Ever Since the World Began

Survivor crafted the opening riff of Ever Since the World Began as if it were a bridge between two worlds: on one hand, that melodic hook that sticks in the memory instantly; on the other, a rhythm that doesn’t let go until the end. It’s not a track that starts softly and builds up, but rather one that kicks off with that contained energy which later explodes in the chorus. The Music was written by Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik, but what’s interesting is how the sound is held in a balance between the epic and the everyday, as if the lyrics—which speak of starting from scratch—found in the music the perfect reflection.

They recorded it in the studio with Mike Clink and Phil Bonnano overseeing the engineering, while Hill Swimmer handled the technical details. The result was an album that, in 1982, took them to the #2 spot on the U.S. Billboard charts and was later certified double platinum by the RIAA in October 1994. The song itself, clocking in at 3:45, opens Eye of the Tiger and accompanies the opening scene of Rocky III, but what’s most surprising is how that opening riff—so simple in appearance—ends up defining the tone of the entire album. They weren’t trying to sound like anyone else; they just wanted every note to convey that mix of determination and nostalgia the title already announces.