HEART - NEVER
Released: August 29, 1985
Charted: US: #4 UK: #8
Heart's song "Never," released in 1985 as the second single from their self-titled album, became a major hit, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and marking the first time the band achieved back-to-back top-ten hits. Written by Holly Knight, Gene Bloch, and the pseudonymous "Connie" (representing Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and Sue Ennis), the track also helped Heart’s album generate multiple top-ten singles. In 1988, "Never" was reissued in the UK as a double A-side with "These Dreams," following the success of Heart’s hit "Alone."
Heart's self-titled eighth studio album, released on June 21, 1985, marked a pivotal shift for the band as they embraced a more mainstream rock sound, which ultimately brought them their greatest commercial success. This was their first album with Capitol Records, and it became their only album to reach number one on the US Billboard 200.
After Heart's 1983 album “Passionworks” fell short of commercial expectations, Epic Records dropped them. Heart then signed with Capitol Records, which implemented a new strategy: pairing the band with producer Ron Nevison and pushing them to record songs written by outside songwriters. This approach led to major success, with their self-titled 1985 album producing three Top 10 hits: "What About Love," "Never," and "These Dreams." According to Nevison, this shift was necessary to improve the songwriting quality, even though it bruised the Wilson sisters' egos as they weren’t the primary songwriters on these tracks. Capitol’s A&R executive Don Grierson played a key role in this transition, stipulating that Heart’s new direction involved both co-writing and adopting outside songs, which ultimately revived their career.
"Never" is an anthem of empowerment with an open-ended storyline but a memorable, powerful chorus. Co-writer Holly Knight described it as embodying her own resolve not to tolerate mistreatment, shaped by her challenging early experiences.
The music video directed by Marty Callner, received significant airplay on MTV, which greatly boosted the song's success. Though Ann Wilson provided the lead vocals, the video prominently featured her sister Nancy, who was considered more visually marketable. This reflected a broader trend during this period, as the band experienced both heightened success and some creative frustration. Their label’s focus on image and outside songwriters meant Heart had less control over their music and visual presentation than they were accustomed to.
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