"Turn Up the Radio"
Promotional single sleeve
Single by Autograph
from the album Sign In Please
B-side"Thrill of Love"
ReleasedDecember 22, 1984 (1984-12-22)
GenreGlam metal[1][2][3]
Length4:38
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
  • Steve Plunkett
  • Steve Isham
  • Randy Rand
  • Steve Lynch
  • Keni Richards
Producer(s)Neil Kernon
Autograph singles chronology
"Turn Up the Radio"
(1984)		 "Send Her to Me"
(1985)
Music video
"Turn Up the Radio" on YouTube

"Turn Up the Radio" is a song by American glam metal band Autograph. Released as the lead single from the band's 1984 debut album, Sign In Please,[4] the song peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on March 16, 1985 and number 17 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks on January 26, 1985. The song also received a significant amount of airplay on MTV.[5][6][7] Due to the song being the band's only major hit, Autograph is often recognized as a one-hit wonder.[8][9][10] The unexpected success of the single boosted the sales for its parent album, with the album being certified gold by the RIAA on April 1, 1985.[11]

Background

Lead guitarist Steve Lynch 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." 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.[12] 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."[13]

A demo version of the song appears on the band's "odds and ends" collection entitled Missing Pieces (and its reissue More Missing Pieces) wherein it has a slightly different chorus. The demo version, along with the song's "alternate electric" and "acoustic" versions, also appears on the band's The Anthology album which is a merge of the three albums Missing Pieces, More Missing Pieces, and Buzz.

Music video

The song's music video gained significant airplay in the early days of MTV. Set in a 1980s technological future, the video opens with the band walking into a theater hall through an automated door. A RoboCop-like cyborg figure points, saying "sign in please", a direct reference to the album on which the song appears. In a blatant instance of product placement, a ray of light reveals a PaperMate Sharpwriter mechanical pencil, which had been released earlier that year. Using the pencil, the band members provide their signatures next to their names (listed along with their respective musical instruments) on a paper during which the pencil's name is prominently featured. Drummer Keni Richards first writes an X, which sets off an error alarm; he then erases the X, provides a proper signature (not shown), and sticks the pencil in his hair. As the cyborg illuminates the stage lights and reflects them, the band is then seen performing the song to a crowd. In the final chorus, Autograph boards a limousine resembling a DMC DeLorean by its gull-wing doors wherein lead vocalist Steve Plunkett throws the pencil to one of the female fans before leaving. As all the band members are aboard, the limousine's doors are closed by the cyborg, which then proceeds to drive them out of the venue. The video ends with a shot of the cyborg's head.

The product placement was the band's manager's idea: she thought that the band's name and the album title Sign In Please presented a natural opportunity for a promotional deal with a pen-and-pencil company.[14] In exchange for the prominent appearance of the pencil, the company helped fund the video — which was the band's first, and "a much more expensive video than the average new band" according to Plunkett — and also provided other financial support.[14]

As of 2023, the music video currently has over 21 million views on YouTube.[15]

Personnel

Autograph

  • Steve Plunkett - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Steve Lynch - lead guitar
  • Steve Isham - keyboards
  • Randy Rand - bass
  • Keni Richards - drums

Reception and legacy

The song was ranked No. 93 on VH1's Top 100 Hard Rock Songs[16] 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."[12] The song's video was placed on New York Times list of the 15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos.[17]

The song is featured in the soundtrack of the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the game's fictional VRock radio station.

The song plays during the fight with Konstantin Brayko in 2010 video game Alpha Protocol.

The song is included in the soundtrack of 2021 video game Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.

The song was featured in the opening credits of the movie Hot Tub Time Machine which has become a cult classic and consequently gave the song a second life.

Charts

Chart (1984-1985) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[18] 53
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 29
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[20] 17

References

  1. ↑ Sleazegrinder (December 4, 2015). "The 20 Best Hair Metal Anthems Of All Time Ever". loudersound. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  2. ↑ VH1 Classic Presents: Metal Mania - Stripped, Vol. 3 - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved April 2, 2021
  3. ↑ "Idle Cure, "Idle Cure" Review". www.jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Autograph (2) - Sign In Please". Discogs. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Autograph - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 49.
  7. ↑ "Autograph - Mainstream Rock". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  8. ↑ McPadden 3/17/2015, Mike. "Riot On The Set: 20 Live Concert Movie Cameos By Hard Rock + Heavy Metal Bands". VH1 News. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ "12 tubular one (and two) hit wonders from 1985". Me-TV Network. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  10. ↑ Smith 10/26/2014, Benjamin. "Power Ballads, Cult Bands And The Greatest One-Hit Wonders In Heavy Metal And Hard Rock". VH1 News. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Autograph Guitarist / Guitar Teacher Steve Lynch Archived January 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine FullinBloom.com. Retrieved on 7-01-11.
  13. ↑ My Interview With Steve Lynch – Original Guitarist For Autograph GlamRock.com (2009). Retrieved on 7-01-11.
  14. 1 2 Hunt, Dennis (April 18, 1985). "A Tour-toughened Autograph Signs In With The Write Stuff". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  15. ↑ Autograph - Turn up the Radio, retrieved August 26, 2022
  16. ↑ "spreadit.org music". Retrieved February 4, 2009.
  17. ↑ Edwards, Gavin (May 5, 2020). "15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0521." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "Autograph Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Autograph Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
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