"Chevy Nights" by Survivor

It is interesting to think what sort of career Survivor might have had if they never received a fateful call from Sylvester Stallone to use their music in his upcoming movie, Rocky III. Stallone got turned onto Survivor after hearing their first Top 40 hit, "Poor Man's Son," which reached #33 in 1981. Co-founder Jim Peterik, who already tasted chart success leading Ides Of March, penned the iconic "Eye Of The Tiger" with his bandmate Frankie Sullivan and the rest is history. 

"Eye Of The Tiger" spent six weeks at #1 in 1982 and won a Grammy for Rock Vocal Group. The single was included as the title track to their third album, which spawned two additional chart appearances: "American Heartbeat" reached #17 and "The One That Really Matters" stalled at #74. Astonishingly, an amazing ballad, "Ever Since The World Began," was not released as a single (Tommy Shaw would have a minor hit with it, taking the song to #75 in 1988).

Hopes were high that the band could maintain this success with the release of their next album, "Caught In The Game," but the title track fizzled at #77 and the album flopped (which is a shame because there are some incredible songs on this album). Then lead singer Dave Bickler developed throat problems, which led to his replacement by vocalist Jimi Jamison.

Jamison gave fresh life to the struggling band, putting them back on the chart with "Moment Of Truth" (#63) from The Karate Kid, and landing them 10 more Top 100 entries until he left in 1989 to pursue a solo career. Some of Jamison's biggest moments included "High On You" (#8), "The Search Is Over" (#4), "Is This Love" (#9), and "Burning Heart" (#2) from Rocky IV. After Jamison's departure, the band brought Bickler back into the fold for a bit, then underwent a dizzying series of personnel changes and lawsuits. Peterik washed his hands of the mess, resuming his solo career and work with Ides Of March, and starting many new projects and collaborations. Jamison returned to Survivor off and on until his death in 2014.

"Chevy Nights" goes back to Survivor's pre-glory days. From their aptly named 1981 record, "Premonition," this song hinted at the band's energetic chemistry and gift for blending pop and rock.