You know that feeling when you're driving, the windows are down, and that massive power ballad snare hit kicks in? Suddenly, you're 1987. You’re in a neon-drenched montage. You are basically invincible. That’s the "Starship Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now" effect. It’s a song that somehow manages to be both deeply cheesy and undeniably epic at the exact same time.
But honestly, the story behind it is weirder than the movie it was written for.
Most people recognize the tune from the cult classic film Mannequin. You remember it—Andrew McCarthy falls in love with a window display that comes to life. It’s peak 80s absurdity. Yet, this song didn't just stay in the bargain bin of movie soundtracks. It climbed. It fought. It became a global phenomenon, marking a massive pivot point for a band that had already changed its name more times than most people change their oil.
The Rebirth of Starship
Before we get into the synthesizers and the music video, we have to talk about the identity crisis. The band we call Starship wasn't always just Starship. They started as Jefferson Airplane in the 60s, doing psychedelic rock like "White Rabbit." Then they became Jefferson Starship in the 70s. By the time 1985 rolled around, legal battles with former members meant they had to drop the "Jefferson" entirely.
They were just Starship. And they were reinventing themselves for the MTV generation.
Grace Slick, the legendary powerhouse vocalist, was still there, but the sound was shifting. It wasn't about the Summer of Love anymore. It was about polished, high-gloss production. When Starship Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now hit the airwaves in early 1987, it proved that the band could survive—and thrive—in a decade that was obsessed with big hair and even bigger choruses.
Diane Warren and the Magic Formula
If you want to know why this song stays stuck in your head for three days after hearing it once, look no further than the writers. This wasn't just some garage jam. It was crafted by Albert Hammond and Diane Warren.
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Diane Warren is basically the queen of the power ballad. This was her first number-one hit.
She wrote it based on Hammond's real-life experience. He was finally getting married to his long-time girlfriend after a messy divorce, and he told Warren, "They're not gonna stop us now." She took that sentiment and turned it into a universal anthem for anyone who feels like the world is against them. It’s simple. It’s catchy. It’s incredibly effective.
Interestingly, the production was handled by Narada Michael Walden. He was the guy behind Whitney Houston’s early hits. You can hear that DNA in the song—the crisp percussion, the layered vocals, the way the bridge builds until you feel like you're flying. It’s a masterclass in 80s pop engineering.
A Duel of Vocals
What really makes the track work is the back-and-forth between Mickey Thomas and Grace Slick. Mickey’s voice is remarkably high and clear. He hits those soaring notes in the chorus that most mere mortals can’t reach without a medical emergency.
Then you have Grace.
She brings this grounded, slightly gritty texture to the second verse. It’s a weird pairing if you think about it—the queen of psychedelic rock singing a pop song about a mannequin—but their chemistry is undeniable. Slick actually became the oldest woman to have a number-one single in the US at the time because of this track. She was 47. In the youth-obsessed 80s, that was a huge deal.
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Why the Critics Hated It (and the Fans Didn't Care)
If you read music reviews from the late 80s, critics were... not kind. Rolling Stone and other "serious" outlets saw the song as the ultimate sell-out move. They missed the edgy, political undertones of the original Jefferson Airplane. To them, Starship Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now was corporate rock at its most cynical.
But here’s the thing.
Music doesn’t always have to be a protest. Sometimes, people just want to feel good. The song hit number one in the US, the UK, Canada, and Ireland. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. It lost to "I've Had The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing, which, honestly, is fair competition.
Even today, it's a staple at weddings and karaoke bars. Why? Because it’s optimistic. In a world that often feels like it's falling apart, there’s something cathartic about screaming "And we can build this dream together!" at the top of your lungs.
The Mannequin Connection
We can’t talk about the song without the movie. Mannequin stars Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall. Yes, Samantha from Sex and the City.
The plot is objectively insane. A cursed Egyptian princess is reincarnated as a department store mannequin in 1980s Philadelphia. She only comes to life when she’s alone with the guy who created the window display.
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The music video for the song leans hard into this. It features the band in a shop window, interacting with mannequins and scenes from the film. It’s gloriously dated. The hair is enormous. The shoulder pads are structural hazards. But it captures a specific moment in pop culture history where movies and music videos were inextricably linked. If you had a hit movie, you needed a hit song, and vice versa.
The Legacy of the 1987 Anthem
Decades later, Starship Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now has outlived its critics. It’s appeared in countless commercials, TV shows, and even other movies like The Skeleton Twins, where Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig perform a legendary lip-sync to it.
It has become shorthand for "cheesy but awesome 80s energy."
The song represents a specific era of recording technology. They used the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer, which provided that iconic bell-like tone you hear in the intro. It was a digital revolution. It paved the way for the synth-pop that would dominate the decade.
How to Get That 80s Sound Today
If you're a musician or just a fan of the production style, there’s a lot to learn from how this track was built. It’s not just about the gear; it’s about the arrangement.
- Layering Vocals: Notice how the choruses aren't just one voice. They are "stacked." It sounds like a choir of Mickeys and Graces.
- The "Power" Snare: Gated reverb is the secret sauce here. It gives the drums that massive, echoing thud without washing out the rest of the mix.
- Direct Songwriting: Don't hide the hook. The song gets to the point quickly and repeats the title enough that you can't forget it.
Honestly, whether you love it or think it’s the peak of musical kitsch, you have to respect the craft. It’s a perfectly constructed pop song. It does exactly what it set out to do: make you feel like you could take on the world.
Real-World Takeaways
If you're looking to revisit this era of music or perhaps use it as inspiration for your own creative projects, here are some actionable steps:
- Dig into the Diane Warren Catalog: If you like the structure of this song, check out her other hits like "If I Could Turn Back Time" or "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." You'll see the pattern of the "relentless" chorus.
- Explore the Band's Evolution: Listen to Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow and then immediately play Starship's No Protection. The contrast is a fascinating study in how artists adapt to changing markets.
- Watch the Music Video: Seriously. It’s a time capsule of 1987 fashion and video editing techniques. It’s available on most streaming platforms and is worth it for the sheer nostalgia.
- Analyze the "Key Change": The song features a classic 80s modulation that lifts the energy in the final act. It’s a great example of how to keep a repetitive song from feeling stagnant.
The enduring popularity of Starship Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now proves that sincerity often wins out over coolness. It’s a sincere song. It’s about building a world with someone you love, and that’s a message that doesn't really go out of style, even if the synthesizers do.