Survivor is a rock band best know for its 1982 hit Eye of the Tiger. The group was formed in 1978 by Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan who had been in other Chicago based groups including The Ides of March. The band’s name was inspired by a near death experience by Peterik when he missed riding in the plane that took the life of musician Bill Chase.
The group was signed early on by Atlantic Records. While their first, self title album did not produce any hits, a second album in 1981, Premonition was slightly more successful. The band’s first Top 40 single, “Poor Man’s Son” was from the second album. “Poor Man’s Son” caught the ear of Sylvester Stallone who wanted a similar sounding song for his Rocky III film. “Eye of the Tiger” had a faster tempo and was number one on the Billboard charts for six weeks.
The song received a Grammy award as well as an Oscar nomination. The 1983 follow up album was not as successful. The band changed leads singers and provided “The Moment of Truth” for the 1984 movie The Karate Kid. While the film was a hit, the song reached 63 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following album in 1984, Vital Signs, proved to be a comeback reaching number 16 on the Billboard chart. The next albums were not as successful and the band split up in 1988.
Genre
Hard rock
Labels
Scotti Brothers
PolyGram
Frontiers
Artist Website Link: http://www.survivorband.com/
Discography
Studio Albums
Survivor (1979)
Premonition (1981)
Eye of the Tiger (1982)
Caught in the Game (1983)
Vital Signs (1984)
When Seconds Count (1986)
Too Hot to Sleep (1988)
Reach (2006)
Live Albums
Live in Tokyo (1985)
Extended Versions: The Encore Collection (2004)
Compilation Albums
The Very Best of Survivor (1986)
Greatest Hits (1989)
Prime Cuts: The Classic Tracks (1998)
Survivor Special Selection (2000)
Fire in Your Eyes: Greatest Hits (2000)
Ultimate Survivor (2004)
The Best of Survivor (2006)
Playlist: The Very Best of Survivor (2009)
The Essential Survivor (2014)
MultiTracks