Editor's note: Huey Lewis and The News perform at 8 p.m. today at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. Tickets are $25-$95. (877) 750-4400, www.ticketmaster.com. Here's a new listen to the band's hit album "Sports."

CD: "Sports" by Huey Lewis and The News; Chrysalis Records.

Released: October 1983.

Style: Rock.

My take: In 1983, Huey Lewis and his band, The News, released "Sports," which solidified their status as '80s rock stars and gave them enormous pop-culture clout. Not only did it spawn five radio hits that broke the Billboard Top 20, it was the second best-selling album of the year, topped only by Michael Jackson's legendary "Thriller."

With excellent lyrics and pro-fessional-sounding production, which Lewis and The News did themselves, "Sports" holds up very well against the vast majority of music from its time frame. (Note: The writers of the animated series "Futurama" disagree and made a joke about the shelf life of this album in the episode "The Luck of the Fryrish.")

Although it spans only nine songs and a running time that falls a tad south of 38 minutes, "Sports" doesn't leave its listeners feeling gypped in any way. A weird phenomenon occurs here, in that every track has the same traits — a powerful hook, catchy chorus, using Lewis' lyrics and tone as a foundation for the music — but sounds distinctly different from the rest. While some have more hook than others, each song sounds ready for radio. More than half the album became smash hits — "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "Heart and Soul," "I Want a New Drug," "Walking on a Thin Line" and "If This Is It" — but perhaps "Bad is Bad" or "You Crack Me Up" would have fared equally well.

But as good as it is, "Sports" has one huge blemish: the mysterious title. Not one song deals with anything involving athletics, and the sportiest thing here is the artwork. On the cover, the News members sit on stools near a pool table in a sports bar with drinks in front of them while Lewis stands front and to the right, wears the world's ugliest tie and half-smiles at the camera with a coat casually slung over his shoulder. The cover looks more like a promotional poster for a show called "Sports," starring Lewis as a lovable oaf a la Jim Belushi, and The News members playing his dim-witted sidekicks.

At the same time, however, the simplicity of the title and artwork could be a window into the band's appeal. It never played into stereotypes of cheesy guitar riffs, songs about sex and decadence, or any cheap gimmicks that litter '80s compilations. In fact, Lewis and crew look more like members of a Neighborhood Watch patrol or PTA board than rock stars. You could imagine these guys playing a sold-out show at the Staples Center, then tucking their kids in bed for the night.

Artwork and personal lives aside, "Sports" is a great pop-rock album with tons of appeal and staying power. Lewis and his journalistically inclined friends have faded over the past couple decades, but this album captures how great they were at one time. It's definitely recommended for a listen.

Jeremy Castillo, who received an associate of arts degree from Windward Community College, is a student at the University of Idaho.