Rick Springfield has long pursued his dreams of rock stardom, yet he candidly admits to facing significant backlash from critics who focused on his successful acting career instead of his musical talents. This criticism often overshadowed his achievements and created challenges in his journey as a musician.

In 1971, Springfield achieved his first major success in his native Australia with the hit single “Speak to the Sky.” This song’s popularity not only propelled him into the spotlight but also secured a coveted record deal in the United States. However, the record label struggled to find the right approach to market this emerging artist, leaving Springfield feeling uncertain about his direction.

“They started putting me in all these teen magazines and that was just, I had no idea what a teen magazine was,” Springfield reflected in a recent interview with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk. “I’d do all these interviews about my music and they print up a story about, ‘Is Rick Springfield Too Tall to Love?’ or something. I’d never seen a teen magazine before. So I’m going, this is not right. I came over (to America), to be a musician and they’re trying to sell me with all these Williams Brothers and all these teen idols from the ‘70s.”

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Despite the initial minor success of “Speak to the Sky” in the U.S. market, Springfield soon turned his attention to acting roles that began to shape his career.

“I was one of the last contract players at Universal,” he noted, adding that he “started to work in Incredible Hulk and Battlestar Galactica, Rockford Files, all those kinds of ‘70s shows.” He successfully transitioned into television, gaining recognition as a talented actor, while still holding onto his music career aspirations.

Facing Harsh Criticism: Rick Springfield’s Struggle with Music and Acting

Springfield’s fame skyrocketed when he portrayed Dr. Noah Drake on the iconic soap opera General Hospital. However, he believes this role unfairly influenced critics’ perceptions of his music. Many critics dismissed his musical talent, attributing his success to his soap opera fame.

“I was always very, very severely battered by critics because, according to most critics, I came out of a soap opera, which is not true because I was playing guitar since I was 14 years old,” the singer explained. “So I got a lot of critical bashings initially when I first came out and that really hit me hard too. That was kind of almost like a slap on the face.” This criticism only fueled his determination to prove himself as a legitimate musician.

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Ultimately, Springfield had the last laugh, successfully establishing himself as a platinum-selling artist while simultaneously starring on General Hospital. His groundbreaking 1981 album Working Class Dog achieved remarkable sales, exceeding three million copies and earning him a Grammy award, largely thanks to the timeless hit “Jessie’s Girl.” He has maintained a unique career balance ever since, appearing in numerous television series including Californication, True Detective, and Supernatural, showcasing his versatility as both an actor and musician.