Blogocentric Formulations

Turn Up The Radio

** Image ID #2070351 Unavailable **

Song: "Turn Up The Radio"
Artist: Autograph
Album: Sign In Please


What I love about this song (other than it's glam metal goodness, of course) is the fact that Autograph was very nearly a no-hit wonder. This song was a last-minute addition to their debut album Sign In Please and the RCA executives didn't even want it on the album because they thought it had "no commercial value." Hell, even the band didn't have a lot of hope for it and pushed for its inclusion only to fill out the track listing. Little did anyone realize it would eventually become their biggest (and only) hit, reaching No. 29 on the Billboard 100 and receiving significant airplay on MTV. It also earned guitarist Steve Lynch Guitar Player magazine's Guitar Solo of the Year Award in 1985. The song has since appeared on many 80s-themed soundtracks, including an episode of Miami Vice, the VRock radio station in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City video game, and as the song playing over the opening credits in the movie Hot Tub Time Machine.

Oh, and you simply must watch the video. It's everything that made the 80s great. Big hair perms (on dudes)! Guitar shredding! Lasers! Robots! An... odd closeup and prominent use of a Paper Mate Sharpwriter pencil? Maybe they got some promotional consideration or something.

The band was originally conceived of as a solo project for Steve Plunkett and eventually acquired its other members as they built up material for an album. The group disbanded in 1989 citing disillusionment with the music industry, and each member went off to pursue their own endeavors. Plunkett became a staff writer and producer for a music publisher, Steve Lynch became a guitar teacher, and the others have entered such diverse fields as construction/real estate law and the import/export of handcrafted leather products. In 2013, the living original members of the band reunited (minus Plunkett who wasn't interested) and they've been working on material for a new album.