LOVE TRAX: They Hated It, We Loved It

Today’s THROWBACK LOVE TRAX features the surprising story behind a love song from 1982.

A love song that was included in a hit movie that same year!

It’s “Up Where We Belong” by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.

It was included in the end credits of the film, “An Officer & A Gentleman,” starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger.

However, studio execs at Paramount hated the song when they heard it. They said it would never be a hit – and basically refused to include the song in the movie.

They met with other artists and producers and tried to get something else going – but they were running out of time. The studio execs finally gave in, and the song appeared over the closing credits. It was released as a single in July 1982.

Some radio stations initially refused to play the song – they also hated it!

But then the movie came out – and Warnes later said, the success of the film is what made the song popular.

It hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart and stayed there for three weeks.

It won the Grammy Award for for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

And the songwriters won the Academy Award for Best Original Song!

So, it doesn’t matter what those studio execs thought – the audience loved “Up Where We Belong!”