Huey Lewis and the News

In 1972, singer and harmonica player Huey Lewis and keyboardist Sean Hopper joined the Bay Area jazz-funk band Clover.^[9] Clover recorded several albums in the 1970s and, in the middle of the decade, relocated to the United Kingdom to become an active part of the growing UK pub rock scene.^[9]

While visiting England, the members of Clover (minus Lewis) served as the official backing band for Elvis Costello's landmark 1977 debut studio album, My Aim Is True.^[9][10] During this period, Lewis worked closely with the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, contributing harmonica tracks to the song "Baby Drives Me Crazy," which was recorded onstage for the group's acclaimed 1978 double live album, Live and Dangerous.^[9] Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott explicitly introduces Lewis by name to the audience during the performance track. Following these overseas ventures, the band members returned to the Bay Area by the end of the 1970s.^[9]

Clover's main musical competition in the local Bay Area jazz-funk circuit was a prominent band called Soundhole, whose lineup included drummer Bill Gibson, saxophonist/rhythm guitarist Johnny Colla, and bassist Mario Cipollina.^[9][10] Like Clover, Soundhole had spent considerable time serving as a backing ensemble for singer Van Morrison.^[9] After securing a singles contract from Phonogram Records in 1978, Huey Lewis teamed up with Soundhole veterans Hopper, Gibson, Colla, and Cipollina to establish a new group initially named Huey Lewis & The American Express.^[9][10]

Although they performed local live gigs under that moniker, they recorded and released a 1979 single simply credited as "American Express".^[9] The single, "Exodisco" (a disco-infused arrangement of the instrumental theme from the 1960 film Exodus), was largely ignored by radio and listeners.^[9] The single's B-side, "Kick Back", was an original track that had previously been performed live by Lewis during his tenure with Clover.^[9][10] Later in 1979, the lineup expanded with the addition of lead guitarist Chris Hayes.^[9] After a demo tape was heard by Pablo Cruise manager Bob Brown—who subsequently assumed managerial duties for the group—they successfully secured a major record contract with Chrysalis Records.^[9][10] Chrysalis requested a name change to avoid prospective trademark infringement lawsuits from the American Express credit card company, and the group officially became Huey Lewis and the News.^[11][10]

In June 1980, the band released their self-titled debut studio album, Huey Lewis and the News, which went largely unnoticed commercially.^[9][10] In January 1982, the band released their second album, the self-produced Picture This.^[9][12] The album was certified gold by the RIAA, catalyzed by the massive breakout success of the hit lead single "Do You Believe in Love", which was penned by former Clover producer "Mutt" Lange.^[10][12] Buoyed by the single, the album remained on the Billboard 200 albums chart for 35 weeks and peaked at number 7.^[12] Follow-up singles "Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do" and "Workin' for a Livin'", achieved moderate airplay success, establishing the band as a rising national live act.^[10][12]

Following record label delays regarding the release of their third studio album, Sports, Huey Lewis and the News spent late 1983 aggressively touring small clubs across the United States in a bus to promote the record on what was dubbed the "Workin' for a Livin'" tour.^[9] Upon its initial September 1983 release, the album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200.^[13] Driven by relentless touring schedules and an array of high-concept music videos that received heavy rotation on MTV, Sports steadily climbed the charts, peaking at number one in June 1984 and ranking as the number-two album on Billboard's 1984 year-end sales chart behind only Michael Jackson's Thriller.^[14] The album spawned four singles that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100: "Heart and Soul" peaked at number eight, while "I Want a New Drug", "The Heart of Rock & Roll", and "If This Is It" all achieved a peak position of number six.^[14] The album became a multi-platinum blockbuster, ultimately receiving a 7× Platinum certification from the RIAA for sales exceeding seven million copies in the United States alone.^[15]

In early 1985, the band participated in the star-studded USA for Africa charity single "We Are the World", with Lewis performing a prominent solo vocal bridge. The single topped charts globally, becoming the fastest-selling American pop single in history. The band was originally scheduled to perform at the Philadelphia leg of the Live Aid benefit concert in July 1985, but pulled out weeks prior due to explicit operational concerns that funds raised by the project had not reached the targeted victims of the Ethiopian famine, drawing sharp real-time public criticism from USA for Africa organizer Harry Belafonte.^[16] A subsequent investigative piece published by Spin magazine in 1986 suggested that significant portions of the global relief funds had indeed been diverted or misspent.^[17][18]

The band achieved their first number-one hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 with "The Power of Love", which was written for the soundtrack of the 1985 sci-fi comedy film Back to the Future along with the track "Back in Time".^[19] Lewis made a brief cameo appearance in the film as a conservative high school faculty member acting as a judge who rejects Marty McFly's band during a "Battle of the Bands" audition, delivering the line, "Hold it, fellas ... I'm afraid you're just too darn loud" while they perform an instrumental hard rock arrangement of "The Power of Love". The track earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 58th Academy Awards in 1986.^[20]

Riding the wave of their soundtrack success, the group released their fourth studio album, Fore!, in August 1986.^[19] The album mirrored the multi-platinum status of its predecessor and topped the Billboard 200 chart.^[19] Fore! yielded two number-one singles on the Hot 100 with "Stuck with You" and the Bruce Hornsby-penned "Jacob's Ladder", alongside the mainstream rock crossover hit "Hip to Be Square".^[19] With the subsequent top-ten chart arrivals of "I Know What I Like" and "Doing It All for My Baby," Huey Lewis and the News became the first group in music history to score five top-ten Billboard Hot 100 singles from a single album release.^[15] The album was eventually certified triple platinum by the RIAA.^[15]

The band maintained a rigorous touring schedule throughout 1987 before releasing their fifth studio album, Small World, in June 1988.^[9] Following the back-to-back multi-platinum commercial heights of their prior two records, Small World marked a notable commercial slowdown for the group. Incorporating deeper elements of jazz, fusion, and reggae, the album peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA, underperforming compared to industry expectations.^[9][21] Despite the decline in album sales, the record produced a major hit single in "Perfect World," which climbed to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.^[22]

Following the conclusion of the Small World supporting concert tour in late 1989, the group took an extended hiatus from both heavy touring and recording studio sessions, during which time they officially parted ways with their long-time label, Chrysalis Records.^[9] In May 1991, the band returned with their sixth studio album, Hard at Play, released via EMI USA in the United States and through Chrysalis in the United Kingdom.^[23] The project was conceived as a deliberate stylistic return to the straightforward, blues-inflected roots-rock and R&B aesthetic that had defined their mid-1980s peak.^[21] Hard at Play peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200 and achieved a gold certification from the RIAA.^[23] The album yielded two top-40 hit singles on the Hot 100: the lead single "Couple Days Off", which peaked at number 11 and became the band's final top-20 pop entry, and "It Hit Me Like a Hammer", which peaked at number 21.^[23][24]

In 1994, the band shifted labels again, signing with Elektra Records to release Four Chords & Several Years Ago, a dedicated tribute album consisting entirely of 1950s and 1960s rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and doo-wop covers. The project peaked at number 47 on the Billboard 200 and achieved significant crossover success on Adult Contemporary radio, yielding two top-ten hits on that chart with "(She's) Some Kind of Wonderful" (number 7) and a cover of J.J. Jackson's "But It's Alright" (number 5).

On October 29, 1996, Elektra issued the band's first comprehensive retrospection package, Time Flies... The Best of Huey Lewis & the News. The compilation prioritized major track selections from their definitive 1980s commercial peaks—specifically pulling from Picture This, Sports, and Fore!—while also introducing four previously unreleased studio tracks to fans.

The band's lineup experienced moderate transitions following its 1980s commercial peak. Bassist Mario Cipollina departed the group in 1995 and was succeeded by John Pierce. The Tower of Power horns, who had frequently collaborated as the band's studio and touring brass section, concluded their regular tenure with the group in 1994. In their place, horn players Marvin McFadden, Rob Sudduth, and Ron Stallings joined the touring ensemble, collectively billing themselves as "The Sports Section." Founding member and lead guitarist Chris Hayes retired from the band in 2001 to focus on his family after completing work on the studio sessions for Plan B. Guitarist Stef Burns was recruited as Hayes's official successor, while James Harrah frequently stepped in as an auxiliary touring guitarist before later becoming a full-time member. On April 13, 2009, long-time touring saxophonist Ron Stallings passed away from multiple myeloma, and was subsequently replaced by multi-instrumentalist Johnnie Bamont.^[25]

In July 2001, the group released Plan B, their eighth studio album and first project of original material in a decade, via Silvertone Records and Jive Records. The album charted briefly on the Billboard 200, though its lead single, "Let Her Go and Start Over", achieved minor chart success on Adult Contemporary radio. In December 2004, the band recorded their debut live album, Live at 25, during a two-night engagement at the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California, to commemorate their 25th anniversary as a performing unit. In 2008, they recorded the titular theme song for the action-comedy film Pineapple Express at the personal request of actor and screenwriter Seth Rogen. The track accompanied the film's closing credits and was featured on its official soundtrack album.

The group returned to the recording studio in 2010 to cut Soulsville, a dedicated tribute album honoring classic Stax Records catalog tracks. The sessions took place in Memphis, Tennessee, at the historic Ardent Studios. They maintained a consistent live performance itinerary, averaging roughly 70 concert dates annually, until early 2018. The band abruptly canceled all remaining tour dates after it was publicly disclosed that Huey Lewis had been diagnosed with Ménière's disease, a severe inner ear disorder that left him unable to hear music adequately enough to sing. In January 2019, Huey Lewis and the News signed a new recording agreement with BMG Rights Management. On February 14, 2020, they released Weather, their first studio album composed of new material since 2001, consisting of tracks recorded prior to the severe onset of Lewis's hearing loss.

In late 2023, a new jukebox romantic stage musical titled The Heart of Rock and Roll was announced. Built around the band's catalog of hits—including "Workin' for a Livin'", "Stuck with You", and "If This Is It"—the production officially opened on Broadway at the James Earl Jones Theatre on April 22, 2024, before concluding its limited run on June 23, 2024. In June 2025, Lewis shared a health update noting that while a cochlear implant had partially restored his ability to perceive human speech, his chronic Ménière's disease had progressed to near-total deafness, making it highly unlikely he would ever be able to sing or perform live music again.

In 1984, Ray Parker Jr. was signed by the producers of Ghostbusters to develop the film's title song. Later that year, Huey Lewis and the News sued Parker, citing the similarities between the "Ghostbusters" song and their earlier hit "I Want a New Drug". According to Huey Lewis and the News, this was especially damaging to them since "Ghostbusters" was so popular (it rose to number one on the charts for three weeks). The dispute was ultimately settled out of court.^[26] Lewis has stated that his experiences with the producers of Ghostbusters were indirectly responsible for him getting involved in the movie Back to the Future (1985).

Parker later filed a suit against Lewis, claiming violation of the agreement to not discuss the settlement publicly.

Lewis broke his silence by dissing Parker in an episode of VH1's "Behind the Music", [in 2001] which prompted Parker to slap him with a lawsuit. "The offensive part was not so much that Ray Parker Jr. had ripped this song off," says Lewis, who goes on to blame the arrogance of music industry execs who thought they could simply pay him off for stealing his melody. "In the end, I suppose they were right. I suppose it was for sale, because, basically, they bought it."^[27]

Premiere magazine in 2004 featured an anniversary article about the movie Ghostbusters in which the filmmakers at Columbia Pictures admitted to using the song "I Want a New Drug" as temporary background music in many scenes. They also noted that they had offered to hire Huey Lewis and the News to write the main theme but the band had declined. Lewis, in the 2001 Behind the Music special, said the band had declined the filmmakers' offer because an upcoming concert tour to promote their hugely successful Sports album left no time to write a main theme for a movie. The filmmakers then gave film footage – with the Huey Lewis song in the background – to Ray Parker Jr., to aid Parker in writing the theme song.^[28]

The band is mentioned numerous times in Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel American Psycho, and its subsequent film adaptation. The chapter in the novel is entitled "Huey Lewis & the News", and consists of an extended essay about the band's recorded output and career. During the scene in the film where the main protagonist, Patrick Bateman, kills his colleague, Paul Allen, with an axe, Bateman plays the song "Hip to Be Square" and waxes lyrical about the band:

"Do you like Huey Lewis & The News? Their early work was a little too 'new-wave' for my taste, but when 'Sports' came out in '83, I think they really came into their own – both commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor. In '87 [sic], Huey released this, Fore, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is 'Hip to Be Square', a song so catchy most people probably don't listen to the lyrics – but they should! Because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself!"

"Hip to Be Square" was initially intended to be on the soundtrack album, but was removed from the album due to lack of publishing rights.^[29] As a result, Koch Records were forced to recall and destroy approximately 100,000 copies of the album. Koch Records president Bob Frank said, "As a result of the violent nature of the film, Huey Lewis's management decided not to give the soundtrack clearance."^[29] Lewis's manager Bob Brown claimed that the musician had not seen the film and that "we knew nothing about a soundtrack album. They just went ahead and put the cut on there. I think what they're trying to do is drum up publicity for themselves."^[29]

In April 2013, to mark the 30th anniversary of the band's album Sports, comedy video website Funny or Die created a parody of the axe murder scene featuring Huey Lewis as Patrick Bateman and "Weird Al" Yankovic (who parodied "I Want a New Drug" as "I Want a New Duck" years before) as Paul Allen.^[30]

• Huey Lewis and the News (1980)
• Picture This (1982)
• Sports (1983)
• Fore! (1986)
• Small World (1988)
• Hard at Play (1991)
• Four Chords & Several Years Ago (1994)
• Plan B (2001)
• Soulsville (2010)
• Weather (2020)

• The band has sold over an estimated 30 million records worldwide, according to an interview with Johnny Colla in 2006.^[31][32]
• Their 1983 album, Sports, has sold 10 million copies in the United States according to the VH1 Behind the Music show on Huey Lewis and the News (though it has only been certified seven times Platinum by the RIAA).
• The Heart of Rock 'n' Roll won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Long Form in 1986.
• Also in 1986, the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was won by "We Are the World" performed by USA for Africa, in which Huey Lewis and the News were participants; however, this award went to the song's producer, Quincy Jones, and not to any of the artists.
• The songs "The Heart of Rock & Roll" and "The Power of Love" were nominated for Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, in 1985 and 1986, respectively.
• "The Power of Love" (from the film Back to the Future) earned Chris Hayes, Johnny Colla and Huey Lewis (the song's composers) an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song in 1986.
• The band received the award for Best International Group at the 1986 Brit Awards.
• The band's two biggest-selling hits, "The Power of Love" and "I Want a New Drug", were both million-selling singles in the U.S., certified Gold by the RIAA.^[33]
• Huey Lewis and the News are the recipients of 30 Californian (formerly Bay Area Music) Awards.
• All five albums released by the band between 1982 and 1991 reached the Top 30 on the Billboard 200 album chart and have been certified either Gold, Platinum, or Multi-platinum.

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• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
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• List of bands from the San Francisco Bay Area
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of number-one hits (United States)
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