Wild Again (From "Cocktail")

Starship Returns to the Big Screen with "Wild Again"

Picture the close of 1988, when the polished, anthemic pop-rock of the decade was still a fixture on the radio and movie soundtracks were a powerful engine for hit singles. Starship, a band with one of the more remarkable lineage stories in rock, had spent the eighties scoring enormous, chart-topping anthems. With "Wild Again," recorded for a hit film, the group delivered another slice of glossy, emotional pop-rock as the decade drew to a close.

A Band With a Storied History

Starship was the latest incarnation of a group with deep roots in rock history. The band had evolved from Jefferson Airplane through Jefferson Starship before becoming simply Starship, a transformation that took them from psychedelic rock pioneers to polished pop-rock hitmakers. By the mid-eighties, Starship had become one of the most commercially successful acts around, scoring several number-one hits defined by their big, anthemic sound and soaring vocals. By 1988 the band was a proven hitmaker, expert at crafting the kind of glossy, emotional pop-rock that dominated the era. Their evolution reflected the changing sounds of American rock over two decades.

That long and winding history made Starship one of the more fascinating success stories in popular music, a band that reinvented itself repeatedly across generations.

A Soundtrack Single

"Wild Again" was recorded for the soundtrack to the hit 1988 film Cocktail. Movie soundtracks were major drivers of hit singles in the eighties, and a popular film could send a song soaring up the charts. The track carried Starship's signature polished pop-rock sound, with a melodic, emotional sweep designed for both the screen and the radio. It fit neatly alongside the other songs on the popular soundtrack, contributing to the film's musical appeal. The song showcased the band's gift for the kind of big, glossy production that defined late-eighties pop-rock.

A Run on the Hot 100

The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated December 17, 1988, at number 98. It then climbed steadily, reaching 81, holding there, then 76, then 73 over the following weeks. "Wild Again" reached its peak of number 73 on the chart dated January 14, 1989. The song spent eight weeks on the Hot 100 in total. It was a more modest showing than the band's enormous chart-topping smashes, the kind of result common for a soundtrack single that supported a film rather than standing entirely on its own. Still, a Hot 100 placement reflected the continued appeal of Starship's polished sound and the drawing power of the popular movie.

The chart result reflected a band whose biggest triumphs were behind them, yet who remained capable of delivering reliable, radio-ready pop-rock.

A Late-Eighties Footnote

"Wild Again" stands as one of Starship's later singles, a fine example of the glossy pop-rock that the band did so well. Tied to a hugely popular film, the song captured a specific moment when soundtracks and radio worked hand in hand to create hits. While it sits among many entries in the band's long and varied history, it remains a solid example of their late-eighties sound. For fans of the era and of the band's remarkable journey, the track is a worthy listen, a glimpse of Starship still crafting emotional pop-rock as the decade wound down.

The band's extraordinary evolution across decades is part of what makes their catalog so interesting, and songs like this one round out that long and fascinating story.

Press Play for Glossy Pop-Rock

Put on Starship's "Wild Again" and let its polished, emotional pop-rock sweep you up. It is the sound of a veteran band delivering the big, glossy anthems that defined the era, tied to one of the decade's popular films. Few groups carried such a remarkable history into the late-eighties charts.

"Wild Again" — Starship's singular moment on the 1980s charts.