Ladies and Gentlemen, Kenny Loggins is Soundtrack God.
No doubt about it. It's not even close. Throughout the 80's and the mid 90's, Loggins produced hit singles for a vast number films that earned him the nickname "King of the Movie Soundtracks." Most of these songs were memorable for their catchy hooks and the great instrumentals. More importantly, these songs worked for the movies they were in because Loggins always made sure that the song fit into whatever the story was. "Highway to the Danger Zone" fits with Top Gun. "For the First Time" works with One Fine Day, etc.
Let's look at some great examples of some of Kenny Loggins best songs and what makes these songs tick. Besides the usual reasons of being just bad ass songs to begin with....
1)
I'm Alright from Caddyshack
The first huge soundtrack single from Loggins came from this classic comedy from 1980. It is actually somewhat fitting that this song was a breakout hit for Loggins. Caddyshack was such a breakout for many of the people in the film. People like Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield. A movie like this was just the perfect start for Loggins reign as soundtrack king. "I'm Alright" also fit into the attitude of the film. The story is basically the "snobs" vs. the "slobs." The "slobs" were always so relaxed and cool in the film. It really fits into the one lyric in the song, "Why you got to give me a fight/ Can't you just let me be?" Plus the guitars in this song just rock.
2)
Footloose from Footloose
This song was big for the film but it was even bigger for Loggins. The song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard charts and it won Loggins a Grammy for Song of the Year. This also fits into the movie so well because, like the film, the song is about making everyone dance. The story is about a teen who moves to a small town where dancing and rock 'n roll are banned. He wants to dance, most of the teens in the movie want to dance. Heck by the end of the film, the audience probably wanted to dance. Kenny Loggins gave them that song. The way Loggins keeps on repeating the lyrics Everybody cut/ Everybody cut Footloose couldn't have been more perfect. The characters wanted to have freedom to dance and with this song, they did.
3)
Danger Zone from Top Gun
For most people, if Loggins is known for one song, it is this one. Everything about this is so cheesy but it is so awesome to listen to with friends or if you are watching Top Gun. The lyrics about being on the edge fits Tom Cruise's character perfectly. All throughout the film, his character is always taking dangerous risks. Whether it be flying below the hard deck trying to take out a fellow pilot during a simulation or sleeping with a flight instructor that is probably breaking Lord knows how many rules, Maverick is a character always going to the edge and back. The song to this day continues to be memorable. Last year, the television show Archer even parodied it in a very funny promo. This song help make Top Gun a huge success and it also continue Loggins's reign of soundtrack supremacy.
4)
Meet Me Half Way from Over The Top
This is where we all need to be impressed with Kenny Loggins as a Soundtrack God. It is quite easy to make a hit song off a film that is quite good. Kenny has proven that already. But what about making a great song off of a terrible film? In the late 80's, it's almost like Loggins wanted to make it a challenge. Take an awful film and some how come up with a song that is actually better than the film itself. Loggins started this trend with "Meet Me Half Way." It is a great emotional song. A power ballad. Pure 80's goodness. The song was for the Sylvester Stallone film Over The Top. A drama about arm wrestling. That is right, ARM WRESTLING!!! The plot is dumb, Stallone looks bored, and the kid who plays Stallone's son gives one of the worst performances ever put to film. In fact, this film doesn't even deserve this song. It is a great song about reconnecting with someone you love. With the video above, they almost sell you on the fact that the film is actually good. My advice, watch the music video and avoid the movie at all costs. Speaking of awful films....
5)
Nobody's Fool from Caddyshack II
I hate Caddyshack II. Hate it. Hate it with the passion of a thousand suns. There is nothing about this movie that works in any way. When the gopher is the funniest thing about this film, you know you are screwed. Yet Kenny Loggins somehow came up with a great song for this film. In all honesty, it is actually a personal favorite of mine. It has great instrumentals and it is such a fun song to listen to. Even Loggins went on record about how he thought that it would be hard to "capture lighting in a bottle again" trying to make a hit single with this film. Loggins was close though. The song hit #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The song is a great anthem if nothing else. You just wish the writers of the film would have had just as much fun and passion as Loggins did performing this awesome song.
Loggins would have one more hit song from a movie, ("For the First Time" a sweet, romantic song from One Fine Day), before he would take it easy from music. He has not really added any other song to another film since then. The impact Loggins had on the soundtrack was huge. Loggins helped prove that the right song teamed up with the right film could help promote that film just as well as any trailer could. It also helps that Loggins is actually a pretty good singer/songwriter. All these songs I mentioned above work on their own away from the movies they come from. They will continue to have an impact on us all for years to come.
If nothing else, he at least taught us that every once in awhile, it never hurts to just once in awhile to cut loose!
- Hash
