Sports Songs Ranked
Sports is the third album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released on September 15, 1983. It reached number one on the Billboard 200 on June 29, 1984, and catapulted the band to international fame. The album has been certified 7× Platinum by the RIAA. Sports was ranked number 2 on the Billboard year-end album chart for 1984 and spawned four top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Sports did very well internationally where most of its singles charted in the top 40 or above in multiple countries. In May 2013, a two-disc 30th Anniversary Edition album of Sports was released. The album is now approaching 10 million sales in the U.S. according to the liner notes by Gary Graff and the press release issued prior to release. Here are all of Sports songs ranked.
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9. Honky Tonk Blues
“Their cover of Hank Williams’ “Honky Tonk Blues” is a great pub rock tune complete with John McFee on steel guitar that rounds off the album, except for the bonus tracks, which are live or demo takes of the singles.”
8. If This Is It
“I remember the mid-paced doowop rock with a tinge of beach harmonies, and third #6 single, “If This Is It,” from the video on MTV, and both video and song paralleled, of a guy fed up of the relationship games being played. At least the video had a happy ending, as a nice-looking blonde who had witnessed the scene between Huey and the woman in question, wordlessly invites the dejected guy to walk along the beach with her.”
7. Walking on a Thin Line
“The fifth single, “Walking on a Thin Line,” reached #18, begins with a pulsing high-tech sounding bassline which becomes the backbone of the song, before going into a rocking song of frustration about an ex-veteran, and the scarring aftereffects of war.”
See more: Huey Lewis Albums Ranked
6. Bad Is Bad
“Bad Is Bad,” a 50’s blues-tinged doo-wop number, yielded a video, yet didn’t crack the Top 100. Bad is given both connotations, cool re the cousin who plays his guitar with a chainsaw buzz, and tasteless regarding a man finding a note reading “I love you” and “someone else’s shoes, underneath my bed.”
5. The Heart of Rock & Roll
“The Heart of Rock & Roll” is a paean to the risqué, rowdy, and sensationalistic night life of big cities like New York, where one can do “half a million things at a quarter to three.” Part of the song’s chorus-“now the old boy may hardly be breathing” may be a reflection of the cul-de-sac rock music had gone through at the time, but leave it to Huey and the boys to give it a strong jolt in the arm-aww yeah! The second of three singles to reach #6, and love that heartbeat-like drum that opens and closes this classic number!”
4. Heart and Soul
“The first single from Sports was “Heart and Soul,” penned by Nicky Chinn and Blondie-songmeister and producer Mike Chapman, which alternates between some easygoing keyboards from Sean Hopper and some snarling grinding hard-edged guitar chops from Hayes. This became their second Top Ten hit, peaking at #8.”
See more: Huey Lewis Songs Ranked
3. I Want a New Drug
“For sheer energy, how can one beat “I Want A New Drug?” This search of a new panacea instead of those pharmaceutical nightmares or under-the-counter pills celebrities pop, indicate a criticism of the pharmaceutical industry but also of Hollywood itself perhaps. Lewis later sued Ray Parker Jr. for cribbing the rhythm of this for “Ghostbusters.” I do detect some similarity between the songs, but fortunately, the matter was settled out of court so there wasn’t a repeat of George Harrison vs the Chiffons.”
2. Finally Found a Home
“Another great, but forgotten song; it’s almost the band’s lyrical response to the struggles expressed in Walking On A Thin Line. Those who don’t know the News beyond their bounty of hits need to hear this song to really appreicate them.”
1. You Crack Me Up
“The boisterous “You Crack Me Up,” with its running synth line, harmony backups, rapid-fire delivery from Lewis, and neat Hayes guitars makes this the best non-single of this album. I bet they could’ve released this as a followup to “Walking on a Thin Line” and made another Top Ten single.”
