"The Power of Love" became the first No. 1 Billboard smash for Huey Lewis and the News, but it didn't exactly start with lofty expectations.

Instead, Lewis hesitated when asked to contribute a song to a then-unknown movie called Back to the Future . Even after he submitted "The Power of Love," advertising for the film barely featured the song. Released as a stand-alone single in June 1985, it initially debuted on the Hot 100 chart at No. 46.

Then, a week later, Back to the Future opened in theaters – and "The Power of Love" went supernova. By Aug. 24, 1985, they had their first No. 1 Billboard song.

READ MORE: Why Huey Lewis Felt 'Downtrodden' by 'Do You Believe in Love'

"They asked if I could write a song for the movie," Lewis told the Asbury Park Press in 2017. "I

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