Whither Huey Lewis & the News?

From third grade to eighth grade, I owned only five records: Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man, Bryan Adams’ Reckless, the We Are the World album, and Huey Lewis & the News’ Sports.

I loved them all. And I’m pretty aware of what’s been going on with the rest of those folks (save the lesser players on We Are the World) (rest in peace, MJ), but what have Huey and the boys been up to since the eighties?

There was that one awful duet with Gwyneth, which doesn’t even bear mention. But what else?

A glance online suggests the boys are still touring and recording, though not with the robust success they once enjoyed. To be expected, surely.

Upon hearing them on the radio this morning, I got to thinking that I had much less awareness of “HLN” than of other ‘80s relics. They’ve kept on keeping on, it seems, doing their thing under a somewhat dimmer limelight, not demanding attention like some other has-beens we could mention. And I can’t think of any TV show or movie or other that has used them ironically, or made sport/Sports at their expense.

Whence this apparent neglect and/or reverence for Huey Lewis & the News? I couldn’t for the life of me tell you why his was one of the only records I had, though I suspect I was just a sucker for the catchy, doo-wop-inflected tunes (with horn section!)—which were, you’ll recall, played constantly (and on Top 40 radio, not just in the dentist’s office). Have we truly forgotten them? Are we so inured to hearing them as easy listening that we can’t give them any credit? Is it possible the kids today don’t have any idea who they are? Were they actually crap, and I’m just deluded?

ANSWER: Maybe so, but I for one believe in love, and am going to see if iTunes will let me download some Huey Lewis & the News tonight. And I will hope that they continue to stay well clear of the I Love the ‘80s hoohah.