THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

929-Rick Springfield-Jessie’s Girl.

1981-It was not released in the UK until 1984, when it reached Number 43.

Best Bit-At 2.19. As far as I am aware this is the only song in the world ever to have the word ‘moot’ in the lyrics, if that’s not a moot point to make.

Rick Springfield was born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on August 23rd, 1949, in Guildford, New South Wales, Australia. He has found great success as both a musician and an actor, with both professions running concurrently throughout his career. Due to his fathers work as an army officer he lived in England between 1958-1963, which was were he learned to play the guitar. Springfield joined his first group ‘Rockhouse’ in 1968, and over the course of the next year he toured as a member of that group, and with other musicians as well, which included entertaining the Australian troops in South Vietnam. He first found chart success when becoming the lead singer of the Australian Pop/Rock band ‘Zoot,’ reaching Number 4 on the Australian ‘Go-Set’ Pop chart with a cover version of the Beatles ‘Eleanor Rigby’ in 1970 (see also best songs 599.) After ‘Zoot’ parted ways in 1971, Springfield set about a solo career, which included being marketed as a ‘Teen Idol,’ in the same mould as Donny Osmond, (see also best songs 642) and David Cassidy (1950-2017) The solo discography of Rick Springfield includes 22 studio Albums released between 1972-2019, and 34 singles issued between 1971-2019. In Australia he has charted on the top 40 on seven occasions, with ‘Jessie’s Girl,’ making Number 1. While in America on the Billboard Hot 100, he has had 17 top 40 hits, with ‘Jessie’s Girl’ also topping that chart. In the UK, where Springfield has never tasted the same success, only ‘Human Touch’ from 1983 has made the top 40, when reaching Number 23.

Rick Springfield has also had a very successful career as an actor, having made his debut in 1977 in an episode of the American science fiction television series ‘The Six Million Dollar Man.’ His big acting breakthrough occurred in 1981 when he joined the cast of the American daytime soap opera ‘General Hospital,’ playing the role of ‘Dr. Noah Drake,’ a role he would play until 1983, but would return to in later years. Springfield has also appeared in four movies, including ‘Battlestar Galactica’ in 1978, as well as making numerous other television acting appearances.

Jessie’s Girl’ was written by Rick Springfield, with the production credited to Keith Olsen, (1945-2020) and was the second single issued from Springfield’s fifth studio Album ‘Working Class Dog,’ from February 1981. ‘Jessie’s Girl’ is based on a true life experience that Springfield had had in his youth. In the mid 1970’s Springfield attended a course on ‘Stained Glass’ with a friend of his called Gary. Springfield has a major crush on Gary’s girlfriend, but she showed no interest in him. A few weeks later Springfield left the course, and never saw either of them again. The thoughts of his unrequited love stayed with him, and when writing for his 1981 Album ‘Working Class Dog,’ he finally got around to writing the song. He changed the name of ‘Gary’ to ‘Jessie,’ which he named after the American footballer Ron Jessie, (1948-2006) but admits that he doesn’t remember the girls name.

Rick Springfield has said that as far as he knows, the woman who inspired the song has no idea that she is ‘Jessie’s Girl.’ He told the American talk show host ‘Oprah Winfrey,’I was never really introduced to her. It was always just, like, panting from afar.’ The Oprah Winfrey show tried to find her, and they got as far back as finding out that the teacher of the class had died, and that his class records had been thrown out one year after his death.

‘Jessie’s Girl’ went to Number 1 in America on Billboard on the same week that ‘MTV’ was launched on August 1st, 1981, and became one the stations early successes. The popularity of the song was also a key factor in Springfield’s acting career, as people would tune in to ‘General Hospital,’ after hearing his music, and vice versa, those who fell in love with Dr. Noah Drake, would go and seek out his music.

‘I play along with the charade, there doesn’t seem to be a reason to change. You know, I feel so dirty when they start talking cute, I wanna tell her that I love her, but the point is probably moot.’