Theaters are no longer packed; that happened in America's better days. The movies were better, the songs were better, Republicans didn't hate their fellow man, everything was better. While we mourn the jailing of innocent Americans, we hear these songs and remember America in its heyday.
#40--"Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley (from the movie Blue Hawai'i--1961)
We heard UB40 back at #68 with their cover version of this song. It's next to impossible to beat a classic, though the men in UB40 are close to the best ones in the Rock Era to pull it off.
Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss wrote this classic for Elvis Presley for the 1961 movie Blue Hawai'i. The melody is based on "Plaisir d'amour", a French love song that Jean-Paul-Égide Martini wrote in 1784. Boots Randolph played sax while Hal Blaine played drums on the track.
Presley, as "Chad" Gates, has just been released from the Army and is excited to return to Hawai'i and be with his girlfriend Maile Duval (played by Joan Blackman). His mother, Sarah Lee (Angela Lansbury), hopes Chad will take over management of his father's business, the Great Southern Hawai'ian Fruit Company but Chad instead becomes a tour guide on the island at a travel agency where Duval works.
The first clients to hire Chad are a beautiful school teacher, Abigail Prentice (played by Nancy Walters), and four of her female students. And as you can probably guess, that spells "t-r-o-u-b-l-e" from the get-go.
In a diversified career of 80 years, Lansbury excelled on stage, television and the big screen. She and her family moved from London to New York City in 1940 to escape the bombing Blitz of World War II. She relocated to Hollywood in 1942 and signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).
Lansbury was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards for Gaslight, The Picture of Dorian Gray (which earned Angela a Golden Globe Award) and The Manchurian Candidate and also appeared in National Velvet, when she struck up what would prove to be a lifelong friendship with fellow Velvet co-star Elizabeth Taylor. Her other top early films are The Harvey Girls, Till the Clouds Roll By, The Three Musketeers, State of the Union, The Red Danube, Samson and Delilah and Mutiny.
Angela then focused on Broadway and was awarded with Best Actress in a Musical honors at the Tony Awards for Mame, Dear World, Gypsy and Sweeney Todd. Later in her career, she received a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Blithe Spirit in 2009. Lansbury was also nominated at the Tonys for Deuce in 2007 and A Little Night Music in 2010. She received the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2022.
Many people remember Lansbury as the insightful amateur sleuth and writer Jessica Fletcher on the popular series Murder, She Wrote, which aired for 12 years. Angela was nominated all 12 years for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Lansbury also appeared in the movies Death on the Nile, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Beauty and the Beast and Anastasia, among others.
Lansbury won six Golden Globe Awards, three Academy Awards, five Tony Awards and18 Primetime Emmy Awards. She received Kennedy Center Honors in 2000 and the Academy Honorary Award in 2013.
"Can't Help Falling In Love" held on to the #1 position in the U.K. for four weeks and #2 on the Popular chart and #1 on the Easy Listening chart for six weeks in the United States, #2 in New Zealand and Sweden, #3 in Australia and #4 in Canada. It has sold over one million copies. It was the last song Presley performed live at a concert at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 26, 1977.
Blue Hawai'i was one of Elvis's better soundtracks, dominating the Album chart for 20 weeks and remaining a bestseller for 39 weeks and selling over three million copies in the U.S. alone. It was huge on the other side of the Atlantic as well, topping the U.K. Album chart for 18 weeks. The album was nominated for Best Soundtrack Album or Recording of Original Cast from a Motion Picture or Television at the Grammy Awards.
The movie finished as the 10th top-grossing film of 1961 with box office receipts totaling $4.2 million.
#39--"And I Love Her" by the Beatles (from the movie A Hard Day's Night--1964)
John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote Song #39*, performed by the Beatles in their 1964 movie A Hard Day's Night. The movie follows the group in a 36-hour period in which they prepare for a performance on television.
Wilfrid Brambell is John McCartney, Paul's grandfather with Norman Rossington, John Junkin, Victor Spinetti as the rest of the supporting cast, and Pattie Boyd (George Harrison's wife) and Charlotte Rampling (a nightclub dancer who later starred in the classic movie The Verdict) also appear in the film.
Brambell appeared in two dozen films (including The Three Lives of Thomasina), but is best known in the U.K. for his role in the television sitcom Steptoe and Son, which aired from 1962-1965 and 1970-1974.
"And I Love Her" stopped at #12, with the folks who compile the music charts unaware the song was one of the most requested at the time and the album was #1 in the United States, the U.K., Germany, Australia and Finland and sold over four million copies.
A Hard Day's Night grossed $14 million and was nominated for Best Original Score Written for Best Music Score and Best Screenplay at the Academy Awards and Best Motion Picture or Television Show at the Grammy Awards.
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#38--"When Doves Cry" by Prince (from the movie Purple Rain--1984)
Here is the top-ranked song of four in the special from this film. Superstar Prince wrote and performed it for his 1984 movie Purple Rain, in which he stars in as The Kid. The Kid has an unhappy childhood but escapes his life rehearsing and performing at the First Avenue nightclub.
As leader of The Revolution, The Kid and the group are one of three house bands at the club and all would be fine but Morris Day, leader of the Time, thinks three groups are at least one too many.
"When Doves Cry" was a monumental hit, securing the #1 spot in the U.S. for five weeks, also reaching #1 in Canada and Australia, #2 in Ireland and New Zealand, #4 in the U.K. and Finland, #5 in the Netherlands and #10 in Norway. It has sold over two million copies in the U.S. and was nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes.
The soundtrack dominated the Album chart for 24 weeks in the United States and was a Top 10 album nearly everywhere in the world. The "Purple Rain" Soundtrack boasts U.S. sales of 13 million and 25 million worldwide and took home a Grammy for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.
Purple Rain earned a gross of $70 million. The movie won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score and an American Music Award for Top Soundtrack.
#37--"Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio (from the movie Dangerous Minds--1995)
Our next classic is a remake of Stevie Wonder's song "Pastime Paradise" from Wonder's landmark Songs in the Key of Life album. Artis Ivey, Jr., using the stage name Coolio, adapted Stevie's lyrics in 1995 along with Larry Sanders and Doug Rasheed for the solid movie Dangerous Minds.
Michelle Pfeiffer is LouAnne Johnson, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, who gets a teaching job immediately after applying. She should have known. On her first day on the job, LouAnne finds that her students are all from low-income households--many are in gangs and selling drugs. She is disrespected from the outset, but she soon dons a leather jacket and comes up with alternative teaching methods that will reach her students. But the school's administrators aren't happy with those teaching methods. Isn't that the way?
Pfeiffer is joined by George Dzundza (as fellow teacher Hal Griffith), Courtney B. Vance, Robin Bartlett, Renoly Santiago (as Raul Sanchero, a student whom Johnson is particularly fond of) and Wade Dominguez.
"Gangsta's Paradise" was not only #1 in the U.S. but the top-selling single of the year and another of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*, as all are from here out. It was a Top 10 smash in every country except Canada and Spain, reaching the top spot in the U.K., Germany, France, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden, Austria and Switzerland. It has sold three million in the U.S. and eight million worldwide. Coolio won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist at the American Music Awards and was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album.
Dangerous Minds brought in $179 million. Pfeiffer won Favorite Actress - Drama at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards while the soundtrack was nominated for Top Soundtrack at the American Music Awards.
#36--"The Rose" by Bette Midler (from the movie The Rose--1980)
Bette Midler turned this song written by Amanda McBroom into a smash hit in 1980 from the movie The Rose. The film is based on Janis Joplin's life, and Midler was fantastic in the leading role. Like Joplin, Mary Rose Foster in the movie becomes a famous rock & roll singer. But she has insecurity issues and abuses both alcohol and drugs. Alan Bates plays Foster's manager and promoter.
Midler starred in both Fiddler on the Roof and Salvation on Broadway in the 1960's. As a recording artist, Midler has hit with "The Rose", "Wind Beneath My Wings", "From A Distance", "Do You Want To Dance" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".
The Rose was Midler's film debut, which led to roles in Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Outrageous Fortune, Beaches, The First Wives Club, The Stepford Wives, Parental Guidance and The Addams Family and its sequel.
Bette has won four Golden Globes, three Grammys, three Primetime Emmys and two Tony Awards in her career. She ranked #62 in Inside The Rock Era's 2014 presentation of The Top 100 Female Artists of the Rock Era*.
Midler won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "The Rose", which peaked at #1 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart and #3 overall, #2 in Canada and #6 in Australia and has sold over one million copies.
The soundtrack album has sold over two million in the U.S. alone.
The Rose grossed $29 million at the box office and Midler took home Best Actress in a Motion Picture -Comedy or Musical and New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female while the movie was also nominated for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical and Best Supporting Actor for Frederic Forrest at the Golden Globe Awards. The movie was nominated for Best Actress (Midler), Best Supporting Actor (Frederic Forrest), Best Sound and Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards.
#35--"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins (from the movie Footloose--1984)
Santa Barbara, California's Kenny Loggins co-wrote Song #35* with Dean Pitchford for the 1984 blockbuster Footloose. Veteran session musicians Michael Boddicker (synth bass and percussion) and Paulinho da Costa (percussion) play on the track.
Footloose is the story of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), who moves to a small town in Utah with his mother. Initially, Ren isn't accepted well, but he makes friends with Willard, played by Chris Penn. The kids at the high school want to have a prom even though dancing is not allowed in the town. Reverend Shaw Moore (played superbly by John Lithgow) is protective of his town and his congregation, but can see that times are changing. It is even worse that his daughter Ariel (Lori Singer) is something of a hellion. Dianne Wiest stars as Shaw's wife Vi while Sarah Jessica Parker plays Rusty. Footloose features some of the best music as well as some of the best dancing ever in a movie.
Parker debuted on Broadway at the age of 11 in the remake of The Innocents, and then starred in the Broadway musical Annie in 1979. She is most famous for her role in Sex and the City from 1998-2004, which earned her four Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and two Primetime Emmys.
Parker has won a total of six Golden Globes and the two Primetime Emmys.
"Footloose" racked up three weeks at #1 in the United States and hit #3 in Australia and New Zealand, #4 in West Germany and Switzerland, #5 in Canada and #6 in the U.K. and was nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards. The single has sold over one million units in the U.S. and over three million worldwide.
In 2018, the United States Library of Congress selected the song to preserve in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
The soundtrack contains three Top 10 hits (all of which are in The Top 200*) and six total hits. It held on to #1 on the Album chart for 10 weeks in the United States and also reached the top in Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria and Japan. The "Footloose" Soundtrack has gone over the 11-million mark in sales and was nominated for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special at the Grammy Awards.
The movie hauled in a gross of $80 million.
#34--"Gonna' Fly Now" by Bill Conti (from the movie Rocky--1977)
Here's another song that, while popular, is elevated because of its impact in the movie and its recognizability worldwide. Bill Conti wrote it with Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins for the 1977 blockbuster movie Rocky. The iconic song plays as boxer Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) goes through his daily training regimen, leading to a run up the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, and raises his arms high above his head as he gets to the top.
Balboa is a struggling boxer who really doesn't have a lot of goals for himself and seems to accept the status quo. Out of the blue, Apollo Creed, the heavyweight champion of the world played by Carl Weathers, offers Balboa a shot at the title as a publicity stunt to be held in Philadelphia. But Balboa doesn't take it that way and trains hard, both in the conventional sense as aided by trainer Mickey Goldmill, played by Burgess Meredith, and in many unconventional ways that includes punching livestock meat. Rocky takes an interest in Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire), a terribly shy pet shop owner with an abusive brother named Paulie (Burt Young), who is Rocky's best friend.
Like the character he plays, Stallone too was down on his luck and came up with the script to save his career. He refused to allow the film to be made without him in the lead role and finally, United Artists agreed.
Meredith starred in several films that earned him a reputation as a solid actor such as Winterset in 1936, Of Mice and Men and The Story of G.I. Joe. Burgess starred in several of the most famous episodes of the landmark Twilight Zone television series, including "Time Enough at Last", "Obsolete Man" and "Printer's Devil". He played The Penguin in the 1960's television series Batman. Meredith also starred in The Day of the Locust (which earned him Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor, the great comedy Foul Play and Clash of the Titans.
Meredith also appeared in the television shows Bonanza, Wagon Train, Daniel Boone, The Virginian and The Wild Wild West.
"Gonna' Fly Now" took the #1 position in the U.S. and #8 in Canada. Though Maynard Ferguson's version is better, this is the one from the movie and was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.
The soundtrack was nominated for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special at the Grammy Awards.
Rocky grossed an impressive $225 million in 1977, the equivalent of $1.187 billion today. It was thoroughly honored at awards shows, including a Golden Globe win for Best Motion Picture - Drama and nominations for Best Director, Best Actor for Stallone, Best Actress for Shire, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score and Oscar wins for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film Editing among 10 nominations that included Best Actor for Stallone, Best Actress for Shire, Best Supporting Actor for both Meredith and Young, Best Screenplay and Best Sound.
#33--"Against All Odds" by Phil Collins (from the movie Against All Odds--1984)
Phil Collins wrote and performed one of The Top Songs of 1984* for the movie Against All Odds. Director Taylor Hackford (who also directed one of the best movies in history, An Officer and a Gentleman) made a special point of flying to Chicago to meet with Collins, who watched the movie on VCR in his hotel room and agreed to record a song for the soundtrack.
Terry Brogan (Jeff Bridges) is a injured professional football player who is released by the Outlaws. He is old as football players go and is in need of money. An old acquaintance, nightclub owner Jake Wise (James Woods), approaches Terry with an offer to pay him if he can find Jake's girlfriend, Jessie Wyler (played by Rachel Ward). Wyler is also the daughter of Mrs. Wyler (Jane Greer), owner of the Outlaws. Mrs. Wyler owns the team, but her husband Ben Caxton, (Richard Widmark) runs the team as well as getting things done for Mrs. Wyler's real estate ambitions.
Brogan doesn't want to take the job as he really doesn't want to have anything to do with Wise, but realizes that Jake can expose him for a previous point-shaving event with the Outlaws. After much effort, Jake finds Jessie in Mexico and immediately falls for her, putting his job on the back burner. Jessie at first has no interest but eventually reciprocates the feeling. Along the way, they run into Outlaws' trainer Hank Sully, played by Alex Karras, Karras being a star Pro Bowl defensive tackle himself with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League.
Of course, Jake didn't get to be his evil self without finding out everything, and he finds out about Terry and Jessie. To Terry's shock, Jessie goes back to Jake. Wise makes it clear to Brogan that he knows about Terry and Jessie, but offers a chance to "square the deal"--Brogan is to break into the office of Outlaws lawyer Steve Kirsch (played by Saul Rubinek), who has the goods on not only Wise but Brogan as well.
Brogan does this as well, with the help of Kirsch's secretary, Edie (played by Swoosie Kurtz). But Brogan is set up, and he must find a way to get out of his latest mess, which sets up a dramatic confrontation in the middle of nowhere between Brogan, Wise, Caxton, Jessie and Jake's associate in both his nightclub and shady deals, Tommy (played by Dorian Harewood).
The song plays at the finale of the movie in which Terry is looking at Jessie at a function celebrating the sale of public land to millionaires. The viewer must ponder what the look means and interpret what Jessie's responsive look means. "Against All Odds" is one of the best examples of a movie song truly fitting what appears on the screen while it is playing.
Widmark made a strong debut in the 1947 movie Kiss of Death, in which he won a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year - Actor and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards. He also starred in The Street with No Name, Road House, No Way Out, Panic in the Streets, The Frogmen, Halls of Montezuma, Hell and High Water, The Alamo, The Bedford Incident, Murder on the Orient Express and the thriller Rollercoaster. He was nominated for an Emmy for the television movie Vanished!
Rubinek, who was born in a German refugee camp, also appeared in the movies Wall Street and Nixon, among others, and is known for his television roles on Frasier, Warehouse 13 and The Last Tycoon.
"Against All Odds" was a smash hit around the world, reaching #1 in Canada, Ireland, Israel, Norway and Portugal, #2 in Denmark, #3 in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden, #4 in Switzerland and Belgium, #5 in Finland and #10 in the Netherlands. It has sold over one million singles in the U.S. and is nearing two million worldwide and was nominated for Best Original Song at both the Golden Globes and Oscars.
The soundtrack is good besides just Collins' featured song and peaked at #12 and was nominated for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special at the Golden Globe Awards.
Against All Odds grossed $21 million and is one of the most underrated movies of all-time, as you might be able to tell from the plot described above.
#32--"Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler (from the movie Beaches--1988)
Though this song was written in 1982 by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley, it didn't become popular until 1988, when Bette Midler recorded it for the movie Beaches. Beaches stars Midler, Barbara Hershey, Mayim Bialik and John Heard.
While performing a concert rehearsal in Los Angeles, singer Cecilia "C.C." Bloom (played by Midler) gets a note from a dear friend named Hilary Whitney (Hershey)and rushes off to be with her. The two have been friends since 1958 when they met under the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. They went through numerous events, setbacks and challenges to their friendship but endured.
Hilary requires a heart transplant and being that she has a rare tissue type, she likely will die before a heart is found for her. C.C. goes with Hilary and her daughter Victoria to a beach house for the summer. Hilary and Victoria go back to San Francisco after the trip and C.C. to Los Angeles for the concert but when Hilary collapses, Victoria sends word to C.C. via the note described above.
One of Heard's best roles was the sleeper Deceived in 1991 and another was The Pelican Brief in 1993. He also starred in Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Big and Awakenings.
Hershey won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for A Killing in a Small Town and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Last Temptation of Christ and The Portrait of a Lady. Barbara also starred in Hannah and Her Sisters, With Six You Get Eggroll, The Right Stuff, The Natural, Hoosiers and Black Swan.
"Wind Beneath My Wings" reached #1 in the United States and Australia, #4 in New Zealand and #5 in the United Kingdom, sold over two million copies and took home Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
The album hit #1 in Australia, #2 in the U.S. and New Zealand and #7 in Canada and has sold over three million copies to date.
Beaches grossed $57 million and received an Oscar nomination for Best Set Direction.
#31--"Call Me" by Blondie (from the movie American Gigolo--1980)
Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie, wrote this song with ace producer Giorgio Moroder in 1980 for the film American Gigolo. Harold Faltermeyer arranged the song and played keyboards.
Richard Gere is a high-priced male escort in Los Angeles who has an affair with the wife (Lauren Hutton) of a well-known politician . Meanwhile, Gere is tagged as the main suspect in a murder case.
Gere appeared in Looking for Mr. Goodbar but this was the film that launched his career. He should have won Best Actor for his superb performance in An Officer and a Gentleman. Richard won a Golden Globe Award for Chicago and has also starred in Pretty Woman, the thriller Primal Fear, the great movie Final Analysis, Runaway Bride, Red Corner, The Cotton Club, No Mercy, The Double and First Knight.
Lead singer Deborah Harry and Chris Stein were with a group called the Stilettoes in 1973 and 74, and later reformed as Blondie. They were soon regular performers at CBGB in New York City and beginning with the 1978 album Parallel Lines, attracted a national following. Blondie also hit with "Heart Of Glass", "The Tide Is High", "Rapture", "One Way Or Another", "Dreaming" and "Atomic".
"Call Me" dominated the U.S. chart to the tune of six straight weeks at #1, and also hit the top in the U.K. and Canada, #2 in Norway, #3 in Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, #4 in Australia and #6 in New Zealand. It was the #1 song of the year and sold over one million copies. The song received a nomination for Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards and a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
The soundtrack to the movie peaked at #7 in the U.S. and sold over 500,000 copies.
American Gigolo brought in a gross of $52 million and was nominated for Best Original Score at the Golden Globes.
