Here’s how Kenny Loggins became the ‘King of the Movie Soundtrack’

If you needed a hit for your movie’s soundtrack in the 1980s, there was a good chance you’d call on Kenny Loggins.

The singer-songwriter created several hits for movies like Top Gun, Caddyshack and Footloose. Loggins has a new memoir, titled Still Alright, that covers his time as one of the best-selling artists of the ’80s, but it also offers a full picture of his work in Loggins and Messina, the band he formed with producer Jim Messina in the ’70s.

In this session, Loggins talks about being a struggling musician growing up in Southern California, the unique constraints that came with working with Messina, and how he wasn’t the first choice for songs that are now some of his signature hits.