ABSTRACT
In the post-production phase the sixteen-song, two-record soundtrack was compiled, with Howe as musical supervisor. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, more equal than others on Saturday Night Live, introduced the characters Jake and Elwood Blues on the show. The good news came from Billboard and the New York Post. The music trade's Chris McGowan praised the film. Anticipating the nearly forty soundtracks due in the summer and fall of 1980, Billboard's Paul Grein explained that the record industry, admittedly flat, saw the film studios as a much-needed source of marketing capital for the duration of "the tight money" situation. Neither executive challenged the Robert Stigwood Organization formula; both stressed the significance of timing and release dates. The title song, "One-Trick Pony," appeared the week of the film's debut. 1981 was not a stellar year for the film and record industries. American Pop's ambitious title focused attention on popular music from ragtime to rock.
