Before Gen Zembraced the term “loverboy” and before Drake turned it into part of his personal brand, Loverboy meant something else entirely. For millions of rock fans in the 1980s, it was synonymous with a Canadian band responsible for some of the decade’s biggest arena rock hits, including the blunt power anthem that started it all.
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Written by vocalist Mike Reno and guitarist Paul Dean, “Turn Me Loose” was a firm kiss-off track whose lyrics were a declaration of freedom and independence. In MTV Ruled the World – The Early Years of Music Video, via Songfacts, Dean said the song was “put-down” to a fictional woman. “That’s why they call it creative writing,” he added.
The music video, however, takes a different approach, as the director Arnold Levine saw the song as parody material. Featuring the band on an empty soundstage, the video that played on MTV on a loop cuts between high-energy clips of Loverboy rocking out to black-and-white film footage. It also showcases Reno in his signature headband, a style that would be copied throughout the decade.
Released in early 1980, “Turn Me Loose” was the first charting single for Loverboy, kicking off a legendary run in the ’80s with nine Top 40 hits. The breakout track was also the lead single released off their debut self-titled album. Peaking at No. 7 in their native Canada, the anthem — with its driving hard rock guitars, synth-heavy new wave hooks, and massive middle-finger chorus — clocked in at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the album hit No. 13 on the Billboard 200.
Of course, chart history doesn’t tell the whole story. “Turn Me Loose” turned Loverboy loose on the airwaves and changed everything for the band that was once rejected by record labels in the U.S. The song’s success was especially sweet for the band who found getting a foot in the door difficult. After signing with Columbia/CBS Records Canada, they never looked back.
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Today, “Turn Me Loose” remains in heavy rotation on classic rock radio; hearing the tune on SiriusXM this afternoon is actually why you’re reading this story now. And the band still plays the track live. Despite a few breakups and reunions, Loverboy has maintained their legacy as a staple of classic rock for 47 years. It’s obvious that even though they’ve been turned loose, they still have a chokehold on classic rock fans.
Related: 1982 Rock Classic, the Supergroup’s Only No. 1, Became a Timeless Power Anthem
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