No song is a guaranteed smash, but when it serves as the theme for a hit movie, its odds increase dramatically. That’s what Survivor learned when they were asked to write the signature tune for Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky III sequel in 1982. The result was “The Eye of the Tiger,” the title track from the group’s third album, released June 8, 1982.
The song went on to become a worldwide chart topper. But the song’s co-writers — Survivor guitarist Frankie Sullivan and guitarist/keyboardist Jim Peterik — faced a daunting task. Stallone had already chosen Queen’s 1980 monster hit “Another One Bites the Dust” for an early cut of the movie, but the song got axed — either United Artists (which produced the film) nixed it for being too old, or Queen denied permission for its use.
