Nightwatch

The Washington-born singer-songwriter known for ‘Danger Zone,’ the No. 2 theme song from the emblematic 1980s Hollywood film Top Gun (1986), released this second solo album in 1978. Turning away from the previous record's dreamlike scat and duet with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks, he moved towards tight pop rock. Adventurous hits such as ‘Whenever I Call You Friend’ (No. 7 in America) reveal youthful energy and talent that would help carry the AOR of the 1980s. A fine album.

After great success from 1971 to 1976 in the duo Loggins & Messina with Jim Messina, formerly of Poco, he began a solo career in 1977. This album is also valued for an early version of ‘What a Fool Believes,’ co-written with Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers; the famous song reached No. 1 in 1979 and won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1980. Loggins also participated in the all-star charity song ‘We Are the World’ in 1985, continuing his steady work into the 1990s and beyond.