
Peak
1
Weeks
22
Score
4,345
Chart Year
1983
Before Flashdance was released on April 15, 1983,[18] its distributor Paramount Pictures had doubts that it would do well at the box office.[19] The May 7 issue of Cash Box, however, reported on the surprise success of the film and Paramount's plan to have Lyne take parts of scenes from it to create music videos to be shown on the cable channel MTV as well as on television programs and at other venues featuring such clips.[18] "Maniac" was listed on the reports that MTV provided to Billboard that indicated what videos were in rotation on the cable network and made its first appearance there in the May 21 issue, which indicated that it had been added to their playlist as of May 11
This was featured in the movie Flashdance, starring Jennifer Beals as a welder by day, dancer by night. Phil Ramone, who was the music supervisor on the movie, produced the track. He also made another contribution to the movie: After seeing some kids breakdancing in New York City, he alerted the movie's producer, who shot footage of the dancers that was used in the film. Sembello wrote this with his songwriting partner Dennis Matkosky, who got the idea when he saw the William Lustig movie Maniac, which is about a serial killer who stalks his victims in New York City. Sembello told Songfacts: "He came up with the original kernel of inspiration and to me with the basic idea and groove and I believe the temporary lyrics for the chorus he had were: He's a maniac, maniac that's for sure He will kill your cat and nail him to the door That direction obviously wasn't going to work at which point the genius of Phil Ramone, producer of the soundtrack who had the vision to see the potential of the song, asked us to change it to the present concept of a girl possessed with the passion of a gift for dance. Without Phil it would not have happened." The 1983 Oscar for Best Original Song went to another song from the movie, "Flashdance... What a Feeling." "Maniac" was nominated, but apparently disqualified. Michael Sembello explained: "It was nominated for an Academy Award and was disqualified according to 'academy rules' because the song was changed from the original and was not originally written solely for the film, which pisses me off to this day." This was accidentally included on a tape of Sembello's songs his wife sent to Paramount for consideration in Flashdance. The studio loved it and used it in the movie. The dance scenes in the video (and the movie), were performed by body double Marine Jahan. It was a well-kept secret that Jennifer Beals did not dance in the film. The video was the first to use nothing but scenes from the movie, with no shots of the artist. This kept the focus squarely on the film, making the video almost a movie trailer, but it stiffed Michael Sembello, so most of us had no idea what he looked like. Over the next few years, videos for songs featured in films leaned more toward film scenes and less on performance footage. Videos for the songs used in Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing are good examples. The quick little notes that sound like a cowbell on speed were generated with a Linn Electronics LM-1, the first drum machine loaded with samples of real instruments. The rest of the rhythm was made up of Simmons electronic drums played by Carlos Vega and synthesizers programmed by Sembello and Dennis Matkosky. A cello played by Dennis Karmazyn is also in the mix. With a BPM of 159, "Maniac" was a hit in aerobics classes, which was a big trend at the time. It's a great song to get that heart rate up. In 2007 this was reworked in commercials for Kia cars, which show a Kia salesman doing a similar dance and "selling like he's never sold before." The idea is that he's making great deals like a Maniac. >> There have been some bizarre covers of this song over the years. Herb Alpert did a horn-y version with his Tijuana Brass on the 1984 album "Bullish." The European act Topmodelz did an electro cover in 2008; and in 2020 the German band Rising Insane did a metalcore version with an '80s-themed video.
Just a steel town girl on a Saturday night Looking for the fight of her life In the real time world, no one sees her at all They all say she's crazy Locking rhythm to the beat of her heart Changing movement into light She had danced into the danger zone When the dancer becomes the dance It can cut you like a knife If the gift becomes the fire On the wire between will and what will be She's a maniac, maniac on the floor And she's dancing like she's never danced before She's a maniac, maniac on the floor And she's dancing like she's never danced before On the ice blue line of insanity Is a place most never see It's a hard won place of mystery Touch it but can't hold it You work all your life, for that moment in time It could come or pass you by It's a push shove world But there's always a chance If the hunger stays the night There's a cold connective heat Struggling stretching for the peak Never stopping with her head against the wind She's a maniac, maniac I sure know And she's dancing like she's never danced before She's a maniac, maniac I sure know And she's dancing like she's never danced before It can cut you like a knife If the gift becomes the fire On the wire between will and what will be She's a maniac, maniac I sure know And she's dancing like she's never danced before She's a maniac, maniac I sure know And she's dancing like she's never danced before I sure know, and she's dancing like she's never danced before She's a maniac, maniac I sure know
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 4, 1983 | 89 | 37 |
| 2 | Jun 11, 1983 | 71 | 55 |
| 3 | Jun 18, 1983 | 58 | 68 |
| 4 | Jun 25, 1983 | 48 | 78 |
| 5 | Jul 2, 1983 | 39 | 87 |
| 6 | Jul 9, 1983 | 25 | 101 |
| 7 | Jul 16, 1983 | 19 | 107 |
| 8 | Jul 23, 1983 | 14 | 112 |
| 9 | Jul 30, 1983 | 11 | 115 |
| 10 | Aug 6, 1983 | 7 | 119 |
| 11 | Aug 13, 1983 | 4 | 122 |
| 12 | Aug 20, 1983 | 4 | 122 |
| 13 | Aug 27, 1983 | 3 | 123 |
| 14 | Sep 3, 1983 | 2 | 124 |
| 15 | Sep 10, 1983 | 1 | 125 |
| 16 | Sep 17, 1983 | 1 | 125 |
| 17 | Sep 24, 1983 | 4 | 122 |
| 18 | Oct 1, 1983 | 8 | 118 |
| 19 | Oct 8, 1983 | 13 | 113 |
| 20 | Oct 15, 1983 | 23 | 103 |