Today’s song was a number one from 1985 and plays in a very memorable scene from a very memorable movie which helped define what it was to go to the movies in the 80’s, but the song has absolutely nothing to do with what is happening in the scene. But it has a lot of energy and momentum which fit that part of the movie perfectly.
The song has a very universal message that works very well outside of the film. Today’s frontman was newly married and had two young children when he wrote it and says his new family provided i
Today’s group were rising stars with a modern sound that worked well in the movie, which takes place in both 1955 and 1985. Their lead singer had never done film work and hesitated at first, since he didn't want to write a song actually called "Back to the Future."
But the movie's director told him that the song didn't have to be ABOUT the movie, per se, so he accepted the challenge and even wound up with a cameo as a high school talent judge who told the film lead that his band, The Pinheads, was just “Too Darn Loud”.
This song is proof that today’s lead singer is a stand up guy, in 1979, he was in a band called Clover with Alex Call, who went on to write "Jenny (867-5309)" for Tommy Tutone. Alex said: I was hanging out in LA and writing, and I had kind of a big power ballad thing called [today’s song title]. [He] called me up one day and said, 'What are you writing,' and I [told him about today’s song title] A few months later, they cut me in the deal.”
According to Alex, today’s lead singer gave him 10% of the publishing in exchange for the title, which was done out of sheer goodwill, because titles aren't copyrighted.
This song plays across all three movies in this iconic franchise: in the original as Marty McFly skateboards through town. Then In the sequel, Back to the Future Part II, where the 2015 version of Marty attempts to play the song on his guitar just after being fired but ends up playing it very poorly due to his damaged hand from his 1985 accident with a Rolls-Royce.
Finally, it can be briefly heard playing in the car where Needles and his buddies are driving when Needles challenges Marty to the fate-determining car race near the end of Back to the Future Part III.
At the 13th Annual American Music Awards, the song was nominated for "Favorite Single" and "Favorite Video Single", winning in both categories.
But the luck ran out when the song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 58th Academy Awards and LOST to future American Idol judge, Lionel Richie, and his song, "Say You, Say Me" from the movie, ‘White Knights’.
Huey Lewis and The News...The Power of Love...I Know that Song