The Heart of Rock & Roll

The Zoo Crew is spinning the classic track "The Heart of Rock & Roll" by Huey Lewis & The News from their 1983 album Sports, and the Zoo Freaks are surely loving the vibe. This song, a high-energy tribute to the enduring spirit of rock music, has some fascinating stories behind it. One memorable anecdote comes from a 2022 social media post by the band’s official account, where band member Bill Gibson recalled recording the iconic car horn sound for the song. They pulled their sound engineer’s old station wagon right up to the back door of The Record Plant studio, which opened onto a street, and captured the horn live, adding a gritty, real-world texture to the track. Another tidbit involves the song’s music video shoot in Times Square, where the band endured freezing 21-degree weather in light jackets or short sleeves. The director noted that filming took hours, leaving the band shivering between takes, compounded by the fact that Huey Lewis’ wife was expecting a baby, which caused additional delays. Despite these challenges, the song became a massive hit, peaking at number six on the U.S. charts in 1984.

The song’s creation also sparked some critical debate. Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic praised its "memorable hooks" and tight bar band energy, but Christopher Connelly from Rolling Stone was less impressed, calling out the "moronic lyrics" and a lengthy sax solo that he felt dragged the song down. Interestingly, in 2009, Blender magazine ranked "The Heart of Rock & Roll" sixth on its list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever," a controversial take that many fans would dispute given its enduring popularity. On a more adventurous note, a dedicated fan and filmmaker named Michael Feld took the song’s lyrics to heart, traveling to all 14 cities mentioned in the track—like New York, L.A., and D.C.—to create a tribute video, showcasing the song’s celebration of rock’s universal appeal across America.

Huey Lewis & The News got their start in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Huey Lewis, born Hugh Anthony Cregg III in 1950, grew up. Lewis was a harmonica player and singer with a knack for blending rock, pop, and soul. Before forming the band, he played in the group Clover, which notably backed Elvis Costello on his debut album. In 1979, Lewis teamed up with friends from the Bay Area music scene, including keyboardist Sean Hopper and saxophonist/guitarist Johnny Colla, to form Huey Lewis & The News. Their early work leaned heavily into new wave, but by the time Sports dropped in 1983, they’d honed a polished, radio-friendly sound that catapulted them to stardom. The band’s big break came with their third album, Sports, which, as Lewis himself noted in a 2024 post, was a make-or-break moment: “If we didn’t have a hit with it, it was going to be all over.” Thankfully, the album spawned six hits, including "The Heart of Rock & Roll," and became a defining record of the 1980s.

Fans can stay connected with Huey Lewis & The News through their official website and social media on Facebook, Instagram, and X. For those looking to dive deeper into the fandom, there are dedicated spaces like the Huey Lewis and The News Fan Club on Facebook, where Zoo Freaks and other devotees share memories, news, and love for the band’s timeless tunes. While no standalone fan websites seem to dominate, the band’s official online presence and active fan groups keep the spirit of their music alive, much like the heartbeat of rock and roll itself.