80’s at 8: January 10, 2023- Loverboy & Rick Springfield
Tonight’s 80’s at 8 is full of guitars and synthesizers and the first track was from Loverboy‘s 1980 self-titled album Turn Me Loose.
It has a strong-sounding rock synthesizer start to the song, followed by a steady build on the guitars, which reached #6 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The album was certified Double Platinum in the US and reached #13 on the BB 200 album chart. AllMusic gave the album a rave retrospective review, noting how much they loved the hybrid musical styles on most of the songs and stating that “Turn Me Loose” and “The Kid Is Hot Tonight” as the strongest tracks on the album.
Check out the music video for “Turn Me Loose” by Loverboy here:
The second synth and guitar-heavy track comes from an artist and song that is exclusive to the 80’s at 8 on Rockturnal with Scotty B. It comes from Rick Springfield‘s 1983 album Living in Oz .
This was Rick’s seventh album, it was certified platinum in the US and reached #12 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album’s title is an allusion to living in Australia (Oz = Australia). Affair of the Heart was a big hit for Rick Springfield. It reached # 9 on the Billboard hot 100. It was the fourth of Springfield’s five Top 10 hits to date.
“Affair of the Heart” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1984 but lost to “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. Cash Box Magazine said the song “shows a greater use of synthesizers and a hardened guitar sound” than previous Springfield songs, but retains his ability to create a powerful refrain.
I think Rick Springfield should be in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame! I saw him in concert at the Leon County Civic Center in Tallahassee, Fl in 1984 and I can tell you that it is one of the best concerts I have ever seen.
You can check out the music video for Affair of the Heart by Rick Springfield here:
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