How Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” Revolutionized Rock with Its Iconic Opening Note

Today’s song only needed its opening note to spark a revolution on rock radio. It’s sinister, it’s mind-altering, it’s empowering. One growling intro note is all it takes to open the portal to an otherworldly soundscape, masterfully crafted by one of the most colossal forces in rock history. This Rock band broke the world in two with this 1981 gateway anthem that turned all of us into believers and even though it’s one of the biggest songs in rock history technically, it wasn’t a hit and the band hated it until it got mixed.. it was inspired by a literary classic that every generation has read, and even though it was a tall order to name the track after this novel, it’s that rare case where the song is better than the book and the movie. Find out next! NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .