What Are the 5 Biggest US Hits by Huey Lewis And The News?

Huey Lewis And The News didn’t need gimmicks or sleight of hand to cultivate an audience in the 80s. They just came straight ahead at music fans with energetic rock and soul and big-hearted balladry.

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That approach netted them a slew of hits in the decade. But what were their five biggest singles in the US in terms of chart position? We think you might be surprised.

5. “Perfect World” – No. 3 in 1988

The first thing that might shock you about this list is that none of the songs from Sports, the band’s massive 1983 album, did well enough to make this list. And it also might come as a bit of a stunner that the 1988 album Small World, released a bit after Lewis’ peak period, produced one of his five biggest chart smashes. But one listen to “Perfect World” should give you a clue that it’s a pop song hitting on all cylinders. The lyrics have strong points to make, while the horns push the music to another level.

4. “Hip To Be Square” – No. 3 in 1986

If there were any doubts about Huey and company’s ability to follow up Sports, Fore!, released in 1986, decisively answered. If anything, the band ascended to loftier heights with the record. “Hip To Be Square” seemed to be Lewis’ subtle way of answering those critics who deemed the band somewhat uncool. The song reached out to the audience members who had embraced the band, reassuring them that they should feel comfortable in their own skin, no matter how the world saw them.

3. “Jacob’s Ladder” – No. 1 in 1987

In addition to being a top-notch performer, Lewis didn’t get enough credit for his songwriting chops. He was at least a co-writer on most of the News’ hits, generally contributing the lyrical content. But he occasionally went with songs written by others. In the case of “Jacob’s Ladder”, Bruce Hornsby, who became a star in his own right around the same time as this song was released, co-wrote it with his brother John. Lewis initially intended to produce the track for Bruce, but instead turned it into a No. 1 hit of his own.

2. “Stuck With You” – No. 1 in 1986

Lewis just seemed to have a firm grasp on what the public wanted from him. Considering the success of Sports was (mostly) built on uptempo songs like “Heart And Soul” and “I Want A New Drug”, you might think he would have gone the same direction on the lead single from Fore! Instead, he changed it up and went for a ballad. “Stuck With You”, written by Lewis and Chris Hayes, doesn’t dig all that deep. But it highlights both the News’ excellent backing vocals and Lewis’ soulful way with a lyric.

1. “The Power Of Love” – No. 1 in 1985

Coming off the unparalleled success of Sports, Lewis had to be careful not to mess up his next move. In fact, he was almost a little too careful. He initially turned down the offer from the makers of Back To The Future to do the theme song. Lewis worried that a song by that title would come off as forced and awkward. Luckily, he was granted permission to write whatever type of song he wished. With that leeway, he delivered one of the best movie songs of the decade in “The Power Of Love”.

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