Although they dealt with some highs and lows, Heart proved quite adept at staying relevant as a crossover act for a long stretch of time. Even into the 90s, nearly two decades after they began, the group was still hitting the Top 40.
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Their last Top 40 hit came at a time when Ann and Nancy Wilson, the group’s stalwart leaders, were trying to wrest back control over the band’s artistic direction. But they went back to the well of outside writing help one more time.
Heart Hits
The year was 1975, and the song was “Magic Man”. It was the second single released from their debut album Dreamboat Annie, and it proved a sensation. Written by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, the song not only charmed rock audiences, but it also scored at pop radio as well. “Magic Man” peaked at No. 9 in the US Top 40.
That song set the tone for what the band that originated in Seattle was able to achieve. Over the next five years, Heart added seven more Top 40 hits to their ledger. And they did it, for the most part, without sanding down the hard rock edges in their songs.
But when the early 80s arrived, and the MTV era took hold, Heart, like many of their hard-rocking peers, struggled to maintain their previous levels of success. From 1981 through 1984, the band managed just a single Top 40 song. Heart needed to adjust. Outside writers provided the boost they needed.
Making Use of Mutt
Heart released a self-titled album in 1985, their first for their new label (Capitol). The album produced four straight Top 10 hits, including their first-ever No. 1 in “These Dreams”. Most of the big hits were in the vein of power ballads. And the Wilson sisters didn’t have a hand in writing any of them.
That formula continued on the albums Bad Animals (1987) and Brigade (1990), as Heart kept delivering big, MTV-friendly smashes courtesy of mostly outside writers. The 1990 song “All I Want To Do Is Make Love To You” proved to be a bit of a turning point for the band in terms of how they wanted to go forward.
Written by Mutt Lange, whose Midas touch as a writer and producer was undeniable, the story within the lyrics rankled both the Wilson sisters. Although the song soared to No. 2, it spearheaded an effort by the band to start to dictate their own material a bit more. But not before Lange gave them one more hit.
“Morning” Glory
In 1993, Heart released the album Desire Walks On. One look at the credits shows that the Wilson sisters were far more involved in the writing. The album also hearkened back to the harder-rocking sounds of their early days.
But for the singles, the band stuck with outside writers. In fact, they went back to Mutt Lange for the song “Will You Be There (In The Morning)”. The pop edge of the song, with Nancy Wilson on lead vocals for a change, helped it squeeze into the Top 40 at No. 39, no small feat for a veteran rock band in the age of grunge.
Heart wouldn’t release another studio album until 2004, by which time they had little chance of a pop chart appearance. “Will You Be There (In The Morning)”, mostly forgotten now, turned out to be their last crossover success.
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