Before He Went Full Mogul, Jimmy Iovine Produced These 4 Incredible Rock Albums

Younger music fans likely know Jimmy Iovine as one of the true power players in the music industry. But before he became a mogul, Iovine made his bones as a producer on some of the top rock albums of the late 70s and 80s.

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We’re choosing just four albums here for space’s sake. But we suggest you look through Iovine’s entire production discography to find even more examples of his brilliance in this department.

‘Damn The Torpedoes’ by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Iovine made his bones working as an engineer on landmark albums by John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen. Meanwhile, Tom Petty had gained a lot of critical love for his first two albums with the Heartbreakers. Yet Iovine heard untapped commercial potential in the artist. Iovine insisted on Petty going back through all his past material for possible inclusion on the LP that became Damn The Torpedoes in 1979. Had he not made that move, Petty’s breakthrough Top 10 hit, “Don’t Do Me Like That”, would have remained unheard. In addition, Iovine demanded that every sound be precise and sharp, especially when it came to the drums. That paid off in the snap and crackle of songs like “Refugee” and “Even The Losers”.

‘Making Movies’ by Dire Straits

In Dire Straits, Jimmy Iovine took on an assignment not all that dissimilar from what he’d done with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The British band was also entering their crucial third album. They also possessed a stellar songwriter with an untraditional vocal style in Mark Knopfler. One difference was that Dire Straits had enjoyed some pop success with their debut single “Sultans Of Swing”, only to come back down to Earth with their sophomore album Communique. On Making Movies, Iovine helped steer the band through a tumultuous period that included the departure of Mark Knopfler’s brother David. The producer added a pristine sheen to killer songs like “Romeo And Juliet” and “Lady Writer” to help take this band to another level.

‘Bella Donna’ by Stevie Nicks

Iovine was romantically involved with Stevie Nicks while he was helping her with her debut solo album. He used his connections to other artists to maximize the potential of Nicks, who had already proven her credibility by that time on several monster albums by Fleetwood Mac. Getting Roy Bittan of the E Street Band and Benmont Tench of the Heartbreakers to contribute on piano and organ, respectively, helped make tracks like “Edge Of Seventeen” and “After The Glitter Fades” soar. Perhaps most important of all, Iovine clandestinely secured access to an unused Tom Petty demo called “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” and added Nicks’ vocals. The huge smash helped make Bella Donna a commercial powerhouse.

‘Rattle And Hum’ by U2

We’re not going to sugarcoat the truth here. Rattle And Hum tried to do way too much. But that can probably be laid at the feet of the boys in U2 more than Jimmy Iovine. The live performances aren’t all that revelatory and just create a lot of bloat. However, if you just focus on the studio material, there’s a stellar U2 album in there somewhere, one that pays tribute to their American influences while still maintaining the band’s identity. Songs like “Desire” and the B.B. King duet “When Love Comes To Town” actually capture more of the band’s live energy than any of the in-concert songs on the record. Even the departures like the string-laden ballad “All I Want Is You” work extremely well. Iovine’s careful stewardship deserves a lot of credit for that.

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