The 80s are synonymous with Huey Lewis and the News, everyone's favorite bar band that made the big time. With their catchy hooks and delectable harmony vocals, Huey and the boys became the 13th most successful act of the decade. Three #1 hits adorn the band's resume, including "The Power Of Love" (from the film Back to the Future), "Stuck With You," and "Jacob's Ladder" (written by Bruce Hornsby). While Huey's sophomore record, "Picture This," produced three charting singles, it was the third album, "Sports," that launched the band into the stratosphere. "Finally Found A Home" is one of the great deep tracks on this phenomenal record, and one of the few not released as a single. It's also rare to hear acoustic guitar featured in their songs. Huey Lewis and the News stayed strong into the 90s, with tunes like "Couple Days Off" (#11) and "It Hit Me Like A Hammer" (#21). The band's last chart appearance occurred in 1994 with a cover of "But It's Alright," which reached #54.
The piano man from Virginia, Bruce Hornsby, had a streak of big hits in the 80s beginning with his signature song, "The Way It Is," which soared to #1 in 1986. It was the title track from his smash debut album, which also spawned "Mandolin Rain" (#4), and "Every Little Kiss" (#14). On the heels of this success, he won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1986. He rode this wave of popularity for a while longer, scoring with follow-up hits from his sophomore record like "The Valley Road" (#5) and "Look Out Any Window" (#35). He'd score one more top 40 single in 1990 with "Across The River," which reached #18, before vanishing from the charts as quickly as he came. Hornsby continued to release new music that incorporated his jazz and bluegrass influences; great stuff, just not radio-friendly. Hornsby has also co-written hits by others, most notably "Jacob's Ladder," which Huey Lewis & The News took to #1 in 1987 and "The End Of The Innocence," which Don Henley took to #8 in 1989. "The Wild Frontier" goes back to his wonderful debut record. It could have been a fourth charting single in my opinion.
