’til now, i always got by on my own (13. 610)

Written for the band by the collaboration of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, whose credits include “Eternal Flame,” “Like a Virgin,” “True Colors” as performed by Cyndi Lauper and “I Touch Myself” for Divinyls, Heart began a three-week run at the pinnacle of the US singles charts on this day in 1987 with its most successful track since their mid-eighties comeback, “Alone.” Earlier in their career, the Vancouver-based group had come close to this achievement with “Barracuda,” “Crazy on You,” and “Magic Man,” the emotionally raw power ballad went on to international success, holding in the top five in Norway, Ireland, the UK, Switzerland, West Germany and Canada. The below music video, debuting in June of the same year, was directed by Marty Callner (a sports producer who was inspired to get into music by the video for “Bette Davis Eyes” and was behind videos for Stevie Nicks, Cher, Chaka Khan, The Cranberries, among others) and portrays a Romeo & Juliet balcony scene, vocalist Ann Wilson serenading guitarist Nancy Wilson, her younger sister.