Rock music, particularly hard rock and jazz rock, was enjoying quite a time in the year 1982. Let’s take a look at just a handful of songs from that very year that hit the charts in a big way and live on in the hearts of fans today. I bet you’re familiar with at least a couple of these songs if you were an 80s kid!
“Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor
Was there a song bigger than this jam in the year 1982? I’d say not. “Eye Of The Tiger” was an enormous hit for the rock band Survivor, namely due to its use in the film Rocky III. It was a No. 1 smash across the charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, UK Singles, Australian, and Canadian charts, among others. The songwriting partnership of Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik was a golden one that yielded one of the most anthemic songs of a generation. Honestly, many arena rock bands that followed this song tried to emulate its energy through the rest of the 1980s.
Videos by American Songwriter
“I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
If you love rock music and were around when this song dropped in 1982, you probably still listen to it today. “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” was originally a song from the band Arrows, but Joan Jett turned it into a megahit with her cover in 1982. That version climbed the charts to No. 1 on the Hot 100, among numerous other international charts. It remains Joan Jett’s signature song today.
“Rosanna” by Toto
How about this gem from the band Toto? And no, it’s not “Africa”. “Rosanna” is another top-notch rock song from Toto, one that leans more into soft rock and jazz rock. “Rosanna” ended up winning the Grammy Award for Record of the Year the following year, and I can see why. It’s a delight from start to finish, and it was also quite a beloved song on the charts. “Rosanna” peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and No. 12 on the UK Singles chart, and reached the Top 10 in numerous countries. And it’s still such a jam today.
Photo by Ron Wolfson/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Most Viewed
-
These 1970s parody songs beat all the "real" music on the charts. They blurred the lines between fake song and true hit. -
AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 01: Photo of AC DC and Angus YOUNG and AC/DC and Mark EVANS and Bon SCOTT; Mark Evans, Angus Young (playing Gibson SG guitar), Bon Scott – performing live onstage, c.1975/1976 (Photo by Bob King/Redferns) -
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Don Gibson Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 2 — Pictured: Musical guest Boz Scaggs performs on September 25, 1976 — Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank -
Barry Manilow in concert at the Bottom Line, NYC during Barry Manilow Achive Images – 1975 in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage) -
(Original Caption) Charlie Daniels (3rd from left), the entertainer who dedicated his last album to "gun-rotting whiskey and hellatious fights" says he will not play gentle music just to please "damn Yankees drinking martinis" 1/20 at Jimmy Carter's inaugural reception. Daniels said he plans to play the same brand of foot-stomping Southern music he and his band have always produced. They are (from left), Charlie Hayward, Tom Crain, Daniels, Joel Digregorio, Don Murray and Fred Edwards.
