3 Pop Songs From 1981 That Will Never Be Forgotten
American Songwriter has highlighted three pop songs from 1981 that it argues have stood the test of time, tracing their origins and enduring popularity decades on. The piece is a nostalgic retrospective rather than breaking news, revisiting hits by Olivia Newton-John, Rick Springfield and Pat Benatar and the stories behind their writing and chart success.
Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" topped the charts for ten weeks despite being originally written with a male singer, Rod Stewart, in mind before he turned it down. Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl", inspired by a real friend named Gary rather than Jessie, gave him his only US number one and his sole Grammy win. Pat Benatar's "Fire And Ice", co-written with Tom Kelly and Scott Sheets, became a rock and pop hit ahead of her eventual chart-topper "Love Is A Battlefield" in 1983.
- Article revisits three enduring 1981 pop hits and their backstories.
- "Physical" was originally pitched to Rod Stewart, not Olivia Newton-John.
- "Jessie's Girl" was based on a real friend actually named Gary.