Michael Sembello's is widely recognized as one of the definitive high-energy anthems of the 1980s. Released in May 1983 as the lead single from Sembello's debut album, Bossa Nova Hotel , it gained global fame through its inclusion on the soundtrack for the film Flashdance . Production and "Maniac" Origin

: The initial chorus reportedly included the gruesome line: "He's a maniac, maniac, that's for sure / He will kill your cat and nail him to the door".

The song's origins are surprisingly dark. Sembello and co-writer Dennis Matkosky originally conceived "Maniac" as a joke song about a , inspired by a news report and the 1980 horror film of the same name.

The music video played a pivotal role in the song's commercial success and the marketing of the film.