Have you ever noticed that the smash-hit movie theme song Ghostbusters! sounds an awful lot like I Want a New Drug by Huey Lewis and the News? Well, so did Huey Lewis!
Apparently, the film’s producers were already using I Want a New Drug internally while screen-testing scenes for the movie and wanted a theme song with a similar feel. They hired Ray Parker Jr. to come up with something, but he only had a few days to do it.
After some thought, he came up with the now-famous call-and-response hook: “Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!” He later said the idea came from seeing a commercial that had a similar cheesy “call now” vibe.
Shortly after the song’s release, Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr. over the similarities between the two songs. The dispute was eventually settled out of court.
Both songs are great, but it’s hard not to hear the resemblance once someone points it out! Have a listen below and see what you think.
Regardless one of the best movie theme songs and Halloween tunes!
