The Power of Love (Huey Lewis and the News song)



"The Power of Love" is a 1985 single by Huey Lewis and the News, written for and featured in the 1985 blockbuster film Back to the Future which stars Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. It gave the band their first number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and their second number-one hit on the U.S. Top Rock Tracks chart and as a Double-A side was just outside the top ten on the British Singles Chart, where it appeared on UK editions of the band's fourth studio album, Fore!. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 58th Academy Awards but lost to Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me".

Use in Back to the Future
The song appears early in Back to the Future as Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) skateboards to school. Later in the film, McFly and his band play a hard rock version of the song for a Battle of the Bands audition (at which a character played by Huey Lewis himself is judging and tells Marty's group that they are "just too darn loud") and later when Marty returns to his neighborhood. In the sequel, Back to the Future Part II, the 2015 version of Marty attempts to play the song on his guitar just after being fired but ends up playing it very poorly due to his damaged hand from his 1985 accident with a Rolls-Royce. Finally, it can be briefly heard playing in the car where Needles and his buddies are driving when Needles challenges Marty to the fate-determining car race near the end of Back to the Future Part III.

Music video
The music video shows the band playing in a nightclub ("Uncle Charlie's, a frequent stop for the band in their early career) with Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) showing up in his DeLorean, apparently after time-traveling, and a couple stealing it for a joy ride. Lewis said filming took the entire day and night to complete, with the band finishing up at 3:00 AM.

Track listings

 * 7" Chrysalis / HUEY 1 United Kingdom
 * 1) "The Power of Love" - 3:53
 * 2) "Bad Is Bad" - 3:46


 * 7" Chrysalis / HUEY 3 United Kingdom
 * 1) "The Power of Love"
 * 2) "Do You Believe in Love?"
 * also released as a 7" picture disc HUEYP 3
 * 1986 re-issue


 * 7" Chrysalis / 107 614 Canada
 * 1) "The Power of Love" – 4:21
 * 2) "Finally Found a Home" – 3:41


 * 7" Chrysalis / CHS-42876 Canada
 * 1) "The Power of Love" - 3:53
 * 2) "Bad is Bad" - 3:46


 * 12" Chrysalis / CS 42889 United States
 * 1) "The Power of Love" (Long version) – 7:10
 * 2) "The Power of Love" (Instrumental) – 4:12
 * 3) "The Power of Love" (Short version) – 4:18
 * remixed by John "Jellybean" Benitez


 * 12" Chrysalis / HUEYX1 United Kingdom
 * 1) "The Power of Love" – 7:10
 * 2) "Bad Is Bad" – 3:46
 * 3) "It's All Right" (Live version) (Curtis Mayfield) – 3:03
 * 4) "I Want a New Drug" (Live version) – 5:57


 * 12" Chrysalis / HUEYX3 United Kingdom
 * 1) "The Power of Love" (Extended version)
 * 2) "Do You Believe in Love?"
 * 3) "Back in Time"
 * 1986 re-issue


 * 12" Chrysalis / 601 822 Germany
 * 1) "The Power of Love" – 7:10
 * 2) "It's All Right" (Live version) (Curtis Mayfield) – 3:03
 * 3) "I Want a New Drug" (Live version) – 5:57
 * Track 1 remixed by John "Jellybean" Benitez

Charts and certifications
"The Power of Love" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 46 for the week ending June 29, 1985, with Billboard calling the song "an out-of-the-box monster hit".