The Footloose soundtrack began a 10-week run at #1

Footloose (soundtrack) Various Artists

Released: January 31, 1984 Peak: 110 US, 7 UK, 19 CN, 2 AU Sales (in millions): 9.0 US, -- UK, 16.9 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop rock

Tracks: Song Title (PERFORMER) (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Footloose (KENNY LOGGINS) (Dean Pitchford, Kenny Loggins) [3:46] (1/28/84, 1 US, 2 AR, 6 UK, sales: 1 million, airplay: 1 million) Let’s Hear It for the Boy (DENIECE WILLIAMS) (Pitchford, Tom Snow) [4:20] (4/7/84, 1 US, 1 RB, 3 AC, 2 UK, sales: 1 million, airplay: 2 million) Almost Paradise (ANN WILSON & MIKE RENO) (Pitchford, Eric Carmen) [3:50] (5/12/84, 7 US, 1 AC, airplay: 2 million) Holding Out for a Hero (BONNIE TYLER) (Pitchford, Jim Steinman) [5:50] (2/25/84, 34 US, 2 UK) Dancing in the Sheets (SHALAMAR) (Pitchford, Bill Wolfer) [4:03] (2/25/84, 17 US, 18 RB, 41 UK) I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man) (KENNY LOGGINS) (Pitchford, Loggins) [3:46] (5/5/84, 22 US, 42 AR) Somebody’s Eyes (KARLA BONOFF) (Pitchford, Snow) [3:33] (8/4/84, 16 AC) The Girl Gets Around (SAMMY HAGAR) (Pitchford, Hagar) [3:22] Never (MOVING PICTURES) (Pitchford, Michael Gore) [3:45] Total Running Time: 36:25

Rating: 4.204 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings) Quotable: “A light, entertaining listen. Sometimes, that can be better than something substantial” – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “Footloose was a throwback to ‘50s rock & roll movies, with a silly plot about a town where it was illegal to dance.” AMG When outsider Ren (Bacon) comes to town, he’s stunned by the antiquated no-dancing-allowed law and becomes a rebel with a cause. His effort to fight the system puts him at odds with the town council and local preacher (John Lithgow). Surprisingly, it was based on real events in the present day. In 1981, the high school junior class in the Oklahoma town of Elmore City petitioned to overturn an 1898 law outlawing dancing so they could hold a prom. Reverend F.R. Johnson, from the nearby town of Hennepin, declared,“No good has ever come from a dance... When boys and girls hold each other they get sexually aroused.” 405 The idea to turn it into a movie came from Dean Pitchford, a songwriter who worked on Fame with Michael Gore in 1980. As the lyricist for the title song, Pitchford won an Academy Award for the title song, a top-five hit for Irene Cara. Pitchford, a novice to screenwriting, turned to Craig Brewer to craft Footloose into a movie. It ended up topping the box office for three weeks in early 1984. It went on to rake in $80 million domestically and ranked #6 for the year. BO The album was one of only five to top the Billboard 200 in 1984, along with Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Prince’s Purple Rain, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A., and Huey Lewis & the News’ Sports. It went on to be one of the top-ten best-selling soundtracks of all time. MF “It’s easy to see why – the album delivers its mainstream pop, anthemic rock, and light dance-pop with style and an abundance of hooks.” AMG The toe-tapping, call-to-dance title cut ousted Van Halen’s “Jump” (also propelled by a can’t-sit-still manic energy) from the top of the Billboard Hot 100 the week of March 31. It ended up ranked #4 for the year. BB It was the biggest hit of Loggins’ career, but it wasn’t his first trip to the top 10. He’d reached #4 with the 1972 Loggins & Messina song “Your Mama Don’t Dance” and hit #5 in 1978 with “Whenever I Call You Friend,” a duet with Stevie Nicks. In 1980, Loggins proved his hit-making talents could translate to the movies when “I’m Alright,” from Caddyshack, got to #7. The “frothy, charming Let’s Hear It for the Boy” AMG was released as the next single and also found itself reaching the pole position on the Billboard pop charts. Like Loggins, Deniece Williams had previously reached the top-10 previously. “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle” peaked at #10 in 1982. The album generated a third top-10 hit with “the excellent power ballad Almost Paradise.” AMG Once again, the song was given a huge bump because of the proven hit-makers on vocals. Mike Reno had racked up five top-40 hits as the lead singer of Loverboy while Ann Wilson had reached the top-40 nine times with Heart, including the top 10 hits “Magic Man” and “Tell It Like It Is.” While some soundtracks were cobbled together from leftovers by big-name artists alongside a few songs written with the movie in mind, Footloose broke the mold. It did still follow the template of lining up as many A-listers as possible, but the songs bore the distinction of all being co-written by Pitchford. By the time Footlose completed its chart dominance, seven of its nine songs had charted with six of them reaching the top 40. “The sound and production of Footloose has dated badly – there is a reliance on synthesizers and drum machines that instantly announces that the record was made in 1984 – but that isn’t necessarily a weakness. Not only does it function as a time capsule of a certain moment in pop music history, but many of the songs are catchy enough to transcend their production. There’s nothing of substance on the Footloose soundtrack, but it’s a light, entertaining listen. Sometimes, that can be better than something substantial.” AMG Notes: An expanded edition of the soundtrack added Quiet Riot’s “Bang Your Head (Metal Health),” John Cougar “Hurts So Good,” and Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” all of which were hits prior to the soundtrack. The expanded version also includes another version of “Dancing in the Sheets.”

Resources and Related Links: 405 405 Magazine (5/26/2015). “Dance Fever: The Town That Inspired (and Got) Footloose by M.J. Alexander AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine BO Box Office Mojo MF Mental Floss (12/13/2018). “The 20 Best-Selling Movie Soundtracks of All Time” by Austin Thompson NRR National Recording Registry DW Dave Whitaker (2022). “National Recording Registry: ‘Footloose’ – Kenny Loggins” WK Wikipedia First posted 12/25/2008; last updated 1/25/2022.

Kenny Loggins hit #1 with “Footloose”

Footloose Kenny Loggins

Writer(s): Kenny Loggins, Dean Pitchford (see lyrics here) Released: January 11, 1984 First Charted: January 28, 1984 Peak: 13 US, 13 CB, 13 RR, 2 AR, 6 UK, 11 CN, 13 AU (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 1.0 UK, 2.0 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 1.0 radio, 44.8 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: 1984 was a good year for movie songs. Prince hit #1 with “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy,” Phil Collins with “Against All Odds,” Ray Parker Jr. with “Ghostbusters,” and Stevie Wonder “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” The latter three, along with with Deniece Williams’ “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” and Kenny Loggins title song from Footloose, were nominated for Oscars for Best Song. It was the first time all five nominees had hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. FB Dean Pitchford, the screenwriter for Footloose, was a co-writer on the title song, as he had been on 1980’s “Fame,” an Oscar-winning song from the movie of the same name. He had also worked with Loggins before on his 1982 top-20 hit “Don’t Fight It” and knew he wanted him on “Footloose.” He told Dick Clark, “It felt to me like he was the voice of the country.” FB Loggins also had experience with a hit song (“I’m Alright”) from a hit movie (Caddyshack). Pitchford had never penned a screenplay, but was inspired by a real-life event. In 1981, the high school junior class in the Oklahoma town of Elmore City petitioned to overturn an 1898 law outlawing dancing so they could hold a prom. Reverend F.R. Johnson, from the nearby town of Hennepin, declared,“No good has ever come from a dance... When boys and girls hold each other they get sexually aroused.” 405 Pitchford said Loggins “persevered with me through script after script after script…He was very much around when the whole thing was coming together.” FB The pair wrote the song over four days while Loggins was suffering a rib injury and Pitchford from strep throat. They knew they had a hit when they saw audiences at Loggins’ concerts respond to the song before the movie had even been released. FB Pitchford co-wrote all the songs on the soundtrack – six of which charted. In addition to the #1 hits “Footloose” and “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” the soundtrack churned out top-40 hits with another Kenny Loggins’ song (“I’m Free”) as well as tunes by Shalamar (“Dancing in the Sheets”), Mike Reno and Ann Wilson (“Almost Paradise”), and Bonnie Tyler (“Holding Out for a Hero”). In the context of the movie, the music serves as a clarion call for the youthful spirit to kick back against the stodgy powers-that-be who would dare to squelch that need to groove, clothed or otherwise. However, the lyrics and mood of the song “Footloose” don’t sound the alarm to unite in extending middle fingers to some oppressive authority. They don’t incite rebellion or have any political motivation. The song is simply about having a good time and partying the night away. It comes down to Kevin Bacon’s character Ren’s immortal words at the closing of Footloose: “Let’s dance!” Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Kenny Loggins DMDB page for parent album Footloose soundtrack 405 405 Magazine (5/26/2015). “Dance Fever: The Town That Inspired (and Got) Footloose by M.J. Alexander BB Billboard “Year-End Hot 100 Singles of 1984” BOM Box Office Mojo FB Fred Bronson (2007). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (4th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 585. MF MentalFloss.com (12/13/2018). “The 20 Best-Selling Movie Soundtracks of All Time” by Austin Thompson SF Songfacts DW Dave Whitaker (2022). “National Recording Registry: ‘Footloose’ – Kenny Loggins” WK Wikipedia First posted 1/28/2021; last updated 1/24/2022.