Huey Lewis and the News > Cyndi Lauper. No Question.
Lauper is a fun, talented, influential female musician and a lot of people have a great deal of respect for her. But Huey Lewis is a multi-faceted Blues-Rock master, who combined rock and blues with a capella vocals and crooning to form a very unique, very 1950's style sound that is still "hip" today.
From the harmonious track "Do You Believe in Love" to the empathetic anthem "Workin for a Livin'," from the fantastic (and oft ripped off) song "I Want a New Drug" to "The Heart of Rock and Roll," Huey Lewis has churned out hit after hit. Yes, they are radio friendly, but they are also damn successful.
Look at the album "Sports" for a moment. Five hits reached the top 20 on the US Mainstream Rock Charts: Heart and Soul, I Wanna New Drug, Heart of Rock and Roll, If This is It, Walking on a Thin Line. Sports hit #1 on the US charts and went Platinum 7 times over!
"The Power of Love" launched the film "Back to the Future" in terms of soundtrack power, and reached #1 on the US charts.
1986's album "Fore!" went platinum 3 times and launched hits such as: "Hip to Be Square" (a #1), "Stuck With You" (a #1), "Jacob's Ladder" (a #1), and 4 other top 50 singles.
Also, if you've never heard them cover Curtis Mayfield's "It's Alright" a cappella, it's amazing. These guys play 3-hour concerts and never seem to tire or age!
Huey Lewis and the News, like them or not, deserve a major run in this bracket, and certainly should steamroll over Cyndi Lauper!
