The Heart of Rock & Roll

This article is about the song by Huey Lewis and the News. For their UK-released compilation album, see The Heart of Rock & Roll – The Best of Huey Lewis and The News. For the episode of the television series Fame, see The Heart of Rock 'N' Roll.
"The Heart of Rock & Roll"
Single by Huey Lewis and the News
from the album Sports
B-side "Workin' for a Livin'" (Live)[1]
Released April 10, 1984
Format Vinyl
Recorded 1983
Genre Rock
Length 5:03 (Album version)
4:05 (Single version)
Label Chrysalis
Writer(s) Johnny Colla
Huey Lewis
Producer(s) Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News singles chronology
"I Want a New Drug"
(1984)		 "The Heart of Rock & Roll"
(1984)		 "If This Is It"
(1984)

"The Heart of Rock & Roll" is a song performed by Huey Lewis and the News, released as the third single from their album Sports in 1984. The single peaked at number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

History

The song was written by bandmembers Johnny Colla and Huey Lewis.[2] The lyrics sung as "The heart of rock and roll is still beating" were originally going to be "The heart of rock and roll is in Cleveland," in honor of a great concert the band had played in the city.[3] The intro to the song is a piano being played backwards.[3] The B-side to the single is a live version of "Workin' for a Livin'".[1]

Different versions of the single were sent to different radio markets, with Lewis ad libbing the names of nearby towns after his stock ad libs of "Cleveland! Detroit!"

Reception

Reception for the song is mixed. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic calls it one of the songs on the album that has "memorable hooks, driven home with economical precision by a tight bar band, who are given just enough polish to make them sound like superstars."[2] Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone believed that "a fancy-pants sax solo and some moronic lyrics sabotage the spirited 'Heart of Rock & Roll' (it's still kicking, says Huey), which should have ended a minute and a half earlier."[4]

In April 2009, Blender magazine listed it sixth on its list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever".[5]

Music video

The music video was a complicated video to produce, according to director Edd Griles. "The complications occurred when we filmed in New York for 13 hours straight on the Brooklyn Bridge and then later in Times Square. In Brooklyn, we had the camera in the helicopter, but the 'copter couldn't get in close enough and the bridge was windy, so the shot took a long time. In Times Square, it was only 21 degrees out and the band was dressed in either short sleeves or light jackets. As you know, filming takes time, lots of it, so Huey and the band were out there freezing their toes off in between takes," the director recalled.[3] Also, Lewis' wife was expecting a baby, which caused delays and problems.[3]

Chart performance

Chart (1984-1986) Peak
position
Australian Singles Charts 58
Canadian RPM 50 Singles[6][7] 8
German Singles Chart[8] 71
New Zealand Singles Chart[9] 21
UK Singles Chart[10] 78
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 6
US Billboard Top Rock Tracks 5
Chart (1986) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[12] 49

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ultratop.be - Huey Lewis And The News - The Heart Of Rock & Roll". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Huey Lewis & the News: Sports > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "The Official Huey Lewis and the News Newsletter: Newsline". hln.org. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  4. ↑ "Huey Lewis and the News: Sports : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  5. ↑ "Run for Your Life! It’s the 50 Worst Songs Ever!". blender.com. Alpha Media Group Inc. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
  6. ↑ "RPM Top Singles - Volume 40, No. 18, July 07 1984". Library and Archives Canada. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "RPM Top Singles - Volume 40, No. 19, July 15, 1984". Library and Archives Canada. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "Huey Lewis And The News, The Heart Of Rock & Roll". charts.de. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  9. ↑ "charts.org.nz - Huey Lewis And The News - The Heart Of Rock & Roll". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  10. ↑ "Chart Stats - Huey Lewis And The News - The Heart Of Rock 'N' Roll". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  11. ↑ "Huey Lewis - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "Chart Stats - Huey Lewis And The News - The Heart Of Rock And Roll". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2011.