Why Styx Never...

[Grotelul]

Styx had 4 triple-platinum records in a row which is incredible but why did they avoid getting that super mega-selling record? Many other classic era bands were able to do it. Boston, Aerosmith, Foreigner, Journey, Frampton, etc. Is it because they were a midwest band that switched from prog-rock to pop/rock? Journey was never prog-rock but they went from a more blues based rock to pop-rock and they were able to do it. Could they have done this after Paradise Theater with the right type of record? What were Styx fans or fans of rock looking for from Styx as a follow-up to PT? Record sales prove it was not Kilroy Was Here. Sure Mr. Roboto was a huge single but it was not enough to create album sales that could even match the previous 4 records. Was it the climate at the time? In 1983, you saw releases by AC/DC, Alan Parsons, Def Leppard, Pink Floyd, Santana, The Police, ZZ Top, plus early records by Madonna, Metallica, Billy Idol. Is there anything Styx could have created that could have boosted them to that next level?

[Socratic Methodist]

Yep.....THRILLER.

[Jodes]

Actually the reason why was A&M records didn't have the "PR" people that the other "mega" bands had at the time. Look at all the other bands that were huge back when Styx was:

Journey
Reo Speedwagon
Foreigner
Boston
Queen

Guess what.. NONE of those acts were on A&M Records..

Supertramp was, Split Enz were.. but those two bands never had HUGE success in the USA compared to what they were selling worldwide.

I'm sure Sterling has some good info on that as well..

Oh fyi.. sorry Sterling for not picking up your book yet.. Things are still very hectic around here!

[Ash]

Styx had 4 triple-platinum records in a row which is incredible but why did they avoid getting that super mega-selling record? Many other classic era bands were able to do it. Boston, Aerosmith, Foreigner, Journey, Frampton, etc. Is it because they were a midwest band that switched from prog-rock to pop/rock? Journey was never prog-rock but they went from a more blues based rock to pop-rock and they were able to do it. Could they have done this after Paradise Theater with the right type of record? What were Styx fans or fans of rock looking for from Styx as a follow-up to PT? Record sales prove it was not Kilroy Was Here. Sure Mr. Roboto was a huge single but it was not enough to create album sales that could even match the previous 4 records. Was it the climate at the time? In 1983, you saw releases by AC/DC, Alan Parsons, Def Leppard, Pink Floyd, Santana, The Police, ZZ Top, plus early records by Madonna, Metallica, Billy Idol. Is there anything Styx could have created that could have boosted them to that next level?

Keep this in perspective some. I do recognize what you're saying - but remember that by 1984 most bands like Aerosmith and Boston were in the dustbin. Aerosmith didn't make a comeback until the early 1990s thanks to MTV and Boston had a lot of legal problems (third stage didn't happen until almost 8 years after Don't Look Back).

Styx adapted and changed their sound to follow the trends in music. Which is why Kilroy sounds a lot more electronic and new-wave than any other because that was the big thing at the time. Dennis has said in interviews that music was a business first and everything else second because you need to make money in order to get the money to do the next record. To Dennis it was always about success and being at the top and while KWH disillusioned a lot of fans - it didn't do so nearly to the extent as Aerosmith (who self destructed due to drugs) and in the process picked up some newer fans. Hell even Jackson Browne had some awful albums in the 80s... Lawyers In Love anyone? I think the 80's were a culture shock to the 70's musicians who were trying to find their way in a new musical landscape... not all that dissimilar to the quandry the hair bands had when grunge came along.

If disco killed rock, and punk/new wave killed disco, then hair killed new wave and grunge killed hair.

As for their "big mega album" ... most people consider Paradise Theatre to be this album. When I'm in stranger's houses looking at their music collections, this is often the album that they had. I also think that it was the band's best selling album. So to say that KWH was a drop off is a little disingenous since they sold so many of PT.

I also think Styx IS bigger than some of the acts you mentioned. Alan Parsons for one.

Music is all about trends and about what the public wants to buy and what the radio wants to hear. At least it was a lot more so in Styx day.

[stmonkeys]

Styx had 4 triple-platinum records in a row which is incredible but why did they avoid getting that super mega-selling record? Many other classic era bands were able to do it. Boston, Aerosmith, Foreigner, Journey, Frampton, etc. Is it because they were a midwest band that switched from prog-rock to pop/rock? Journey was never prog-rock but they went from a more blues based rock to pop-rock and they were able to do it. Could they have done this after Paradise Theater with the right type of record? What were Styx fans or fans of rock looking for from Styx as a follow-up to PT? Record sales prove it was not Kilroy Was Here. Sure Mr. Roboto was a huge single but it was not enough to create album sales that could even match the previous 4 records. Was it the climate at the time? In 1983, you saw releases by AC/DC, Alan Parsons, Def Leppard, Pink Floyd, Santana, The Police, ZZ Top, plus early records by Madonna, Metallica, Billy Idol. Is there anything Styx could have created that could have boosted them to that next level?

Keep this in perspective some. I do recognize what you're saying - but remember that by 1984 most bands like Aerosmith and Boston were in the dustbin. Aerosmith didn't make a comeback until the early 1990s thanks to MTV and Boston had a lot of legal problems (third stage didn't happen until almost 8 years after Don't Look Back).
*******

Aerosmith's comeback, Permanent Vacation happened around 87. They had 2 pretty poor selling albums prior to that (rock in a hard place, and done with mirrors) i think i'm one of the few people who actually bought those albums! LOL! PV was certainly a step in the right direction for aerosmith, and the success with Run DMC's Walk This Way certainly helped. (pretty sure htat was released less than a year before PV) and yes, MTV had a ton to do with their resurgance. video killed the radio star indeed.

[yogi]

The ONLY thing I can add to this right now is that A&M had Supertramp.

Wasn't 'Breakfast In America' HUGE??


How many albums did it sell??

When Styx was on top, How many albums did the other supergroups sell at the time??

[Grotelul]

Styx had 4 triple-platinum records in a row which is incredible but why did they avoid getting that super mega-selling record? Many other classic era bands were able to do it. Boston, Aerosmith, Foreigner, Journey, Frampton, etc. Is it because they were a midwest band that switched from prog-rock to pop/rock? Journey was never prog-rock but they went from a more blues based rock to pop-rock and they were able to do it. Could they have done this after Paradise Theater with the right type of record? What were Styx fans or fans of rock looking for from Styx as a follow-up to PT? Record sales prove it was not Kilroy Was Here. Sure Mr. Roboto was a huge single but it was not enough to create album sales that could even match the previous 4 records. Was it the climate at the time? In 1983, you saw releases by AC/DC, Alan Parsons, Def Leppard, Pink Floyd, Santana, The Police, ZZ Top, plus early records by Madonna, Metallica, Billy Idol. Is there anything Styx could have created that could have boosted them to that next level?

Keep this in perspective some. I do recognize what you're saying - but remember that by 1984 most bands like Aerosmith and Boston were in the dustbin. Aerosmith didn't make a comeback until the early 1990s thanks to MTV and Boston had a lot of legal problems (third stage didn't happen until almost 8 years after Don't Look Back).

Styx adapted and changed their sound to follow the trends in music. Which is why Kilroy sounds a lot more electronic and new-wave than any other because that was the big thing at the time. Dennis has said in interviews that music was a business first and everything else second because you need to make money in order to get the money to do the next record. To Dennis it was always about success and being at the top and while KWH disillusioned a lot of fans - it didn't do so nearly to the extent as Aerosmith (who self destructed due to drugs) and in the process picked up some newer fans. Hell even Jackson Browne had some awful albums in the 80s... Lawyers In Love anyone? I think the 80's were a culture shock to the 70's musicians who were trying to find their way in a new musical landscape... not all that dissimilar to the quandry the hair bands had when grunge came along.

If disco killed rock, and punk/new wave killed disco, then hair killed new wave and grunge killed hair.

As for their "big mega album" ... most people consider Paradise Theatre to be this album. When I'm in stranger's houses looking at their music collections, this is often the album that they had. I also think that it was the band's best selling album. So to say that KWH was a drop off is a little disingenous since they sold so many of PT.

I also think Styx IS bigger than some of the acts you mentioned. Alan Parsons for one.

Music is all about trends and about what the public wants to buy and what the radio wants to hear. At least it was a lot more so in Styx day.

I hear what you are saying and I think in the end was all about timing, luck and lack of a push by the record company at that time. Now comparing overall success with those other bands....Boston's first album sells 17 million copies over time..although this was 1976-77... Rumours by Fleetwood Mac over 15 million sold around the same time. What did they have that Styx didn't? A record company behind them? Not as many catchy tunes? Is there such a fine line between really successful and beyond successful? Can Styx truly be put in a class with these other bands that have out sold them by so much? Journey's Greatest Hits package..14 million copies sold? I scratch my head on that one.

[rajah2165]

Styx had 4 triple-platinum records in a row which is incredible but why did they avoid getting that super mega-selling record? Many other classic era bands were able to do it. Boston, Aerosmith, Foreigner, Journey, Frampton, etc. Is it because they were a midwest band that switched from prog-rock to pop/rock? Journey was never prog-rock but they went from a more blues based rock to pop-rock and they were able to do it. Could they have done this after Paradise Theater with the right type of record? What were Styx fans or fans of rock looking for from Styx as a follow-up to PT? Record sales prove it was not Kilroy Was Here. Sure Mr. Roboto was a huge single but it was not enough to create album sales that could even match the previous 4 records. Was it the climate at the time? In 1983, you saw releases by AC/DC, Alan Parsons, Def Leppard, Pink Floyd, Santana, The Police, ZZ Top, plus early records by Madonna, Metallica, Billy Idol. Is there anything Styx could have created that could have boosted them to that next level?

You are right - they never had their "4" or "Escape" or "Stranger" or "Rumours" or "Hi Infidelity".... But what did all those albums have that Styx never had? They all had 4+ top 40 singles. Styx could never muster more than 2 on a record. They never had enough radio friendly song depth on their albums to match a 4-5 hit album. All those albums above had 4-5 top 20 singles. Paradise could have been if they had picked a different song to release than NEGAP as the 3rd single. One could argue that Cornerstone could have been that album had the second and third singles been a better choice...

[yogi]

Rajah,

You are 100% correct!!!!! Ya NAILED it!!!!!!!!!!!

So how many copies did Supertramp sell with Breakfast In America??

The Logical Song, Goodbye Stranger & Take The Long Way Home were ALLLLLL HUUUUUGGGGGEEEEE!!


What a FANTASTIC album!!! With that said I still liked Crime Of The Century better.

[Jodes]

I did some research on Breakfast In America.. RIAA says it sold 4 Million Copies in the US.

Now if Supertramp would have been on a different label.. who knows, maybe it would have sold 8-10 Millon instead..

Their followup album sold just over a millon copies.

[yogi]

Thanks Jodes. I thought it sold better than that.

What about Crime Of The Century?

How well did it sell? Damn I love that album!!