Survivor is an American group formed in Chicago in 1978 by Jim Peterik. He will be joined quickly by Gary Smith, Dennis Keith Johnson, Frankie Sullivan and Dave Bickler.
Originally, Peterik began his musical career with the group "The Ides of March" as a singer and guitarist. Then creates "The Jim Peterik Band" with which he released an album "Don't fight the feeling" in 1976. The nickname of 'Survivor' would come to him precisely from this time, hence the origin of the name of the group by the after.
The beginnings are quite confidential with performances which are mainly done in local clubs.
A self-titled debut album was released in 1980, an album of modest success that produced only one notable title with the Single "Somewhere in America". As a result, Johnson and Smith are outright "landed" and replaced.
A year later, in 1981, the album "Premonition" was released. And this time, the success is quite different. So much so that some still consider it to be the band's most accomplished opus today. Notably with the title "Poor man's son". And to a lesser extent “Summer nights”. With a Bickler who is asserting himself more and more as a benchmark singer.
But the real consecration came a year later in 1982 when Sylvester Stallone asked the group to produce the theme title of his future event film Rocky III. The group will succeed in producing what will undoubtedly remain as one of the most emblematic songs of the end of the 20th century, namely the masterful "Eye of the tiger".
The title, like the album of the same name which came out in the process, made a real worldwide hit and literally exploded the notoriety of the group. Another Single "American heartbeat", still taken from the same album, will also have a nice run in the Charts.
This will not necessarily be the case for the next album, "Caught in the game", which came out in 1983. The group cannot capitalize on the colossal success of the previous album and the Singles that are extracted will only end in minor hits. Not to mention that Bickler began to suffer from vocal problems, severely handicapping the recordings and the final quality of the tracks contained in the album. To the point that Bickler will be purely and simply thanked. The years go by but don't necessarily look the same ...
The group literally resuscitated the following year when the album "Vital signs" was released. New flagship album for the group, in particular thanks to the title "I can’t hold back" which made a real worldwide hit.
The album will also produce "The search is over", and to a lesser extent "High on you". Two new top hits which came out in 1985. An exceptional year 1985 which saw the release of a new film-themed title, this time for Rocky IV. The title "Burning heart" will shatter everything in its path, like a certain "Eye of the tiger" in its time.
The album "When seconds count" which was released a year later in 1986 did not experience the same enthusiasm as its predecessor, far from it. And this despite the success of its flagship title "Is this love". Flagship title which will be the last notorious hit of the group.
The titles that will be released later will, for some, have a certain impact but will never be able to match their predecessors.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
80s Decade :
Somewhere in America 1980
Poor man’s son 1981
Eye of the tiger 1982
American heartbeat 1982
Caught in the game 1983
The moment of truth 1984
I can’t hold back 1984
High on you 1985
The search is over 1985
Burning heart 1985
Is this love 1986
How much love 1987
Didn’t know it was love 1988
Across the miles 1989
2000s Decade :
Give me the word 2006
One more chance 2006
Rhythm of your heart 2006
Tracks :
1980 ... a first title which immediately sets the trend. It will be 100 % rock, and Made in USA version that beats !
1981 ... the level goes up year after year. And what is looming on the horizon is simply amazing ...
1982 ... then comes THIS title. An incredible track, specially made for the soundtrack of Rocky III and which will shatter everything on a planetary level. They sign here quite simply one of the major pieces of the decade and the end of the twentieth period. CULT !
1982 ... it is almost impossible for this title to compete with its predecessor as the bar is high. There is success but limited success ...
1983 ... after an exceptional 1982 in all points of view for the group, 1983 will prove to be much less prolific. One little title and then it goes ...
1984 ... 2nd soundtrack on the clock for the group. Certainly, much less prestigious than for Rocky III but once again, the group proves to be up to the task...
1984 ... 2 years after their first planetary feat, the group once again found a very large level of success. And on a title more finesse. Like what, they know how to do too !
1985 ... 1982 was an exceptional year, 1985 will come very close. Plethora of titles and planetary tidal wave for one of the titles. But it will not be this one even if it does not lack quality ...
1985 ... there, we go up a notch compared to the previous one but it is still not this one, the top mega hit. And yet, this Ultimate Slow, a first for the group, is a real success !
1985 ... the soundtracks for Rocky literally transcend the group. So here it is, the new global mega hit, this time for the soundtrack of Rocky IV. A film-soundtrack duo that works perfectly every time. MAS-TER-FUL !
1986 ... their very big years are often followed by years much less provided in titles. This is confirmed in this year 1986. A single title once again but which holds up !
1987 ... the beginning of the decline. After several totally euphoric years, it is clear that the group is losing power and especially in creativity ...
1988 ... it's still beating hard, quality is still the order of the day but that is no longer enough to make the difference compared to a competition which is proving more and more formidable
1989 ... almost 10 years after their debut, the band is writing one of their last pages. The end of a great and beautiful adventure which nevertheless allowed them to leave several gems in the musical history of the 80s. And for that reason alone, hats off !
2006 ... when we thought the case was definitely folded, here they are back in a totally unexpected way 17 years later. It is the basic fans who will be delighted...
2006...the only problem is that the band has been gone for too long and their return will go unnoticed to say the least. Really unfortunate...
2006...now remains to be seen if the group will dare to produce a new opus in the years to come given the lack of success encountered by this one. The future will tell us...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :