GLOBALRPH MUSICATLAS

Living in America

James Brown | Artist Essentials

James Brown / RECOMMENDED SELECTION 21

First released: 1985 (year verified)

Original 1985 Rocky IV soundtrack recording

MusicAtlas editorial note: The expansive production places the forceful lead vocal against an especially broad rhythmic backdrop.

YouTube opens a title-and-artist search. The selected recording and date are identified below.

Release evidence and recording details

First released: 1985 (year verified)

The original Rocky IV soundtrack recording was released in 1985, before the retained 1986 annual appearance. Shorter single presentations are not silently substituted.

Recording: Original 1985 Rocky IV soundtrack recording
Credit: James Brown
Role in this collection: Lead recording artist

Original soundtrack: Rocky IV (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Living in America - licensed recording metadata
Licensed track metadata identifies the selected original 1985 rocky iv soundtrack recording and artist credit. Only the supported original year 1985 is used; January 1 or other catalog default days are not asserted as worldwide release days. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

Annual version match under review

The selected recording has release evidence, but its version has not been matched to the retained annual entry. It is omitted from Beyond the yearly lists until this match is resolved.

The actual annual candidate identifies no audio edition. It does not establish the selected original full 1985 soundtrack presentation versus a shorter single presentation, so the recording link remains provisional.

Living in America - licensed recording metadata
Licensed track metadata identifies the selected original 1985 rocky iv soundtrack recording and artist credit. Only the supported original year 1985 is used; January 1 or other catalog default days are not asserted as worldwide release days. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

ARTIST BACKGROUND

About James Brown

James Brown was an American singer, songwriter and bandleader whose work helped shape soul and funk. He began recording with the Famous Flames in the 1950s, then developed a rhythm-centered style in which bass, guitar, drums, horns and voice worked together in repeated patterns. His bands changed over time, including the J.B.'s in the 1970s. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted him in 1986 and recognizes his influence on soul, funk and rap.

Artist background sources

James Brown - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Artist identity, importance to soul, funk and rap, and 1986 induction. Does not supply song-specific inspiration or release dates. | Retrieved 2026-10-18

James Brown - official recording chronology
Official chronological account by Harry Weinger and Cliff White. Supports the separate 1965 hit recording of I Got You after its 1964 prototype, the edited/sped-up Papa release, Licking Stick in the 1968 sequence, and distinct later remakes. No disputed motive is attributed to Brown. | Retrieved 2026-10-18

Profile reviewed: 2026-10-18. Artist background does not establish a song's creative origin or release date.

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