Irene Cara's 'Flashdance... What a Feeling' Hit No. 1 43 Years Ago Today
In March 1983, Casablanca Records released the first single from the soundtrack of the upcoming movie Flashdance to help promote the film.
The song, "Flashdance... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara, wound up doing more than just serve as an appetizer for Adrian Lyne's flick, which starred Jennifer Beals as Alexandra "Alex" Morris, an 18-year-old Pittsburgh welder with big dreams of becoming a professional dancer.
The popularity of "Flashdance... What a Feeling" outgrew the movie itself, with the song hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 43 years ago today, May 28, 1983, and winning multiple major awards.
Accolades for days
Written by Cara, Keith Forsey and legendary producer Giorgio Mororader, "Flashdance... What a Feeling" had a six-week stay atop the Billboard chart. It also went No. 1 in more than a dozen foreign countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Portugal and Spain, and finished the year at No. 1 on the US Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart and in Switzerland.
The song was certified Gold and eventually won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Cara also took home the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
It was the second No. 1 hit for the 24-year-old New York City native, who had also reached those heights with her recording of "Fame," the theme song from the 1980 musical film of the same name.
As for the movie, Flashdance earned mixed reviews, but performed pretty impressively at the box office, making over $201 million worldwide.
A lasting impact
Years later, "Flashdance... What a Feeling" continued racking up honors. In 2023, it was selected by the Library of Congress for a spot in the National Recording Registry.
"A film about a determined young woman who dreams of living her life in the spotlight doing what she loves to do - dance - needed a song that fully embodied and echoed that very sentiment," the Library of Congress wrote.
"Since its ride on the charts, "Flashdance," the song, has emerged as an enduring anthem for anyone working to prove the doubters wrong."
Additionally, the song checked in at No. 11 on Billboard's 2019 list of the Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs by Women and has been ranked on various other all time lists over the years.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 4:07 AM.