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Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr. (1984)
Main theme from the Ghostbusters movie. Number 1 on Billboard for 3 weeks, Oscar-nominated. Parker played all instruments.
Historical Context
"Ghostbusters" was written and performed by Ray Parker Jr. as the main theme for the 1984 sci-fi comedy. Columbia Pictures had contacted several musicians without success, including Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) and Huey Lewis.
Parker wrote and recorded the theme in just two and a half days. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying there for three weeks. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, it lost to Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You".
Musical Characteristics
The song is in E Major, with a moderate tempo of 116 BPM in 4/4 time. Instrumentation includes rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, drums and synthesizers (Korg Poly 61, Jupiter 6). The harmony is essentially R&B but relies on lush synthesizer sounds typical of the decade.
The main riff is instantly recognizable, and the chorus "Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" is one of the most effective vocal hooks in pop history.
Trivia
- The Huey Lewis lawsuit. Huey Lewis sued Parker for plagiarism, claiming he copied the melody from "I Want a New Drug". The case was settled out of court. Years later, Parker sued Lewis for violating the confidentiality clause.
- Parker played all instruments. Due to the tight deadline, Ray Parker Jr. had to play absolutely every instrument on the recording himself.
- 12 celebrity cameos in the video. The video features Chevy Chase, Peter Falk, Irene Cara, John Candy, Jeffrey Tambor and more, ending with Parker dancing down Broadway with the Ghostbusters cast.