Uploaded June 2015 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
"The Heart of Rock & Roll", by Huey Lewis and the News, peaked at the #6 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1983 and was one of 12 US Top 10 hits in the '80s.The song is one of four singles from their Sports album which sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. Consdered a fun well-crafted hit song for the band, the lyrics line "The heart of rock and roll is still beating" was originally going to be "The heart of rock and roll is in Cleveland," to honor a great concert the band had played in that city. Different versions of this song were sent to radio stations with nearby cities inserted into the lyrics. This geotargeting was very effective in an era 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 took some heat for making songs that some critics labeled uninspiring." Lewis responded 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." The band won awards for Best Music Video and Long Form at the 1985 Grammy Awards.
"The Heart of Rock & Roll", by Huey Lewis and the News, peaked at the #6 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1983 and was one of 12 US Top 10 hits in the '80s.The song is one of four singles from their Sports album which sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. Consdered a fun well-crafted hit song for the band, the lyrics line "The heart of rock and roll is still beating" was originally going to be "The heart of rock and roll is in Cleveland," to honor a great concert the band had played in that city. Different versions of this song were sent to radio stations with nearby cities inserted into the lyrics. This geotargeting was very effective in an era 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 took some heat for making songs that some critics labeled uninspiring." Lewis responded 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." The band won awards for Best Music Video and Long Form at the 1985 Grammy Awards.
