More Popular in the 80's - Part 2 (Heart)

Heart - two hot women who can rock the ass of any guy! I was so inspired by these rockers that they made me feel alive as a rocker and gave me the energy to put my fist in the air and say - YEAHHHHH!

Heart - the 70's and the 80's. To begin with these chicks were so hot to me when I saw them on the album cover for "Dreamboat Annie" that it would make me straight! My brother and sister were huge fans and once I heard "Crazy on You" and "Magic Man" - I was sold!

Dreamboat Annie - Heart's 1st album (1976)

I don't think that any female rocker(s) preceded Heart who gave such energy, conviction and sensuality to music. I mean these babes "rocked" hard and made no apologies for it as "women in rock".

This was the Heart of the 70's - the 80's a different story. The 80's saw a more pop rock Heart but the voice of Ann and Nancy Wilson - OMG - it is foreceful, full of energy and still maintains that soft appeal as  women singing in rock.

I love Heart - there music is a big part of me growing up - I may have had short hair but inside I was head bangin' to some of their rock classics.

Let's start with the rockin 70's. At this time women in rock had to prove themselves. There was no one else really making waves as Heart was - as such this band would become a major influence to women rockers worldwide - like Joan Jett (whom I saw live and loved her); Pat Benetar ; Chrissie Hynde.

If you listen to Magic Man - you can tell that these women can tell a sensual tale just as good and as rocking as their male counterparts in the 70's. Crazy on You was their first top 40 hit in the US and Magic Man cracked Top 10. I personally like Dreamboat Annie - which unlike Crazy On You and Magic Man - was a rock ballad - which is something these hotties can sing no matter what decade it is.

Of course - how can I forget "Barracuda" - that unforgettable riff setting the stage for a major apocalyptic meltdown! This is one major rocking track and a true classic - it's been heard on so many TV shows and movies - it is timeless. Barracuda was off Heart's second album "Little Queen" which I have on vinyl - the song just missed the Top 10 - peaking at # 11.

The 70's ended for Heart with the album "Magazine" (which I also have on vinyl) which gave them the Top 40 hit "Dog and Butterfly" - another rock ballad.

The early 80's (from 1980 - 84) saw Heart having one Top 10 hit with "Tell It Like It Is" and some minor hits, before their major comeback in 1985.

Now bear in mind - Heart was big in the 70's, but in the late 80's they came back stronger and bigger than ever. Again with this phenomenon they again opened up the doors to a new generation and also re-established their status as one of the greatest "women in rock".

The 80's come back began in 1985 with "What About Love" which cracked Top 10. This song had emotion and feeling in it - it was a great rock ballad that they sing so well. The comeback album was self-titled and gave Heart four Top 10 hits and their first number 1 single "These Dreams".

This is the comeback album. Their look was different from the 70's - they seemed more "glam" but the makeover may have also been part of their rejuvenation in the 80's. Their look was a bit characteristic of some of the 80's metal bands.

I loved this album - and each song was so good. The single "If Looks Could Kill" was actually my favorite song on the album and it was the 5th single but it bubbled under the Top 50. My sister liked "Never" the best.  Another feat with this album was that it had 5 singles released (4 being Top 10).

With their comeback - MTV had a major role to play here - their videos were everywhere, and the band was prime material for the then "white rock" which ruled the playlist on MTV.

The follow up album "Bad Animals" was equally good as "Heart" - it gave them their second # 1 hit "Alone", which was another strong rock ballad and was the #1 song of that year. This song has survived the ages and many artists (including Carrie Underwood) have done their own rendition of this classic rock track. The album gave Heart another 2 Top 10 hits ("Alone" and "Who Will You Run To") and in all the album had 4 singles released. The band was also big on MTV at this time as well.

It was a bit odd - but the comeback album "Heart" was released in the US in 1986, but in 1988, the Heart album was now making waves in the UK and gave the band and the album a new lease of life on that side - this shows that you can't keep a good album and songs down.

Another big hit for the band was "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" - this song was written by none other than "Prince". The video was awesome and the lyrics to this song was - well I can't find a better word than "hot". The song was huge and made it to #2 in 1990.

Throughout the 1990's the band had some minor success but it was not parallel to that in the 70's and 80's.

For me - Heart is one of my all time favorite bands and Magic Man is one of my favorite rock tracks along with Alone and Who Will You Run To. I had entered a Marathon and of course set my playlist - "Who Will You Run To" was on it and it kept me going - I love that song.

And now to leave you - I have my Top 5 Heart songs:

5. Barracuda - don't you feel to pump your fist in the air with this song or even play air guitar!
4. Alone - set the mood and play this sing to candlelight while making love to that special one!
3. Crazy on You - class 70's rock baby
2. Magic Man - the guitar bridge in this song is nucking futs!
1. Who Will You Run To  - the build up in Ann's/Nancy's voice in the chorus sends chills up my spine!

Thanks peeps - next post - will be Van Halen.