Living in America

This was written by Dan Hartman ("I Can Dream About You") and Charles Midnight. It was recorded by James Brown at the request of Sly Stallone for his film Rocky 4. Brown was a legend and known as "The Godfather Of Soul," but the younger audience (especially the white audience) was generally unfamiliar with his work. Jim Peterik, who wrote "Eye Of The Tiger" for Rocky 3 and "Burning Heart" for Rocky 4, told us that Stallone was exceptional when it came to reinventing himself for a new audience and had a great sense for how to use music in his films. Stallone could also be very convincing, and was able to put Brown in a position he wasn't familiar with - singing someone else's song in a mainstream movie. The move paid off for Brown, who hadn't charted on the Hot 100 since 1976. "Living In America" became one of his biggest hits and introduced him to a new generation.

The movie Rocky IV was over-the-top in its jingoism, as the boxer Rocky fights the evil Russian Drago. In 1985, the cold war was at a peak, and the underdog Rocky played very well with an American audience. James Brown was used effectively in this context, as this song was used early in the film before American boxer Apollo Creed is killed by Drago in the ring.

The song won the 1986 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance.