"Sole Survivor" is a song by progressive rock band Asia. Written by Geoffrey Downes and John Wetton, it is the third track and third single from the band's 1982 eponymous debut. It was Asia's second single for the U.S Mainstream Rock Charts that reached the Top Ten. The single also peaked at #75 in Germany and #91 in the UK.
| "Sole Survivor" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Asia | ||||
| from the album Asia | ||||
| B-side | "Here Comes the Feeling" | |||
| Released | 29 October 1982 [1] | |||
| Length | 4:52 (album version) | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Geoff Downes, John Wetton | |||
| Producer(s) | Mike Stone | |||
| Asia singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was covered by Japanese power metal band Galneryus for their 2008 cover album, Voices from the Past II. It was also used in some of the foreign versions of the 1982 Japanese anime Future War 198X.
In 2000, the song was referenced in satirical newspaper The Onion with a brief article titled "Sole Survivor Of Air Crash Has Asia's 'Sole Survivor' Stuck In Head."[2]
Billboard said that it "[underlines] a mix of instrumental rock drama and bittersweet lyrics."[3]
PopMatters critic Dennis Shin rated the song's music video as one of "20 ’80s music videos that have aged terribly," saying that it "looks old as dirt, and a couple of the talking mullets on stage look like Joe Dirt."[4]
Track listing
edit- 7" Single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sole Survivor" | 3:35 |
| 2. | "Here Comes the Feeling" | 3:30 |
Charts
edit| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[5] | 10 |
| West Germany (GfK)[6] | 75 |
References
edit- ^ "Asia singles".
- ^ Sole Survivor Of Air Crash Has Asia's 'Sole Survivor' Stuck In Head
- ^ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. October 30, 1982. p. 66. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Shin, Dennis (November 19, 2020). "20 '80S Music Videos That Have Aged Terribly". PopMatters. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ "Asia Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Asia – Sole Survivor" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 31, 2024.