CoronaVinyl Day 320 (Various Artists): Flashdance Soundtrack by Various Artists

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "Various Artists," and I'm going with the soundtrack to the 1983 film Flashdance.

Starring Jennifer Beals, Flashdance was a classic story of an aspiring ballerina who's a welder in a steel mill by day and an exotic dancer by night.  The movie poster, which is also the cover of the soundtrack, features Beals in a sweatshirt with the neck hole cut out, such that it exposed Beals's shoulder, inspiring an '80s fashion trend, especially with the Jazzercise set.  And, of course, it's probably best known for the oft-imitated scene where Beals is dancing on stage, sits down in a chair, arches her back, and then a bucket of water is dumped on her.

The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, and two of those were for Best Original Song -- Irene Cara's "Flashdance . . . What a Feeling" and Michael Sembello's "Maniac."  The former won the Oscar, as well as the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  

Behind the strength of those two songs, the soundtrack was a big hit.  It was largely produced by famed producer Phil Ramone (no relation to Joey, Johnny, Tommy, Dee Dee, or Marky) and famed composer and producer Giorgio Moroder (who also scored the film and wrote or co-wrote many of the songs on the soundtrack).  It won the Grammy for Best  The soundtrack hit #1 on the Billboard album charts, as well as #1 on the album charts in seven other countries and the top ten on the album charts in another four.  It has gone platinum six times in the U.S.  On top of that, the soundtrack won the Grammy for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special, and Moroder's "Love Theme from Flashdance" won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition.

If Kenny Loggins is the King of the '80s Soundtracks, Irene Cara has to be the Queen.  In addition to the aforementioned Oscar and Grammy, "Flashdance . . . What a Feeling" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard Dance singles chart, #1 on the pop charts in ten other countries, and Top 10 on the pop charts in another five countries.  It ended up as the #3 song on the Billboard Year End chart for 1983 and #34 on the Billboard All-Time Hot 100 chart.  In addition, Cara had previous had two hits from the soundtrack to the 1980 movie Fame -- "Fame" (#4) and "Out Here On My Own (#19) -- and later in 1983, she would score another Top 40 soundtrack hit with "The Dream (Hold On to Your Dream)" (#37) from the film D.C. Cab.

Sembello's "Maniac" was also a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, and it also topped the Canadian pop chart and went Top 10 on the pop charts in six other countries and ended up as the #9 song on the Billboard Year End chart for 1983.  There was one other minor hit on the album, Joe Esposito's "Lady, Lady, Lady," which reached #86 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the Australian pop chart and #19 on the Swiss pop chart.  There are also songs performed by the likes of Donna Summer, Laura Branigan, and Kim Carnes on the soundtrack.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Flashdance . . . What a Feeling" by Irene Cara
Setting aside that the other songs on Side 1 are nothing special (though I do like Shandi's sultry "He's a Dream"), "Flashdance . . . What a Feeling" is a classic '80s song.  It's catchy as hell, and it makes you want to bust out of that working class life to become a professional dancer.  And not just for those schlubs down at Mawby's.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Seduce Me Tonight" by Cycle V
This song is a glammy rock song, co-penned by Moroder and Keith Forsey (who also co-wrote "Flashdance . . . What a Feeling," along with Cara).