The First Artist Who Had Us Cutting ‘Loose’
When the film Footloose was released in 1984, there was one song on the soundtrack that had everybody cutting loose.
That song was the film’s title track, which was originally performed by rock singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, who also co-wrote the tune.
“Footloose” danced its way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and ended up in the fourth position on the year-end version of the chart. It also claimed the the number one spot on the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and was a Top 10 hit in various other countries.
When the film was remade in 2011, the filmmakers decided to change up the musical style a bit. While the original Footloose soundtrack was driven by rock music, the soundtrack for the 2011 remake featured more of a country influence.
Country Superstar Takes The Lead
The country vibe of the remake was strongest in the new version of “Footloose,” which was recorded by country superstar Blake Shelton.
The change in style didn’t alter the way that listeners felt about the song, and Shelton experienced a fair share of success with his recording. It has since been certified Gold by the RIAA for the sale of over 500,000 units.
Professional dancer and country singer Julianne Hough strengthened the remake’s country connection when she was cast to play the role of Ariel Moore, the rebellious teen daughter of the strict Reverend Moore. Ariel eventually falls in love with the film’s main character Ren McCormack, who was played by dancer and actor Kenny Wormald in the remake.
Before she started her acting and singing career, Hough was a professional dancer on the hit competition series Dancing with the Stars.
So it was quite exciting when she brought things full circle as a guest performer during Season 13 in October 2011, bringing Wormald along for a show-stopping “Footloose” dance.
It Gets Better…
To make things even better, Shelton was invited to sing that day, and he delivered a fiery performance as a group of dancers took over the stage. Hough made her entrance in the middle of the performance, and started dancing up a storm with Wormald.
That wasn’t the only time that the Dancing with the Stars stage had some folks grooving along to “Footloose.” Julianne’s brother and fellow professional dancer Derek Hough kicked up his heels to the tune along with his celebrity partner, country singer Kellie Pickler.
The two earned a pretty impressive score for their dance, and later went on to win their season!