For any rock band, transitioning into a new decade is often a rough ride, even a band with a handful of radio hits such as Heart. While some 1970s bands saw their greatest commercial success in the 1980s (Styx, Foreigner, Journey, REO Speedwagon), others with a similar number of hits as Heart had (Supertramp, Bad Company, Kansas) would see their fortunes fade once the 80s hit. But the question that begged to be asked on January 1, 1980: How would Heart fare in the new decade?
(Note the ranking system employed here: There are six albums ranked, so 1/6 would mean the best of the six, while 6/6 would indicate the worst.) Also, Greatest Hits/Live is ranked on its overall concept, not necessarily for the songs alone.
Bebe le Strange
February 1980
Billboard Top 200: #5
Certification: Platinum
ATTF Ranking: 1/6

Heart’s first album of the 1980s (and fifth overall) turned out to be its highest charting to date. (Previous albums charted at #7, #17, #9, and #17). Featuring a pared-down lineup (out the door went founding guitarist Mike Fisher), the now-quintet produced hit singles “Even it Up” and the title track.
Any fears of irrelevancy fell by the wayside (at least for now), as this new streamlined band proved its mettle with this hit. The band set out on a successful tour, and the future looked bright. What could possibly go wrong?
Greatest Hits/Live
November 1980
Billboard Top 200: #13
Certification: 2X Platinum
ATTF Ranking: 4/6

Quite often, when either a “live,” “covers,” or “greatest hits” collection is released, it usually means something like a contractual obligation, buying time while problems are being sorted out, or simply running out of good ideas. (Spoiler alert: The answer is at the end.) This double album featured tried-and-true hits on the first disc, and live tracks with a few new songs on the second one. Probably better in theory than in practice, as the “Greatest Hits” portion was a mere nine songs, a bit thin for hits package.
Far more disturbing was the “Live” disc. Beside three “hits” recorded live, there were three cover versions, and three new studio songs, which included the cover of “Tell It Like It Is,” which hit #8 on the singles chart, making it the band’s highest charting single to date. (The pop overtones of that particular hit would cause issues on the next album.) The other two tracks were studio nonsense, which were thankfully absent on the CD issue of this album. Judging by the next couple of albums, there WERE problems to be sorted out AND the great (or even good) songs were no longer flowing like wine. But it probably seemed like a good idea at the time. And it sold over two million copies.
Private Audition
June 1982
Billboard Top 200: #25
Certification: None
ATTF Ranking: 6/6

Now here’s where the (silver) wheels fell off: Not only was this the first Heart album not to receive a certification (gold or platinum), it contained almost zero memorable music. Although the opener “City’s Burning” had some rock cred, but, like the other rockers on the album, it sounded unfinished and unfortunately marred by the “Ann Wilson screech.” The non-rockers seemed to be cutesy pop songs (namely the single “This Man Is Mine,” seemingly influenced by the hit single from the previous album.
Only the forgotten ballad “Perfect Stranger” was up to the level of previous work. Furthermore, the moment that recording was finished, the band jettisoned its long-standing rhythm section of bassist Steve Fossen and drummer Michael DeRosier. Private Audition is the sound of a band far removed from the glory days of “Crazy on You” or “Barracuda.” Thankfully, this album was hard to find on CD for years.
Passionworks
August 1983
Billboard Top 200: #39
Certification: None
ATTF Ranking: 5/6

After self-producing the previous few albums, Keith Olsen (Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Rick Springfield, etc.) was brought in, probably on the order of the suits. This time around the songs were (somewhat) better (and rockier, leaving the failed experiment of Private Audition behind), but the production style didn’t mesh with the band. The result? A couple of good tunes (“How Can I Refuse” and the Journey cast-off power ballad “Allies.”) The rest of the disc? No so much.
And the dopey syndrums and often screeching vocals of Ann Wilson didn’t help the cause either. Needless to say, Passionworks didn’t certify either, a fast fall from grace. After a short co-headlining tour with Kansas, the band came home to find they were no longer with Epic Records. Hell, it was a good run, and maybe it wasn’t too late to collect their books and get on back to school. But the story didn’t end there….
Program Note: In March 1984, a duet by Ann Wilson and Mike Reno (Of Loverboy), “Almost Paradise” from the movie Footloose is released: It peaks at #7 on Billboard. Also in 1984, Heart contributed “The Heat” to a dopey teen movie, “Up the Creek,” a soundtrack that also featured Cheap Trick in one of its worst songs outside of “The Doctor.”
Heart
June 1985
Billboard Top 200: #1
Certification: 5X Platinum
ATTF Ranking: 2/6

A new home (Capitol) and a sonic (and fashion) makeover brought Heart back from the dead with this self-titled album. This time around, the band was produced by Ron Nevison, fresh from bringing Survivor back from the dead with Vital Signs (and its three huge hits). But there were compromises to be made: Outside songwriters would handle the bulk of the tunes (including big names Jim Vallance, Holly Knight, and Bernie Taupin), some studio pros would help craft the album, and the band’s look would be modernized, and Ann and Nancy would be dolled up like a couple of tarts.
And boy, did it work. The album yielded four top ten singles, including the band’s first #1 hit, “These Dreams.” (And all with high-tech videos that were on MTV’s high rotation during the lifecycle of the album.) While those who think this is the sellout era have a strong argument, the songs were strong enough (in an AOR style) to bring the band back from the dead. Think of Chicago’s comeback three years earlier, and Cheap Trick’s three years later.
Bad Animals
May 1987
Billboard Top 200: #2
Certification: 3X Platinum
ATTF Ranking: 3/6

If it worked once, let’s do it again! For Heart’s follow-up, the same boxes were ticked off: Ron Nevison behind the boards, big name songwriters (Diane Warren, Kelly/Steinberg, and Holly Knight), and what must have been the same stylists. The first single, “Alone,” contains one of Ann Wilson’s all-time great vocal performances. However, when a carbon copy is made, the copy loses some of the luster of original. (Bon Jovi’s New Jersey, anyone?)
However, as is the case in many of these “two of a kind” albums – subsequent singles didn’t have the same staying power. Meaning “Who Will You Run To” (#7) and “There the Girl” (#12) will never be considered Heart classics. And by the time the fourth single “I Want You So Bad” petered out at #49, the band had completed its touring cycle for the album, so it would be two years before we heard from Heart.
What happened next?
In late 1988, Ann Wilson and Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander scored a duet hit “Surrender to Me” from a movie nobody saw, Tequila Sunrise. In March 1990, the band released Brigade, using the same template: Star producer (Richie Zito – who produced Cheap Trick’s hit Lap of Luxury album), pro songwriters (Mutt Lange, Holly Knight, Diane Warren, Kelly/Steinberg), stylists, expensive videos, more hairspray, etc.
The lead single was a creepy Mutt Lange song, “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You” which featured an equally creepy video. More hit singles followed, and the album peaked at #3, and was certified double platinum. Then a live album Rock the House Live! followed in October 1991 and peaked at #107. (See my original Amazon review below!)
After that, I moved on to other groups, and I can honestly say I haven’t heard a Heart album since then, even though the band have released five studio and several more live albums in the subsequent years.
My 2 star June 2004 Amazon review of Heart’s Rock the House Live!:
★★☆☆☆

Recorded live in November 1990, this CD is an odd release. Heavy on tracks from that year’s Brigade (six!) and light on classics, the CD represents the end of an era for Heart, as their next release would forsake the big hair, bad fashion and professional songwriters (not to mention hits).
I was at this concert (admittedly only for opener Cheap Trick) and only bought the CD for the “I was there” bit, not for the music. The Centrum in Worcester, MA was an odd choice for a live recording – a half-full arena with terrible acoustics in a dead, third-tier industrial city. (Why the band didn’t choose the sold-out Forum show in Los Angeles is beyond me.)
The music? Nothing special. If you’re a fan from the 1970s (i.e. you think that the band sold out after 1980), then there’s little of interest here. If you’re a fan of Heart’s top ten era, well…same answer. No wonder it didn’t sell. Even two new songs (“You’re the Voice” and “Way Back Machine”) can’t save this mess.
My only guess is that Capitol only put this out because after three consecutive top five, multi-platinum albums, they figured anything with the Heart name would sell a boatload of CDs. Wrong again. The worst part of all of this (for me, anyway) was the screaming Mimi I sat next to at the concert, who was determined to screech at the most inappropriate moments – which mercifully didn’t end up on the CD. Not that I listen to it often…
Rock The House Live! is recommended only for Heart fans who must have everything and for those who were there that night.