The No. 1 Song On August 5, 1981 Sounds Even More Wistful Today

On August 5, 1981, scores of Americans pined along with a lovelorn Rick Springfield, as his wistful, romantically frustrated pop-rock gem "Jessie's Girl" topped the charts on the Hot 100. Earlier that week, "Jessie's Girl" also happened to be No. 1 on the first day of MTV, a prescient time for both the music industry and Springfield, as his career would benefit greatly from the support of visual media. A rock legend from the '70s who waited years for a No. 1 hit, Springfield had a bunch of successes in the 1970s before fading into obscurity. In 1981, he mounted a major and unlikely comeback as a rocker and simultaneous soap opera actor, portraying Dr. Noah Drake on "General Hospital."

After the two-week reign of "Jessie's Girl" at No. 1, Springfield hit the Top 40 another 15 times in the 1980s. And that second act was all thanks to him sharing his agony and love-at-a-distance for a woman whose identity is among classic rock's unsolved mysteries, which has become an anthem for those with a crush on someone already spoken for. Here's the story behind a power pop banger for the ages, and the biggest hit in the land on August 5, 1981: Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl."

In the '70s, Rick Springfield fell off the entertainment industry radar to such a degree that by 1979, he pivoted to what he thought was a better money-making option: stained-glass craftsman. Living in Southern California at the time, he signed up for a class to learn the trade, which is where another student caught his eye. "She was stunning and hot and everything. But she had a boyfriend. His name was Gary," Springfield told Yahoo Entertainment. Gary became "Jessie," and "Jessie's Girl" is how Springfield exorcised his crush on a woman whose identity he's never divulged. "I've forgotten her name. I just remember his name was Gary," Springfield told Entertainment Weekly.

By the time Springfield released "Jessie's Girl," the course had long since ended, and the musician lost track of Gary and his partner. But by then, his prospects had picked up. Along with the stained-glass class, he also took some acting courses and quickly landed some roles on episodic television, followed by a new deal with RCA Records. His first single with the label was "Jessie's Girl," which peaked at No. 1 in the summer of 1981 after a four-month climb. Its subject has never come forward. "I'd recognize her if she came up to me, for sure, but she never has, so I don't think she really knows," Springfield said.