“Hip to Be Square” is a bright, punchy 1986 pop-rock track released by Huey Lewis & The News as a major single from their multi-platinum album Fore!. Driven by a tight, driving guitar riff, a heavy drum beat, and a crisp, syncopated horn section arranged by the Tower of Power, the song represents the absolute peak of polished, radio-friendly 1980s rock production. The track features a bouncy, infectious energy punctuated by background shouting ad-libs from NFL stars Joe Montana and Dwight Clark.

Lyrically, the song is a witty, lighthearted, and self-aware celebration of growing older, giving up wild youth culture, and settling into a stable, healthy, and conformist lifestyle. Lewis delivers the vocals with his trademark, raspy, regular-guy charisma, arguing that eating right, exercising, and working a steady job is actually the ultimate form of rebellion. The song’s infectious charm and memorable hook turned it into a massive hit, which later achieved a layer of dark pop culture immortality through its feature in the film American Psycho.