On SPOTIFY-He Has 1 of THE BIGGEST SONG EVER & He's PAID ALMOST NOTHING for IT! | Professor of Rock

Coming up, it's the story of Richard Marx, a Chicago kid who grew up in recording studios watching his jingle-writing father work. For years, he stayed in the shadows, singing backup for superstars and writing powerhouse hits for other artists. Marx spent his twenties as a session singer, quietly honing his craft and paying his dues, trying to make it as a singer. In fact, super-producer David Foster told him he’d never make it. But he proved him wrong… Dead wrong. When he finally stepped into the spotlight in the late 80s, he exploded. Seven Top 5 hits on the Billboard charts. Then seven more Top 20 hits in the early 90s. He was a repeat chart offender who became one of the most successful pop songwriters of his era. So how did this kid go from singing backup to dominating the airwaves? Get the behind-the-scenes story of his rise from the studio shadows to pop royalty, including an interview with the man himself… on our latest edition of short and sweet. He had so many hits from Endless Summer Nights to Right Here Waiting to Satisfied to Angelia...from Should've Known Better to Hold on the Nights, from Hazard to Now and Forever, from Keep Coming Back.

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Executive Producer
Brandon Fugal

Honorary Producers
Robert Taylor, Missy D, Stan Summay, MG, David Fritz

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Hey Music Junkies… let’s get straight into this week’s edition of Short and Sweet, where we cover the legends, their careers, and my top three 3 songs catalog, and I try to do it in 10 minutes or less. On this episode, we’re telling the story of the man who soundtracked every prom and homecoming dance in the late 80s and early 90s… who kept Def Leppard’s Pour Some Sugar on Me from claiming #1 in 1988. And who became the first solo artist to have his first 7 singles reach the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. That man is Richard Marx, one of the most successful pop-rockers of the late 80s. From 1987 to 1989, he reeled off 7 Top 5 hits on the Hot 100. And in the 90s, he added 7 more that reached the Top 20. Here’s a few. Remember this hair?

Born in Chicago in 1963, Richard Marx grew up surrounded by music. His father Dick Marx was a successful jingle writer and commercial producer, and Richard started singing on his dad's ad spots at the age of 5. By his teens, Richard was a professional session singer, lending his voice to commercials while learning studio craft from the inside. After graduating from high school, Richard moved to LA to pursue music seriously. He landed work as a session vocalist, singing on hit records for some of the biggest stars of the 80s: Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, and Madonna… But Richard wasn't content with being a voice in the background. He was writing his own songs and pitching them to established acts. In 1984, he co-wrote "What About Me?" which became a hit for Kenny Rogers. He provided material for Chicago, Vixen, and Freddie Jackson, building a reputation as a songwriter who understood how to craft radio-ready hooks.

By the mid-80s, Marx had proven himself as both a vocalist and a songwriter. It was time to step out front. In 1987, EMI Manhattan Records released his self-titled debut album, "Richard Marx." The lead single "Don't Mean Nothing" shot to #3 with the help of a couple of Eagles, including Joe Walsh and Randy Meisner. But it was a great rocker that showed us the rock side of Marx. Then came "Should've Known Better," another Top 3 hit. His third single, "Endless Summer Nights" reached #2 in early 1988. And that was one that was rejected by every record label in the business. Richard had sweet revenge there.

He was told by Superproducer David Foster, a hero of his, that he’d never make it as a singer , that he should just write songs for others. Here’s Richard on that… in the late 80s, Richard Marx was everywhere, his face was on MTV, and his voice dominated Top 40 radio. But 1988 and 1989 was Richard’s peak season. "Hold On to the Nights" became his first #1 in the summer of 88. His sophomore LP Repeat Offender dropped on April 26, 1989… and with it came two more #1 hits, “Satisfied" and "Right Here Waiting.” For a fleeting moment, Richard Marx was one of the biggest stars in popular music.