Esposito was a member of the band Brooklyn Dreams, best known for their collaboration with Donna Summer on “Heaven Knows” and “Bad Girls.” Giorgio Moroder asked Esposito to collaborate on his 1982 Solitary Men project, which became Esposito’s first solo album. In the 1980s, he is best known for his performances of the hit songs “Lady, Lady, Lady” from the Solitary Men album and the 1983 film Flashdance, & “You’re the Best” from the 1984 film The Karate Kid. Esposito was nominated at the Grammys in 1984 for Album of the Year (Flashdance) and Best Motion Picture Soundtrack (Staying Alive). In 1988, Brenda Russell and Esposito were nominated as Best Pop Duo for “Piano in the Dark”, as he also supplied vocals on the song. Also in 1988, he sang a duet with Laura Branigan on the song “Come into My Life” from the Coming to America soundtrack.