LOVE TRAX: A Michelangelo-Inspired Hit Song

We continue our look at THROWBACK LOVE TRAX and the stories behind the hit love songs of the ’80s and ’90s!

Today it’s “You’re the Inspiration” by Chicago! It hit No. 3 on the Billboard chart in January 1985 and has been played at many school proms!

It was written by lead singer Peter Cetera and composer David Foster.

And – it was originally intended to be a song for Kenny Rogers to record!

Cetera said that he got a call from Foster, who said Rogers would like Cetera to write a song for him. Immediately. Cetera was getting ready to leave on a trip to Italy, so he told Foster to come right over and they worked on the music chords for the song.

Cetera then left for Italy with the song unfinished. He later reflected: “And, of course, lying in these beautiful baroque and marble rooms, and singing out the window…I was writing things about, ‘Michelangelo, you should know, Michelangelo.’ And I came up with, oh…you’re the inspiration! [So, I] came back with the words, worked on this melody, and came back and presented the song. And [Kenny] basically didn’t have the time or didn’t want to do it. Good for me!”

So the inspiration for “You’re the Inspiration” came from Michelangelo, Kenny Rogers solicited the song but ultimately turned it down, and the rest is Chicago history!

Side note: this music video is soooo ’80s!