Jessie's Girl, Rick Springfield, 1981
On this New Year's Eve eve, I am both looking back and looking forward while learning how to better live in the now. Surprisingly, this productively profound pondering is all because of Jessie's Girl. I know -- wtf, right? It's so very perfectly random and unexpected but this song came up in conversation with my cool Gen Alpha cousin (BTW, I stan Gen Alpha, y'all) during a recent holiday gathering. Now, I'm seriously afraid that it has taken up residence as my permanent earworm.
From a distance, I admit to having scoffed at Gen Alpha's bizarre, yet endearing, fascination with the 1980s. Witnessing the mega love up close and personal, though, was super contagious. Do I know Rick Springfield? Have I heard Jessie's Girl? That's all it took to trigger memories of Dr. Noah Drake, Port Charles drama, and the real life joy of 10-year-old me buying 45s.
You know this song won a Grammy, right? 52-year-old me is doubling down on this being a solid pop song that stands the test of time. What a great hook. It's super relatable, it's musically interesting, it's absolutely memorable -- I still know all the words and it still makes me smile.
Thank you, Mason, for reminding me that Jessie is a friend.
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