Peak
6
Weeks
20
Score
3,439
Chart Year
1984
he 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.[14] Also, Lewis's wife was expecting a baby, which caused delays and problems.[14] Clips from several 1950s rock 'n roll greats (in chronological order): Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Roy Orbison, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry (and his famous "duckwalk").
Written by Huey Lewis and News guitarist/horn player Johnny Colla, this is another fun, well-crafted hit song for the band, one of their 12 US Top 10 hits in the '80s. It's about how rock music is alive and well all over the United States, similar in style to the Motown classic "Dancing in the Street," which also features powerful horns and shout outs to lots of cities. Different versions of this song were sent to radio stations with nearby cities inserted into the lyrics. For instance, if you lived in New Mexico, you might hear Huey mention that the Heart of Rock n' Roll is beating in Santa Fe. This geotargeting was very effective in an age when pop radio airplay was largely responsible for sales. The local cities were mentioned near the end, so you would listen through the whole song to hear it. The band opened the 1985 Grammy Awards with a performance of this song. They won for Best Music Video, Long Form at the ceremony. Despite their phenomenal success (or maybe because of it), the band took some heat for making songs that some critics labeled "uninspiring." Lewis addressed this criticism in a 1987 interview with San Francisco Chronicle, saying, "Nowhere is it written that rock and roll has to be political or change the world. One thing rock and roll has to be is true. And if it rings true, it's right."
New York, New York, is everything they say And no place that I'd rather be Where else can you do a half a million things All at a quarter to three When they play their music, ooh that modern music They like it with a lot of style But it's still that same old back beat rhythm That really, really drives 'em wild They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating And from what I've seen I believe 'em Now the old boy may be barely breathing But the heart of rock and roll, heart of rock and roll is still beating LA, Hollywood, and the Sunset Strip Is something everyone should see Neon lights and the pretty, pretty girls All dressed so scantily When they play their music That hard rock music They like it with a lot of flash But it's still that same old back beat rhythm That really, really kicks 'em in the They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating And from what I've seen I believe 'em Now the old boy may be barely breathing But the heart of rock and roll, heart of rock and roll is still beating Johnny, ow DC, San Antone and the Liberty Town, Boston and Baton Rouge Tulsa, Austin, Oklahoma City, Seattle, San Francisco, too Everywhere there's music, real live music, bands with a million styles But it's still that some old rock and roll music That really, really drives 'em wild They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating And from what I've seen I believe 'em Now the old boy may be barely breathing But the heart of rock and roll, heart of rock and roll is still beating, yeah In Cleveland Detroit Uh, heart of rock and roll
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 21, 1984 | 51 | 75 |
| 2 | Apr 28, 1984 | 40 | 86 |
| 3 | May 5, 1984 | 32 | 94 |
| 4 | May 12, 1984 | 27 | 99 |
| 5 | May 19, 1984 | 21 | 105 |
| 6 | May 26, 1984 | 13 | 113 |
| 7 | Jun 2, 1984 | 8 | 118 |
| 8 | Jun 9, 1984 | 6 | 120 |
| 9 | Jun 16, 1984 | 6 | 120 |
| 10 | Jun 23, 1984 | 6 | 120 |
| 11 | Jun 30, 1984 | 6 | 120 |
| 12 | Jul 7, 1984 | 9 | 117 |
| 13 | Jul 14, 1984 | 9 | 117 |
| 14 | Jul 21, 1984 | 19 | 107 |
| 15 | Jul 28, 1984 | 27 | 99 |
| 16 | Aug 4, 1984 | 49 | 77 |
| 17 | Aug 11, 1984 | 60 | 66 |
| 18 | Aug 18, 1984 | 70 | 56 |
| 19 | Aug 25, 1984 | 91 | 35 |
| 20 | Sep 1, 1984 | 96 | 30 |