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. The seeds for the band were planted in another Chicago band during the late '60s, the Tradewinds, which featured brothers Chuck and John Panozzo (who played bass and drums, respectively), as well as acquaintance Dennis DeYoung (vocals, keyboards). By the dawn of the '70s, the group had changed its name to TW4, and welcomed aboard a pair of guitarists/vocalists, James "JY" Young and John Curulewski, securing a recording contract in 1972 with Wooden Nickel Records (a subsidiary of RCA).
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Early on, Styx's music reflected such then-current prog rockers as Emerson, Lake & Palmer and the Moody Blues, as evidenced by such releases as 1972's self-titled debut, 1973's Styx II, 1974's The Serpent Is Rising, and 1975's Man of Miracles. While the albums (as well as nonstop touring) helped the group build a substantial following locally, Styx failed to break through to the mainstream, until the track "Lady," originally from their second album, started to get substantial airplay in late 1974 on Chicago radio station WLS-FM. The song was soon issued as a single nationwide, and quickly shot to number six on the singles chart, as Styx II was certified gold. By this time, however, Styx had grown disenchanted with their record label, and opted to sign on with A&M for their fifth release overall, 1975's Equinox (Styx's former label would issue countless compilations over the years, culled from tracks off their early releases). On the eve of the tour in support of the album, Curulewski abruptly left the band, and was replaced by Tommy Shaw (sadly, Curulewski would pass away from an aneurysm in 1988). Shaw proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle for Styx, as most of their subsequent releases throughout the late '70s earned at least platinum certification (1976's Crystal Ball, 1977's The Grand Illusion, 1978's Pieces of Eight, and 1979's Cornerstone), and spawned such hit singles and classic rock radio standards as "Come Sail Away," "Renegade," "Blue Collar Man," "Fooling Yourself," and the power ballad "Babe."
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Despite the enormous success of "Babe," it caused tension within the group -- specifically between Shaw and DeYoung (the latter of whom was the song's author), as the guitarist wanted Styx to continue in a more hard rock-based direction, while DeYoung sought to pursue more melodic and theatrically based works. This led to DeYoung's brief ouster from the group (although it was kept completely hush-hush at the time), before a reconciliation occurred. The bandmembers 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." 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, and while 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), the album would eventually lead to the group's breakup -- as the ensuing prop-heavy tour seemed to focus more on scripted dialogue and lengthy films than good old rock & roll.
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A forgettable live album, Caught in the Act, was issued in 1984, before Styx went on hiatus, and the majority of the bandmembers pursued solo projects throughout the remainder of the decade. DeYoung issued 1984's Desert Moon (which spawned a moderate hit single with its reflective title track), 1986's Back to the World, and 1988's Boomchild, Young released 1986's City Slicker, while Shaw put forth several solo sets -- 1984's Girls with Guns, 1985's What If?, 1986's Live in Japan, and 1987's Ambition. Shaw then formed Damn Yankees along with former Night Ranger bassist/singer Jack Blades, guitarist Ted Nugent, and drummer Michael Cartellone, a group that enjoyed commercial success right off the bat with its self-titled debut in 1990 (due to the hit power ballad "High Enough"), before issuing an unsuccessful sophomore effort two years later, Don't Tread. During Shaw's tenure with Damn Yankees, Styx had re-formed with newcomer Glen Burtnik taking the place of Shaw -- issuing a new studio album in 1990, Edge of the Century, which spawned yet another hit power ballad, "Show Me the Way." But the Styx reunion was a fleeting one, as the group's members went their separate ways shortly thereafter -- with DeYoung going on to play Pontius Pilate in a revival of Jesus Christ Superstar (and issuing an album of Broadway show tunes, 1994's 10 on Broadway), while Young issued a pair of solo discs (1994's Out on a Day Pass and 1995's Raised by Wolves), and Shaw teamed up with Jack Blades for the short-lived outfit Shaw Blades (issuing a lone recording in 1995, Hallucination).
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A re-recording of their early hit "Lady" (titled "Lady '95") for a Greatest Hits compilation finally united Shaw with his former Styx bandmates, which led to a full-on reunion tour in 1996. But drummer John Panozzo fell seriously ill at the time (due to a long struggle with alcoholism), which prevented him from joining the proceedings -- and he passed away in July of the same year. Although grief-stricken, Styx persevered with new drummer Todd Sucherman taking the place of Panozzo, as the Styx reunion tour became a surprise sold-out success, resulting in the release of a live album/video, 1997's Return to Paradise, while a whole new generation of rock fans was introduced to the grandiose sounds of Styx via a humorous car ad that used the track "Mr. Roboto," as well as songs used in such TV shows as South Park and Freaks & Geeks. The group even stuck around long enough to issue a new studio album, 1999's Brave New World, before friction within the band set in once again.
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With the other Styx members wanting to soldier on with further albums and tours, DeYoung was forced to take a break when he developed an uncommon viral ailment, which made the singer extremely sensitive to light. DeYoung was able to eventually overcome his disorder, but not before Shaw and Young opted to enlist new singer Larry Gowan and issued a pair of live releases in the early 21st century -- 2000's Arch Allies: Live at Riverport (split 50-50 between Styx and REO Speedwagon) and 2001's Styx World: Live 2001. DeYoung began touring as a solo artist at the same time, and eventually attempted to sue Shaw and Young over the use of the name Styx (the lawsuit was eventually settled in late 2001). Around the same time, Chuck Panozzo confirmed rumors that he had contracted AIDS (but was battling the virus successfully), while the turbulent career of Styx was told in an entertaining episode of VH1's Behind the Music.
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In the spring of 2003, a new studio album featuring Gowan arrived in stores. For Cyclorama, Styx consisted of Shaw, Young, Burtnik, Sucherman, and Gowan. The album 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 selected live dates. The two-CD Come Sail Away: The Styx Anthology from 2004 did an excellent job representing the band's career, while 2005's double-disc The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings collected the band's first four albums. That same year, Styx released the cover version-filled Big Bang Theory, featuring some of their favorite picks from the Great Rock Songbook. Over the next decade, Styx continued to tour regularly but didn't record much. In 2010, they re-recorded some old hits as the Regeneration EP, which received a sequel in 2011. The band continued to tour through the 2010s, often with REO Speedwagon, and in 2017 Styx released the concept album The Mission, their first collection of original material since 2003.
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Styx (/stɪks/) is an American rock band from Chicago that formed in 1972 and is best known for melding hard rock guitar balanced with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre.[6] The band established itself with a progressive rock sound in the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s. Beginning with Styx in 1972, the band usually released an album a year. Styx II (1973) had the sleeper hit, "Lady", a power ballad which reached No. 6 in the US, helping the album make the Top 20. "Lady" was also a Top 20 hit in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Equinox (1975) and Crystal Ball (1976) reached the US Top 70 with the first featuring "Lorelei", a No. 6 hit in Canada, while the second marked the addition of Tommy Shaw to the band.
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Styx's commercial breakthrough in North America came with The Grand Illusion (1977), which peaked at No. 6 in both the US and Canada, and became the first of four straight triple-platinum albums in the US for Styx. It featured the single, "Come Sail Away", a Top 10 hit in both countries. The band’s follow-up, Pieces of Eight (1978), was another No. 6 hit in the US, but at No. 3, peaked higher in Canada due to a Top 10 hit, "Renegade", and a Top 20 song, "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)", there (both went Top 30 in US). In 1979, Styx's Cornerstone went to No. 2 in both countries on the strength of the cross-border No. 1 hit ballad "Babe". The album became their breakthrough album in Australia and New Zealand, reaching the Top 20, with "Babe" peaking at No. 3. "Babe" was a No. 6 hit in the UK, their first and only Top 40 hit there, leading Cornerstone to be their first album to chart (No. 36) there. In 1981, Styx's Paradise Theatre was a No. 1 album in the US and Canada, while also reaching the Top 10 in Scandinavia and the UK (their biggest album there) and the Top 30 in Australia and New Zealand. "The Best of Times" off the album reached No. 1 in Canada, No. 3 in the US (Billboard), No. 1 on the US CHR chart (Radio and Records), and the Top 30 in some other countries, while "Too Much Time on My Hands" was also a Top 10 hit in North America. Kilroy Was Here (1983) was Styx's last major hit album, reaching the Top 3 in North America and the Top 10 in Scandinavia, although it was less successful elsewhere. Its lead single, "Mr. Roboto", became Styx’s third chart-topper in Canada, was a No. 3 hit in the US, and was their biggest hit in Germany (No. 8). After a seven-year break, Styx returned with Edge of the Century (1990), which reached No. 63 in the US, with its single, Show Me the Way, becoming a Top 3 hit in North America in early 1991 (Billboard). Overall, Styx had eight songs that hit the Top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as 16 Top 40 singles. Seven of their eight Top 10 singles were written and sung by founding member and lead singer Dennis DeYoung, who has not been part of the band since 1999. Styx has sold over 54 million records worldwide.
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In August 1961, at 12 years of age, twin brothers Chuck (bass) and John Panozzo (drums) first played music together with their 14-year-old neighbor Dennis DeYoung who played accordion and sang, while living in the Roseland, Chicago area, eventually using the band name 'The Tradewinds'. Chuck left to attend seminary for a year but returned to the group by 1964. Tom Nardini had been brought in to replace Chuck on guitar, and Chuck decided to play bass guitar when he returned to the band. John Panozzo was the drummer, while DeYoung had switched from accordion to keyboards. In 1965, the Tradewinds name was changed to TW4 (There Were 4)[8] after another band, the Trade Winds, achieved fame nationally. By 1966, the Panozzo brothers had joined DeYoung at Chicago State College and kept the group together by performing at high schools and fraternity parties while studying to be teachers. In 1969 they added a college friend folk guitarist, John Curulewski, after Nardini departed. Hard rocker guitarist James "J.Y." Young came aboard in 1970, making TW4 a quintet. In 1972 the band members decided to choose a new name when they signed to Wooden Nickel Records after being spotted by a talent scout at a concert at St. John of the Cross Parish in Western Springs, Illinois (James "JY" Young's hometown). Several suggestions were made and, according to DeYoung, the name Styx was chosen because it was "the only one that none of us hated". The band released four albums: Styx I (1972), Styx II (1973), The Serpent Is Rising (1973), and Man of Miracles (1974). These albums contained straight-ahead rockers mixed with prog rock flourish with a lot of guitars, drums, keyboards, percussion, and vocals solos. They established a fan base in the Chicago area, but were unable to break into the mainstream, though the song "Best Thing" from Styx charted on September 16, 1972, and stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 6 weeks, peaking at No. 82.[8] Then, the power ballad "Lady" (from Styx II), began to earn some radio time, first on WLS in Chicago in 1974[13] and then nationwide. In the spring of 1975, nearly two years after the album had been released, "Lady" hit No. 6 in the US, and Styx II went gold soon after. "Lady" is considered by many classic rock critics as being the first power ballad with Dennis DeYoung being referred to as the "father of the power ballad."[14] With the success of "Lady", a follow up single on Styx II, "You Need Love," was re-released, but only barely cracked the hot 100. For Styx to achieve mainstream success, they would need to sign with a national record company.
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On the heels of its belated hit single, Styx signed with A&M Records and released Equinox (1975), which sold well and yielded a minor hit in "Lorelei", which reached No. 27 in the U.S. More importantly, it contained the rock anthem "Suite Madame Blue", which gained the band considerable recognition and airplay on FM radio in the relatively new Album Oriented Rock (AOR) format. Following the move to A&M, guitarist John Curulewski suddenly left the band as they were to embark on a nationwide tour in December 1975, due to his desire to spend time with his family. After a frantic last-minute search, the band brought in guitarist Tommy Shaw as Curulewski's replacement. Crystal Ball (1976), the first album to feature Shaw, was moderately successful, but was overall a disappointment, failing to achieve the sales of its predecessor. The album showcased the band's newest member, as Shaw's "Mademoiselle" was another minor hit, reaching No. 36, and the album's title track, also written and sung by Shaw became another minor AOR hit. Styx's seventh album, The Grand Illusion, was released on July 7, 1977, and became their breakthrough album, reaching Triple Platinum certification. It spawned a top-ten hit and AOR radio staple in the DeYoung-written "Come Sail Away", which reached No. 8 in 1978. Shaw's "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" was a second radio hit and reached No. 29 the same year. The title track also received significant airplay. Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, the band enjoyed its greatest success. Their 1978 album Pieces of Eight found the group moving in a more straight-ahead hard-rock direction and spawned three Shaw sung hit singles "Renegade" (No. 16 in the US) and "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" (No. 21 in the US), plus a minor hit "Sing for the Day" that stopped just short of the Top Forty at No. 41.
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Their 1979 album Cornerstone yielded their first No. 1 hit, the DeYoung ballad "Babe". By early 1980, "Babe" had become the band's biggest international hit and first million-selling single, reaching No. 6 in the United Kingdom.[15] The album also included the No. 26 DeYoung hits upbeat "Why Me" and the rocker "Borrowed Time", which was co-written with Shaw, plus Shaw's folksy "Boat on the River" (1980), which was a hit in much of Europe and Japan. The popularity of the album (No. 2 Billboard) helped win the band a People's Choice Award for Best New Song in 1980. At the 22nd Grammy Awards, Styx was a nominee for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Cornerstone's engineers Gary Loizzo and Rob Kingsland were nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Recording. The band was also named the most popular rock band in the U.S. in the 1980 year end Gallup Poll. With the success of "Babe", DeYoung‘s push for a more mainstream direction gained momentum, while Shaw and Young favored a more rock oriented approach. This arguing over musical direction led to ongoing tension in early 1980 after Shaw objected to the ballad "First Time" being released as the second single from Cornerstone. Although the song was generating substantial airplay in some major markets, A&M pulled the plug on the single's official release, replacing it with "Why Me." The argument resulted in DeYoung being briefly fired. However, things were quickly smoothed over.[17] While “First Time” did not chart in the U.S. (because it wasn't released), it became a huge hit single in the Philippines in 1981. In January 1981, Styx released Paradise Theatre, a concept album that became their biggest hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard pop albums chart and yielding five singles, including the top ten hits "The Best of Times" by DeYoung (No. 3 Billboard, No. 1 Radio & Records) and "Too Much Time on My Hands" by Shaw (No. 9), his only top 10 single as a member of the band. Paradise Theatre became the band's fourth consecutive multi-platinum album. Based on yet another Dennis DeYoung concept, the Paradise Theatre was a historic Chicago theatre that had been built in the 20s only to fall on hard times and close a mere 30 years after it opened. DeYoung used the Paradise as a metaphor for the United States in the late 1970s/early 80s. An ambitious year long world tour commenced in 1981 in support of the album and was one of the top grossing tours of the year. The tour had numerous Broadway and movie infused elements, including a dramatic opening featuring a theatre sweep and DeYoung by himself next to a player piano and the show ending with traditional movie credits. Throughout the tour and throughout the 1980s and beyond, the band would open their shows with "Rockin' the Paradise", the opening track from Paradise Theatre which charted at No. 8 on the Top Rocks Track Chart and whose music video would be among the first to air on the MTV cable channel. The band was accused by a California religious group and later the Parents Music Resource Center of backmasking Satanic messages in their anti-cocaine anthem, "Snowblind". James "JY" Young has denied this charge during his introduction for "Snowblind" when played live. Dennis DeYoung has denied the accusation as well, joking on the In the Studio with Redbeard program "we had enough trouble to make the music sound right forward." Also, Young quotes, "If we were going to put some message in our songs, we would have put it so it was in the song forward. Not so you would have to buy some $400 tape recorder to hear it."
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The band continues to follow DeYoung's lead with their next project, Kilroy Was Here (1983), another more fully realized concept album, embracing the rock opera form. It is set in a future where performing and playing rock music has been outlawed due to the efforts of a charismatic evangelist, Dr. Everett Righteous played by James "JY" Young. Kilroy Was Here featured DeYoung in the part of Kilroy, an unjustly imprisoned rock star. Tommy Shaw played the part of Jonathan Chance, a younger rocker who fights for Kilroy's freedom and the lifting of the ban on rock music. This future society is served by robots. Called Robotos, these automatons perform many jobs, and several serve as Kilroy's prison guards. Part of the impetus for the Kilroy story was the band's reaction to the backward masking accusation.[8] The album included Young's song "Heavy Metal Poisoning", which includes lyrics sarcastically mocking the allegations against the group. Its introduction intentionally included a backward message, the Latin phrases, "annuit coeptis" and "novus ordo seclorum", from the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. Referring to the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776, these are translated, "Annuit cœptis - He (God) favors our undertakings, and Novus ordo seclorum - A new order of the ages."[19] Both choices also served the Kilroy story, because the villain is an evangelist that seeks to expand his Vision of Morality movement via mass demonstrations. The album Kilroy Was Here went Platinum in 1983, boasting two Top Ten hits written and sung by DeYoung, the synthesizer-based "Mr. Roboto" (No. 3 US) and power ballad "Don't Let It End" (No. 6 US). The album earned a nomination as Best Engineered Recording for engineer and long-time friend Gary Loizzo and fellow engineers on the album Will Rascati and Rob Kingsland, for the 26th Grammy Awards (1983). In 1983, the band mounted an ambitious stage show in support of Kilroy Was Here[8] featuring theatrical presentations of three songs utilizing instrumental backing tracks, including "Mr. Roboto", which featured DeYoung singing live while disguised as a Roboto, "Heavy Metal Poisoning" with Young as the evangelist Dr. Righteous singing while the Panozzo brothers acted as his henchmen on stage, and "Haven't We Been Here Before" with Shaw as Jonathan Chance and DeYoung (as Kilroy in Roboto costume) duetting. The elaborate show was expensive to produce and was not as profitable as previous tours. Kilroy Was Here brought the creative and competitive tensions within the band beyond the breaking point. Shaw departed the band for a solo career at the conclusion of the tour. In 1984, the band released its first live album, Caught in the Act. The project featured one studio track, "Music Time", which became a Top 40 hit. The concert was also filmed and released on VHS under the same title (and on DVD in 2007). By the time of the album's release, the band had already parted ways.
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Styx reformed in 1990, bringing in Glen Burtnik as a new guitarist, as Shaw was by then committed to Damn Yankees. The new line-up released one album, Edge of the Century, featuring the Dennis DeYoung ballad "Show Me the Way", which received an additional boost just prior to the first Persian Gulf War. Some radio stations edited the Top Three hit to include the voices of children, whose parents were deployed in Saudi Arabia between 1990 and 1991. The song went all the way to No. 3 on both the Hot 100 and at Adult Contemporary radio and notably remained in the top 40 for 23 weeks and AC for 31 weeks.[22] With the huge success of the song "Show Me the Way", Styx joined a handful of musical acts to have top 10 singles in three different decades and under four different presidential administrations. A follow-up single, “Love At First Sight”, peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100 and No. 13 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Styx toured across the US in the spring and summer of 1991, but their success was short lived, as they were dropped after A&M Records was purchased by PolyGram Records, ending an over-fifteen-year relationship. The popularity of Grunge was a major factor in PolyGram letting the band go. A set of demos titled Son of Edge were completed and shown to other record labels. But with grunge now dominating the rock press, video channels, and airwaves, and with singles from pop/rock bands being phased out, there was little interest from major record companies, and by fall 1991, Styx disbanded once again. The band reunited once again in 1995, with guitarist Tommy Shaw returning to the fold, to re-record "Lady" for Styx Greatest Hits. Session drummer Todd Sucherman filled in for John Panozzo, who was unable to participate due to liver problems caused by years of excessive drinking, which eventually claimed his life the following year on July 16. The 1996 "Return to Paradise" tour, with Sucherman as a full member, was successful. The reunion tour was documented with a two-disc live set, 1997's Return to Paradise, which featured three new studio tracks: "On My Way", "Paradise" (a soft rock ballad that also appears in another version on Dennis DeYoung's 1998 The Hunchback of Notre Dame album), and "Dear John", a tribute to the late Panozzo that has become a cult favorite among Styx fans. And later on it documented on DVD format. The Return to Paradise album was a surprise success in 1997, achieving gold status and the single “Paradise” briefly charting on the Adult Contemporary chart at No. 27. Following the release of the album, Styx embarked on another tour, this one to mark the 20th anniversary of The Grand Illusion.
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Two years later, in 1999, the band released its first new studio album in almost a decade: Brave New World. The album received a lukewarm reception and sold very slowly, and the single, "Everything Is Cool", failed to chart. Once again, during work on the album, personality conflicts drove the band members apart. While Tommy Shaw's material attempted to bring the band into the next century and JY's songs attempted to convey a hard rock vein, Dennis DeYoung's more pop and Broadway-style leanings led to divergent sounds on Brave New World. According to DeYoung, another crucial difference was that he was not the overall producer on this album, as he had been on the others. Arguments over which songs to release as singles, the album's artwork, the track sequencing, the slow album sales, and the omission of DeYoung's vocals and keyboards from many of the Shaw-Young tracks fueled the fire.[citation needed] The band was further hindered by a viral illness contracted by DeYoung, which temporarily made his eyes sensitive to light. DeYoung asked his bandmates to delay touring, but they refused and decided to go forward without him. DeYoung was replaced by Lawrence Gowan, a classically trained pianist, who had achieved platinum success as a solo act on Sony Canada. Gowan's song "A Criminal Mind" was incorporated into their tour set list, and is still performed into the 2010s. Bassist Chuck Panozzo was sidelined in 1999 due to health problems related to his battle with HIV/AIDS. His public "coming out" occurred in 2001 at the annual Human Rights Campaign banquet, with James "JY" Young in attendance for support. On June 6, 1999, the group reunited briefly to perform for the Children's Miracle Network Telethon as DeYoung's final performance with the band. Glen Burtnik filled in for Chuck Panozzo on bass. On June 9, 2000, Styx made an appearance with REO Speedwagon at the Riverport Amphitheatre. A 2-CD recording of the concert was released as Arch Allies: Live at Riverport, with one disc of each band's set, and both discs concluding with performances of the two bands collaborating on jam versions of Styx's "Blue Collar Man" and REO's "Roll with the Changes". Each band also released their set as a separate album, with additional tracks; Styx's version was At the River's Edge: Live in St. Louis. With Chuck Panozzo concentrating on his health problems, Glen Burtnik returned to Styx in 1999 to fill in for him on bass, with Panozzo participating on a part-time basis, sitting in as his health permitted.
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Styx's new lineup released several live albums and released the studio album Cyclorama in February 2003, which reached No. 127 on the Billboard 200 album charts. A single "Waiting for Our Time" hit No. 37 on the Billboard mainstream rock chart for 1 week. Styx toured extensively during this period and released additional live albums. Styx also was part of the Super Bowl pre game entertainment in San Diego prior to the Oakland Raiders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They played a short set in the parking lot, as well as on the field right before the game, playing Queen's "We Are the Champions". Burtnik left Styx in September 2003, to spend time with his family and to pursue a solo career and release the album Welcome to Hollywood. He was replaced by Ricky Phillips, formerly of the Babys and Bad English. Panozzo continues to play bass for some shows with Phillips on rhythm guitar, while Phillips continues as a stand in bassist for Panozzo during shows without him. Burtnik would go on to join up with DeYoung for numerous tour dates over the next several years. On June 5, 2004, Styx participated in Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival covering songs by Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Slim Harpo with Jeff Baxter as a special guest. In 2005, Styx released an album of cover tunes, Big Bang Theory, which reached the Billboard Top 50 on the album charts, their highest charting album since 1990. Their version of the Beatles song "I Am the Walrus" received some radio play, and a video was made for the song, which was subsequently featured in their live shows. Still, the album had a short life on the charts and failed to make much of a dent.
Meanwhile, DeYoung continued his solo career by re-arranging and performing his Styx hits with a symphony orchestra. In 2005, DeYoung released a CD of re-recorded Styx hits from a solo concert with a symphony orchestra (titled The Music of Styx - Live with Symphony Orchestra). The album also contained three new DeYoung songs. DeYoung's CD became a major hit in Canada, selling 50,000 copies there. Burtnik now often appears with DeYoung in his solo shows. In June 2007, DeYoung released One Hundred Years from Now (not released in the US till 2009), his first full collection of new songs in some time. As of April 21, 2006, according to the RIAA, which awards artists and groups gold/platinum status, Styx ranks number 127 with 17.5 million records sold within the United States.[28] The blurb on Amazon.com about Panozzo's book The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life with Styx states that Styx has sold over 54 million records.
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On February 21, 2010, the current incarnation of the band performed before the Sprint Cup Auto Club 500 In Fontana, California. In a North American tour beginning in May 2010, Styx was a co-headliner of United in Rock with Foreigner and special guests Kansas.[29] In July 2010, Styx announced the forthcoming release of Regeneration: Volume 1, a new EP featuring six re-recorded hits and a new song entitled "Difference in the World". This coincided with "The Grand Illusion / Pieces of Eight Tour", on which both albums were played in their entirety. In November 2010, Styx announced that they would be filming their concert in Memphis on November 9 for a DVD.[32] They also announced that they'd be touring the UK with Journey and Foreigner for five dates in June 2011.[33] The landmark concert was recorded at the historic Orpheum Theater, where Styx performed both of their classic albums, 1977's The Grand Illusion and 1978's Pieces of Eight. In early April 2011, it was announced that Styx would join up with Yes for a "Progressive US Tour" that began on July 4, 2011. On December 15, 2011, they participated in the figure skating show Improv-Ice, which was broadcast on television January 15, 2012.[35] On January 26, 2013, the Palladia Channel premiered the concert filmed in November 2010.[34]On November 22, 2013, they announced a benefit concert with REO Speedwagon titled "Rock to the Rescue" to raise money for the affected families of the tornado in central Illinois.
The summer of 2014 found the band back on the road in a new touring package called Soundtrack of Summer, with Foreigner and ex-Eagle Don Felder. On October 21, 2014, DeYoung and his band released a rock concert on 2CD + DVD and Blu-ray package, which is called: Dennis DeYoung... And the Music of Styx Live in Los Angeles, released in the U.S. via Frontiers Records. The European release date was October 17, 2014.[36] Also on October 21, 2014, a condensed version of this live concert package was broadcast on AXS TV Headliner Club Concert Series.[37] The concert took place at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 18, 2014.[38] Styx's 2015 summer tour saw them re-uniting with Def Leppard. Along with Tesla, the groups played outdoor venues across the United States. In 2016, Styx announced a series of performances to be held at the Venetian in Las Vegas in early 2017 with Felder. In February 2017, it was announced that Styx and REO Speedwagon would join forces in a tour entitled "United We Rock" with special guest Felder, which was in large concert venues throughout the US. On April 21, 2017, Styx announced a studio album entitled The Mission, simultaneously releasing the single "Gone Gone Gone". The album was released on June 16, 2017, and is a concept album about a mission to Mars. On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Styx among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. On May 22, 2020, Dennis DeYoung releases his first studio album in over 10 years, 26 East, Vol. 1. The album featured a duet with Julian Lennon "To the Good Old Days" and "With All Due Respect."
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Members
Current members
Chuck Panozzo – bass, occasional backing vocals (1972–1984, 1990–1991, 1995–1999, part-time 1999–present)
James "J.Y." Young – guitars, lead and backing vocals, occasional keyboards (1972–1984, 1990–1991, 1995–present)
Tommy Shaw – guitars, lead and backing vocals, occasional mandolin (1975–1984, 1995–present)
Todd Sucherman – drums, percussion, occasional backing vocals (1995–present)
Lawrence Gowan – keyboards, lead and backing vocals, occasional acoustic guitar (1999–present)
Ricky Phillips – bass, backing vocals, part-time guitar (2003–present)
Former members
Dennis DeYoung – keyboards, lead and backing vocals (1972–1984, 1990–1991, 1995–1999)
John Panozzo – drums, percussion (1972–1984, 1990–1991; died 1996)
John "J.C." Curulewski – guitar, backing and lead vocals, keyboards (1972–1975; died 1988)
Glen Burtnik – guitar, backing and lead vocals (1990–1991, 1999-2003, part-time 1999-2003); bass (1999–2003)
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Studio albums
Styx (1972)
Styx II (1973)
The Serpent Is Rising (1973)
Man of Miracles (1974)
Equinox (1975)
Crystal Ball (1976)
The Grand Illusion (1977)
Pieces of Eight (1978)
Cornerstone (1979)
Paradise Theatre (1981)
Kilroy Was Here (1983)
Edge of the Century (1990)
Brave New World (1999)
Cyclorama (2003)
Big Bang Theory (2005)
The Mission (2017)
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From 1977 to 1981, Styx released four consecutive albums that have been certified Multi-Platinum, for at least 2 million units sold apiece, by the RIAA: The Grand Illusion (1977), Pieces of Eight (1978), Cornerstone (1979) and Paradise Theatre (1981). A longstanding, oft-repeated claim in the music industry and the mainstream press is that Styx were the first band to release four consecutive Triple-Platinum albums, signifying at least 3 million units sold.[33][45][46][47][48][49] During the period when these albums charted, the RIAA's only certifications were for Gold (500,000 units sold) and Platinum (1 million). Multi-Platinum awards were introduced in late October 1984.[50] Following this development, record companies submitted their most popular artists' sales records to accountants in order to achieve the new thresholds. Styx did score three Triple-Platinum albums—The Grand Illusion (1977), Pieces of Eight (1978) and Paradise Theatre (1981)—and one Double-Platinum album—Cornerstone (1979)—on the same date, November 14, 1984. Complete and detailed historical sales figures for record albums are not readily available to the public, but the certifications, which can be found at the RIAA site, show that the feat the band actually achieved was being the first group to be awarded four consecutive Multi-Platinum albums with three of those ranking better than Double Platinum. Styx achieved another Double-Platinum album—Greatest Hits (Volume I)—on August 23, 2005.
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The band started as a cover band who played events such as weddings and birthday parties. They called themselves "The Tradewinds" in 1961, when the band was composed of, at 12 years of age, Chuck and John Panozzo, who played bass guitar and drums, respectively, and their neighbor, 14-year-old Dennis DeYoung on keyboards, accordion and vocals. They later named themselves "TW4," after adding their college friend John Curulewski in 1968, and the south side hard rocker James "J.Y." Young in 1970, as guitarists, songwriters and singers for the band. The album showcased the band as a progressive-art rock/60's garage rock act. It contained the 13-minute opus "Movement for the Common Man," and J.Y. rocker "Children of the Land." It also features John Panozzo's percussion solo, the street interviews from Chicago "Street Collage," their symphonic rocker rendition of Fanfare for the Common Man and the prog-folk piece, sung by DeYoung and co-written by Young & DeYoung, "Mother Nature's Matinee." The upbeat pop rocker Best Thing was co-written by DeYoung and Young, released as a single in late '72, and peaked at No. 82 on the charts. The rest of the material on the album included cover versions that the record label suggested the group record. The band members, including DeYoung, said that they had never heard of them before. The album was reissued in 1980 under the title Styx I with new artwork. In late 2012, it was re-released for CD and digital download, along with Styx II (1973), The Serpent Is Rising (1973), and Man of Miracles (1974).
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The Serpent Is Rising is the third album by American band Styx, released in October 1973, a mere three months after their previous album Styx II in July 1973. The album was reissued in 1980 with new artwork and a new title, Serpent. The album peaked at #192 on the Billboard 200, their second-lowest charting album, and as of 2007 has sold fewer than 100,000 copies worldwide. Described as a loose concept album, The Serpent Is Rising contains a number of sexual innuendos. The baroque prog "The Grove of Eglantine" (written by DeYoung) was about a woman's vagina. It has some harpsichord and accordion, to give a British/European sound. The proggish title track was written by John Curulewski, is about the serpent beginning to rise. Musically, it has some King Crimson influence especially on their debut album. The screaming spoken word "Krakatoa" by Curulewski was named for the volcano event of the same name in 1883. It features an ending glissando which was taken from a Beaver and Krause track called "Spaced" in 1970, for which they were credited on the album; the song later made it onto the THX audio snippet Deep Note. The acoustic bluesy track "As Bad as This" by Curulewski has a hidden track called "Plexiglas Toilet" which is a calypso humor about a boy who is sitting on a Plexiglass toilet and having problems. The track features only Curulewski and the Panozzo Brothers. The song was played on the Dr. Demento radio show and "Weird Al" Yankovic supposedly loved it. The album also includes James Young rockers "Witch Wolf" and "Young Man", the upbeat "Winner Take All" (written by DeYoung and sung by Young) and the boogie-woogie track "22 Years" (written by Curulewski but sung as a duet by DeYoung and Young); the outro for that track features the producer and president of Wooden Nickel records Bill Traut on saxophone. The prog rocker "Jonas Psalter" was written by DeYoung and sung by Young. Lyrically, it was about pirates. Musically, it has elements of the contemporary sound of Yes, and also featured Moog Synthesizer. The album finished with Handel's Hallelujah classical piece, features all the band members singing and DeYoung played a pipe organ on cathedral in Chicago. Styx considers The Serpent Is Rising to be their worst recording. Dennis DeYoung is indirectly quoted as saying it was "one of the worst recorded and produced in the history of music."
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Man of Miracles is the fourth album by Styx, released on November 8, 1974. This would be the band's last original album on the independent Chicago-based label Wooden Nickel Records before moving to the major label A&M. The album had a diverse sound, it showcased the style of two band members and a pre-commercial sound: James "JY" Young songs were more straight ahead hard rockers, while Dennis DeYoung songs were more mellow ballads, classical, and prog rock songs.
The original issue contained the catchy upbeat cover of "Lies" by The Knickerbockers in 1965. A second release of Man of Miracles substituted this with "Best Thing", a song also contained on the first Styx album from 1972, as the opening track on side two. The album was again reissued in 1980 with new artwork and a newly abbreviated title, Miracles. This version started the second side with the ballad "Unfinished Song", which is sung by Dennis DeYoung.
Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Lead vocals Length
1. "Rock & Roll Feeling" James Young, John Curulewski Young 3:02
2. "Havin' a Ball" Curulewski, Young Young 3:53
3. "Golden Lark" Dennis DeYoung DeYoung 3:23
4. "A Song for Suzanne" DeYoung DeYoung 5:15
5. "A Man Like Me" Young Young 2:57
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Lead vocals Length
6. "Lies" Buddy Randell, Beau Charles DeYoung 2:41
7. "Evil Eyes" DeYoung DeYoung 4:02
8. "Southern Woman" Young, Ray Brandle Young 3:10
9. "Christopher, Mr. Christopher" DeYoung DeYoung 4:02
10. "Man of Miracles" Young, DeYoung, Brandle Young 4:55
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Equinox is the fifth album by Styx, released in December 1975. The album was the band's first release for A&M Records (with whom they had signed earlier in 1975, after the late unexpected success of the 1973 single "Lady"). The album also marked the final appearance of original Styx guitarist John Curulewski who left the band[4] to spend time with his family, abruptly following the release of Equinox. The band went into a frantic search to find a replacement for their upcoming tour to support Equinox. Shortly thereafter, Tommy Shaw was approached and joined the band. Although Equinox stalled at #58, it went Gold in 1977 shortly before the release of The Grand Illusion (1977) and it sold 350,000 copies when it was first released. The album's biggest hit is the track "Lorelei", which became Styx's second US Top 30 hit. The opening track "Light Up" appears to be a celebration of pot smoking. "Mother Dear," co-sung by Curulewski (verses) and DeYoung (chorus), is in a prog-rock style. "Lonely Child" is a melodic power ballad featuring 12-string guitars. Side 2 opens with the rocker "Midnight Ride," which showcases the hard rock of singer-songwriter Young. It is the only song written by him on the album. "Born for Adventure," about legends such as Robin Hood, is the only song co-written by DeYoung, Young, and Curulewski. The 12-string guitar instrumental "Prelude 12" was composed by Curulewski. It segues into the most well-known song on the album, "Suite Madame Blue," which was written about the then-imminent US Bicentennial. The track became a staple at all Styx tours with Dennis DeYoung. It is a rare example of a Styx song having four vocal parts, and includes a one-time backing vocal by Chuck Panozzo, during the "America" refrain.
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Crystal Ball is the sixth album by Styx, released in 1976. This album marked the recording debut of new guitarist Tommy Shaw. The track "Mademoiselle" was Tommy Shaw's vocal debut and the album's Top-40 hit. The album's title track would become a concert staple for the band, as it was performed on every subsequent Styx tour with which Shaw was involved. Claude Debussy's classical piece "Clair de Lune" served as the intro to the album's closing track, "Ballerina". The version of "Clair de Lune" on Crystal Ball features only DeYoung on piano, with the key changed from D flat to C, as the next track ("Ballerina") begins in C minor. Daevid Jehnzen of AllMusic rated Crystal Ball three-and-a-half out of five stars. He stated that it was better than Styx's previous album, Equinox (1975), although it was not as successful. He also said that the album showcases "Styx's increased skill for crafting simple, catchy pop hooks out of their bombastic sound." Alan Niester of Rolling Stone also, found the album favorable, stating that "although Styx is based in Chicago, the group has its English scam down pat". He also stated that the instrumentation "always seems on the verge of going out of control, giving the whole album an extra surge of excitement."
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The Grand Illusion is the seventh studio album by Styx. Recorded at Paragon Recording Studios in Chicago, the album was released on July 7, 1977. The release was a smash worldwide, selling three million copies in the US (Triple Platinum) alone. Some estimates have the album at over 6 million copies sold. The album launched the band to stardom and spawned the hit singles "Come Sail Away" and "Fooling Yourself." The title track also received substantial FM airplay, but was never released as an official single. As with much of Styx's catalog, many of the songs have quasi-medieval/fantasy lyrics and themes. Some are allegories and commentaries on contemporary American life and the members' experiences in an American rock band in the mid-to-late 1970s, such as Castle Walls, Superstars, Miss America and the title track, The Grand Illusion. The emotionally deep song "Man in the Wilderness" was written by Tommy Shaw after watching a Kansas performance in Detroit, which they had played as the opening act. He has stated it was “Epic! Unlike any presentation of rock music I'd ever experienced. To go that big opened up all kinds of ideas in my mind, and the next time I was alone with my acoustic, the song more or less unfolded itself.” The lyrics stem from his experiences of rising to fame with Styx as well as his brother being sent off to fight in the Vietnam War, as a pawn for the politicians in Washington DC. "Come Sail Away" uses sailing as a metaphor to achieve one's dreams and the yearning to sail away. The lyrics touch on nostalgia of "childhood friends," escapism, and a religious thematic symbolized by "a gathering of angels" singing "a song of hope." The ending lyrics explain a transformation from a sailing ship into a starship, by narrating that "they climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies" which also imply biblical verses from Ezekiel (1:1-28).[7] However, DeYoung revealed on In the Studio with Redbeard (which devoted an entire episode to the making of The Grand Illusion), that he was depressed when he wrote the track after Styx's first two A&M offerings, Equinox and Crystal Ball, sold fewer units than expected after the success of the single "Lady". Musically, it combines a plaintive, ballad-like opening section (including piano and synthesizer interludes) with a bombastic, guitar-heavy second half. In the middle of the second half it features the proggish minute-long synthesizer instrumental break, after the solo finished, the guitar-heavy returns with a catchy chorus.
"Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" was written by Shaw. It was originally based on Shaw's initial perception of DeYoung who was an "angry young man" who viewed the group's successes with a wary eye and grew angry or depressed with every setback. It was only in later years that Shaw began to see himself in the lyrics, and the song took on a more personal meaning to him.[citation needed]. The composition features a number of time signature changes. The intro and outro are performed in 6/8 time, led by Shaw's acoustic guitar tracks and DeYoung's synthesizer melodies. The vocal sections of the song are in 4/4. The instrumental features a synthesizer solo in 7/4 time, before returning to 4/4 for the final chorus. After a brief intro recap, there is a brief break with two measures of 5/8 time, and then a return to the 6/8 meter, with another synthesizer solo, before fading out. The closing track "The Grand Finale" combines the themes of the songs on the album.
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Pieces of Eight is the eighth studio album by Styx, released on September 1, 1978. Like the band's previous album, The Grand Illusion (1977), it managed to achieve triple platinum certification, thanks to the hit singles "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" and "Renegade". The band members produced and recorded the album (like their previous three efforts) at Paragon Studios in Chicago with recording engineer Barry Mraz and mixing engineer Rob Kingsland. "I'm O.K." was recorded at Paragon and St. James Cathedral. This would be the last album to be produced at Paragon Studios. The album's cover was done by Hipgnosis. Dennis DeYoung stated in the 1991 interview with Redbeard on the "In the Studio" episode that he initially hated the cover but grew to like it as he got older. Some consider the album to be Styx' second concept album (1973's The Serpent Is Rising arguably being the first) as well as the last Styx album with significant progressive rock leanings. The theme of the album, as Dennis DeYoung explained on In the Studio with Redbeard which devoted an entire episode to Pieces of Eight, was about "not giving up your dreams just for the pursuit of money and material possessions".
Mike DeGagne of AllMusic has retrospectively praised the album, saying that the songs on the album "rekindle some of Styx's early progressive rock sound, only cleaner."[3] Contemporary Rolling Stone reviewer Lester Bangs was more critical of the album, however, saying that "What's really interesting is not that such narcissistic slop should get recorded, but what must be going on in the minds of the people who support it in such amazing numbers. Gall, nerve and ego have never been far from great rock & roll. Yet there's a thin but crucial line between those qualities and what it takes to fill arenas today: sheer self-aggrandizement on the most puerile level. If these are the champions, gimme the cripples." The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard album chart, and like its predecessor would go triple platinum.
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Cornerstone is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Styx, released in 1979. Styx's third straight multi-platinum selling album, Cornerstone was Styx's first album to earn a Grammy nomination, which was for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. Like the four previous Styx albums, the band produced the album themselves. Styx recorded the album at Pumpkin Studios in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Cornerstone is best known for including the group's only #1 Billboard Hot 100 Single, the power ballad "Babe".[5] The album also includes the folk rock song "Boat on the River", which was a hit in Europe,though it failed to chart in the United States. Cornerstone became Styx's first US Top 5 album, peaking at #2 on the Billboard album chart. The album represented a musical transition for Styx, as the band emphasized its pop sound more than the progressive rock influences that dominated their first eight studio albums.[9] Peaking at #2, the album was Styx's highest album chart peak until its successor, 1981's Paradise Theatre, which hit #1. From a songwriting standpoint, Cornerstone is dominated by Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw—each is credited as sole songwriter or co-writer for five tracks on the album (including two collaborations between the pair).
Consistent with most of Styx's catalog from 1975 to 1983, DeYoung's contributions to Cornerstone found the most success on the charts. The first single to be released was also to become Styx's only US #1 single: "Babe", which DeYoung wrote as a birthday present for his wife Suzanne.[10] The track was first performed and recorded as a demo with just him and the Panozzo brothers, but A&M executives heard the track and insisted it go on the album.[10] Shaw overdubbed a guitar solo in the song's middle section. "First Time", another power ballad also written by DeYoung, was intended to be Cornerstone's second single. Shaw, however, expressed concern that releasing two ballads in a row would alienate the band's hard rock fan base. He felt strongly enough that he threatened to leave the band over the proposed release.[9] The upbeat song "Why Me" (once again written by DeYoung) was chosen instead, reaching #26 on the charts.[11] The division was strong enough that DeYoung was briefly fired from the band, although he was invited back before word reached the press or public. Shaw's major contribution to the album was the folkish "Boat on the River", which became the band's biggest European hit. Shaw's other contributions included the pop-rocker "Never Say Never," the Shaw/DeYoung album-opener "Lights", the more progressively-flavored song "Love in the Midnight", and "Borrowed Time", a DeYoung/Shaw collaboration. James Young had one song on the album, the hard rocker "Eddie", which was aimed at Edward Kennedy, unsuccessfully pleading with him not to make a run for the U.S. presidency. Young used a guitar-synthesizer solo. Instrumentally, the album demonstrated the shift to a more pop-oriented and organic sound.[9] DeYoung predominantly used a Fender Rhodes electric piano on over half of the tracks, and the group used real horns and strings on the album on several tracks. While commercially successful, Cornerstone brought to light the first fragmenting of the group's collective artistic vision. These divisions would continue to deepen, ultimately leading to Styx's dissolution following the release of the 1983 album, Kilroy Was Here.
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Paradise Theatre is the tenth album by the rock band Styx, released in January 1981. It was the band's most commercially successful album, peaking at #1 for 3 weeks on the Billboard 200 in April and May 1981 (non-consecutively). It was also the band's fourth consecutive album to be certified triple-platinum by the RIAA. Four singles from the album charted on various charts, with two songs reaching the top 10 pop singles chart. The lead single "The Best of Times", written by Dennis DeYoung, went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Too Much Time on My Hands", written by Tommy Shaw, went to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, Shaw's only top 10 hit for Styx. "Nothing Ever Goes as Planned", written by DeYoung, went to #54 on the US Pop Chart. "Rockin' the Paradise" — written by DeYoung, Shaw and James Young — went to #8 on the Top Rock Track Chart.
A concept album, the album is a fictional account of Chicago's Paradise Theatre from its opening to closing (and eventual abandonment), used as a metaphor for America's changing times from the late 1970s into the 1980s. (Dennis DeYoung, who envisioned and developed the entire concept, confirmed this in an episode of In the Studio with Redbeard about the making of the album.) Initial vinyl copies of the album have a design featuring the name of the band laser etched directly onto the vinyl on side 2 (some copies had a wax design of the cover art). The vinyl record sleeve was a gate-fold and was painted by the artist Chris Hopkins. On the back cover, label and spine, the title of the record is spelled "Paradise Theater", while on the front cover, the title is spelled "Paradise Theatre". Vinyl releases and initial CD pressings of the album had the musical segue between "Half-Penny, Two-Penny" and "A.D. 1958" indexed as the intro to "A.D. 1958". Subsequent pressings of the CD had the segue indexed as the fade to "Half-Penny, Two-Penny" instead.
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Kilroy Was Here is the eleventh studio album and rock opera by the rock band Styx, released on February 22, 1983. The album is named after a famous World War II graffiti tag "Kilroy was here". It was the final album of original material to be released by the "classic" lineup of Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James "J.Y." Young, John Panozzo, and Chuck Panozzo. The album spawned two hit singles, the synth-pop "Mr. Roboto" which later became one of their signature songs, and the power ballad "Don't Let It End". Both of them were major hits in 1983, peaking at #3 and #6 respectively, on the US Billboard Hot 100. The hard rocker "Heavy Metal Poisoning", fifth track on the album, begins with the backmasked Latin words "annuit cœptis, novus ordo seclorum".[5] Translated from the Latin, these words mean "[he/she/it] has favored our undertakings,[6] a new order of the ages". These are the two mottoes from the Great Seal of the United States on the reverse side of the United States one-dollar bill. The album is certified platinum by the RIAA. As of 2021, it is the last studio album by the band to be certified platinum.
The band created the album Kilroy Was Here partly as a mocking response to fundamentalist Christian groups and other anti-rock-music activists who had previously influenced the Arkansas State Senate to pass a bill requiring that all records containing backward masking be labeled as such by the manufacturer. Cited in the legislation were albums by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Electric Light Orchestra, Queen, and Styx. ELO made a similar response with their own 1983 album Secret Messages. The album's somewhat rock-operatic story tells of a future where rock music is outlawed by a fascist and theocratic government and the "MMM (the Majority for Musical Morality)". The story's protagonist, Robert Orin Charles Kilroy (DeYoung), is a former rock star who has been imprisoned by MMM leader Dr. Everett Righteous (Young).[10] He escapes using a disguise (according to the album's famous song "Mr. Roboto") when he becomes aware that a young musician, Jonathan Chance (Shaw), is on a mission to bring rock music back. Kilroy Was Here was conceived by lead singer Dennis DeYoung as an album and accompanying stage show, which opened with a short film of the same name. According to the episode of "Behind The Music" featuring Styx, the early part of the supporting tour was a financial disaster, due to the fact that Styx had booked small, theater-sized venues for a more intimate experience, while later tour dates saw the group performing in large arenas to sold-out crowds. The album debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 in its first week and sold over 1 million copies (although some sources say 2.5 million copies) and peaked at #3 on the US charts; however, it broke the streak of multi-platinum albums for Styx, and ushered in a more keyboard-oriented, theatrical direction. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, James Young talked about the creative differences in the band, and what led to their breakup: "Dennis really wanted to do these soft, intimate love ballads, and that was against the grain for me and Tommy Shaw, so our differences got magnified, because Dennis was insisting on going outside the boundaries we lived with. He's an assertive and strongly opinionated guy." Despite the album's financial and chart success, after the Kilroy tour, the songs were not performed live by the band Styx (who fired DeYoung in 1999) in subsequent tours (with the exception of segments from "Mr. Roboto" and "Heavy Metal Poisoning" performed in the "Cyclo-medley"), until "Mr. Roboto" reappeared in full (in their encore) on May 30, 2018.[12] DeYoung does perform the songs "Mr. Roboto" and "Don't Let It End" regularly during his solo tours. The James Young Group performed Heavy Metal Poisoning and Double Life as well on their tour in 1993.
Edge of the Century is the twelfth studio album by Styx, released in 1990. It was the first Styx album featuring A&M solo artist Glen Burtnik, the only album to feature the Dennis DeYoung/James Young/Glen Burtnik/Chuck Panozzo/John Panozzo lineup, and the last album to feature John Panozzo on drums before his death in 1996. The album spawned three singles. "Show Me the Way" was written by DeYoung and peaked at #3 on both the Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart and Adult Contemporary Chart. Some radio stations played a version edited with snippets of congressional debate and caller dedications to troops in the Gulf War.[1] "Love Is the Ritual", (Pop singles peak #80) written by Burtnik and Plinky Giglio, and "Love at First Sight", (Pop singles chart peak, #25) written by Burtnik, DeYoung and Young, were also released as singles, but neither garnered the same amount of success as "Show Me the Way". The album was certified gold by the RIAA.
Brave New World is the thirteenth studio album by Styx, released in 1999. It is the band’s first studio album to feature drummer Todd Sucherman, replacing John Panozzo, who died in 1996 and the last album to feature keyboardist/vocalist Dennis DeYoung. This is the last album that bassist Chuck Panozzo is credited as a full-time member, he would continue with the band as a part-time member. The album peaked at #175 on the Billboard 200 and reached the top 10 on the Top Internet Albums chart. However, its position on the Billboard charts was the lowest from a Styx album of new material since 1973's The Serpent Is Rising. Jerry Goodman who is featured on violin as a special guest, used to play with bands like The Flock and Mahavishnu Orchestra. The album has a strong science fiction theme, as indicated by the album's title and song references to the well known eponymous book.
Cyclorama is the fourteenth studio album by Styx, released in 2003. This was the first studio album with Lawrence Gowan, following the departure of group co-founder Dennis DeYoung in 1999. It was also the latter of two albums to feature Glen Burtnik (the former being 1990's Edge of the Century), and the only album released by the Lawrence Gowan/Tommy Shaw/James "JY" Young/Glen Burtnik/Chuck Panozzo/Todd Sucherman lineup, and as such the only original Styx album to feature four different singer-songwriters (Shaw, Young, Gowan and Burtnik) as opposed to the usual three. The album peaked significantly higher on the Billboard album charts than Styx's previous release, Brave New World (1999), ending up 48 slots higher at #127. The album's first single was "Waiting for Our Time," which failed to chart on the Top 40 singles chart. It charted on the Mainstream Rock and Heritage Rock charts. "Yes I Can" charted on the American Music Adult Contemporary Chart. The album was also released as a "Dual Disc," with the reverse side of the disc containing a 5.1 DVD-Audio mix as well as music videos. The album was finally released to streaming services in 2020.
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The Mission is the sixteenth studio album by the band Styx, released on June 16, 2017 through UMe.[3] It is the band's first studio album since 2005's Big Bang Theory and their first release of original material since 2003's Cyclorama. The album reached #45 on the Billboard 200, propelled by pre-sales prior to its official release date, but fell off the chart after 2 weeks. In an era with limited album sales, total U.S. Sales were approximately 15,000 copies, a far cry from the band's triple platinum past. Yet, the album did briefly reach the Top 100 in four other countries. The concept album tells the story of a mission to the planet Mars in the year 2033.[3] The album's story was written by Tommy Shaw and Will Evankovich. Evankovich played a significant role, serving as producer and co-writing all but 1 of the full length tracks. The album was conceived in 2015 when Tommy Shaw composed the guitar riff that became the record's closing track, "Mission to Mars." The first lines Shaw wrote were "Now we can say it / This is the day / We'll be on our way / On our mission to Mars." The story was then formed around this idea. Styx announced the album in conjunction with the release of the lead single "Gone Gone Gone," while "Radio Silence" and "Hundred Million Miles from Home" were later made available prior to the album's release. The LP was expanded in 2018 and re-released in 5.1 surround sound (both DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD) on a blu-ray disc with visualizations for each song as well as a various music videos from the album and a "Making of the Mission" documentary. The album was well received by Allmusic's Stephen Erlewine, awarding the release four out of five stars and considered it a return to form for the band. In his qualitative review, he emphasised the strength of the material harkening back to the band’s late 70s material and Paradise Theatre album, despite not having Dennis DeYoung as the band’s frontman.
Track listing
1. "Overture" Tommy Shaw Instrumental 1:23
2. "Gone Gone Gone"
ShawWill EvankovichJames "JY" Young
Gowan 2:07
3. "Hundred Million Miles from Home"
ShawEvankovich
Shaw 3:39
4. "Trouble at the Big Show"
ShawEvankovichYoung
Young 2:30
5. "Locomotive"
ShawEvankovich
Shaw 5:03
6. "Radio Silence"
ShawEvankovichLawrence Gowan
Shaw 4:17
7. "The Greater Good"
ShawEvankovichGowan
ShawGowan
4:10
8. "Time May Bend"
ShawEvankovich
Gowan 2:30
9. "Ten Thousand Ways"
ShawGowan
Group 1:22
10. "Red Storm"
ShawEvankovich
Shaw 6:04
11. "All Systems Stable"
ShawEvankovichGowanTodd Sucherman
Shaw 0:17
12. "Khedive"
ShawGowan
Group 2:04
13. "The Outpost"
ShawEvankovichGowan
Gowan 3:51
14. "Mission to Mars" Shaw Shaw 2:43
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