"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins

#1 Alert!

Platinum Record Alert!

Rated 10 Alert!

Song#:  1771
Date:  01/28/1984
Debut:  56
Peak:  1 (3 weeks)
Weeks:  23
Genre:  Rock, Soundtrack



Pop Bits:  Loggins already had soundtrack cred with his song "I'm Alright" from the movie Caddyshack. It was a major hit reaching #7 in 1980. The film and single went hand-in-hand and when songwriter Dean Pitchford needed a big song to helm his first movie screenplay and soundtrack, he turned to Loggins. The pair co-wrote this tune that would serve as the title track to the film Footloose. Released prior to the film hitting theaters, the single was shaping up to be a hit and its accompanying MTV video that featured scenes from the movies was playing like an advertisement. By the time the song was in the Pop Top 40, interest in the film was high and folks flocked to their local theaters. The movie quickly became a hit and this title tune wound up in the #1 spot for three weeks. In doing so, it became the biggest single of Loggins' career. The soundtrack album would also head for the #1 spot where it would knock Michael Jackson's Thriller of the top spot for the final time. The song would earn Loggins a Grammy nod for Best Pop Male Vocal.

ReduxReview:  What's not to love here? Great song, terrific chorus, exciting, highly dancable, nice production, solid vocals, etc. I definitely think this song helped to make the movie a hit. I mean, after hearing this, wouldn't you want to see the film that sparked the song? It all worked together in the best possible way. It became an iconic song from one of the most popular films of the 80s.

ReduxRating:  10/10

Trivia:  Although he had a simple working title for his screenplay, Pitchford needed a real title for the film. To get one, he used a similar method that he does for songwriting in which he just jots down any lines or thoughts, unedited, on a piece of paper that come to mind in regards to the project. After a couple days of doing this, he narrowed down the pages of notes to four possible choices which included "footloose." This one came about because he wrote down "footloose and fancy free," and then took out the "and" to separate the two parts. The single word "footloose" got his attention and became a favorite. The film company loved it as well and the movie got an official title.

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