Starship: American Rock and Pop Hitmakers

Starship is an American rock and pop band that evolved from the iconic groups Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. The band, based in San Francisco, achieved massive commercial success in the mid-to-late 1980s with several chart-topping singles.

Early Career

The band formed in 1984 from the remnants of Jefferson Starship after a major lineup change. Led by vocalist Mickey Thomas and founding Jefferson Airplane member Grace Slick, the new ensemble streamlined its sound for the contemporary pop-rock market of the era.

Breakthrough

Starship's breakthrough came swiftly with their 1985 album Knee Deep in the Hoopla. The record spawned two consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, cementing the band's status as hitmakers and defining their polished, anthemic style.

Key Tracks

We Built This City - This 1985 single became the band's first number-one hit, though its mainstream pop sound marked a significant departure from their psychedelic roots.

Sara - The second single from the same album also reached number one, showcasing a more dramatic power-ballad style.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Featured in the film *Mannequin*, this 1987 power ballad gave Starship their third number-one hit and became a wedding staple.

The band continued its success with the 1987 album No Protection, which included the top-ten hit "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)." However, internal shifts continued, and Grace Slick departed in 1988. Starship released the album Love Among the Cannibals in 1989 before entering a long period of inactivity, though various iterations of the lineup have performed live in subsequent decades.

Starship's music is a fixture on classic rock FM stations and 80s pop radio stations, where their anthemic hits remain in heavy rotation. Their catalog represents a specific moment in American pop-rock where grand production and soaring hooks dominated the airwaves.

The music of Starship, from their chart-topping singles to their arena-ready anthems, continues to be celebrated on radio formats that specialize in classic hits and 80s pop rock, ensuring their songs endure for new generations of listeners.