How a late-night TV commercial inspired a chart-topping pop anthem
In short: In 1984, Ray Parker Jr. had only a few days to write a theme for Ghostbusters. After struggling to fit the title into the lyrics, a late-night commercial provided the spark for the iconic phrase "Who ya gonna call?"—a clever trick to let the audience do the singing.
The creation of the "Ghostbusters" theme was a high-pressure assignment for Ray Parker Jr., who was tasked with writing the song in just a few days. While the producers insisted the film's title be included in the lyrics, Parker initially struggled to integrate it naturally. His breakthrough came from watching a local service commercial on television late at night, which inspired the catchy, interactive question, "Who ya gonna call?" This allowed a crowd to shout back "Ghostbusters!", effectively sparing Parker from having to sing the title himself.
The song became a massive commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, 1984, where it remained for three weeks. It is estimated that the track added $20 million to the film's total box-office gross. Despite its success, the song was not without controversy. Parker faced a lawsuit from Huey Lewis and the News, who claimed the melody was based on their 1983 track "I Want a New Drug." The filmmakers had actually used Lewis's song as temporary background music during production, and they had previously offered Lewis the chance to write the official theme, but he declined.
The legal battle between Parker and Lewis was settled out of court in 1985 for an amount that was never made public, though Lewis later suggested it was at least $30,000. The song's legacy has endured for decades, with the UK singles chart seeing the track re-enter the Top 75 as late as 2021. It remains Parker's only number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Ghostbusters (song)
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