\n<\/p>\n
On Aug. 1, 1981, Rick Springfield<\/a> scored the biggest hit of his career when “Jessie’s Girl”<\/a> reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.<\/p>\n “I always thought every song I wrote is going to be a hit,” Springfield previously admitted to UCR<\/a>. “You have to think that, otherwise, I won’t finish the song. If I think [something] is album filler, I won’t finish it. Back then, I was certainly writing songs that I would love to hear on the radio.”<\/p>\n Still, the triumphant success of “Jessie’s Girl” was far from a sure thing. Springfield’s music career was sputtering at the time, and though he’d joined the cast of soap opera General Hospital<\/em> shortly after the release of his album Working Class Dog<\/em>, there was no guaruntee his TV exposure would help with single sales.<\/p>\n READ MORE: How Rick Springfield Broke Through With ‘Working Class Dog’<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Of course, “Jessie’s Girl” proved to be a global phenomenon. It’s popularity spurred Working Class Dog<\/em> to platinum sales, and it remains a beloved tune decades after release.<\/p>\n Here are 15 Facts You May Not Know About “Jessie’s Girl”:<\/p>\n Springfield\u2019s music career hadn\u2019t taken off the way he\u2019d hoped, and he was yet to get his big acting break. As such, the aspiring rocker began thinking about other career paths. \u201cI thought I\u2019d better look for something else to support my future family,\u201d Springfield recalled on The Kelly Clarkson Show<\/em><\/a>. \u201cSo I thought that I\u2019d become a stained glass master.\u201d Unexpectedly, it was while learning the fine art of stained glass that he came up with his signature song.<\/p>\n There was a couple in Springfield\u2019s stained glass class \u2013 a man named Gary and his girlfriend (whose name is still unknown). The musician was floored by this woman\u2019s beauty, later admitting he was \u201cpanting over from afar\u201d<\/a> whenever he looked at her. Still, Springfield was also very shy, and he never even so much as introduced himself, let alone try to steal her away. Instead, the continual feelings of angst and lust inspired the now-famous song \u2013 with one notable catch: Springfield recognized that \u201cGary\u2019s Girl\u201d didn\u2019t have a nice ring to it.<\/p>\n After determining Gary wasn’t right, Springfield chose another moniker: Randy. The singer crafted most of the tune with this name in place, yet something still wasn’t right. After seeing a t-shirt featuring NFL wide receiver Ron Jessie, Springfield finally found the right name.\u00a0The song was changed \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl,\u201d and is now etched in rock history.<\/p>\n Watch the Music Video for ‘Jessie’s Girl’<\/strong><\/p>\n Inspiration can strike like lightning, but putting together a completed tune takes time. \u201cThe riff came first,\u201d Springfield explained to Classic Rock<\/a>. \u201cAnd although it\u2019s a pretty simple-sounding song it wasn\u2019t easy to write. It took about two months, working on the guitar and piano.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d may be Springfield\u2019s defining track, but a different Rock & Roll Hall of Famer contributed to the tune. Neil Giraldo, guitarist and husband of Pat Benatar<\/a>, played guitar and bass on the song. \u201cHe just played me \u2018Jessie’s Girl\u2019 and I just [went] well, that’s a hit,\u201d Giraldo later recalled<\/a> before explaining how he helped arrange the song. \u201c[Springfield\u2019s] demo was very, like, stiffer, right? And his middle eight wasn’t really established yet. And he had parts in there he needed to clean out, you know, to sort of shape it a little more.\u201d \u201cI tried doing my own AC\/DC<\/a>-type solo, but it was a lot of noodling,\u201d Springfield separately noted while discussing the guitar solo in \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl.\u201d \u201cNeil came up with a solo that was really musical and fit the vibe of the song perfectly. He was absolutely brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n Keith Olsen \u2013 known for his work with Fleetwood Mac<\/a>, Grateful Dead<\/a>, Foreigner<\/a> and more \u2013 produced Working Class Dog<\/em>. It was Olsen who introduced Springfield to Giraldo, while also contributing to the song\u2019s crisp production. \u201cThe story just nailed me,\u201d he later recalled<\/a> of \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl.\u201d \u201cBecause being a guy, we\u2019ve all been through this: Every guy everywhere has a friend, and he meets his friend\u2019s girlfriend, and we fall, for a moment, in love with that girlfriend. If you ever run into a guy who says, \u2018Nope, that never happened to me,\u2019 he\u2019s lying.\u201d<\/p>\n When considering which song to release as the first single from Working Class Dog<\/em>, the record label passed over \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d for a different tune \u2013 Springfield\u2019s rendition of Sammy Hagar<\/a>\u2019s \u201cI\u2019ve Done Everything for You.\u201d \u201cI think they were hoping to cash in on whatever popularity Sammy had at the time,\u201d Springfield explained to Grantland<\/a>. \u201cThey didn\u2019t even really consider \u2018Jessie\u2019s Girl\u2019 as a single.\u201d<\/p>\n Watch Rick Springfield’s Music Video for ‘I’ve Done Everything for You’<\/strong><\/p>\n Because of the label\u2019s short-sightedness, \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d was never intended to be a single. When a few radio stations opted to give it a spin, and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from their listeners, the label changed course. Even then, it took a while for \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d to become a hit. The tune debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 28, 1981 and finally reached No. 1 on Aug. 1. That 19 week timeline ranks among the longest climbs to No. 1 in Billboard history.<\/p>\n At the 1982 Grammy Awards, Springfield took home Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl,\u201d beating out Rick James, Bruce Springsteen<\/a> and Rod Stewart<\/a> in the process. Springfield would garner three other Grammy nominations during his career, but \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d remains his only win.<\/p>\n In 2015, late night host Jimmy Kimmel revealed an “exclusive,” “never-before-seen” video of Springfield and his band creating \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl.\u201d In the hilarious sketch, the rocker played a younger version of himself, backed by a bassist named Scoob and a drummer named Jessie (you can probably see where this is going). As the band rocks through \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d for the first time, Jessie \u2013 who\u2019s girlfriend is watching from behind the kit \u2013 can\u2019t help but get outraged by the lyrics. \u201cRick, what the f\u2014!\u201d the drummer exclaimed following the chorus, before storming off.<\/p>\n In 2006, VH1 ranked \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d among the 100 Greatest Songs of the \u201880s. Several other major outlets have offered similar praise, including MTV, Billboard<\/em>, Men\u2019s Journal<\/em> and SiriusXM.<\/p>\n Springfield believes the real Jessie\u2019s Girl never found out the song was about her. Nobody has ever tracked the mystery woman down, though Oprah Winfrey came close. The talk show host followed several leads and even connected with administration at the art school where Springfield had studied. Unfortunately, the person who\u2019d taught the stained glass class had died a couple of years earlier, and the school threw out his paperwork after his death.<\/p>\n In 2020, prog rock group Coheed and Cambria released \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl 2,\u201d a sequel to the classic track. Lyrically, the song revealed that the narrator was able to successfully steal away Jessie\u2019s Girl, only to later regret it. Lyrics included, \u201cThe flip side of Jessie’s girl that no one knows \/ She’s out of, she’s out of, she’s out of her mind\u201d<\/em> and \u201cSure, I probably deserved it \/ What kind of friend was I?\u201d<\/em> Springfield contributed to the song and also appeared in its music video (see below).<\/p>\n Naturally, the popularity of \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d has bled into TV and films. The song have been featured in a wide variety of movies, including Boogie Nights<\/em>, Couple\u2019s Retreat<\/em> and 13 Going on 30<\/em>. The tune was covered on Glee<\/em>, and also featured on such TV shows as Two and a Half Men<\/em>, It\u2019s Always Sunny in Philadelphia<\/em>, Dawson\u2019s Creek<\/em> and Superstore<\/em>. Even the Chipmunks covered \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl,\u201d as you can see in the video below.<\/p>\n Another feature film look for \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d came in 2013 when Dave Grohl <\/a>helmed his documentary film Sound City<\/em>. \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d was recorded at the titular Los Angeles studio, and Springfield appeared in the film. He also joined Foo Fighters<\/a> during a series of concerts supporting Sound City<\/em>, with \u201cJessie\u2019s Girl\u201d often garnering some of the loudest cheers during the shows. Grohl later described his performances with Springfield as a \u2018bucket-list moment.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Music in the ’80s is typically associated with the neon-tinged synthpop of MTV’s early era, but there was much more to this wildly varied decade.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nInspiration Hit in a Stained Glass Class<\/h3>\n
Originally, Jessie Wasn’t Involved at All<\/h3>\n
So Where Did Jessie Come From?<\/h3>\n
The Idea Came Quickly, But the Song Took Months<\/h3>\n
That\u2019s Neil Giraldo on Guitar and Bass<\/h3>\n
Producer Keith Olsen Played a Vital Role<\/h3>\n
The Record Label Didn\u2019t Hear a Hit<\/h3>\n
It Was a Long, Slow Burn to the Top<\/h3>\n
‘Jessie’s Girl’ Scored Springfield His First Grammy<\/h3>\n
Jimmy Kimmel Sketch<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s Regularly Ranked Among the \u201880s Greatest Songs<\/h3>\n
Oprah Tried (and Failed) to Track Down the Real Jessie\u2019s Girl<\/h3>\n
There\u2019s a \u2018Jessie\u2019s Girl\u2019 Sequel<\/h3>\n
\u2018Jessie\u2019s Girl\u2019 in Movies and TV Shows<\/h3>\n
‘Jessie’s Girl”s Sound City Connection<\/h3>\n
Rock’s 100 Best ’80s Albums<\/h2>\n