Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Cover Songs: Top 100

Cover Songs:

Top 100

Cover songs have long been a staple of music, although listeners tend to favor the originals. However, there have been some covers which outshone the original – in some cases, to the point that people may not realize the song with which they’re so familiar is not recorded by the original artist. Here, according to the rankings in Dave’s Music Database, are the top cover songs of all time:

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

1. Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (1992)
2. Bill Haley & His Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954)
3. Marvin Gaye “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968)
4. Aretha Franklin “Respect” (1967)
5. Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” (1959)
6. The Animals “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964)
7. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)
8. Elton John “Candle in the Wind 1997 (Goodbye England’s Rose)” (1997)
9. Elvis Presley “Hound Dog” (1956)
10. Artie Shaw “Stardust” (1941)

11. Artie Shaw “Begin the Beguine” (1938)
12. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I Love Rock and Roll” (1981)
13. Chubby Checker “The Twist” (1960)
14. The Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” (1965)
15. Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong “St. Louis Blues” (1925)
16. Billy Murray with the Haydn Quartet “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1908)
17. Al Jolson “Swanee” (1920)
18. Ethel Waters “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1933)
19. Gene Austin “My Blue Heaven” (1927)
20. Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind” (1960)

21. The Kingsmen “Louie Louie” (1963)
22. The Jimi Hendrix Experience “All Along the Watchtower” (1968)
23. Fats Waller “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929)
24. Patti Page “Tennessee Waltz” (1950)
25. Bing Crosby “Silent Night” (1935)
26. Haydn Quartet “Sweet Adeline (You’re the Flower of My Heart)” (1904)
27. Elvis Presley “All Shook Up“ (1957)
28. Ray Charles “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (1962)
29. Haydn Quartet “In the Good Old Summertime” (1903)
30. Billie Holiday “Summertime” (1936)

31. Soft Cell “Tainted Love” (1981)
32. Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981)
33. Dooley Wilson “As Time Goes By” (1942)
34. Etta James “At Last” (1961)
35. Sophie Tucker “Some of These Days” (1911)
36. Elvis Presley “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” (1960)
37. Woody Herman “Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol’ Me)” (1941)
38. The Byrds “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)
39. Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977)
40. The Weavers “Goodnight Irene” (1950)

41. Jerry Lee Lewis “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)
42. Louis Armstrong “All of Me” (1932)
43. The Flamingos “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1959)
44. Red Nichols “I Got Rhythm” (1930)
45. Vaughn Monroe “Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)” (1949)
46. Marion Harris “After You’ve Gone” (1919)
47. Pee Wee Hunt “Twelfth Street Rag” (1948)
48. Cyndi Lauper “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (1983)
49. Larry Clinton with Bea Wain “Deep Purple” (1939)
50. Ben Selvin “Happy Days Are Here Again” (1930)

51. Arthur Collins with Byron Harlan “The Darktown Strutters’ Ball” (1918)
52. Vess Ossman “Maple Leaf Rag” (1907)
53. Run-D.M.C. with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler & Joe Perry “Walk This Way” (1986)
54. The Harmonicats “Peg O’ My Heart” (1947)
55. Harry MacDonough “Down by the Old Mill Stream” (1911)
56. John McCormack “It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary” (1915)
57. Henry Mancini with Audrey Hepburn “Moon River” (1961)
58. Paul Whiteman “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1933)
59. The Beatles “Twist and Shout” (1963)
60. Cliff Edwards “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (1928)

61. The Ink Spots “The Gypsy” (1946)
62. Les Paul & Mary Ford “How High the Moon” (1951)
63. Ritchie Valens “La Bamba” (1958)
64. Fats Domino “Blueberry Hill” (1956)
65. Willie Nelson “Always on My Mind” (1982)
66. Glenn Miller “Tuxedo Junction” (1940)
67. The Fifth Dimension “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969)
68. Perry Como “Some Enchanted Evening” (1949)
69. Vess Ossman “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1900)
70. Harry Nilsson “Without You” (1971)

71. The Five Satins “In the Still of the Nite (I’ll Remember)” (1956)
72. Bunny Berigan “I Can’t Get Started” (1938)
73. Count Basie “April in Paris” (1956)
74. Rudy Vallee “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (1932)
75. Judy Garland with Gene Kelly “For Me and My Gal” (1942)
76. Coleman Hawkins “Body and Soul” (1940)
77. Alma Gluck “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” (1915)
78. Paul Whiteman “Three O’Clock in the Morning” (1922)
79. Mitch Miller “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1955)
80. Natalie Imbruglia “Torn” (1997)

81. John Yorke Atlee “Listen to the Mocking Bird (aka “The Mocking Bird”)” (1891)
82. Peerless Quartet “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” (1915)
83. Knickerbocker Quartet “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile” (1917)
84. Hal McIntyre with Ruth Gaylor “My Funny Valentine” (1945)
85. Fred Astaire “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” (1937)
86. The Tokens “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” (1961)
87. Louis Armstrong “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1939)
88. Elvis Presley “That’s All Right, Mama” (1954)
89. The Temptations “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” (1972)
90. Dionne Warwick & Friends “That's What Friends Are For” (1985)

91. Paul Whiteman “My Mammy” (1921)
92. Ada Jones & Billy Murray “Come Josephine in My Flying Machine” (1911)
93. All-4-One “I Swear” (1994)
94. Louis Armstrong “Hello Dolly!” (1964)
95. Fats Waller “Honeysuckle Rose” (1935)
96. Charles Harrison “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” (1918)
97. Roy Acuff “Wabash Cannonball” (1938)
98. Ray Noble “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1936)
99. Ben Selvin “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” (1919)
100. Bert Williams “Nobody” (1906)

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First posted 11/23/2018; last updated 6/30/2021.

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Children’s Songs and Nursery Rhymes: Top 100

Children’s Songs and Nursery Rhymes:

Top 100

While most of the song lists at Dave’s Music Database focus on specific recordings by specific artists, this list focuses on songs without any specific recordings. This is an aggregate of 30 best-of lists focused on children’s songs and nursery rhymes. Some of the nursery rhymes date back a few centuries while there are also songs from the last decade which were popularized in Disney films and other animated fare. The song’s title and year of publication are listed.

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

1. “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (1706)
2. “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” (1806)
3. “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” (1910)
4. “The Wheels on the Bus” (1939)
5. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (1852)
6. “If You’re Happy and You Know It” (1905)
7. “Alphabet Song (The ABC Song)” (1761)
8. “Bingo (B-I-N-G-O)” (1780)
9. “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” (1961)
10. “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” (based on “Shortenin’ Bread,” 1900)

11. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1830)
12. “Frere Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)” (1780)
13. “London Bridge Is Falling Down” (1744)
14. “I’m a Little Teapot” (1939)
15. “The Hokey Pokey” (1826)
16. “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” (1829)
17. “You Are My Sunshine” (1940)
18. “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain” (1870)
19. “Hush Little Baby” (1918)
20. “This Old Man (Nick Nack Paddiwak)” (1842)

21. “Baa Baa Black Sheep” (1744)
22. “Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Baker's Man” (1698)
23. “Ring Around the Rosie” (1881)
24. “Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day” (1982)
25. “Hickory Dickory Dock” (1744)
26. “Baby Shark” (2016) *
27. “Yankee Doodle” (1754)
28. “Humpty Dumpty” (1797)
29. “The Ants Go Marching” (based on “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” 1863)
30. “The Farmer in the Dell” (1883)

31. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1908)
32. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1894)
33. “Jack and Jill” (1765)
34. “Skip to My Lou” (1832)
35. “Ten in the Bed (Roll Over)” (?)
36. “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” (1900)
37. “Home on the Range” (1873)
38. “Pop Goes the Weasel” (1853)
39. “Down by the Bay” (1976)
40. “This Is the Way” (?)

41. “The Grand Old Duke of York” (1642)
42. “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” (?)
43. “Little Bo Peep” (1870)
44. “Baby Beluga” (1980)
45. “When You Wish Upon a Star” (from Pinocchio, 1940)
46. “Alouette” (1879)
47. “Hey Diddle Diddle” (1765)
48. “Rain, Rain Go Away” (1687)
49. “Old King Cole” (1708)
50. “This Land Is Your Land” (1944)

51. “Let It Go” (from Frozen, 2013)
52. “The Bare Necessities” (from The Jungle Book, 1967)
53. “Sing a Song of Sixpence” (1790)
54. “Happy” (from Despicable Me 2, 2013)
55. “Rock-a-Bye Baby” (1884)
56. “The Doggie in the Window” (1953)
57. “Three Blind Mice” (1609)
58. “You’re Welcome” (from Moana, 2016)
59. “Five Little Speckled Frogs” (?)
60. “O Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone” (1864)

61. “Happy Birthday to You” (1893)
62. “On Top of Old Smoky” (1841)
63. “Hot Cross Buns” (1798)
64. “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (1881)
65. “Hakuna Matata” (from The Lion King, 1994)
66. “Polly Wolly Doodle (All the Day)” (1843)
67. “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (1938)
68. “Little Miss Muffet” (1805)
69. “Pease Porridge Hot” (1760)
70. “This Little Piggie Went to Market” (1760)

71. “Oh Susanna” (1846)
72. “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” (1842)
73. “Little Jack Horner” (1902)
74. “Skinnamarink (aka ‘Skidamarink’)” (1910)
75. “There’s a Hole in My Bucket” (1700)
76. “Polly Put the Kettle On” (1803)
77. “Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)” (from So Dear to My Heart, 1948)
78. “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1896)
79. “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” (1805)
80. “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)” (1893)

81. “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” (from Trolls, 2016)
82. “Over the River and Through the Woods” (1844)
83. “Over the Rainbow” (from The Wizard of Oz, 1939)
84. “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” (1867)
85. “There Was a Crooked Man” (1842)
86. “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” (from Frozen, 2013)
87. “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt” (1926)
88. “Brahms' Lullaby (Wiegenlied) (aka ‘Cradle Song’)” (1868)
89. “Do Re Mi” (from The Sound of Music, 1959)
90. “Froggie Went A-Courtin’” (1700)

91. “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” (1709)
92. “Amazing Grace” (1800)
93. “Shortenin’ Bread” (1900)
94. “Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee” (1912)
95. “Eeeney Meeney Miney Moe” (1820)
96. “Miss Mary Mack” (1888)
97. “Kumbayah” (1926)
98. “Jimmy Crack Corn (The Blue Tail Fly)” (1848)
99. “Little Boy Blue” (1891)
100. “Peter Cottontail” (1950)

* This song has origins much earlier than 2016, but it became a sensation that year when Pinkfong released a video for it which has since become the most-watched video of all time on YouTube with more than 8 billion views.

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First posted 6/30/2021.

 
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Friday, June 25, 2021

Ed Sheeran “Bad Habits” released

Bad Habits

Ed Sheeran

Writer(s): Ed Sheeran, Fred Gibson, Johnny McDaid (see lyrics here)

Released: June 25, 2021

First Charted: July 3, 2021

Peak: 2 BB, 12 BA, 11 AC, 17 A40, 111 UK, 14 CN, 12 AU, 24 DF (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, 3.6 UK, 11.15 world (includes US + UK)

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 806.18 video, 1819.87 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

Ed Sheeran was born in England in 1991. He released his first solo album in 2011. A decade later, Equals (=), marked his fifth time to ascend to the top of the UK album charts and fourth time atop the U.S. charts. The lead single, “Bad Habits,” was his eighth chart topper in the UK. It also topped the charts in 27 other countries and was the best selling song of the year in the UK.

“The moody song” SF is “part ballad and part dance track.” Sheeran is “in a deep internal conflict about his bad habits. His unhealthy lifestyle, such as nighttime drinking and partying, is leading him to make some poor choices, which le later regrets.” SF He addressed his drinking when his first daughter was on the way. Sheeran’s wife, Cherry, expressed concern about him being too drunk to drive her to the hospital safely when she was ready to give birth. WK

Originally Sheeran had a slower, acoustic song in mind as the album’s lead single. However, when Covid-19 restrictions were beginning to be lifted in England in 2021, he thought, “I don’t know if the world needs a depressing, sad, slow acoustic song when [the country is] opening up.” WK He inserted a “dancy vibe” into the song to make it a more “upbeat dance tune.” SF

The video for the song was compared to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” WK The video was also inspired by the American TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. WK Sheeran portrays a vampire in a hot pink suit. He and other monsters attack people during the night. He said he chose vampires as a way to “play on the nature of habits in a fantastical way.” WK

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Related Links:

First posted 4/13/2024; last updated 10/14/2024.

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Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Dave's Music Database Hall of Fame: Music Makers' Inductees (June 2021)

Originally posted 6/22/2021.

January 22, 2019 marked the 10-year anniversary of the DMDB blog! To honor that, Dave’s Music Database announced its own Hall of Fame. This tenth class of music maker inductees is comprised of the top R&B acts. Inductees were determined by looking at the DMDB list of the top 100 R&B acts, ranking them by overall points in Dave’s Music Database, and then inducting the ten highest-ranked acts not previously inducted. See the full list of music maker inductees here.

Chuck Berry (1926-2017)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

R&B/early rock-n-roll singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in St. Louis, MO. He is considered one of the architects of the early rock and roll sound. Inducted into the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His songs “Maybellene” and “Johnny B. Goode” rank in the top 1% of all time. The latter is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era. His compilation, The Great Twenty-Eight ranks as one of the top 1000 of all time. Read more.

Beyoncé (1981-)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

R&B/pop singer born Beyoncé Giselle Knowles in Houston, TX. “Say My Name,” “Independent Women” (both with the girl group Destiny’s Child before she went solo), “Crazy in Love,” “Irreplaceable,” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” rank in the the top 1% of all time. Her albums Dangerously in Love, I Am…Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé, and Lemonade rank the top 1000 of all time. Read more.

James Brown (1933-2006)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

R&B/funk singer and dancer born in Toccoa, GA. Nicknamed “The Godfather of Soul.” Inducted into the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “Papa's Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good)” are in the DMDB’s the top 1% of all time. His Live at the Apollo Volume 1 is in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time and rates #1 on the DMDB list of the top live albums of all time. Read more.

Sam Cooke (1931-1964)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

R&B singer/songwriter born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Inducted into the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “You Send Me” and “A Change Is Gonna Come” are the top 1% of all time. His compilation, The Man and His Music, ranks as one of the top 1000 of all time. Read more.

Fats Domino (1928-2017)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

R&B singer and pianist born in New Orleans, LA. Inducted into the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Also in the Blues Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. “Ain’t That a Shame” and “Blueberry Hill” rank in the top 1% of all time. The latter is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era. Read more.

Marvin Gaye (1939-1984)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

R&B singer born in Washington, D.C. “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “What's Going On” are both in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era. Those two, as well as “Let’s Get It On” and “Sexual Healing” rank in the top 1% of all time. What's Going On and Let's Get It On rank in the top 1000 albums of all time; the former is in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time Read more.

Little Richard (1932-2020)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

R&B singer and pianist born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, GA. Inducted into the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally” rank in the top 1% of all time. Here's Little Richard! is one of the top 1000 albums of all time. Read more.

Lionel Richie (1949-)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

R&B/pop singer born in Los Angeles, CA. “Brick House” and “Three Times a Lady,” both recorded with the Commodores, rank in the top 1% of all time, as do his solo hits “All Night Long (All Night),” “Hello,” and “Say You Say Me.” “Endless Love,” a duet with Diana Ross, also ranks there and is in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era. Can't Slow Down ranks as one of the top 1000 albums of all time. Read more.

Smokey Robinson (1940-)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

R&B singer/songwriter and music executive born William Robinson, Jr. in Detroit, Michigan. This Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee makes the DMDB’s lists of top executives, R&B acts, singers, and rock-era songwriters. “The Tracks of My Tears” and “The Tears of a Clown,” both recorded with the Miracles rank in the top 1% of all time. Read more.

The Temptations (active 1960-)

Inducted June 2021 as a “Top R&B Act”

This R&B group from Detroit, Michigan, has existed in different incarnations for decades, but its best known members from their ‘60s heyday include Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, and Paul Williams. “My Girl” is in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era. That song, as well as “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “Just My Imagination Running Away with Me,” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” rank in the top 1% of all time. Read more.
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Friday, June 18, 2021

Styx: A Retrospective (1971-2021)

Styx

A Retrospective: 1971-2021

Overview:

The Panozzo twin brothers started playing in their garage at the age of 12. Their neighbor, DeYoung, joined them. When the trio went to Chicago State University, they formed TW4 with Curulewski. Young joined in 1970. In 1971, Wooden Nickel Records heard them, signed them the following year, and Styx (named after river Hades in Greek mythology) was born.

In 1975, the group signed with A&M after a revival of the song “Lady” restored interest in the band. After their first A&M album (Equinox), Curulewski left the group; replaced by Shaw. The group broke up in ‘84. Shaw, DeYoung, and JY did solo projects. In 1990, Styx reunited for an album without Shaw, who worked with supergroup Damn Yankees from 1989 to 1992 and then as a duo with Damn Yankees’ bandmate Jack Blades in 1995.

Shaw returned to the fold for a 1995 tour and they recorded a few songs in the studio for their Greatest Hits and Greatest Hits 2 compilations. In 1999, they released their first studio album in nearly a decade. They’ve actively toured since and released studio albums sporadically.

The Players:

  • Dennis DeYoung (vocals, keyboards: 1971-1999)
  • James “JY” Young (guitar, vocals: 1971-present)
  • John Curulewski (guitar, vocals, synthesizers: 1971-76). Died of an aneurysm in 1988.
  • Chuck Panozzo (bass: 1971-present)
  • John Panozzo (drums, percussion: 1971-1990). Died of gastrointestinal hemorrhage on 7/16/96 at age 47.
  • Tommy Shaw (vocals, guitar: 1976-84, 1995-present)
  • Glen Burtnik (bass, vocals: 1990, 2000-04)
  • Todd Sucherman (drums: 1995-present)
  • Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards: 1999-present)
  • Ricky Phillips (bass: 2003-present)

Links:

Awards:

The Studio Albums:

Hover over an album cover to see its title and year of release. Click on the album to go directly to it on this page.

Compilations:

Live Albums:

Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the anthologies are noted. If the song charted, the date of the song’s release or first chart appearance and its chart peaks are noted in parentheses. Click for codes to singles charts.

Styx et al: Top 100 Songs

In addition to Styx songs, this list includes solo material from Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw as well as Damn Yankees, which featured Shaw. Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to charts.)

DMDB Top 2%:

1. Babe (1979) #1 US, CB, HR, RR, CL, CN
2. Renegade (1978) #1 CL

DMDB Top 5%:

3. Come Sail Away (1977) #1 CL
4. Lady (1973)
5. Mr. Roboto (1983) #1 CB, CN
6. The Best of Times (1981) #1 RR, CL, CN
7. Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) (1977) (1977)
8. High Enough (Damn Yankees, 1990)
9. Too Much Time on My Hands (1981)
10. Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) (1978)

DMDB Top 10%:

11. Mademoiselle (1976)
12. Desert Moon (Dennis DeYoung, 1984)
13. Suite Madame Blue (1975)
14. Lorelei (1975)
15. Don’t Let It End (1983)
16. Music Time (1984)
17. The Grand Illusion (1977)

DMDB Top 20%:

18. Why Me? (1979)
19. Sing for the Day (1978)
20. Love Is the Ritual (1990)

21. Show Me the Way (1990)
22. Call Me (Dennis DeYoung, 1986)
23. Nothing Ever Goes As Planned (1981)
24. Borrowed Time (1979)
25. Crystal Ball (1976)
26. Girls with Guns (Tommy Shaw, 1984)
27. Rockin’ the Paradise (1981)
28. Love at First Sight (1990)
29. Snowblind (1981)
30. Light Up (1975)

31. Come Again (Damn Yankees, 1990)
32. This Is the Time (Dennis DeYoung, 1986)
33. Best Thing (1972)
34. Don’t Wait for Heroes (Dennis DeYoung, 1984)
35. You Need Love (1973)
36. Coming of Age (Damn Yankees, 1990) #1 AR
37. Golden Lark (1974)
38. Lights (1979)
39. Where You Goin’ Now (Damn Yankees, 1992)
40. Silence Is Broken (Damn Yankees, 1992)

41. Miss America (1977)
42. Fanfare for the Common Man (1972)
43. What If (Remo’s Theme) (Tommy Shaw, 1985)
44. High Time (1983)
45. What Has Come Between Us (1972)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

46. Dear John (1997)
47. Boat on the River (1979)
48. All in a Day’s Work (1990)
49. First Time (1979)
50. Pieces of Eight (1978)

51. Crash of the Crown (2021)
52. Castle Walls (1977)
53. Man in the Wilderness (1977)
54. Earl of Roseland (1973)
55. Everything is Cool (1999)
56. Father O.S.A. (1973)
57. Haven’t We Been Here Before (1983)
58. Jennifer (1976)
59. Mister Please (Damn Yankees, 1992)
60. Ballerina (1976)

61. Black Wall (Dennis DeYoung, 1986)
62. Lonely People (1981)
63. Grove of Eglantine (1974)
64. She Cares (1981)
65. Put Me On (1976)
66. This Old Man (1976)
67. Heavy Metal Poisoning (1983)
68. Children of the Land (1972)
69. Fanfare for the Common Man (1972)
70. Half Penny, Two Penny (1981)

71. A Day (1973)
72. Superstars (1977)
73. Don’t Tread on Me (Damn Yankees, 1992)
74. Harry’s Hands (1989)
75. Southbound Ryan (Dennis DeYoung, 1986)
76. My Hallucination (Shaw/Blades, 1995)
77. Great White Hope (1978)
78. Man of Miracles (1974)
79. Blue Collar Man @ 2120 (2005)
80. I’m O.K. (1978)

81. Lonely Child (1975)
82. I’m Gonna Make You Feel It (1973)
83. Mother Dear (1975)
84. On My Way (1997)
85. Queen of Spades (1978)
86. Paradise (1997)
87. You Better Ask (1973)
88. Brave New World (1999)
89. I Am the Walrus (2005)
90. Lords of the Ring (1978)

91. A.D. 1928 (1981)
92. Mother Nature’s Matinee (1972)
93. Double Life (1983)
94. A Song for Suzanne (1974)
95. Can’t Find My Way Home (2005)
96. Waiting for Our Time (2003)
97. Right Away (1972)
98. Lonely School (Tommy Shaw, 1984)
99. Runaway (Damn Yankees, 1990)
100. A.D. 1958 (1981)

Styx I

Styx

Charted: October 7, 1972

Peak: -- US, 14 DF

Sales (in millions): --

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

2.925 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Movement for the Common Man
    i. Children of the Land
    ii. Street Collage
    iii. Fanfare for the Common Man
    iv. Mother Nature’s Matinee
  2. Right Away
  3. What Has Come Between Us (1 DF) BS
  4. Best Thing (9/16/72, 82 US, 86 HR, 40 CL) BS, AN
  5. Quick Is the Beat of My Heart
  6. After You Leave Me

About the Album:

“Although they began as an artsy prog-rock band, Styx would eventually transform into the virtual arena rock prototype by the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, due to a fondness for bombastic rockers and soaring power ballads.” GP

Twin brothers John Panozzo and Chuck Panozzo started playing in their garage at the age of 12. Their neighbor, Dennis DeYoung quickly joined them and they formed a “combo named the Tradewinds during the late 1960s.” LP When the trio went to Chicago State University, they formed TW4 with John Curulewski. James Young joined in 1970.

“Local gigs in and around the Windy City led them to the attention of Bill Traut, a Chicago musician/producer whose regional record label Wooden Nickel was distributed throughout North America by RCA. Traut was actively seeking new talent and TW4 was just what he was looking for to compete with” LP the “primarily U.K-centered progressive rock scene” LP and bands like Yes; Rush; and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The band changed their name to Styx, “named after a river from Greek mythology that ran through the ‘land of the dead’ in the underworld,” GP and signed to Wooden Nickel.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Styx II

Styx

Released: July 1973

Peak: 20 US, 15 DF

Sales (in millions): 0.5 US

Genre: --

Rating:

3.405 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. You Need Love (5/10/75, 88 US, 81 CB, 40 CL) BS, AN
  2. Lady (12/7/74, 6 US, 6 CB, 7 HR, 7 RR, 5 CL, 19 CN, 23 AU) BS, RP, AN
  3. A Day
  4. You Better Ask
  5. Little Fugue in “G”
  6. Father O.S.A.
  7. Earl of Roseland
  8. I’m Gonna Make You Feel It BS

About the Album:

Styx’s early albums reflected the prog-rock vibe Traut was seeking. They built a substantial local following with their early albums and non-stop touring, but couldn’t break through to the mainstream until 1974 when Lady, a track from their second album, was revived by Chicago radio station WLS-FM. It was issued as a single nationwide and became a top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. GP

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

The Serpent Is Rising

Styx

Charted: February 9, 1974

Peak: 192 US, 13 DF

Sales (in millions): --

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

2.864 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Witch Wolf BS
  2. The Grove of Eglantine BS
  3. Young Man
  4. As Bad As This
  5. Winner Take All BS, AN
  6. 22 Years
  7. Jonas Psalter
  8. The Serpent Is Rising
  9. Krakatoa
  10. Hallelujah Chorus

About the Album:

Styx’s third studio outing was a loose concept album which sold under 100,000. It was promoted with the single “Winner Take All” which didn’t chart.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Man of Miracles

Styx

Charted: November 9, 1974

Peak: /font>154 US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU, 14 DF

Sales (in millions): --

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

3.084 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Rock and Roll Feeling BS, AN
  2. Havin’ a Ball
  3. Golden Lark
  4. A Song for Suzanne
  5. A Man Like Me
  6. Lies
  7. Evil Eyes
  8. Southern Woman BS
  9. Christopher, Mr. Christopher
  10. Man of Miracles BS

About the Album:

This was Styx’s last album with Wooden Nickel. It didn’t gain much traction for the band, but featured a cover of the Knickerbockers’ “Lies,” which was later substituted with “Best Thing” from the first album. It was during promotion for this album that “Lady” from Styx II was revived and gained attention for the band and got them signed to a major label.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Best of Styx

Styx

Recorded: 1971-1974

Charted: Arpil 15, 1978

Peak: 201 US, 3 DF

Sales (in millions): 0.5 US

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

2.212 out of 5.00 (average of 3 ratings)

Tracks: (1) You Need Love (2) Lady (3) I’m Gonna Make You Feel It (4) What Has Come Between Us (5) Southern Woman (6) Rock and Roll Feeling (7) Winner Take All (8) Best Thing (9) Witch Wolf (10) The Grove of Eglantine (11) Man of Miracles

About the Album:

This collection serves as an overview of Styx’s first four albums with Wooden Nickel. It serves as nothing more than a curiosity to casual fans since only “Lady” would be a hit from this era.

Equinox

Styx

Charted: December 20, 1975

Peak: /font>58 US, 15 DF

Sales (in millions): 0.5 US

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

3.657 out of 5.00 (average of 22 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Light Up (1975, 13 CL) CL, G2, AN
  2. Lorelei (2/14/76, 27 US, 30 CB, 28 HR, 26 RR, 9 CL, 6 CN) G1, RP, AN
  3. Mother Dear
  4. Lonely Child
  5. Midnight Ride
  6. Born for Adventure
  7. Prelude 12 AN
  8. Suite Madame Blue (7 CL) CA, CL, G1, RP, AN

About the Album:

This was Styx’s fifth album overall and first with major label A&M. It gave them their second top-40 hit with Lorelei and also led to songs Light Up and Suite Madame Blue gaining inroads into AOR radio.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Crystal Ball

Styx

Charted: October 30. 1976

Peak: /font>66 US, 15 DF

Sales (in millions): 0.5 US

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

3.474 out of 5.00 (average of 22 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Put Me On
  2. Mademoiselle (11/6/76, 36 US, 57 CB, 58 HR, 15 CL, 25 CN) G2, AN
  3. Jennifer
  4. Crystal Ball (5/14/77, 9 CL) CA, CL, G1, RP, AN
  5. Shooz AN
  6. This Old Man
  7. Clair de Lune/Ballerina

About the Album:

The night before Styx was set to launch a tour in support of their Equinox album, Curulewski abruptly left the band. They scrambled to find a replacement, settling with guitarist and singer Tommy Shaw. While Crystal Ball wouldn’t become a monstrous success, Shaw’s addition to the band would set the band on a trajectory which would make them arguably America’s favorite rock band. Here he contributed the album’s power ballad title track and in a co-lead vocal with DeYoung on top 40 hit Mademoiselle.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

The Grand Illusion

Styx

Released: July 7, 1977

Peak: /font>6 US, 49 AU, 17 DF

Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, 5.0 world (includes US)

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

4.061 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. The Grand Illusion (5 CL) CL, G1, RP, AN
  2. Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) (2/18/78, 29 US, 6 CL) CA, CL, G1, RP, AN
  3. Superstars G2
  4. Come Sail Away (9/24/77, 8 US, 1 CL) CA, CL, G1, RP, AN
  5. Miss America (15 CL) CA, CL, G1, RP, AN
  6. Man in the Wilderness AN
  7. Castle Walls
  8. The Grand Finale

About the Album:

This was the first of Styx’s four consecutive top-10, multi-platinum albums. No band had ever accomplished that feat. This album was propelled by Come Sail Away, a top 10 Dennis DeYoung-penned pop hit that became the band’s show closer, and Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man), a prototype for the Tommy Shaw rockers that were to come.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Pieces of Eight

Styx

Charted: September 30, 1978

Peak: /font>6 US, 70 AU, 15 DF

Sales (in millions): 3.0 US

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

3.882 out of 5.00 (average of 24 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Great White Hope
  2. I’m O.K.
  3. Sing for the Day (12/30/78, 41 US, 41 CB, 39 HR, 17 CL, 27 CN) G2, AN
  4. The Message
  5. Lords of the Ring
  6. Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) (9/9/78, 21 US, 21 CB, 22 HR, 21 RR, 4 CL, 9 CN, 98 AU) CA, CL, G1, RP, AN
  7. Queen of Spades G2
  8. Renegade (1/9/79, 16 US, 18 CB, 22 HR, 17 RR, 1 CL, 10 CN) CL, G1, RP, AN
  9. Pieces of Eight AN
  10. Aku Aku

About the Album:

DeYoung had established himself as the most commercial of the band’s trio of singer/songwriters with top-10 hits “Lady” and “Come Sail Away” and James Young was the undeniable rocker of the band. Shaw, however, found a comfortable place between the two and exerted his clout as a rocker who could also generate hits on Pieces of Eight with the top-40 songs Renegade and Blue Collar Man.

Cornerstone

Styx

Charted: October 13, 1979

Peak: /font>2 US, 36 UK, 11 CN, 21 AU, 13 DF

Sales (in millions): 2.0 US

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

3.553 out of 5.00 (average of 23 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Lights (41 CL) G2, AN
  2. Why Me (12/15/79, 26 US, 19 CB, 18 HR, 12 RR, 9 CL, 10 CN)
  3. Babe (10/6/79, 12 US, 13 CB, 12 HR, 13 RR, 6 UK, 9 AC, 1 CL, 6 UK, 16 CN, 3 AU) CA, CL, G1, RP, AN
  4. Never Say Never
  5. Boat on the River (3/16/80, --) G2, RP, AN
  6. Borrowed Time (3/29/80, 64 US, 74 CB, 63 HR, 33 CL, 76 CN) G2, AN
  7. First Time G2
  8. Eddie
  9. Love in the Midnight

About the Album:

DeYoung returned to the forefront on the Cornerstone album. To the chagrin of Styx’s harder-rocking fans and to the delight of the pop world, the lead single was the full-on ballad Babe by DeYoung. The lighter fare landed Styx its only #1 pop hit, but caused tension as Shaw fought to keep the band from succumbing to DeYoung’s more theatrical, melodic balladry. For unknown reasons, “Why Me,” the second top-40 hit from Cornerstone, failed to find a home on any of the compilations featured on this page.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Paradise Theater

Styx

Released: January 19, 1981

Peak: /font>13 US, 8 UK, 12 CN, 27 AU, 112 DF

Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, 4.0 world (includes US)

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

4.056 out of 5.00 (average of 28 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. A.D. 1928 G2, RP, AN
  2. Rockin’ the Paradise (3/21/81, 20 CL, 8 AR) CA, G2, RP, AN
  3. Too Much Time on My Hands (3/21/81, 9 US, 8 CB, 7 HR, 4 CL, 2 AR, 4 CN, 68 AU) CA, CL, G1, RP, AN
  4. Nothing Ever Goes As Planned
  5. The Best of Times (1/24/81, 3 US, 5 CB, 6 HR, 13 RR, 26 AC, 1 CL, 16 AR, 42 UK, 11 CN, 23 AU) CA, CL, G1, RP, AN
  6. Lonely People
  7. She Cares
  8. Snowblind (3/21/81, 17 CL, 22 AR) CA, G2, RP, AN
  9. Half-Penny, Two-Penny
  10. A.D. 1928 RP
  11. State Street Sadie CA

About the Album:

“The band decided that their first release of the ‘80s would be a concept album, 1981’s Paradise Theater, which was loosely based on the rise and fall of a once-beautiful theater (which was supposedly used as a metaphor for the state of the U.S. at the time – the Iranian hostage situation, the Cold War, Reagan, etc.). Paradise Theater became Styx's biggest hit of their career (selling over three million copies in a three-year period), as they became one of the U.S. top rock acts due to such big hit singles as Too Much Time on My Hands and The Best of Times.” GP The former was yet another Tommy Shaw rocker while the latter was a DeYoung song that was more in the vein of ‘Lady” and ‘Come Sail Away,’ which had ballad elements but still rocked.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Kilroy Was Here

Styx

Released: February 22, 1983

Peak: /font>3 US, 67 UK, 45 AU, 14 DF

Sales (in millions): 1.0 US

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

3.304 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Mr. Roboto (2/12/83, 3 US, 11 CB, 3 RR, 3 AR, 12 CN, 40 AU) CA, CL, G1, AN
  2. Cold War
  3. Don’t Let It End (4/30/83, 6 US, 14 CB, 3 RR, 56 UK, 13 AC, 15 CN) CA, CL, G1
  4. High Time
  5. Heavy Metal Poisoning
  6. Just Get Through This Night
  7. Double Life
  8. Haven’t We Been Here Before G2
  9. Don’t Let It End (Reprise)

About the Album:

“But the behind-the-scenes bickering only intensified in the wake of the album’s success, as DeYoung was now convinced that a more theatrical approach was the future direction for Styx. Shaw and the rest of the group begrudgingly went along.” GP “The resulting follow-up was another hit, 1983’s sci-fi based Kilroy Was Here (which told the story of a future where rock & roll was outlawed, almost a carbon copy of the story line of Rush’s 2112).” GP “The ensuing prop-heavy tour seemed to focus more on scripted dialogue and lengthy films than good old rock & roll.” GP In addition, the over-the-top (and poorly done) concept coupled with lead single Mr. Roboto’s cheesy novelty elements, alienated some Styx fans – and “would eventually lead to the group’s breakup.” GP

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Classics

Styx

Released: 1987

Recorded: 1975-1983

Peak: /font>--

Sales (in millions): --

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

4.179 out of 5.00 (average of 8 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) Babe (2) Blue Collar Man (3) Come Sail Away (4) Crystal Ball (5) Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) (6) Light Up (7) Mr. Roboto (8) Renegade (9) The Best of Times (10) Don’t Let It End (11) The Grand Illusion (12) Suite Madame Blue (13) Too Much Time on My Hands (14) Miss America (live)

About the Album:

This was released as part of A&M Records’ series of compilations (officially it is called Classics Volume 15). It offered a nice snapshot of Styx’s heyday but was superseded by the superior Greatest Hits in 1995. It omits top-40 hits “Lorelei” and “Mademoiselle,” as well as the pre-A&M years top-10 hit “Lady.” This collection includes a live version of “Miss America.”

Caught in the Act

Styx

Charted: April 21, 1984

Recorded: April 9-10, 1983

Peak: /font>31 US, 44 UK, 17 DF

Sales (in millions): --

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

3.534 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks, Disc 1: (1) Music Time (2) Mr. Roboto (3) Too Much Time on My Hands (4) Babe (5) Snowblind (6) State Street Sadie (7) Suite Madame Blue (8)

Tracks, Disc 2: (1) Rockin’ the Paradise (2) Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) (3) Miss America (4) Don’t Let It End (5) Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) (6) Crystal Ball (7) Come Sail Away

Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

  • Music Time (DeYoung) [4:45] CA

About the Album:

Styx’s first live album was recorded during their 1983 Kilroy Was Here. The set includes one new studio cut, “Music Time,” which hints at long-time guitarist and singer Tommy Shaw’s departure in the video. The group wouldn’t release another studio album until 1990.

Edge of the Century

Styx

Released: October 9, 1990

Peak: /font>63 US, 13 DF

Sales (in millions): 0.5 US

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

3.275 out of 5.00 (average of 22 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Love Is the Ritual (9/29/90, 80 US, 9 AR, 59 CN) AN
  2. Show Me the Way (12/8/90, 3 US, 7 RR, 3 AC, 4 CN) G1, RP, AN
  3. Edge of the Century
  4. Love at First Sight (4/6/91, 25 US, 18 RR, 13 AC, 20 CN) G2
  5. All in a Day’s Work
  6. Not Dead Yet
  7. World Tonite
  8. Carrie Ann
  9. Homewrecker
  10. Back to Chicago

About the Album:

After 1983’s Kilroy Was Here and a live album the next year, Styx went on hiatus. DeYoung, Young, and Shaw released solo albums. None matched Styx’s success, although DeYoung had a top-10 hit with “Desert Moon.” In 1989, Shaw joined Night Ranger’s singer and bassist Jack Blades and guitarist Ted Nugent in the supergroup Damn Yankees, which produced the top-10 power ballad “High Enough” and the #1 album rock track “Coming of Age.”

Meanwhile, the remainder of the band reformed Styx with Glen Burtnik stepping in for Shaw. The lead single, “Love Is the Ritual,” failed to reignite much interest in the band, but another DeYoung ballad, “Show Me the Way,” was a surprise top-10 hit for a group most assumed were dead and gone.

Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Greatest Hits

Styx

Released: August 22, 1995

Recorded: 1975-1990, 1995

Peak: /font>138 US

Sales (in millions): 2.0 US

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

4.195 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) Lady ’95 (2) The Best of Times (3) Lorelei (4) Too Much Time on My Hands (5) Babe (6) Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) (7) >Show Me the Way (8) Renegade (9) Come Sail Away (10) Blue Collar Man (11) The Grand Illusion (12) Crystal Ball (13) Suite Madame Blue (14) Miss America (15) Mr. Roboto (16) Don’t Let It End

Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

About the Album:

After Styx’s short-lived reunion in 1990, the members went their separate ways again. DeYoung played Pontius Pilate in a revival of Jesus Christ Superstar and recorded an album of Broadway showtunes. Young issued a pair of solo albums and Shaw released an album in 1995 with Jack Blades, his bandmate from Damn Yankees. Shaw reunited with his former bandmates in Styx for a re-recording of “Lady” for the Greatest Hits album.

Like the Classics release, Greatest Hits still overlooked some top-40 hits, including “Why Me,” “Mademoiselle,” and “Music Time” – all of which were absent from Classics as well. There was only one more studio album released between the two compilations, which is represented by the top-5 hit “Show Me the Way.” It also includes “Lorelei,” which was not on Classics. The only song featured on Classics which isn’t included here as well is “Light Up.”

A reunion tour followed this album, but John Panozzo had to bow out (replaced by Todd Sucherman) due to struggles with alcoholism. He died that year.

Greatest Hits 2

Styx

Released: June 11, 1996

Recorded: 1975-1996

Peak: /font>--

Sales (in millions): --

Genre: classic rock

Rating:

2.895 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) A.D. 1928

  • Rockin’ the Paradise (2) Light Up (3) Sing for the Day (4) First Time (5) Mademoiselle (6) Snowblind (7) Boat on the River (8) Borrowed Time (9) Lights (10) Queen of Spades (11) Love at First Sight (12) Haven’t We Been Here Before (13) Superstars (14) Little Suzie (15) It Takes Love

    Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

    • Little Suzie (Burtnik, Bob Burger, Shaw, DeYoung) [4:49] G2
    • It Takes Love (Burtnik, Burger) [3:26] G2

    About the Album:

    While this largely feels like a leftovers collection, “Mademoiselle” and “Love at First Sight” were both top-40 hits and “Sing for the Day” just missed the cut. “Light Up” and “Borrowed Time” were singles and “Boat on the River” found top-5 success in Europe. “Rockin’ the Paradise” and “Snowblind” were album rock hits. This collection still manages to miss the mark, though. “Why Me” (a top-40 hit), “Nothing Ever Goes As Planned,” “High Time,” and “Love Is the Ritual” all charted but are supplanted by album cuts like “First Time,” “Queen of Spades,” and “Superstars” which don’t need to be here. The collection includes two new cuts (“Little Suzie” and “It Takes Love”).

    • Return to Paradise

    Styx

    Released: May 5, 1997

    Recorded: September 21, 1996

    Peak: /font>139 US, 13 DF

    Sales (in millions): 0.5 US

    Genre: classic rock

    Rating:

    3.683 out of 5.00 (average of 19 ratings)

    Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

    Tracks, Disc 1: (1) On My Way (2) Paradise (3) A.D. 1928/Rockin’ the Paradise (4) Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) (5) Lady (6) Too Much Time on My Hands (7) Snowblind (8) Suite Madame Blue (9) Crystal Ball

    Tracks, Disc 2: (1) The Grand Illusion (2) Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) (3) Show Me the Way (4) Boat on the River (5) Lorelei (6) a href="https://davesmusicdatabase.blogspot.com/1979/12/styx-hit-1-with-babe.html">Babe (7) Miss America (8) Come Sail Away (9) Renegade (10) The Best of Times/A.D. 1958 (11) Dear John

    Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

    • On My Way (Tommy Shaw) [5:02] RP
    • Paradise (Dennis DeYoung) [4:29] RP
    • Dear John (Shaw) [3:04] RP, AN

    About the Album:

    Styx’s second live album celebrated their 1996 reunion for the Return to Paradise tour. Alongside the familiar fare were three new studio cuts – “On My Way,” “Paradise, and “Dear John.” The latter was a tribute to John Panozzo, the group’s drummer until his death on July 16, 1996.

    Brave New World

    Styx

    Released: June 29, 1999

    Peak: /font>175 US, 16 DF

    Sales (in millions): --

    Genre: classic rock

    Rating:

    3.318 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

    Tracks:

    1. I Will Be Your Witness
    2. Brave New World
    3. While There’s Still Time
    4. Number One
    5. Best New Face
    6. What Have They Done to You
    7. Fallen Angel
    8. Everything Is Cool (1999, --)
    9. Great Expectations
    10. Heavy Water
    11. High Crimes & Misdemeanors (Hip Hop-cracy)
    12. Just Fell In
    13. Goodbye Roseland
    14. Brave New World (Reprise)

    About the Album:

    In 1999, Styx issued Brave New World, only their second studio album of the last 16 years – and their first with Tommy Shaw back in the band. This album isn’t represented on any of the Styx anthologies noted on this page, but it did produce the Tommy Shaw-led single “Everything Is Cool.”

    While most of the band was ready to soldier on with further albums and tours, DeYoung had to take a break when he developed a virus that made him extremely light sensitive. He eventually overcame the disorder, but Shaw and Young had already replaced him with Lawrence Gowan and moved ahead. DeYoung sued them over the use of the name Styx in a lawsuit settled in late 2001. Chuck Panozzo also confirmed rumors that he’d contracted AIDS but was battling it successfully.

    Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

    Cyclorama

    Styx

    Released: February 18, 2003

    Peak: /font>127 US, 14 DF

    Sales (in millions): --

    Genre: classic rock

    Rating:

    3.328 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

    Tracks:

    1. Do Things My Way
    2. Waiting for Our Time (3/1/03, 37 AR)
    3. Fields of the Brave
    4. Bourgeois Pig
    5. Kiss Your Ass Goodbye
    6. These Are the Times
    7. Yes I Can
    8. More Love for the Money
    9. Together
    10. Fooling Yourself (Palm of Your Hands)
    11. Captain America
    12. Killing the Thing That You Love
    13. One With Everything AN
    14. Genki Desu Ka

    About the Album:

    The new-millenium lineup of Styx did plenty of touring and churned out a glut of live albums (four), but only one album of new material, 2003’s Cyclorama, with the lineup “of Shaw, Young, Burtnik, Sucherman and Gowan. It also featured guest appearances from John Waite, Brian Wilson, and actor Billy Bob Thornton. By the end of the year, Burtnik was out of the band and replaced by former Bad English and Babys member Ricky Phillips, although Panozzo did play with the group on select live dates.” GP

    Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

    Come Sail Away: The Anthology

    Styx

    Released: May 4, 2004

    Recorded: 1972-2003

    Peak: /font>136 US

    Sales (in millions): --

    Genre: classic rock

    Rating:

    4.080 out of 5.00 (average of 7 ratings)

    Tracks, Disc 1: (1) Best Thing (2) You Need Love (3) Lady (4) Winner Take All (5) Rock and Roll Feeling (6) Light Up (7) Lorelei (8) Prelude 12 (9) Suite Madame Blue (10) Shooz (11) Mademoiselle (12) Crystal Ball (13) The Grand Illusion (14) Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) (15) Come Sail Away (16) Miss America (17) Man in the Wilderness

    Tracks, Disc 2: (1) Blue Collar Man (2) Sing for the Day (3) Renegade (4) Pieces of Eight (5) Lights (6) Babe (7) Borrowed Time (8) Boat on the River (9) A.D. 1928 (10) Rockin’ the Paradise (11) Too Much Time on My Hands (12) The Best of Times (13) Snowblind (14) Mr. Roboto (15) Love Is the Ritual (16) Show Me the Way (17) Dear John (18) One with Everything

    About the Album:

    This is Styx’s first anthology to include material from the Wooden Nickel years. The band had a couple of minor hits during that time with “Best Thing” and “You Need Love,” but more notably had a top-10 hit with “Lady.” It is a welcome addition since it hasn’t been represented in previous collections, save a rerecorded version on the 1995 Greatest Hits.

    This collection also improves on its predecessors by offering a chronological run-through of the songs, which helps frame a band who may be best known for their arena rock heyday of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, but had a more progressive rock sound before that and moved away from their classic sound on post-Kilroy releases.

    This two-disc retrospective gets a lot right, but still makes mistakes. It could dispense with album cuts like “Shooz” and “Man in the Wilderness” to make room for better known songs like “Why Me,” a top-40 hit not included on any of the band’s hits collection, and “Don’t Let It End,” a top-10 which is inexplicably left out.

    It’s also commendable that there is an effort to represent all Styx’s albums, but “One with Everything” doesn’t hold up alongside classic material and wasn’t even a single. At least “Waiting for Our Time,” also from the Cyclorama album, eked its way onto the album rock chart. It also doesn’t make sense that the collection comes so close to hitting all the studio efforts, but then ignores 1999’s Brave New World. “Everything Is Cool” from that album would have fit better than “One with Everything.”

    Big Bang Theory

    Styx

    Released: May 10, 2005

    Peak: 46 US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU, 14 DF

    Sales (in millions): 0.02 US

    Genre: classic rock

    Rating:

    3.361 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings)

    Tracks:

    1. I Am the Walrus (Lennon/ McCartney) (2005, --)
    2. I Can See for Miles (Townshend)
    3. Can’t Find My Way Home (Winwood)
    4. It Don’t Make Sense (You Can’t Make Peace) (Dixon)
    5. I Don’t Need No Doctor (Simpson)
    6. One Way Out (Williamson)
    7. A Salty Dog (Reid)
    8. Summer in the City (Sebastian)
    9. Manic Depression (Hendrix)
    10. Talkin’ about the Good Times (Waller)
    11. Locomotive Breath (Anderson)
    12. Find the Cost of Freedom (Stills)
    13. Wishing Well (Yamauchi)
    14. Blue Collar Man @ 2120 (Shaw)

    About the Album:

    This album of cover songs is a curiosity, but hardly a vital part of the band’s catalog. They don’t particularly do anything new with others’ songs; in fact, the most interesting cut on the album is a slowed-down version of their own “Blue Collar Man.” Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

    The Mission

    Styx

    Released: June 16, 2017

    Peak: 45 US, -- UK, 56 CN, -- AU, 15 DF

    Sales (in millions): 0.02 US

    Genre: classic rock

    Rating:

    3.380 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings)

    Tracks:

    1. Overture (Tommy Shaw) [1:23]
    2. Gone, Gone, Gone (Shaw, Will Evankovich, James “JY” Young) [2:07] (4/21/2017, --)
    3. Hundred Million Miles from Home (Shaw, Evankovich) [3:39]
    4. Trouble at the Big Show (Shaw, Evankovich, Young) [2:30]
    5. Locomotive (Shaw, Evankovich) [5:03]
    6. Radio Silence (Shaw, Evankovich, Lawrence Gowan) [4:17]
    7. The Greater Good (Shaw, Evankovich, Gowan) [4:10]
    8. Time May Bend (Shaw, Evankovich) [2:30]
    9. Ten Thousand Ways (Shaw, Gowan) [1:22]
    10. Red Storm (Shaw, Evankovich) [6:04]
    11. All Systems Stable (Shaw, Evankovich, Gowan, Todd Sucherman) [0:17]
    12. Khedive (Shaw, Gowan) [2:04]
    13. The Outpost (Shaw, Evankovich, Gowan) [3:51]
    14. Mission to Mars (Shaw) [2:43]

    About the Album:

    The band’s first studio album in fourteen years is a surprisingly strong outing. It revolves around the theme of a manned mission to Mars, but manages to showcase a collection of songs that can stand on their own apart from the theme. Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

    Crash of the Crown

    Styx

    Released: June 18, 2021

    Peak: 114 US, 15 DF

    Sales (in millions): --

    Genre: classic rock

    Rating:

    3.442 out of 5.00 (average of 13 ratings)

    Tracks:

    1. The Fight of Our Lives [1:54]
    2. A Monster (Shaw, Evankovich, Gowan) [3:27]
    3. Reveries [3:03] (6/4/21, --)
    4. Hold Back the Darkness [3:58]
    5. Save Us from Ourselves [3:02]
    6. Crash of the Crown (Shaw, Evankovich, Gowan) [3:46] (5/6/21, --)
    7. Our Wonderful Lives [3:06]
    8. Common Ground (Shaw, Evankovich, Gowan) [4:00]
    9. Sound the Alarm [3:25]
    10. Long Live the King (Evankovich) [2:33]
    11. Lost at Sea (Gowan) [0:38]
    12. Coming Out the Other Side (Shaw, Evankovich, Phillips) [3:48]
    13. To Those [3:01]
    14. Another Farewell (Evankovich) [0:26]
    15. Stream (Shaw) [2:56]
    Songs are written by Tommy Shaw and Will Evankovich unless noted otherwise.

    About the Album:

    Fifty years after first signing to Wooden Nickel, Styx is back with their seventeenth studio album. The band’s heyday came in their first decade with Dennis DeYoung at the helm. After his departure in 1999, the group soldiered on, surprisingly with the same lineup for eighteen years. Will Evankovich is back again on this album as a lyricist.

    Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

    Resources and Related Links:

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    First posted 6/11/2008; last updated 2/14/2024.

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