The Last Known Survivor Stalks His Prey in the Night

On July 24, 1982, the band Survivor hit the top of the Billboard pop charts with the song “Eye of the Tiger.” The song from Rocky III (1982) continued to hold that position at the top for six weeks.

Sylvester Stallone had sought out the band after hearing their 1981 song “Poor Man’s Son.” The songwriters in the band –Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik — responded to Stallone’s request for something with a “rock beat” with the hard-hitting “Eye of the Tiger.”

“Eye of the Tiger” has some clunky lyrics, such as “They stack the odds ’till we take to the street/ For the kill with the skill to survive.” But it was a great song for the over-the-top Rocky III, and the band’s lead singer at the time, Dave Bickler, does a great job.

Rocky III is one of my favorites in the franchise. After all, it has Hulk Hogan and Mr. T, introducing the latter’s catch phrase, “I pity the fool.” But the song title captures the essential theme of the movie about a man trying to find what made him find success in the first place after becoming complacent.

Another cool thing is how the band named Survivor managed to work in the words “survive” or “survivor” so many times. The words appear at least six times in the song.

The song’s six-week run at the top of the charts was longer than the run of the other hit from the Rocky franchise. “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky).” That song from the first Rocky (1976) was the number-one song for one week in 1977. “Eye of the Tiger” also was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

As for Survivor, they never matched the hit status of “Eye of the Tiger.” The band members changed over time, with some breakups and getting back together. And singer Jimi Jamison, who became lead singer after the success of “Eye of the Tiger,” passed away in 2014. “Eye of the Tiger” singer Bickler had joined the band again before that, but in 2016 he was fired. But, living up to the group’s name, the band Survivor is still around and continues to tour.

What is your favorite Rocky music? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Pop Culture Roundup for Late October 2011

    Below are links to some of the latest pop culture stories you might have missed. . .

    Halloween

    Prince Charles
    The new Dracula costume?

    The Chicago Tribune‘s listed the top 25 scariest movies for Halloween.

    Batty? Prince Charles claims he is related to Dracula.

    Salon is featuring a slide show of the top ten Halloween special moments from The Simpsons.

    Zombies rise again in pop culture. Wait, what’s that at my door. . . arrrrrr.. . .


    Literature

    Renovation of Edgar Allen Poe’s cottage in the Bronx, where he wrote “Cask of Amontillado,” is almost finished.

    Did you know the original Pinocchio is a tragedy that ends with Pinocchio’s execution?


    Movies

    The Guinness Book of World Records named Samuel L. Jackson as highest grossing actor of all time. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness.

    “He’s brought the theater of the absurd to the masses.”- Jack Black on Will Ferrell receiving Mark Twain Prize.

    Check out this review of new documentary about the band The Swell Season, which features Once stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

    Tim Burton has designed a balloon for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

    A new biography delves into the life and career of Spencer Tracy.

    The Princess Bride cast reunited for a recent photo shoot.

    Washington Cougars Clock
    Betty White is now a Cougar.

    Television

    Betty White received an honorary doctorate degree from Washington State Univ. She’s a Cougar now.

    Survivor’s Rupert Boneham is running for governor of Indiana.

    Music

    U2 revisits Achtung Baby while pondering the band’s future.

    Listen to Tom Waits’s new album, Bad as Me on the NPR website.

    “I love to be in a barbershop where I know I don’t have to get a haircut.” — Tom Waits in interview about new CD.

    The Flaming Lips will pay tribute to Steve Jobs by playing “Revolution” by the Beatles at the O Music Awards.

    One writer gave a nice appreciation of Extreme’s “More Than Words” . . . with words. (from Popdose)

    If you are a fan of Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, you should check out this person’s blog.

    Folk-singer Pete Seeger enters his ninth decade as an activist.

    The iPod turns 10 this month. How has it changed music?


    What are your favorite pop culture stories this month? Leave your two cents in the comments section.

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