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Based on a novel by Terry Davis, the 1985 film Vision Quest is the story of a high school wrestler and his quest for glory and getting laid. A mash up of a coming of age story with an underdog sports story (ala Rocky), the film starred Matthew Modine, the oddly deep-voiced Linda Fiorentino, and Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles (Michael Shoeffling). Vision Quest is notable as it is the first movie to feature a pre-”Like a Virgin” Madonna.  She has no lines but performs two songs onscreen — the slower “Crazy for You”, which became a #1 Hot 100 hit in 1985, and the upbeat “Gambler”. The reason Vision Quest is even mentioned on this blog is that it has a great AOR soundtrack, with tracks by Journey, Sammy Hagar, Foreigner, Red Rider, John Waite, and Dio. #1 hit notwithstanding, Madonna doesn’t really fit in.

The Vision Quest Soundtrack kicks off with the driving “Only the Young” by Journey, which hit #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #9 on the Hot 100. The song is used to good effect in the film as the backdrop for a running montage:

Next up is John Waite’s “Change“, which hit #16 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1982 when it was originally released on the former Babys singer’s debut solo album, “Ignition”. When Vision Quest came out, Waite’s popularity was soaring on the heels of his 1984 #1 single “Missing You”. “Change” kept Waite’s momentum going as it climbed to #54 on the Hot 100.

The album continues with the oddly chosen R&B-ish “Shout to the Top” by The Style Council, the aforementioned “Gambler” by Madonna, and the weak “She’s on the Zoom” by Don Henley of The Eagles. The AOR vibe picks up again with Dio’s “Hungry for Heaven” (#30 Mainstream Rock), a typical Dio pairing of heavy guitar riffs and light keyboards, with “mystical” lyrics: “We are sunlight … We can sparkle and shine … And our dreams are what we’re made of …”.

Next up is my favorite track on the album, “Lunatic Fringe” by the Canadian group Red Rider. The song has a feel of atmospheric urgency; eerie keyboards punctuated by guitar riffs, a driving rhythm section, echoing vocals, a steel guitar solo and well-placed ambulance siren effects. “Lunatic Fringe” was originally released on Red Rider’s 1981 album “As Far as Siam”, and was a #1 hit in Canada and a #11 Mainstream Rock hit in the US. While not that big of a hit in the US, it has become a rock radio staple.

Rounding out the soundtrack are “I’ll Fall in Love Again” (Mainstream Rock #2, Pop #43 in 1982) by Sammy Hagar, originally released on his 1981 album “Standing Hampton”, Foreigner’s #3 hit from 1978, “Hot Blooded”, and Madonna’s #1 hit “Crazy for You”.

Soundtrack Listing

1. “Only the Young” – Journey
2. “Change” – John Waite
3. “Shout to the Top” – The Style Council
4. “Gambler” – Madonna
5. “She’s on the Zoom” – Don Henley
6. “Hungry for Heaven” – Dio
7. “Lunatic Fringe” – Red Rider
8. “I’ll Fall in Love Again” – Sammy Hagar
9. “Hot Blooded” – Foreigner
10. “Crazy for You” – Madonna

The movie also features the following songs that did not appear on the official soundtrack:

“Harden My Heart” by Quarterflash
“Time For Me To Fly” by REO Speedwagon
“No More Words” by Berlin

Any other AOR Soundtracks come to mind?  Post them in the comments.