10 Best Rock Album Openers Of The 1980s
6. The Spirit Of Radio - Rush (Permanent Waves)
If you went out to buy the Rush album Permanent Waves in the year 1980, you might have been disappointed to find that it only had six songs on it. However, when one of those songs is The Spirit of Radio, it's hard to complain.
Inspired by the changes going on in the radio world at the time, the song was designed by the band to grab people's attention right from the start. Its legendary riff was intended to sound like static signals being emitted across the airwaves, creating a sense of mystery and intrigue around what was to come.
Geddy Lee's vocals are as on point as ever, and the trio as a unit are tight as tight can be. The song zips along from segment to segment, even finding time to incorporate a reggae section at the end. Because sure, why not?
The Spirit of Radio set the three chaps from Canada on a path to superstardom, as it quickly caught attention on both sides of the border. Without it, we may not have Rush as we know them today, and that would be a crying shame.