"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor

#1 Alert!

Double Platinum Alert!

Grammy Alert!

Rated 10 Alert!

Song#:  1063
Date:  06/05/1982
Debut:  73
Peak:  1 (6 weeks)
Weeks:  25
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Survivor had been doing well and were gaining momentum thanks to their #33 entry "Poor Man's Son." They were poised for a breakthrough, but probably had no idea it would be this big. This song served as the lead single from their LP of the same name and also as the theme to the film "Rocky III." The movie was a major hit and it helped propel this song to the #1 spot for six weeks. The song would win the band a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Group and also snare a nomination for Song of the Year. Thanks to its use in the film, the song also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (it lost to "Up Where We Belong"). The album would be a hit as well reaching #2 on the chart. Unfortunately, the band would have a little bad luck over the next couple years and were not able to follow-up with another hit until three years later.

ReduxReview:  It's hard to deny that opening riff. It signals that something pretty great is ahead and Survivor doesn't disappoint. They came up with the perfect song to fit the film and in doing so created their signature tune...and a huge money maker. Including digital sales, it has sold about 9 million worldwide, not to mention the countless times is has been used in films, TV shows, ads, and sporting events. It's an iconic song of the era that still holds up.

ReduxRating:  10/10

Trivia:  For his film, Sylvester Stallone wanted to use the Queen song "Another One Bites the Dust," but he was having trouble securing the rights. He had heard Survivor's "Poor Man's Son" song and asked the band to write something for the film. Band members Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan wrote and submitted "Eye of the Tiger." Their demo of the song, which includes a tiger's growl, was used in the film while the soundtrack, single, and Survivor's LP all used a the finalized version.

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