It is basically impossible to think about the eighties without that immediate, punchy synth blast hitting your ears. You know the one. It’s clean. It’s loud. It’s unapologetically optimistic. When The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News first blasted out of theater speakers in 1985, it wasn't just a movie tie-in. It was a cultural shift.
Honestly, the song almost didn't happen.
Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the masterminds behind Back to the Future, specifically wanted Huey Lewis. They didn't want a generic orchestral score for Marty McFly’s big introduction; they wanted the sound of California in the mid-80s. They wanted something that felt like a skateboard hitting pavement. But Huey was hesitant. He didn’t want to write a song literally titled "Back to the Future." Can you blame him? Imagine trying to rhyme "Flux Capacitor" with anything remotely catchy.
Zemeckis told him, "Just write a song. It doesn't have to be about the movie." Huey went back to the band, and what they came up with became their first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed there for two weeks. It didn't just top the charts in the US; it went global, hitting the top ten in the UK, Canada, and Australia.
The Sound That Defined a Decade
What makes The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News so sticky? It’s the arrangement. It’s got that crisp, "News" signature sound—a blend of bar-band rock and roll and high-end 80s production. Johnny Colla’s guitar work and those bright, staccato horns create a wall of sound that feels massive but never cluttered.
Most people forget that the song is actually quite complex for a pop hit. It’s in the key of C minor, but it doesn't feel "sad." It feels driving. The lyrics aren't about some flowery, Shakespearean romance. They’re practical. "Don't need money, don't take fame." It’s about the raw, visceral force of emotion as a survival mechanism. It makes you feel like you can take on a bully or, I don't know, save your parents’ marriage in 1955.
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The track was recorded at Sound Kitchen in San Francisco. If you listen closely to the mix, Chris Hayes’ guitar solo is a masterclass in 80s melodic shredding. It’s short. It’s precise. It gets out of the way before it gets boring. That was the magic of the News—they were all incredible musicians who played for the song, not for their own egos.
That Back to the Future Connection
You can't talk about this song without the DeLorean. Period.
The placement in the film is legendary. Marty McFly is late for school, hitching a ride on the back of a Jeep while the intro riff kicks in. It sets the entire tempo of the movie. But here’s the kicker: Huey Lewis actually appears in the film. He’s the nerdy, uptight judge at the Battle of the Bands audition who tells Marty’s band, The Pinheads, that they are "just too darn loud."
He’s literally rejecting his own song.
That kind of self-aware humor is why people loved Huey Lewis. He wasn't some untouchable rock god. He was the guy next door who happened to have a voice like gravel and soul. The music video for The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News leans into this too. It’s filmed at Uncle Charlie's, a club in Corte Madera where the band used to play. It features Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown arriving in the DeLorean, looking for the band. It’s goofy. It’s dated. It’s perfect.
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Why it Still Works in 2026
Trends come and go. Synthesizers get replaced by software, and then people go back to buying vinyl because they miss the grit. But certain songs are "evergreens."
We see this song pop up everywhere. It’s in Stranger Things. It’s in Family Guy. It’s a staple of every wedding DJ’s "get people on the floor" playlist. Why? Because it’s high-energy without being aggressive. It’s nostalgic but somehow sounds fresh every time the radio kicks it out.
There’s also the "Stuck in the Middle" factor. Huey Lewis and the News occupied a weird space in music history. They weren't edgy like the punk scene, and they weren't overly processed like the burgeoning boy bands. They were a blue-collar rock band that mastered the art of the four-minute pop song. They were the American version of Pub Rock.
Critical Reception and Legacy
Critics at the time were sometimes dismissive. They called the music "corporate rock" or "sanitized." But time has been the ultimate judge. While many of the "experimental" tracks of 1985 sound like unlistenable digital noise today, The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News remains a masterclass in songwriting.
It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. It lost to Lionel Richie’s "Say You, Say Me," which... okay, fine, Lionel is a legend. But which one are you more likely to hum while you're walking down the street today?
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Huey himself has talked about how the song changed his life. Before this, they were a successful band. After this, they were a phenomenon. Their album Fore! followed shortly after, cementing them as the kings of the mid-80s airwaves.
Misconceptions and Trivia
People often confuse this song with the Jennifer Rush power ballad "The Power of Love," which was later covered by Celine Dion. They are very different. One involves a lot of dramatic chest-beating and high notes; the other involves a funky bassline and a guy in a blazer with the sleeves rolled up.
Another fun fact? The song almost didn't make the movie's soundtrack because of a legal dispute with Ray Parker Jr. (of Ghostbusters fame), but that’s a rabbit hole for another day involving another Huey Lewis hit, "I Want a New Drug."
For The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News, the path was relatively clear once the band got over the "movie title" hurdle. They knew they had a hit. You can hear the confidence in Huey’s vocal delivery. He isn't straining. He’s just having a good time.
How to Appreciate the Track Today
If you want to really hear the song again, stop listening to it on tinny smartphone speakers.
- Find a Remastered Vinyl or High-Res Stream: The dynamic range on the original recording is actually pretty impressive. The "thwack" of the snare drum should feel like it's hitting you in the chest.
- Watch the Music Video: Watch it for the 80s fashion and the Doc Brown cameo. It captures a moment in time when music was just supposed to be fun.
- Listen to the Lyrics: Beyond the "tougher than diamonds" lines, there’s a real sincerity there. It’s a song about the power of human connection, which is a message that doesn't really age.
The legacy of Huey Lewis and the News isn't just about nostalgia. It’s about the craft. In an era where music is often quantized to death and corrected by AI, there is something deeply refreshing about a group of guys from the Bay Area playing their hearts out. They weren't trying to be deep. They were trying to be good. And they were.
To get the most out of this classic, try adding it to a high-intensity workout playlist or a morning commute rotation. It is scientifically proven (okay, maybe just anecdotal, but still) to increase your mood by at least 40%. Check out the live versions from their 1980s tours on YouTube to see the band’s raw energy—they were often even better live than on the record.