Styx is an American group formed in Chicago in 1972 and originally composed of Dennis DeYoung, brothers Chuck and John Panozzo, James J.Y. Young and John Curulewski. Group which can boast of having ranked no less than 8 titles in the Top10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and 16 in the Top40, just that !
Group which released a first eponymous album the same year, an album which allowed them to immediately achieve their first success thanks to the title “Best thing”.
Success confirmed and above all amplified the following year in 1973 with the release of the album “Styx II”, an album which was a real hit in the United States and above all gave them their first global success with the title “Lady”. A year 1973 which even saw the release of a second album “The serpent is rising”, an album with much less success than its predecessor unfortunately...
Ditto for the album “Man of miracles” which would be released a year later in 1974 and which would be incapable of producing even the slightest high-caliber Single...
We will have to wait for the release of the album “Equinox” in 1975 to see them finally return to success, notably thanks to the flagship Single “Lorelei”, a Single which will be released a year later in 1976. Year 1976 which will also see the release of a new album called “Crystal ball”, album which will mainly produce the title “Mademoiselle”.
But it was especially from 1977 that things seriously began to move with the release of the album “The grand illusion”. Album which allowed them to reconnect with global success thanks to the title “Fooling yourself (The angry young man)” which was released the following year in 1978.
But also thanks to the album “Pieces of eight” which was also released in 1978 and which added two global stars to the group’s prize list with the titles “Blue collar man (Long nights)” and “Sig for the day”.
But that's without counting on the release of the album "Cornerstone" in 1979, an album which was a hit all over the planet and above all produced what will remain as their highest ranked title of all, namely the enormous "Babe".
In terms of albums, it is the following “Paradise theatre” which was released two years later in 1981 which will remain as the highest ranked of all. Album carried at arm's length by the flagship Single "The best of times".
A great adventure which continued in 1983 with the release of the album “Kilroy was here”, an album which would unfortunately be their last renowned album and which would mainly produce the enormous title “Mr. Roboto”.
Adventure which will continue thereafter but which will be far from equaling the level of success reached at the very beginning of the 1980s.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others...) :
70s Decade :
Best thing 1972
Lady 1974
You need love 1975
Loreleï 1976
Light up 1976
Mademoiselle 1976
Jennifer 1977
Crystal ball 1977
Come sail away 1977
Fooling yourself (The angry young man) 1978
Blue collar man (Long nights) 1978
Sing for the day 1978
Renegade 1979
Babe 1979
80s Decade :
Why me 1980
Boat on the river 1980
Borrowed time 1980
Lights 1980
The best of times 1981
Too much time on my hands 1981
Snowblind 1981
Nothing ever goes as planned 1981
Rockin’ the paradise 1981
Mr Roboto 1983
Don’t let it end 1983
High time 1983
Music time 1984
90s Decade :
Love is the ritual 1990
Show me the way 1990
Love at first sight 1991
Paradise 1997
On my way 1997
Dear John 1997
Everything is cool 1999
Brave new world 1999
I will be your witness 1999
2000s Decade :
Waiting for our time 2003
These are the times 2003
Together 2003
I am the Walrus 2003
Can't find my way home 2005
Talkin' about the good times 2005
Can't stop rockin' 2009
2010s Decade :
Gone gone gone 2017
Radio silence 2017
The greater good 2017
2020s Decade :
Reveries 2021
Save us from ourselves 2021
Sound the alarm 2021
Crash of the crown 2021
Tracks :
1972...first title and already first success, that's what we call an ideal start. Now it remains to prove that they can last...
1974...not only will they prove that they can last but they will even offer themselves their first global hit with this title. What ask for more !
1975...of course the production of titles remains disparate at this stage but the essentials are done as they say. The group is now known and well known...
1976...the level of productivity of the group will seriously increase from this year 1976, which can only delight the basic fans...
1976...paradoxically the level of productivity increased but it was the level of success that fell. Sometimes you shouldn't try to understand...
1976...but it is of no consequence since business resumes with this title. The increase in power certainly undergoes some jolts but nothing worrying at this stage in any case...
1977...for the moment it's a title that works and a title that goes unnoticed. So it's easy to know that this title will be part of the second category...
1977...but this one too. The group is clearly having difficulty stabilizing its bases, despite a more than certain quality of titles...
1977...fortunately this title will save their year at the last minute. Fortunately they manage to produce at least 1 high caliber title each year...
1978...the real rise in power will take place from this year 1978, finally. After years of ups and downs, this time we are in for a succession of ups, even very highs ups...
1978...two top hits in quick succession, what more could you ask for. A year 1978 which finally saw the group reach the status of heavyweight of the moment...
1978...and 3 ! Certainly this title will be slightly a notch below the previous 2 but all the same it will be a major success...
1979...a year 1979 which starts again on the same basis as the previous year. The group is now performing in an impressive way, to say the least...
1979...a year 1979 which will undoubtedly remain as their best vintage since they will achieve here the biggest success of their entire discography and at the same time offer themselves a direct ticket to posterity. HU-GE !
1980...a sequel that will have a hard time competing with the previous huge steamroller. But there will be success all the same...
1980...the beginning of the 80s which saw the group more or less standing still. No dropout but no improvement either in terms of success in the Charts...
1980...what we call a year of consolidation. After a successful end to the 1970s, the group has now entered a new musical era that he will have to grasp as best he can...
1980...which will not prevent them from producing no less than 4 titles that year, which is no small thing. Four titles which will all be classified in addition...
1981...but that's without counting on this new title. The group will achieve a new global top hit here and prove de facto that he is indeed one of the best groups of the moment...
1981...the group was able to adapt to this new musical era and this inevitably paid off in terms of success in the Charts...
1981...everything started well at the start of 1981 but the rest will get a little complicated with a serious decline in the Charts...
1981...once again we cannot speak of an irreversible decline but the fact is the group is really struggling to maintain himself at the highest level permanently...
1981...afterwards with them everything remains possible so yet another return to the forefront cannot absolutely be ruled out...
1983...which will be the case with this new title ! They have this ability to bounce back which differentiates ordinary groups from above average groups...
1983...in any case they really do everything necessary to never really lose contact with the race lead. Let's hope it lasts...
1983...as before, there is always this moment when the group weakens somewhat and drops in the Charts...
1984...a middle of the decade which will see them this time really at the bottom of the wave which is not really meant to reassure about the future of events...
1990...to the point of losing sight of them for almost 6 years. Here they are back in any case but it is clear that the best years are now behind them...
1990...they will still succeed in proving that despite their 4 years of absence they have not lost much of their know-how. Phew...
1991...which is reassuring for the moment but will they manage to hold on like this for the whole decade, that's another story...
1997...new air hole of 6 years. Air holes which begin to appear one after the other and which do not necessarily herald good news for the rest of the adventure...
1997...afterwards even if the air holes lengthen in terms of duration this does not prevent them from returning each time...
1997...it is clear that they are giving themselves more and more time to think about the design of each new opus. That's what we're going to say...
1999...the release of the Charts Singles is fast approaching, despite a desire to do well. Difficult to fight when the wind has turned...
1999...they manage to maintain a minimum in the Albums Charts but increasingly in the depths of the rankings...
1999...we still have to remember that they started in 1972 which is starting to be quite a few years all the same...
2003...it is clear that it is not easy to renew ourselves year after year, decade after decade. But that's the lot of all groups regardless...
2003...in any case they are trying to move on to the next decade by telling themselves that everything remains possible for people of good will...
2003...and on principle who would blame them ? As long as they continue to enjoy what they do, why throw in the towel prematurely...
2005...an adventure that has lasted for more than 30 years, which is starting to happen. Certainly the best is far behind but still...
2005...what mainly penalizes them today is that they have not managed to reinvent themselves as they should have. A strategic error for which they pay a high price...
2009...they kept too much of their old fundamentals without drawing too much inspiration from new trends. Afterwards everyone leads their career as they wish...
2017...new 8-year air hole but here they are again. A desire to believe in it until the end which commands respect whatever it may be...
2017...and it's not the core fans who are going to complain about it, that's for sure. Whatever their favorite group does, they take, they take !
2017...in the end there will only be one album released during this 2010 decade but that's at least that. We will have to be content with it whatever happens...
2021...and one more decade, one more ! They will have gone through the 70s, then the 80s, then the 90s, then the 2000s, then the 2010s and here they are at the gates of the 2020s...
2021...an exceptional longevity all the same for a group which will undoubtedly remain one of the most talented of its generation...
2021...because you never last that long if you don't have a minimum of talent. And there is undoubtedly some talent in this group...
2021...so last title or not ? Knowing them there is a good chance that there will be a sequel, it remains to be seen when...
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