Turn Up the Radio
Encyclopedia
"Turn Up the Radio" is a song by American glam metal
band Autograph
and the lead single
from their 1984 debut album, Sign in Please
. Released on December 22, 1984, "Turn Up The Radio" was Autograph's only Top 40 hit, reaching #29 in the Billboard 100
and receiving significant MTV
airplay. Thus, it would remain the band's most popular song and a staple of mainstream '80s heavy metal
.
described "Turn Up the Radio" as "a last minute song that RCA didn't even want on the album because they thought it had no commercial value. Goes to show you what the music 'professionals' know." However, the band firmly insisted and were granted its inclusion. According to Lynch, Autograph didn't expect great commercial success for the song or the band in general because of their disillusionment with the music industry. Lynch also reflected that, although the song was never a personal favorite, he always appreciated its strong hook
, commercial appeal, and "lyrics that were right for the times."
A demo version of the song appears on the bands "odds and ends" collection entitled Missing Pieces, featuring a slightly different chorus.
episode "Little Prince" in 1984. It also played in the opening credits of the 2010 comedy film
Hot Tub Time Machine
which centers around 1980s pop culture.
The song was featured on the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
on the fictional radio station, VRock
. "Turn Up the Radio" was also used in the role-playing video game
Alpha Protocol
as incidental music
during a boss fight against an '80s-obsessed Russian mafioso.
gained significant airplay in the early days of MTV
. It opens with the band walking into a metal theater through an automated door. A RoboCop
-like figure points, saying "sign in please," a direct reference to the album on which the song appears. After a ray of light reveals a pen, the band members provide their signatures next to their names (listed along with their respective musical instruments) on a paper. Drummer Keni Richards writes an X, which sets off an error alarm; Keni then erases it and signs properly. The band is then seen performing the song to a crowd. The video ends with Autograph boarding a limousine
resembling a DeLorean DMC-12 by its gull wing doors. Lead vocalist Steve Plunkett throws a pen to one of the female fans before leaving. The robot hand at the steering wheel turns out to be the robot from the start of the video, and the final shot reveals the robot's head as the door closes.
's Top 100 Hard Rock Songs and was named an AMG Track Pick by Allmusic.
In 1985, Guitar Player magazine awarded Steve Lynch
"Guitar Solo of the Year" for his work on "Turn Up the Radio."
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band Autograph
Autograph (American band)
Autograph was an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California.-Formation:Autograph began in late 1983 originally as a solo project for singer, songwriter & guitarist Steve Plunkett, who had recently left the band Silver Condor, due to his frustration with their lack of interest in recording...
and the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from their 1984 debut album, Sign in Please
Sign In Please
-Personnel:*Steve Plunkett - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar*Steve Lynch - Lead Guitar*Randy Rand - Bass, backing vocals*Steven Isham - Keyboards, backing vocals*Keni Richards - Drums, Noises-Production:*Produced By Neil Kernon...
. Released on December 22, 1984, "Turn Up The Radio" was Autograph's only Top 40 hit, reaching #29 in the Billboard 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and receiving significant MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
airplay. Thus, it would remain the band's most popular song and a staple of mainstream '80s heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
Background
Lead guitarist Steve LynchSteve Lynch
Steve Lynch is an American hard rock/heavy metal guitarist, also known as The Two-Handed Guitarist as also a guitar instructor for G.I.T. which is the famous guitar department in the Musician's Institute, situated in Los Angeles. He decided to commit himself to music and the guitar the day of...
described "Turn Up the Radio" as "a last minute song that RCA didn't even want on the album because they thought it had no commercial value. Goes to show you what the music 'professionals' know." However, the band firmly insisted and were granted its inclusion. According to Lynch, Autograph didn't expect great commercial success for the song or the band in general because of their disillusionment with the music industry. Lynch also reflected that, although the song was never a personal favorite, he always appreciated its strong hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
, commercial appeal, and "lyrics that were right for the times."
A demo version of the song appears on the bands "odds and ends" collection entitled Missing Pieces, featuring a slightly different chorus.
Appearances
"Turn Up the Radio" was used in the Miami ViceMiami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
episode "Little Prince" in 1984. It also played in the opening credits of the 2010 comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American science fiction adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Kellee Stewart, Rob...
which centers around 1980s pop culture.
The song was featured on the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
on the fictional radio station, VRock
Vrock
A vrock is a fictional demon from the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It resembles a humanoid with the head, claws, and wings of giant vulture. Vrock typically stand eight feet tall and weigh 800 pounds...
. "Turn Up the Radio" was also used in the role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
Alpha Protocol
Alpha Protocol
Alpha Protocol is a third-person espionage role-playing video game, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, their first title for an original IP, and published by Sega. The game revolves around the adventures of field agent Michael Thorton...
as incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
during a boss fight against an '80s-obsessed Russian mafioso.
Music video
The song's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
gained significant airplay in the early days of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. It opens with the band walking into a metal theater through an automated door. A RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
-like figure points, saying "sign in please," a direct reference to the album on which the song appears. After a ray of light reveals a pen, the band members provide their signatures next to their names (listed along with their respective musical instruments) on a paper. Drummer Keni Richards writes an X, which sets off an error alarm; Keni then erases it and signs properly. The band is then seen performing the song to a crowd. The video ends with Autograph boarding a limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
resembling a DeLorean DMC-12 by its gull wing doors. Lead vocalist Steve Plunkett throws a pen to one of the female fans before leaving. The robot hand at the steering wheel turns out to be the robot from the start of the video, and the final shot reveals the robot's head as the door closes.
Awards and accolades
The song was ranked #93 on VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Top 100 Hard Rock Songs and was named an AMG Track Pick by Allmusic.
In 1985, Guitar Player magazine awarded Steve Lynch
Steve Lynch
Steve Lynch is an American hard rock/heavy metal guitarist, also known as The Two-Handed Guitarist as also a guitar instructor for G.I.T. which is the famous guitar department in the Musician's Institute, situated in Los Angeles. He decided to commit himself to music and the guitar the day of...
"Guitar Solo of the Year" for his work on "Turn Up the Radio."
Chart positions
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
29 |
| Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
17 |