When you close your eyes and think back to the summer of 1982, there's a good chance that the the pulsing beat and unmistakable punch of "Eye of the Tiger," start thrumming in your head. It's hard to believe that the most enduring rock song of the decade nearly never came to be.
The story of "Eye of the Tiger" begins with an unexpected setback. As Rocky III entered production, Sylvester Stallonewas hoping to use Queen's chart-topping hit "Another One Bites the Dust" to frame a pivotal— now iconic— training sequence. But, when he reached out, the answer was an unequivocal no.
That rejection became a turning point that sent Stallone searching for a sound that could match the grit and heart of Rocky's underdog hero. He turned to the Chicago rock band Survivor, personally contacting them to ask if they could write an original track for the film.
Survivor's lead singer, Jim Peterik, came home to a message on his answering machine: "Hey, yo, Jim… It’s Sylvester Stallone," he told The Tennessean in 2015. At first, he thought it was a prank. But Stallone was serious.
"So I call him up, and he answers, 'Yo.' I go, 'Is this Sylvester Stallone? This is Jim Peterik.' He says, 'Yeah, call me Sly.' Suddenly, I’m calling him "Sly" — a kid from Berwyn, Illinois! I was already this huge fan of Stallone anyway, me and my wife. He says, 'I've got this new movie called Rocky III, and I don’t want to use that 'Gonna Fly Now' song. It’s a good song, but I want something for the kids. Something with a pulse. Can you help me out?' I go, 'Uh, is the Pope Catholic?'"
The band got to work. Inspired by Stallone’s cut of the film, namely that famous scene of Rocky trading blows with Clubber Lang, Peternik and guitarist Frankie Sullivan wrote "Eye of the Tiger," building its now-iconic opening riff to mirror the rhythm of a boxer’s punches.
Actor Sylvester Stallone, as Rocky Balboa, raises his arms in the boxing ring on the set of Rocky III in May of 1982 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by James Drake/Getty Images)Released in May 1982, the song didn’t just complement Rocky III— it exploded. "Eye of the Tiger" spent six consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the second biggest song of the entire year. In 1983, its legacy was cemented when Survivor won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance.
Decades later, it’s nearly impossible to imagine Rocky III, or classic rock as we know it, without that opening riff. A closed door with Queen led Stallone straight to Survivor, and a rejected idea ended up producing one of the most enduring hits of the decade.
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