1976, sales hit—wait for it—rock bottom.

Still, by then, Dahl had already sold over a million Pet Rocks, proving once and for all that people will buy anything if you market it right. Were people stoned? Maybe. Were they suckers? Possibly. But let’s face it—this was the most rock-solid get-rich-quick scheme in history.

Pet Rocks: Now an Interplanetary Sensation?

But hold onto your moon boots—Pet Rocks didn’t just stay on the third rock from the sun. They went interplanetary.

Fast forward to the 2020s, and NASA’s Perseverance rover is rolling across the Martian landscape, searching for signs of ancient life. In February 2022 (Sol 341), scientists noticed something unusual—a small rock had hitched a ride in one of the rover’s wheels. The rock, visible from hazard avoidance cameras, wasn’t a threat to the mission, so NASA let it stay.

For over 427 sols (439 Earth days), this little Martian hitchhiker clung to Perseverance’s wheel as the rover traveled over 6 miles (9.7 km). The space agency even joked that the rover had “adopted a Pet Rock”—a legacy Dahl himself would have loved. Now that rocks!

And as if one wasn’t enough, Perseverance later picked up another Pet Rock, affectionately named “Dwayne.” Yes, as in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. If that isn’t the most 21st-century crossover event ever, I don’t know what is.

The Legacy of the Pet Rock

So here we are, 50 years later, and Pet Rocks aren’t just nostalgia—they’re now part of space exploration history. From a 1970s marketing gimmick to a viral cultural phenomenon, to hitching a ride on Mars itself, the Pet Rock has proven it’s more than just a silly fad.