Year Released: 1985

Notable Songs: “Burning Heart”, “Living In America”, “Heart’s on Fire”, “No Easy Way Out”

Album MVP: ALL FOUR OF THEM! 

Why I Loved It:  This certainly wasn’t the best of the Rocky movies, but the soundtrack for Rocky IV kicked major ass. The unconquerable essence that is Rocky Balboa is perfectly epitomized with Survivor’s “Burning Heart”—one of the era’s most  heralded sports anthems and focal gym jam during training sessions. For real, man – put this shit on and I’m ready for fight errrrrbody.  “Living in America” by James Brown is the poster for the debauchery, lavishness and pure pretentiousness that symbolized 80’s music. “No Easy Way Out” and “Heart’s on Fire” are classics even is most people don’t know the artists who sang them, and “Eye of the Tiger” is on this album as well because Rocky III couldn’t contain its awesomeness.  “Training Montage” is a brilliant piece of music.  In all, this soundtrack is an endless assemblage of cheesy 80’s action pop that’ll never stop being enjoyable. Love it!

Commercial Success: This album was one of the more commercially successful movie soundtracks of the 80s, reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Top 200.   Rocky IV produced a pair of top four singles, with Survivor’s “Burning Heart” leading the way by peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and finishing 1986 ranked eighth on the year-end Billboard chart. “Living in America” by James Brown skyrocketed to number-four on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the charts for 11 weeks.  It was Brown’s last Billboard charting hit and a good one — Brown won a Grammy for Best male R&B Vocal Performance on it.  Robbert Tepper’s “No Easy Way Out” peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 while “Heart’s on Fire” by John Cafferty had a cup of coffee there and maxed out at No. 76.  

 Fun Facts:  Per Entertainment Weekly, Rocky IV remained the highest-grossing sports movie, outlasting Field of Dreams, Major League, and White Men Can’t Jump — for nearly 15 years. Despite not ending the Cold War, The Waterboy with Adam Sandler finally took the box-office belt from Rocky IV, though the fourquel remains the No. 3 biggest sports movie of the last 40 years when adjusted for inflation. The first two films on that list: Rocky and Rocky III.

PREVIOUS ENTRIES

 100.  Van Halen – OU812 

99. Stevie Wonder – In Squared Circle

98. Taylor Dayne – Can’t Fight Fate

97. Kool & The Gang – Emergency 

96. Stevie B – In My Eyes 

95. Keith Sweat – Make It Last Forever 

94. Michael Bolton – Soul Provider 

93. Go Go’s – Beauty & The Beast 

92. LL Cool J – Bigger And Deffer (Bad) 

91. Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry 

90. Def Leppard – Hysteria

89. New Edition – Heartbreak

88. Don Henley – Building A Perfect Beast

87. Beverly Hills Cop – Movie Soundtrack

86. Culture Club – Kissing To Be Clever 

85. Rolling Stones – Tattoo You

84. Asia – Asia 

83. Tiffany – Tiffany 

82. Lionel Richie – Dancing on the Ceiling

81. Barbara Streisand – Guilty 

80. Phil Collins – …But Seriously 

79. Air Supply – The One That You Love

78. J. Geils Band – Freeze Frame

77. Duran Duran – Rio 

76. Billy Ocean – Suddenly 

75. Run DMC – Raising Hell

74. Pat Benatar – Crimes of Passion

73. John Cougar – American Fool

72. Huey Lewis and The News – Picture This

71. Top Gun – Movie Soundtrack

70. Steve Winwood – Back In The High Life

69. Air Supply – Lost In Love

68. LL Cool J – Radio

67. Journey – Frontiers 

66. Styxx – Paradise Theater

65. Madonna – Like A Prayer

64. Eric B & Rakim – Paid In Full 

63. Tears for Fears – Songs From The Big Chair

62. Tina Turner – Private Dancer 

61. Steve Nicks – Bella Donna

60. U2 – The Joshua Tree

59. Bon Jovi – New Jersey 

58. Huey Lewis and the News – Fore!

57. Janet Jackson – Rhythm Nation 1814

56. Prince – 1999

55. ZZ Top – Eliminator 

54. Survivor – Vital Signs

53. New Edition – New Edition 

52. Dirty Dancing – Movie Soundtrack

51. Foreigner – 4

50. Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

49. Lionel Richie – Lionel Richie 

48. Men at Work – Business As Usual

47. Run DMC – Run DMC

46. Richard Marx – Richard Marx

45. Paula Abdul – Forever Your Girl