The Spirit of Radio

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"The Spirit of Radio"

Single by Rush
from the album Permanent Waves
Released	January 1, 1980
Format	vinyl record (7" / 12")
Recorded	1979, Le Studio, Quebec
Genre	Progressive Rock
Length	4:56
Label	Mercury Records
Producer(s)	Rush and Terry Brown
Rush singles chronology
"Circumstances (1979)	"The Spirit of Radio" (1980)	"Entre Nous" (1980)

"Resist" (1997)	"The Spirit of Radio" (Live) (1998)	"Secret Touch" (2002)
Permanent Waves track listing
Beginning of Album	"The Spirit of Radio" (Track 1)	"Freewill" (Track 2)

The Spirit of Radio is a song first recorded in 1980 by popular Canadian rock band Rush on their album Permanent Waves. The song was recorded about the Toronto radio station CFNY, whose catchphrase, used throughout the 1980s lent its name to the song. The album, and that song specifically, greatly bolstered the popularity of Rush. The band had grazed the UK Top 40 two years earlier with Closer To The Heart, but when issued as a single in March 1980, The Spirit of Radio became their breakthrough UK hit, and soon raced to No.13 in the UK singles charts. The song was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The song was subsequently covered by the UK alternative rock band Catherine Wheel, as an exclusive track for CFNY's second Ongoing History of New Music compilation.

[edit] Trivia

In the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary, Meatwad sings the ending lyrics of the song ("of salesmen!") as well as the keyboard solo from Tom Sawyer.

The opening riffs of "The Spirit Of Radio" were sampled on the track "Conchita Martinez" which featured on St. Etienne's 1993 album So Tough.

The opening riff is also found in "Grade 9" by the Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on their "Gordon" album.

The initial UK releases of the song called it Spirit of Radio (dropping 'The' from the title.)

The final lines of the song ("For the words of the profits/Were written on the studio walls.") are a parody of the famous lines from the Simon and Garfunkel classic "The Sound of Silence": "...the words of the prophets/Are written on the subway walls."