Throwback Video Of The Week: Rick Springfield “Jessie’s Girl”
Australian singer and actor Rick Springfield had a pretty good 1981. It was the year he became a soap opera star as ‘Dr. Noah Drake’ on General Hospital, a job…
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Bill McCay/Getty ImagesAustralian singer and actor Rick Springfield had a pretty good 1981. It was the year he became a soap opera star as 'Dr. Noah Drake' on General Hospital, a job Rick took because he thought his album Working Class Dog wasn't going anywhere. He was wrong about that.
Working Class Dog, Rick Springfield's fourth studio album, eventually peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200 album chart and spawned his only #1 hit, "Jessie's Girl." The song about unrequited love went on to become one of the most iconic singles of the '80s, earning Best Rock Vocal Male Performance honors for Springfield at the 1982 Grammy Awards. The popularity of the song and album forced him to juggle acting and touring simultaneously.
The video for "Jessie's Girl" must have been a true test of Rick Springfield's skills as an actor. He plays a mopey guy longing for a girl who shows no interest in him. I don't think that has ever been a problem for Rick in real life.
