Survivor

Survivor's melodic yet hard-edged approach to album-focused rock produced multiple chart successes throughout the 1980s, among them two major themes tied to the Rocky movie series. The band originated in 1978 when guitarist and keyboardist Jim Peterik, who had previously fronted the Ides of March, joined forces with guitarist Frankie Sullivan. They brought in vocalist Dave Bickler and cut their self-titled debut album as a trio backed by session players Dennis Johnson on bass and Gary Smith on drums; permanent bassist Stephen Ellis and drummer Marc Droubay soon took those roles.

The decisive turning point arrived in 1982 after Sylvester Stallone asked the group to compose the title song for Rocky III. The resulting track, “Eye of the Tiger,” climbed to number one on the Billboard singles chart for six weeks on the strength of its explosive introductory riff and soaring refrain, while the accompanying album surpassed one million copies sold. Medical issues prompted Bickler’s departure in 1983, after which former Cobra frontman Jimi Jamison assumed vocal duties. The personnel change revitalized the band’s momentum, yielding two Top Ten singles in 1985—“High on You” and “The Search Is Over.” Their contribution to Rocky IV, the 1986 single “Burning Heart,” became their second-largest hit, yet commercial fortunes thereafter declined; Jamison, Peterik, and Sullivan were the sole remaining members by year’s end, and the group formally disbanded in 1989.

In 1997 Bickler, Sullivan, Ellis, and Droubay reconvened under the Survivor name, with Jamison rejoining the lineup in 2000. Beyond live work, they issued the studio album Reach in 2006, after which Jamison exited once more. Robin McAuley filled the vocalist slot for several years. By 2011 Jamison had returned alongside Sullivan, Droubay, Billy Ozzello, and Walter Tolentino; two years later Bickler rejoined as well. Although the band entered the studio repeatedly during the 2010s, no new material surfaced prior to Jamison’s death from a heart attack in August 2014.