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Rank #149
Rick Springfield
From Wikipedia
Richard Lewis Springthorpe, known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut single, "Speak to the Sky", which reached the top 10 in Australia in mid-1972. When he moved to the United States, he had a No. 1 hit with "Jessie's Girl" in 1981 in both Australia and the US, for which he received the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. He followed with four more top 10 US hits: "I've Done Everything for You", "Don't Talk to Strangers", "Affair of the Heart" and "Love Somebody". Springfield's two US top 10 albums are Working Class Dog (1981) and Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet (1982).
Discography & Previews
Browse through and click an album to open and play 30-second previews streamed from Apple Music.
Beginnings
1972 · 10 tracks
Mission Magic
1974 · 16 tracks
- 1 We're Gonna Have a Good Time ↗ 2:38
- 2 It's Driving Me Crazy ↗ 2:53
- 3 Free and Easy ↗ 2:36
- 4 You Really Can Do It If You Try ↗ 2:53
- 5 On the Other Side ↗ 2:21
- 6 You Can't Judge a Book ↗ 2:25
- 7 Love Is the Key ↗ 2:25
- 8 You'd Better Think Twice ↗ 2:13
- 9 Welcome to the Rodeo ↗ 2:49
- 10 I Want You ↗ 2:42
- 11 Just Gotta Sing ↗ 2:30
- 12 If We Help One Another ↗ 2:37
- 13 Starlight, Starbright ↗ 2:03
- 14 Catch Me If You Can ↗ 2:15
- 15 I Know That It's Magic ↗ 2:16
- 16 Theme from Mission Magic ↗ 2:22
Comic Book Heroes
1974 · 11 tracks
Wait for the Night
1976 · 10 tracks
Working Class Dog
1980 · 13 tracks
- 1 Love Is Alright Tonite ↗ 3:28
- 2 Jessie's Girl ↗ 3:14
- 3 Hole In My Heart ↗ 3:12
- 4 Carry Me Away ↗ 3:02
- 5 I've Done Everything for You ↗ 3:17
- 6 The Light of Love ↗ 2:45
- 7 Everybody's Girl ↗ 2:59
- 8 Daddy's Pearl ↗ 2:38
- 9 Red Hot & Blue Love ↗ 3:00
- 10 Inside Silvia ↗ 4:45
- 11 Easy to Cry ↗ 3:31
- 12 Taxi Dancing ↗ 3:33
- 13 Jessie's Girl (Demo Version) ↗ 3:11
Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet
1982 · 12 tracks
- 1 Calling All Girls ↗ 3:27
- 2 I Get Excited ↗ 2:33
- 3 What Kind of Fool Am I ↗ 3:21
- 4 Kristina ↗ 3:03
- 5 Tonight ↗ 3:20
- 6 Black Is Black ↗ 2:53
- 7 Don't Talk to Strangers ↗ 3:00
- 8 How Do You Talk to Girls ↗ 3:19
- 9 Still Crazy for You ↗ 3:57
- 10 The American Girl ↗ 3:09
- 11 Just One Kiss ↗ 3:15
- 12 April 24, 1981 ↗ 1:33
Tao
1985 · 11 tracks
- 1 Dance This World Away ↗ 4:35
- 2 Celebrate Youth ↗ 3:53
- 3 Ride 'Em B Do Jr. ↗ 0:32
- 4 State of the Heart ↗ 4:02
- 5 Written In Rock ↗ 4:35
- 6 The Power of Love (The Tao of Love) ↗ 5:00
- 7 Walking On the Edge ↗ 5:13
- 8 Walk Like a Man ↗ 4:09
- 9 The Tao of Heaven ↗ 1:29
- 10 Stranger In the House ↗ 4:04
- 11 My Father's Chair ↗ 3:29
Rock of Life
1988 · 10 tracks
Rick Springfield [BMG Special Products]
1997 · 16 tracks
- 1 Jessie's Girl ↗ 3:13
- 2 I've Done Everything for You ↗ 3:15
- 3 Love Is Alright Tonite ↗ 3:19
- 4 Don't Talk to Strangers ↗ 2:57
- 5 What Kind of Fool Am I ↗ 3:18
- 6 I Get Excited ↗ 2:31
- 7 Affair of the Heart ↗ 3:47
- 8 Human Touch (Extended Mix) ↗ 7:13
- 9 Souls ↗ 4:00
- 10 Love Somebody ↗ 3:34
- 11 Don't Walk Away ↗ 3:39
- 12 Bop 'Til You Drop ↗ 4:18
- 13 Taxi Dancing ↗ 3:40
- 14 Celebrate Youth ↗ 3:53
- 15 State of the Heart ↗ 3:50
- 16 Rock of Life ↗ 3:52
Karma
1998 · 12 tracks
Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance
2004 · 17 tracks
- 1 Perfect ↗ 2:57
- 2 I'll Make You Happy ↗ 3:42
- 3 Will I? ↗ 3:18
- 4 God Gave You to Everyone ↗ 2:37
- 5 Idontwantanythingfromyou ↗ 3:18
- 6 Jesus Saves ↗ 3:18
- 7 Beautiful You ↗ 2:58
- 8 Wasted ↗ 3:02
- 9 Shoot Your Guru ↗ 0:56
- 10 Alien Virus ↗ 2:28
- 11 Angels of the Disappeared ↗ 3:16
- 12 Eden ↗ 3:28
- 13 The Invisible Girl ↗ 2:53
- 14 My Depression ↗ 3:01
- 15 Your Psychopathic Mother ↗ 2:50
- 16 Every Night I Wake Up Screaming ↗ 3:25
- 17 Open My Eyes ↗ 1:16
The Day After Yesterday
2005 · 14 tracks
- 1 I'm Not In Love ↗ 6:10
- 2 Under the Milky Way ↗ 5:43
- 3 Life In a Northern Town ↗ 4:51
- 4 Broken Wings ↗ 6:44
- 5 Human ↗ 5:06
- 6 Holding On to Yesterday ↗ 5:02
- 7 Baker Street ↗ 6:33
- 8 Waiting for a Girl Like You ↗ 5:18
- 9 Lets Go Out Tonight ↗ 5:27
- 10 For No One ↗ 2:27
- 11 Miss You Nights ↗ 3:20
- 12 Blue Rose ↗ 5:21
- 13 Cry ↗ 5:24
- 14 Imagine ↗ 3:14
Christmas With You
2007 · 15 tracks
- 1 Christmas With You ↗ 2:57
- 2 The First Noel ↗ 3:23
- 3 Hark the Herald Angels Sing ↗ 3:35
- 4 What Child Is This? ↗ 2:53
- 5 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen ↗ 3:18
- 6 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear ↗ 3:10
- 7 Away In a Manger ↗ 3:47
- 8 O Come All Ye Faithful ↗ 3:23
- 9 Carol of the Bells ↗ 2:29
- 10 Do You Hear What I Hear? ↗ 2:58
- 11 I'll Be Home for Christmas ↗ 2:59
- 12 Silent Night ↗ 2:45
- 13 Oh Little Town of Bethlehem ↗ 2:54
- 14 I Saw Three Ships ↗ 1:54
- 15 Deck the Halls (With Boughs of Longboards) ↗ 2:13
Venus in Overdrive
2008 · 13 tracks
- 1 What's Victoria's Secret? ↗ 3:15
- 2 I'll Miss That Someday ↗ 3:20
- 3 Venus In Overdrive ↗ 2:48
- 4 One Passenger ↗ 4:29
- 5 Oblivious ↗ 3:53
- 6 3 Warning Shots ↗ 3:26
- 7 Time Stand Still ↗ 4:16
- 8 God Blinked (Swing It Sister) ↗ 3:32
- 9 Mr. PC ↗ 2:42
- 10 She ↗ 4:18
- 11 Nothing Is Ever Lost ↗ 1:40
- 12 Saint Sahara ↗ 3:59
- 13 Pretty Little Mess ↗ 3:56
My Precious Little One
2009 · 9 tracks
Songs for the End of the World
2012 · 13 tracks
Rocket Science
2016 · 14 tracks
- 1 Light This Party Up ↗ 2:24
- 2 Down ↗ 3:10
- 3 That One ↗ 3:26
- 4 The Best Damn Thing ↗ 4:23
- 5 Miss Mayhem ↗ 3:20
- 6 Pay It Forward ↗ 3:46
- 7 Found ↗ 2:49
- 8 Crowded Solitude ↗ 3:31
- 9 Let Me In ↗ 4:03
- 10 All Hands on Deck ↗ 3:57
- 11 We Connect ↗ 3:39
- 12 (I Wish I Had A) Concrete Heart ↗ 3:03
- 13 Earth to Angel ↗ 4:05
- 14 Beautiful Inside (Bonus Track) ↗ 3:12
The Snake King
2018 · 12 tracks
- 1 Land of the Blind ↗ 4:51
- 2 The Devil That You Know ↗ 3:03
- 3 Little Demon ↗ 5:22
- 4 Judas Tree ↗ 3:21
- 5 Jesus Was an Atheist ↗ 3:14
- 6 The Snake King ↗ 3:46
- 7 God Don't Care ↗ 4:59
- 8 The Voodoo House ↗ 4:46
- 9 Suicide Manifesto ↗ 2:19
- 10 Blues for the Disillusioned ↗ 5:40
- 11 Santa is an Anagram ↗ 2:05
- 12 Orpheus in the Underworld ↗ 10:08
Orchestrating My Life
2019 · 12 tracks
- 1 Kristina ↗ 4:54
- 2 I've Done Everything For You ↗ 3:16
- 3 Don't Talk To Strangers ↗ 2:57
- 4 Jessie's Girl ↗ 3:15
- 5 Affair Of The Heart ↗ 3:54
- 6 Love Somebody ↗ 3:35
- 7 Human Touch ↗ 4:11
- 8 Celebrate Youth ↗ 3:56
- 9 World Start Turning ↗ 5:35
- 10 State Of The Heart ↗ 4:48
- 11 Irreplaceable ↗ 3:44
- 12 My Father's Chair ↗ 4:32
Automatic
2023 · 20 tracks
- 1 Exit Wound ↗ 2:42
- 2 She Walks With the Angels ↗ 3:00
- 3 Automatic ↗ 3:07
- 4 This Town ↗ 3:01
- 5 Love Ain't Cool (Sha Doo Wup) ↗ 2:23
- 6 Come Said the Girl ↗ 3:16
- 7 Broke House ↗ 2:21
- 8 When God Forgets My Name ↗ 3:18
- 9 Heroes ↗ 2:52
- 10 Works For Me ↗ 3:07
- 11 Fake It 'Til You Make It ↗ 3:18
- 12 The Cure For Loneliness ↗ 3:09
- 13 Invisible World ↗ 3:18
- 14 Make Your Move ↗ 2:30
- 15 In Case of Fire Break Glass ↗ 3:12
- 16 Did I Just Say That Out Loud ↗ 3:08
- 17 Someday I Will Fly ↗ 2:21
- 18 Neutron Star ↗ 2:55
- 19 Feed Your Soul ↗ 2:46
- 20 We Are Eternal ↗ 2:58
-
BeginningsRick Springfield197210 tracks -
Mission MagicRick Springfield197416 tracks -
Comic Book HeroesRick Springfield197411 tracks -
Wait for the NightRick Springfield197610 tracks -
Working Class DogRick Springfield198013 tracks -
Success Hasn't Spoiled Me YetRick Springfield198212 tracks -
Living in OzRick Springfield198310 tracks -
Beautiful FeelingsRick Springfield198410 tracks -
TaoRick Springfield198511 tracks -
Rock of LifeRick Springfield198810 tracks -
Rick Springfield [BMG Special Products]Rick Springfield199716 tracks -
KarmaRick Springfield199812 tracks -
Shock/Denial/Anger/AcceptanceRick Springfield200417 tracks -
The Day After YesterdayRick Springfield200514 tracks -
Christmas With YouRick Springfield200715 tracks -
Venus in OverdriveRick Springfield200813 tracks -
My Precious Little OneRick Springfield20099 tracks -
Songs for the End of the WorldRick Springfield201213 tracks -
Rocket ScienceRick Springfield201614 tracks -
The Snake KingRick Springfield201812 tracks -
Orchestrating My LifeRick Springfield201912 tracks -
AutomaticRick Springfield202320 tracks
Deep Dive
Overview
Rick Springfield is an Australian-American rock musician and actor whose career spans five decades. Born Richard Lewis Springthorpe in 1949, he achieved his greatest commercial success in the early 1980s with the No. 1 single “Jessie’s Girl,” which won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and established him as a major force in American rock radio. Beyond his music career, Springfield became equally famous as an actor, navigating the twin worlds of entertainment with versatility. His output has remained prolific well into the 2020s, with over two dozen studio albums documenting his evolution from pop-rock newcomer to seasoned rock craftsman.
Formation Story
Springfield began his musical journey in Australia during the late 1960s, first gaining recognition as a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971. The experience in a band setting provided his foundation in songwriting and performance, but he soon gravitated toward a solo path. In mid-1972, Springfield released his debut single, “Speak to the Sky,” which reached the top 10 in Australia and signaled his potential as a standalone artist. His early solo work on the Australian charts established local credibility, but broader international recognition remained elusive until his relocation to the United States in the late 1970s.
Breakthrough Moment
Springfield’s breakthrough in the American market came with the release of Working Class Dog in 1980, an album that positioned him at the intersection of rock credibility and pop accessibility. The album’s lead single, “Jessie’s Girl,” became a phenomenon in 1981, reaching No. 1 on the US charts and charting similarly in his native Australia. The song’s infectious guitar hook, propulsive rhythm, and relatable lyrical narrative about romantic yearning resonated across radio formats and demographics. The track’s success was immediate and sustained, establishing Springfield as more than a one-hit wonder and setting the stage for continued commercial momentum throughout the 1980s.
Peak Era
Springfield’s peak commercial period extended from 1981 through the mid-1980s, anchored by his two consecutive US top 10 albums: Working Class Dog (1980) and Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet (1982). During this window, he accumulated four additional top 10 US hits beyond “Jessie’s Girl”: “I’ve Done Everything for You,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “Affair of the Heart,” and “Love Somebody.” These singles maintained his presence on rock and pop radio while his parallel acting career gained traction, making him one of the few performers to sustain credibility across both mediums simultaneously. Albums including Living in Oz (1983) and Beautiful Feelings (1984) showed an artist comfortable with both rock energy and more introspective pop balladry.
Musical Style
Springfield’s sound occupies the melodic mainstream of rock and pop, characterized by hook-laden songwriting, accessible guitar-driven arrangements, and an earnest vocal delivery that conveyed emotional transparency without sacrificing rock edge. His early work drew from the pop-rock tradition of the 1970s, but his 1980s output absorbed the production sensibilities and synthesizer integration of that decade while maintaining fundamentally rock-based song structures. His rhythmic sensibility is straightforward and radio-friendly, prioritizing immediate melodic impact over complexity. Over his longer career arc, he has incorporated elements of diverse styles—from the orchestral ambition evident in Orchestrating My Life (2019) to the experimental territory explored across albums like Tao (1985) and Rock of Life (1988)—while maintaining a consistent emphasis on strong vocal melody and emotional directness.
Major Albums
Working Class Dog (1980)
The album that launched Springfield into American stardom, anchored by “Jessie’s Girl” and establishing the sound that would define his 1980s presence: accessible rock with strong melodic hooks and contemporary production.
Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet (1982)
His second consecutive US top 10 album, demonstrating that his breakthrough was not a fluke and containing several of his signature hits including “Don’t Talk to Strangers” and “Affair of the Heart.”
Living in Oz (1983)
Reflecting his Australian heritage and showing a more introspective side while maintaining commercial viability and chart presence.
Tao (1985)
An album that signaled Springfield’s willingness to experiment beyond his established formula, exploring broader sonic and thematic territory.
Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance (2004)
Released nearly two decades after his commercial peak, this album marked a return to recording and showed an artist willing to confront personal material with maturity and perspective.
Signature Songs
- “Jessie’s Girl” (1981) — His signature and career-defining No. 1 hit, a Grammy-winning rock single that remains his most recognizable and enduring track.
- “I’ve Done Everything for You” (1981) — A softer ballad that demonstrated his range and became another top 10 US hit.
- “Don’t Talk to Strangers” (1982) — A confident rock single that maintained his momentum through the early 1980s.
- “Speak to the Sky” (1972) — His debut single and first charting success, establishing his solo career in Australia.
- “Affair of the Heart” (1983) — A later chart entry that showed his ability to sustain hits across multiple albums.
Influence on Rock
Springfield’s influence operates less through wholesale stylistic innovation than through his demonstration of a sustainable path for melodic rock in the 1980s pop-dominated landscape. At a moment when rock radio increasingly incorporated synthesizers and synth-pop aesthetics, he proved that guitar-based, emotionally direct songwriting could achieve mass success without irony or kitsch. His dual career in music and acting opened doors for other musicians considering entertainment beyond recording and touring. His songwriting approach—emotionally accessible but not disposable, radio-friendly without being artistically compromised—influenced subsequent generations of pop-rock songwriters who sought similar mainstream reach. His longevity and ongoing productivity have also served as a model for artists navigating the tension between commercial demands and long-term creative fulfillment.
Legacy
Springfield’s legacy rests primarily on his 1980s commercial success and the cultural staying power of “Jessie’s Girl,” which remains a staple of classic rock radio and a reliable earworm across popular culture. His continued recording activity—including albums as recent as Automatic (2023)—demonstrates an artist committed to his craft across five decades. His parallel acting career, initially a counterbalance to his music work, has become equally significant to his public identity, allowing him to sustain relevance across multiple entertainment mediums. Streaming platforms have introduced his catalog to new generations, while classic rock radio ensures his peak-era hits remain accessible. His openness about personal struggles in interviews and autobiographical work has also contributed to a more complex, humanized legacy than the surface-level teen idol narrative his chart success might suggest.
Fun Facts
- Springfield was born in 1949 in Sydney, Australia, and later became an Australian-American dual citizen, maintaining deep ties to both countries throughout his career.
- Beyond his music career, he became known for acting roles, including appearances in television shows and films, establishing himself as a multimedia entertainer.
- His 1972 debut single “Speak to the Sky” reached the top 10 in Australia years before his American breakthrough, proving his artistic potential in his home country.
- The span between his commercially dominant early 1980s period and his 2004 album Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance shows a 20+ year creative persistence outside the mainstream spotlight.
- He released Springfield - The Lost Album in 2023, nearly half a century into his career, demonstrating continued creative activity in his eighth decade of life.