| Let's Hear It for the Boy | |
| Cover: | Deniece Williams the Boy.jpeg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Deniece Williams |
| Album: | Footloose: Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Motion Picture and Let's Hear It for the Boy |
| B-Side: | Let's Hear It for the Boy (Instrumental—Short Version) |
| Released: | February 14, 1984 |
| Recorded: | 1983 |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 4:20
|
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | George Duke |
| Prev Title: | Love Won't Let Me Wait |
| Prev Year: | 1984 |
| Next Title: | Next Love |
| Next Year: | 1984 |
"Let's Hear It for the Boy" is a song by Deniece Williams that appeared on the soundtrack to the feature film Footloose. The song was released as a single from both the soundtrack and her album of the song's same name on February 14, 1984, by Columbia Records. It was written by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford and produced by George Duke. The song became Williams' second number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 26, 1984, also topping the dance and R&B charts,[3] [4] and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, behind "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and was certified platinum in the US and gold in Canada and the UK by the Recording Industry Association of America, Music Canada and the British Phonographic Industry, respectively. The music video was released in mid-April 1984.[5] The song features background vocals from George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, who would go on to form the duo Boy Meets Girl.
In 2011, country singer Jana Kramer covered the song for the remake of Footloose. In 2017 the song was covered by UK hi-NRG dance artist Allan Jay in aid of the Retired Greyhound Trust and their Let's Hear It for the Boy campaign.
The music video for the song features Williams along with several young men, one of them being the singer Aaron Lohr as the young boy who is the first person to appear in the video.[6]
| Peak position | |
| Argentina (UPI)[7] | 10 |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 3 |
| Canada Top Singles (The Record)[9] | 1 |
| Europe (European Top 100 Singles)[10] | 7 |
| Paraguay (UPI)[11] | 10 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[12] | 1 |
| US Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)[13] | 1 |
| Position | ||
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[14] | 44 | |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[15] | 57 | |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[16] | 21 | |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] | 48 | |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] | 72 | |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] | 43 | |
| UK Singles (Gallup)[20] | 47 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[21] | 13 | |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] | 24 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[23] | 20 | |
| US Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)[24] | 13 |
