Released in 1984 as the lead single from Sammy Hagar’s eighth studio album “VOA”, “I Can’t Drive 55” became both an anthem of defiance and the singer’s defining solo hit. Fueled by a high-octane riff and a cheeky protest against government regulation, the song captured Hagar’s obsession with speed — and his refusal to slow down. The track hit No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning heavy rotation on MTV, where its adrenaline-fueled video turned Hagar into a rock ‘n’ roll outlaw.
The song’s origin story is pure rock folklore. In 1984, Hagar was pulled over in upstate New York for driving 62 mph in a 55 zone, a violation of the National Maximum Speed Law, which had capped U.S. speed limits since 1974. Furious, he scrawled the lyrics to “I Can’t Drive 55” almost immediately after getting home. “I was so mad, I went straight to my guitar,” Hagar later said. “That ticket wrote the song.”
Though tongue-in-cheek, the track became an unlikely protest anthem. While other musicians were singing about social justice or the environment, Hagar was raging against what he saw as an absurd restriction on American freedom. The sentiment struck a nerve — millions of drivers agreed.
By the time “VOA” went platinum, Hagar was already on his way to a new chapter. In 1985, Eddie Van Halen spotted Hagar’s Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer at mechanic Claudio Zampolli’s shop and asked for the singer’s number. Within days, Hagar had replaced David Lee Roth as Van Halen’s frontman, officially merging his high-octane persona with one of rock’s biggest bands.
Cars have always been central to Hagar’s identity. Over the years, he’s owned an enviable lineup — from a 1967 Shelby Mustang to a 2006 Lotus Elise — and his songs often celebrate the thrill of the open road. Even within Van Halen, Hagar found kindred spirits; one of his favorite Roth-era tracks to perform live was “Panama,” another ode to horsepower and heat.
The music video, directed by Gil Bettman, brought “I Can’t Drive 55” to life as a cinematic joyride. Shot at Saugus Speedway in Santa Clarita, California, it featured Hagar being chased by the California Highway Patrol, thrown in jail, and hauled before a judge — played by legendary music executive John Kalodner. His Ferrari was driven (and occasionally wrecked) by Zampolli, who doubled as Hagar’s pit crew chief. The production was as wild as the song itself: the jailhouse set had no air conditioning, Hagar burned out his clutch during filming, and one stunt literally launched him across a courtroom.
Over time, Hagar’s take on the song has evolved. “Originally, it was a protest about speed limits,” he told Fox5 KVVU-TV in 2022. “Now it’s a protest that I can’t get anywhere on time — I’m always late.”
VAN HALEN - RIGHT NOW
Released: February 1992
Charts: US: #55
Released in 1992 on “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”, “Right Now” stands as one of the most ambitious and socially conscious songs of the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen. At a time when global politics were shifting — the Berlin Wall had fallen, the Cold War was ending, and the world was waking up to new realities — the band that had built its reputation on excess and hedonism suddenly had something serious to say.
The song’s roots go back nearly a decade earlier. Eddie Van Halen first composed the piano-driven instrumental in 1983, “before I even wrote ‘Jump,’” he later explained. “Nobody wanted anything to do with it.” A variation of the melody appeared in “The Wild Life” (1984), a coming-of-age film Eddie scored. At one point, he even envisioned recording it with Joe Cocker, as part of a possible collaborative project featuring guest vocalists. But the piece remained shelved — until Sammy Hagar came along.
When Van Halen began recording “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” in 1991, Eddie revived the piano riff. Hagar, by then eager to move beyond songs about sex, cars, and parties, seized on it as the perfect vehicle for a lyric about living in the moment. “I was tired of writing cheap sex songs,” Hagar later said. “Eddie and I wanted to get serious and talk about world issues.” The phrase “Right Now” became both the song’s title and its driving concept — a reminder to act, to change, to feel now.
“Right Now” captured a new maturity for Van Halen. It traded swagger for urgency, the usual sexual bravado for a message about awareness and presence. Yet it never lost the band’s trademark power — Eddie’s piano lines are commanding, his guitar tone sharp and luminous, and Hagar’s vocals deliver conviction without sacrificing melody.
The music video, directed by Mark Fenske and Josh Taft, became as iconic as the song itself. Against stark, minimalist visuals, a stream of on-screen text delivered blunt, thought-provoking statements: “Right now, oil companies and old men are in control.” “Right now, someone is working too hard for minimum wage.” The effect was both immediate and profound — turning a rock video into a moral mirror.
Hagar, however, hated the idea at first. “I wrote the best lyric I’d ever written for Van Halen, and they wanted to put different words underneath? I thought it was going to distract from the message,” he recalled. After retreating to South Carolina and ignoring calls from the band, he was eventually persuaded to go through with it by Warner Bros. chairman Mo Ostin. Ironically, during the video shoot, Hagar came down with pneumonia — his irritated demeanor is visible on camera. “Look at my face,” he later said. “I’m just standing there with my arms crossed. I wouldn’t even cooperate”, but the finished product was a triumph. The “Right Now” video swept the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, winning Best Video, Best Editing, and Best Direction.
ROCKWELL – SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME
Publicada: 14 de gener de 1984
Classificació a les llistes: Regne Unit: #6 | EUA: #2
“Somebody’s Watching Me” és una cançó del cantant nord-americà Rockwell, publicada el 1984 per Motown Records com el single principal del seu àlbum de debut amb el mateix títol. Escrita pel mateix Rockwell —nascut Kennedy Gordy, fill del fundador de Motown, Berry Gordy—, la peça es va convertir en una sensació instantània, gràcies en part a les veus convidades no acreditades de Michael Jackson a la tornada i de Jermaine Jackson als cors.
La idea de la cançó va sorgir de la fascinació de Kennedy Gordy per la paranoia i la vigilància, una sensació que va canalitzar en una pista de pop-funk peculiar però irresistible. Treballant amb el productor Curtis Nolen, Rockwell va enregistrar una maqueta i la va presentar a Motown sense revelar la seva relació familiar. Quan Berry Gordy va escoltar el resultat final, va reconèixer immediatament el seu potencial i va acceptar publicar-la.
En essència, “Somebody’s Watching Me” és una sàtira sobre la paranoia i la pèrdua de la privacitat, embolcallada en un ritme enganxós i ballable. La lletra descriu un home comú assetjat per la sensació inquietant que ulls invisibles l’observen constantment —des dels veïns i l’Agència Tributària fins al televisor mateix. “I always feel like somebody’s watching me” (“Sempre tinc la sensació que algú m’està vigilant”), canta Michael Jackson en la seva tornada inoblidable.
Musicalment, la cançó es mou entre el R&B, el new wave i el synth-pop, amb Rockwell recitant les estrofes amb un to teatral i d’horror paròdic, recordant l’estil de Boris Karloff. Aquesta posada en escena divertida, combinada amb la perfecció pop de Jackson, la va convertir en una de les peces més distintives de l’any.
Publicada mentre el “Thriller” de Michael Jackson encara dominava les ones radiofòniques, “Somebody’s Watching Me” va aprofitar l’onada de l’estrella del pop per arribar al número 2 del Billboard Hot 100 i al número 1 de la llista R&B a principis de 1984. També es va convertir en un èxit mundial, entrant a les llistes de diversos països europeus.
El videoclip, dirigit per Francis Delia, ampliava el tema paranoic de la cançó amb imatges surrealistes inspirades en pel·lícules de terror. Rockwell hi apareix deambulant per una casa encantada, mentre la seva imaginació es desborda —fins al punt que, al final, fins i tot el carter sembla formar part de la conspiració.
Tot i que Rockwell mai no va repetir l’èxit d’aquesta cançó, “Somebody’s Watching Me” ha perdurat com un clàssic de culte i un himne de Halloween al seu país d’origen, celebrat per la seva barreja enginyosa d’humor, por i funk irresistible.
ROCKWELL - SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME
Released: January 14, 1984
Charts: UK: #6 US: #2
“Somebody’s Watching Me” is a song by American singer Rockwell, released in 1984 by Motown Records as the lead single from his debut album of the same name. Written by Rockwell himself — born Kennedy Gordy, the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy — the track became an instant sensation, thanks in part to uncredited guest vocals by Michael Jackson on the chorus and Jermaine Jackson on backing vocals.
The idea for the song came from Kennedy Gordy’s fascination with paranoia and surveillance — a feeling he channeled into a quirky yet infectious pop-funk track. Working with producer Curtis Nolen, Rockwell recorded a demo and submitted it to Motown without revealing his family ties. When Berry Gordy heard the finished product, he immediately recognized its potential and agreed to release it.
At its core, “Somebody’s Watching Me” is a satirical take on paranoia and loss of privacy, wrapped in an irresistibly catchy groove. The lyrics describe an ordinary man plagued by the eerie sensation that unseen eyes are constantly observing him — from the neighbors and the IRS to the television set itself. “I always feel like somebody’s watching me,” sings Michael Jackson in the unforgettable chorus.
Musically, the song straddles the line between R&B, new wave, and synth-pop, with Rockwell delivering his verses in a campy, mock-horror tone reminiscent of Boris Karloff. This playful theatricality — combined with Jackson’s pop perfection — made it one of the most distinctive singles of the year.
Released at the same time as Jackson’s own “Thriller” was dominating airwaves, “Somebody’s Watching Me” rode the wave of the pop icon’s superstardom to reach No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart in early 1984. It also became a global hit, charting across Europe.
The music video, directed by Francis Delia, expanded on the song’s paranoid theme with surreal, horror-inspired visuals. Rockwell wanders through a haunted house as his imagination spirals out of control — by the end, even the mailman seems part of the conspiracy.
While Rockwell never repeated the success of “Somebody’s Watching Me”, the song has endured as a cult classic and a Halloween staple, celebrated for its witty blend of humor, fear, and irresistible funk.
5.11.25
MISSY ELLIOTT – GET UR FREAK ON
Publicada: 13 de març de 2001
Posició a les Llistes: EUA: #7 · Regne Unit: #4
“Get Ur Freak On” és un senzill innovador de Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, publicat el març del 2001 com a cançó principal del seu tercer àlbum d’estudi “Miss E… So Addictive”. Escrita i produïda juntament amb el seu col·laborador habitual Timbaland, la cançó va fusionar el hip-hop americà amb ritmes bhangra de l’Índia, creant un dels sons més originals i influents dels primers anys 2000. Construïda al voltant d’una melodia punjabi de sis notes tocada amb un tumbi, acompanyada de percussió de tabla, la peça va trencar barreres sonores i va introduir textures musicals globals dins del rap comercial.
Quan es va publicar, “Get Ur Freak On” es va convertir en una sensació internacional, arribant al número 7 del Billboard Hot 100 dels Estats Units i entrant al Top 10 al Regne Unit i als Països Baixos —donant a Elliott el seu primer èxit en solitari dins del Top 10 a Gran Bretanya, on va arribar al número 4.
Elliott va explicar més tard que el títol i l’esperit de la cançó estan oberts a la interpretació. “Podria tractar sobre ballar —el dormitori, el que sigui. Estàs netejant la casa? Doncs get your freak on!” va dir. Aquesta actitud lliure i espontània definia tant la cançó com a la seva creadora. La peça representava un altre pas valent dins de la col·laboració sense gènere fix entre Elliott i Timbaland. La fascinació de Timbaland pels sons globals —especialment la instrumentació índia— va ser clau per donar forma al seu ritme hipnòtic. “El ritme estava basat en la música bhangra”, va recordar. “Vam trobar una cosa fresca, una cosa que ningú no estava fent. Timbaland va samplejar i seqüenciar el tumbi nota per nota, barrejant-lo amb baix potent i una programació de bateria sincopada que es va fer instantàniament reconeixible.
“Get Ur Freak On” també va marcar un punt d’inflexió visual en la carrera de Missy Elliott. Després d’anys de col·laborar amb Hype Williams, l’estètica futurista del qual s’havia convertit en sinònim de la seva imatge, Elliott va decidir reinventar-se. “Ja veus, jo canvio la meva música i canvio la meva imatge al mateix temps”, va explicar. “Sentia que, mentre jo i Hype continuéssim treballant junts, probablement seguiríem anant en la mateixa direcció.”
En lloc d’això, Elliott va començar a treballar amb el director Dave Meyers, que es convertiria en el seu soci creatiu durant la dècada següent. Junts, van reimaginar la seva identitat visual —atrevida, surrealista i transgressora. El vídeo de “Get Ur Freak On”, rodat en una fleca abandonada a Glendale, Califòrnia, mostrava Elliott com una figura alhora reial i caricaturesca, dominant un submón industrial ple de ballarins suspesos cap per avall, arrossegant-se pel formigó i movent-se amb precisió insectívora. En un dels seus moments més famosos, el coll d’Elliott s’estira fins a longituds impossibles cap a la càmera —una barreja d’humor i terror que encaixava perfectament amb el seu estil atrevit.
La coreografia, dirigida per Nadine “Hi-Hat” Ruffin, va convertir la dansa hip-hop en teatre avantguardista, amb cossos que es torcien i es congelaven en posicions visualment impossibles. El vídeo també incloïa una llarga llista d’aparicions estel·lars, amb Ludacris, LL Cool J, Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, Eve, Ja Rule, Master P, Lil’ Romeo, Nate Dogg, Spliff Star i Nicole Wray, reflectint la posició central d’Elliott dins de l’univers del rap de principis dels 2000.
“Get Ur Freak On” es va convertir en un punt de referència cultural, influenciant tota una generació de productors i artistes que van contagiar-se de la fusió global dins del hip-hop i el pop de la peça. El seu llegat es va revifar l’any 2015, quan Elliott va fer una aparició sorpresa durant l’espectacle del descans de la Super Bowl de Katy Perry, interpretant “Get Ur Freak On” davant d’un públic sorprès i provocant una resurgència viral que va fer que la cançó tornés a entrar al Billboard Hot 100, reentrant al número 40.
MISSY ELLIOT - GET UR FREAK ON
Released: March 13, 2001
Chart Peak: US: #7 UK: #4
“Get Ur Freak On” is a groundbreaking single by Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, released on March 2001, as the lead track from her third studio album “Miss E… So Addictive”. Written and produced alongside longtime collaborator Timbaland, the song fused American hip-hop with Indian bhangra rhythms, creating one of the most original and influential sounds of the early 2000s. Built around a six-note Punjabi melody played on a tumbi, accompanied by tabla percussion, the track broke sonic barriers and introduced global music textures into mainstream rap.
Upon its release, “Get Ur Freak On” became an international sensation, peaking at No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the Top 10 in the UK and Netherlands—giving Elliott her first solo top-10 hit in Britain, where it climbed to No. 4.
Elliott later explained that the song’s title and spirit are open to interpretation. “It could be about dancing—the bedroom, whatever. You’re cleaning your house? Get your freak on!” she told. This free-spirited attitude defined both the song and its creator.
The track represented another bold step in Elliott and Timbaland’s genre-defying partnership. Timbaland’s fascination with global sounds—especially Indian instrumentation—was key to crafting its hypnotic rhythm. “The beat was based on Bhangra music,” he recalled. “We found something fresh, something nobody was doing.” Timbaland sampled and sequenced the tumbi one note at a time, mixed with heavy bass and syncopated drum programming that became instantly recognizable.
“Get Ur Freak On” also marked a visual turning point in Missy Elliott’s career. After years of collaborating with Hype Williams, whose futuristic aesthetic had become synonymous with her image, Elliott chose to reinvent herself. “You see, I change my music and I change my image at the same time,” she explained. “I felt like as long as me and Hype continued to work together, we would probably keep going in the same direction.”
Elliott instead teamed up with director Dave Meyers, who became her creative partner for the next decade. Together, they reimagined her visual identity—bold, surreal, and boundary-pushing. The video for “Get Ur Freak On,” shot in an abandoned bakery in Glendale, California, portrayed Elliott as both queenly and cartoonish, commanding an industrial underworld of dancers suspended upside down, crawling over concrete, and moving with insect-like precision. In one of its most famous moments, Elliott’s neck stretches to impossible lengths toward the camera—a blend of humor and horror that perfectly matched her audacious style.
The choreography, directed by Nadine “Hi-Hat” Ruffin, turned hip-hop dance into avant-garde theater, with bodies twisting and freezing in visually impossible poses. The video also featured a star-studded lineup of cameos, including Ludacris, LL Cool J, Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, Eve, Ja Rule, Master P, Lil’ Romeo, Nate Dogg, Spliff Star, and Nicole Wray, reflecting Elliott’s central position in the early-2000s rap universe.
“Get Ur Freak On” became a cultural touchstone, influencing an entire generation of producers and artists who embraced global fusion in hip-hop and pop. Its legacy was reignited in 2015, when Elliott made a surprise appearance during Katy Perry’s Super Bowl halftime show, performing “Get Ur Freak On” to a stunned audience and sparking a viral resurgence that sent the song back into the Billboard Hot 100, re-entering at No. 40.
4.11.25
VAN HALEN - WHY CAN’T THIS BE LOVE?
Released: March 1986
Charts: US: #3 UK: #8
Released in 1986 as the lead single from Van Halen’s seventh studio album, “5150”, “Why Can’t This Be Love” marked a new era for the band — and a bold change in direction. It was the first single to feature Sammy Hagar on vocals, following the departure of founding frontman David Lee Roth, and it introduced fans to a sleeker, more melodic sound that would define the group’s next chapter. The gamble paid off: the song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Cash Box Top 100 in May 1986, while also breaking into the Top 10 across the UK, Germany, and Australia.
“Why Can’t This Be Love” was built around Eddie Van Halen’s Oberheim OB-8 synthesizer, continuing his evolution from guitar virtuoso to multi-instrumental composer. The song’s shimmering keyboard riff and driving rhythm were unlike anything from the band’s early Roth years, signaling a decisive shift from barroom bravado to arena-scale sophistication. According to Hagar, the song came together quickly after he asked Eddie if he could follow the keyboard melody with his vocals — something the guitarist typically resisted. “You don’t mind if I follow your keyboard melody, do you?” Hagar asked. Eddie replied, “No, not at all,” even though he preferred vocals to act as counterpoint rather than reinforcement.
Lyrically, the song captured a more emotional and introspective tone than Van Halen’s earlier work. Where Roth was known for swagger and innuendo, Hagar leaned into sincerity — singing about the confusion and longing of love with lines like, “Only time will tell if we stand the test of time.” His vulnerability helped redefine the band’s identity, ushering in a more mature phase without sacrificing their signature energy.
The transition from Roth to Hagar was not without controversy. Fans split into camps — “Van Halen” versus “Van Hagar” — but “Why Can’t This Be Love” made it clear that the band’s creative fire hadn’t dimmed. When Van Halen hit the road for the 5150 tour, they faced the daunting task of convincing live audiences that the new lineup worked. To keep momentum high and minimize “Where’s Dave?” chants from the crowd, Hagar recruited Bachman–Turner Overdrive as the opening act, ensuring a seamless handoff between sets.
Years later, at the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, only Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony attended, with Hagar performing “Why Can’t This Be Love” alongside Paul Shaffer’s house band — a fitting tribute to a song that marked both a turning point and a rebirth.
