Destination Jam: Top 5 Phil Collins tunes that pay tribute to the legendary Genesis drummer's solo offerings
The English musician Phil Collins is one of the most respected names in the music world, as a hugely successful solo artiste blessed with a soulful voice that brings out the emotive qualities of his wonderful pop, jazz fusion, and soft rock tunes. Prior to that, Collins had even proved he had world-class drumming chops as a member of the arty prog-rock band Genesis, whom he joined back in 1970, and he is still a member of their present-day lineup, despite brief breaks in between.
Even at the ripe age of 69, he's still making his presence felt on the US iTunes chart. This is thanks in no small part to this viral video, which shows the twins Tim and Fred Williams reacting to Phil Collins' classic hit 'In The Air Tonight' after hearing it for the first time. That reaction video went on to garner over 4.6 million views at last count and catapulted 'In The Air Tonight' to number two on the iTunes chart as of Tuesday, August 11, just below Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's latest hit 'WAP'. So, in honor of the second-richest drummer in the world (just behind Ringo Starr of the Beatles), let's take a look at some Phil Collins classics from his storied collection of greatest hits.
Destination Jam - Phil Collins Edition
'In The Air Tonight'
Naturally, we had to start with the song that launched Collins back into the charts nearly 40 years after it first emerged as a worldwide smash hit. This track was the debut offering from Collins as he embarked on his solo career, and it was released as the lead single from his first album, 'Face Value' in 1981. Collins apparently wrote this dark song after he got divorced from his first wife Andrea Bertorelli in 1980, admitting, "I wrote the lyrics spontaneously. I'm not quite sure what the song is about, but there's a lot of anger, a lot of despair, and a lot of frustration." Plenty of urban legends claim that the lines after "If you told me you were drowning" are actually a confession of Collins witnessing a hapless party drown to death, but he later rubbished those rumors. And who can forget about that iconic and magical drum break three minutes in, which even had the twins Tim and Fred Williams dropping their jaws in amazement at its incredible groove and well-judged timing.
'Against All Odds'
Next up, we have another classic, which is known as 'Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)'. This track was first released as the soundtrack for the 1984 film 'Against All Odds', and the power ballad went on to become the singer's first No. 1 in the United States. Its heartfelt lyrics include lines like "But to wait for you, is all I can do and that's what I've got to face / Take a good look at me now, cause I'll still be standing here / And you coming back to me is against all odds / It's the chance I've gotta take." The Grammy-winning theme song was hailed by music critics, with Heather Phares remarking that it "remains not only one of Collins' definitive singles, but one of the 1980s' best love songs." The pop diva Mariah Carey further contributed to the song's popularity when she covered it in 2000 with the boy band Westlife, and since then 'The X Factor' winner Steve Brookstein also recorded his own version of this vintage hit in 2005.
'You'll Be In My Heart'
Staying with the movie soundtrack motif, let's take a listen to another brilliant OST theme song that Collins crafted. This time it was for the soundtrack of the blockbuster Disney film 'Tarzan', which released in 1999. Collins' contributions to the animated movie resulted in five original songs, including this heartwarming track 'You'll Be In My Heart', which he recorded in five different European languages. It eventually spent a total of 19 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts and even peaked at No. 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The uplifting number also earned him the Oscar award for Best Original Song in 1999 and cemented his status as a certified Disney Legend. An alternate version of this song featuring Phil Collins and the actress Glenn Close was also included in the official OST album titled 'Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack'.
'One More Night'
Another smash hit from Phil Collins, this 1985 love song was the first single from the singer's third album, 'No Jacket Required', which was later certified for its diamond-selling status. It followed 'Against All Odds' to the top of the Billboard charts as Collins' second No. 1 single in the United States, and reigned supreme at its peak position for two weeks, eventually dethroned by 'We Are The World'. The smooth jazz ballad about being without one's lover was praised by most music critics, with Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times saying, "Collins' soulful but polite vocal style is also capable of capturing the pain of going through yet one more night without her." Speaking about the song, Collins admitted, "I had a tempo in mind. I was thinking of one of the Jacksons' songs actually when I strung a chorus on it. The line ‘one more night’ just fit what I was playing. The rest of the song was written very quickly."
'Another Day In Paradise'
Let's wrap up this playlist with another immortal classic, 'Another Day In Paradise', which was released as the lead single from his No 1 album '...But Seriously' in 1989. It went on to top the US Billboard Hot 100 charts that year, and is notable for being the last No. 1 single of the 1980s decade and also the first No. 1 single of the 1990s. This Grammy award-winning song sees Collins tackle the poignant subject of homelessness from a third-person perspective, as he sees a homeless woman on the street being awkwardly ignored by passers-by. He then implores the listener to realize that they were privileged to be in fortunate positions themselves, singing - "Oh, think twice, it's another day for you and me in paradise." The music video for the song has over 341 million views on YouTube alone, a clear sign of the track (and Phil Collins's) enduring popularity.
Destination Jam is a daily list of songs that will keep you entertained and grooving up top in lieu of feeling drained and losing the plot. Look out for a fresh selection of great tunes from MEAWW to refresh your mood every day!