Peak
51
Weeks
8
Score
518
Chart Year
1980
Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart explained this song in an interview with Billboard magazine: "'The Spirit Of Radio' was actually written as a tribute to all that was good about radio, celebrating my appreciation of magical moments I'd had since childhood, of hearing 'the right song at the right time.' However, [the song's] celebration of the ideals of radio necessarily seemed like an attack on the reality - on the formulaic, mercenary programming of most radio stations, with music the last of anyone's concerns. And yes, it was really ironic that such a song became popular on radio, though it was a kind of litmus test. Some radio guys who 'got it' could hear the song and think, 'That's the way it ought to be,' while others - the shallow, swaggering salesmen-of-the-air - could be oblivious to the song's meaning and proudly applaud themselves, 'That's about me!'" >> A key line in this song comes when Geddy Lee sings about concert halls that echo with "the sound of salesmen." Neil Peart came up with the line after hearing stage patter from bands Rush would tour with; these bands would give the same spiel night after night, often telling the audience that their particular city was the greatest in the world or had the best fans. Peart found this disingenuous and manipulative. Rush was never a band that pandered to their fans, and they were very careful when it came to marketing, as their ethos of free thought doesn't jibe with most promotional efforts that tell folks what to think. Peart cites Kiss as a "salesmen" group that markets the band as a lifestyle (you can even get buried in a Kiss Kasket when you die). Rush opened for Kiss on a series of shows in 1974. The bands got along very well, but it was clear they had very different ideas on how to present their product. The unusual guitar heard at the beginning of this track sounds like Alex Lifeson was using a hammer-on technique, but he was really picking the strings very quickly. This was a rare hit single for Rush. Most of their songs at this stage of their career were meant to be heard within the context of an album, but this was short enough to get airplay and could stand on it's own as a single. In the last verse, the line "The words of the profits are written on the studio wall" is a play on words. Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart wrote it as "profits" rather than "prophets" to expose the money-grubbing side of the music industry. The lyrics were included in the album and the CD. Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound Of Silence" contains the lyrics: "For the words of the prophets were written on the subway walls, and tenement halls... and echo with the sound of silence." These are parodied by Neil Peart into, "For the words of the prophets are written on the studio wall, and concert halls.... and echo with the sound... of salesmen." Rush has been accused of taking themselves too seriously, but references like this show how they were slyly aware of the context in which they performed. That they could take themselves lightly was further borne out by their 2008 appearance on The Colbert Report. >> This song is heavily referenced on an episode of the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force, where Master Shake, the actual Zakk Wylde, and a mock voice of Geddy Lee create a new version of the birthday song much to the liking of Rush's long, epic songs. One of the main characters, Meatwad, sings the main riff of this song on the way home, until seeing Geddy Lee's private jet (which is shaped like a bass guitar) and screams Geddy's line from this song "OF SALESMEN!" to try to get his attention. >> Permanent Waves was released on January 1, 1980. This is the first track on the album, making it arguably the first song released in the '80s. >> The part where the song returns to the main riff is meant to imitate the sound of turning a radio dial. On analog dials, for a brief moment in between stations you can catch multiple stations/sounds at once. The song is Rush's only entry on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Rush wasn't inducted into the Hall until 2013; they were first eligible in 1999. The controversial talk show host Rush Limbaugh used this song during a verbal attack on Georgetown student activist Sandra Fluke, who demanded that contraception be provided by her Catholic university - something President Obama's healthcare reform ordered. Rush (the band) were unhappy with the use of their song in Limbaugh's rant, in which he called the girl "slut," "prostitute" and "round-heeled." The band filed a cease-and-desist letter, asking the radio personality to stop playing their music on his show. Some other musicians, including Peter Gabriel, also demanded that Limbaugh stop using their music on his show. Dream Theater percussionist Mike Portnoy views "The Spirit of Radio" as the first song hinting at a new musical direction for Rush, one that struck the perfect balance between the band's epic ambitions and a more listener-friendly brevity. The moment Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett heard this song, he and his friend grabbed their guitars and started practicing the intro. Rush released a new animated video for the song on June 12, 2020 in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Permanent Waves. The conceptual clip references milestones and influential broadcasters in FM rock radio history, including an homage to the pioneering Italian radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi. It closes with a personal tribute to the late Rush drummer Neil Peart, who died in January 2020. Fantoons.tv created the visual along with producer Linda Otero and directors David Calcano and Alberto Hadyar. The Texan choral band The Polyphonic Spree recorded this song for their 2021 covers album Afflatus. Their frontman Tim DeLaughter explained he covered "The Spirit Of Radio" with his high school band, Regency, "so for nostalgic reasons, we thought it would be fun to try it with The Spree."
Begin the day with a friendly voice A companion, unobtrusive Plays that song that's so elusive And the magic music makes your morning mood Off on your way hit the open road There is magic at your fingers For the spirit ever lingers Undemanding contact in your happy solitude Invisible airwaves crackle with life Bright antennae bristle with the energy Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength Bearing a gift beyond price almost free All this machinery making modern music Can still be open-hearted Not so coldly charted it's really just a question Of your honesty, yeah, your honesty One likes to believe in the freedom of music But glittering prizes and endless compromises Shatter the illusion of integrity, yeah Invisible airwaves crackle with life Bright antennae bristle with the energy Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength Bearing a gift beyond price almost free For the words of the prophets Were written on the studio wall Concert hall And echoes with the sound of salesmen Of salesmen, of salesmen
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 23, 1980 | 88 | 38 |
| 2 | Mar 1, 1980 | 72 | 54 |
| 3 | Mar 8, 1980 | 62 | 64 |
| 4 | Mar 15, 1980 | 55 | 71 |
| 5 | Mar 22, 1980 | 54 | 72 |
| 6 | Mar 29, 1980 | 51 | 75 |
| 7 | Apr 5, 1980 | 61 | 65 |
| 8 | Apr 12, 1980 | 97 | 29 |