No song has become more synonymous with perseverance than Survivor’s “Eye Of The Tiger”. This hit is sportsmanship incarnate. Even without the iconic movie to bolster its standing, this song carries with it an innate sense of pride and determination. On this day in 1982, this iconic track took the top spot on the U.S. singles chart. Revisit the making of this staple track below.
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Survivor’s “Eye Of The Tiger”
“Eye Of The Tiger” pushed everyone’s favorite boxer to make a much-needed comeback in this film. This disco-infused rock track is one of the most iconic movie needle drops ever. But before Survivor could land this job, it was almost given to another rock band: Queen.
Queen has plenty of experience scoring sporting events. From “We Are The Champions” to “We Will Rock You”, this band has plenty of songs at their disposal that would’ve been perfect for Rocky III. Nevertheless, the English rockers refused to green light the use of “Another One Bites The Dust”. That temporary setback proved to be just the ticket for the movie to land the perfect song.
Finding The Right Rhythm
Written by Survivor’s Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik, “Eye Of The Tiger” has a rhythm that matches that of a boxer’s punches. After watching the rough cut with “Another One Bites The Dust”, the band knew they would have to come up with something equally energetic. They did that tenfold. Moreover, the lyrics are what a cornerman might say to their athlete ringside.
“Risin’ up, back on the street / Did my time, took my chances / Went the distance now I’m back on my feet,” the lyrics read, perfectly encapsulating where this movie character is in this film.
Sylvester Stallone gave the band edits on their rough draft, which isn’t typical of an actor/writer. But the band followed his lead, leaning on his dialogue expertise. “Stallone has a good ear for a hook,” Peterik once said. “Just listen to his dialogue. He wrote those scripts. He came up with ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ for that script and those hook phrases like ‘I’m going to knock you into tomorrow.’ All that stuff is Stallone; he’s a genius with dialogue. Songs are nothing more than dialogue set to music as far as I’m concerned.”
With Stallone’s edits done, the band had the final version of the song that would make it into the film. Just a month after the release of Rocky III, “Eye Of The Tiger” would hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It would enjoy a six-week run on that chart, as well as the top spot in the U.K. and a Grammy for Best Rock Performance.
This was a pretty stellar run for a song that was written with one idea in mind. It exceeded its initial confines and became a pop culture icon in its own right. It would be difficult to count all the times this song popped up in other movies, TV shows, karaoke nights, and other cultural moments. This is one of those songs that has found its way into every corner of our collective consciousness. Revisit “Eye Of The Tiger” above.
(Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)
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Don Henley, founding member of the Eagles
