{"id":2337,"date":"2026-06-02T13:01:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T17:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/?p=2337"},"modified":"2026-06-02T13:01:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T17:01:44","slug":"the-history-behind-styxs-1981-concept-album-paradise-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/the-history-behind-styxs-1981-concept-album-paradise-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"The History Behind Styx\u2019s 1981 Concept Album \u2018Paradise Theatre\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/songs\/styx\" id=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/songs\/styx\">Styx<\/a> was formed in 1972 on the south side of Chicago. Throughout the 1970s, with a few lineup changes, Styx paired prog-rock instrumentations to songs that could fit a Broadway musical. The result makes Styx a band that caters to a vast audience; the rockers and the theater lovers can agree on this band. By 1981, Styx was among the biggest rock groups in the country. In 1977, their album, <em>The Grand Illusion<\/em>, reached No. 6 on the <em>Billboard <\/em>200. The album contained the hit &#8220;Come Sail Away&#8221;, which peaked at No. 8 on the <em>Billboard<\/em> Hot 100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following up, the band scored two hits with <em>Pieces Of Eight<\/em> in 1978. &#8220;Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)&#8221; and &#8220;Renegade&#8221; became rock radio staples, showing off the band&#8217;s hard rock edge. Alternatively, their 1979 album, <em>Cornerstone<\/em>, penned the ballad <a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/styx\/babe\" id=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/styx\/babe\">&#8220;Babe&#8221;.<\/a> The song was a commercial success, reaching No. 1 on the <em>Billboard<\/em> Hot 100 and the US <em>Cashbox <\/em>Top 100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That brings us to 1981, when Styx was at its prime. They had a string of hits, and singer\/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung created a concept album for the group&#8217;s next release. Their tenth studio album, <em>Paradise Theatre<\/em>, was released on January 19, 1981. The concept is about a fictionalized recollection of the Paradise Theatre in Chicago, from its opening in 1928 to its closing in 1956. DeYoung symbolically compared the theaters&#8217; decline to the changing of times from the 1970s into the 1980s. Songs about the changing of times, paired with messages of hope and the American Dream, weren&#8217;t new to Styx. The theme is similar to their 1977 hit &#8220;The Grand Illusion&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8216;Paradise Theatre&#8217; Becomes a Commercial Success<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Styx - 1981 - AD 1928 | Rockin&#039; The Paradise\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u19p8KbMHNQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dennis DeYoung, along with other members of the group, grew up in Chicago. With a passion for musical theatre, DeYoung was compelled to write about the closing of local theatres in the city. <em>Paradise Theatre<\/em> became a massive commercial success for the band. It hit No. 1 on the <em>Billboard<\/em> 200 and held the top spot for three weeks in 1981. The album&#8217;s lead single, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/styx\/the-best-of-times\" id=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/styx\/the-best-of-times\">&#8220;The Best Of Times&#8221;,<\/a> peaked at No. 3 on the <em>Billboard<\/em> Hot 100. Additionally, &#8220;Too Much Time On My Hands,&#8221; written and sung by guitarist Tommy Shaw, peaked at No. 9. The album&#8217;s third single, &#8220;Nothing Ever Goes As Planned,&#8221; didn&#8217;t chart on the Hot 100 but was a minor hit in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fourth and final single released was also the intro and first track of the album. &#8220;A.D. 1928 \/ Rockin&#8217; The Paradise&#8221; starts with &#8220;A.D. 1928&#8221;, a short, piano-based intro to the tune of &#8220;The Best Of Times. It runs straight into an energetic album opener, &#8220;Rockin&#8217; The Paradise.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The original Paradise Theatre was located in West Garfield Park in Chicago. It was demolished in the 1950s, shortly after closing. Instead, the album cover was truly based on a different theatre on Chicago&#8217;s north side. Previously located in the Rogers Park neighborhood, Styx&#8217;s <em>Paradise Theatre<\/em> closely resembles the historic Granada Theatre, which was demolished in 1990. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 1981, Styx released their most commercially successful album, &#8216;Paradise Theatre&#8217;. It&#8217;s a concept album about the changing of times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":595065,"featured_media":2339,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"byline":{"profiles":[{"type":"byline_id","atts":{"term_id":52,"post_id":228}}]},"savage_platform_role_ideator":[],"savage_platform_role_editor":[],"savage_platform_role_senior_editor":[],"savage_platform_role_photographer":[],"savage_platform_role_illustrator":[],"savage_platform_role_translator":[],"savage_platform_role_as-told-to":[],"savage_platform_role_reviewed-by":[],"savage_platform_disable_recirculation":false,"savage_platform_article_type":"news","savage_platform_vice_article_type":"article","savage_platform_article_intent":"","savage_platform_show_affiliate_disclaimer":false,"wp_curate_deduplication":false,"wp_curate_unique_pinned_posts":false,"savage_platform_featured_image_caption":"Photo by Rob Verhorst\/Redferns","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","savage_platform_subheadline":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[61,59,326],"byline":[52],"class_list":["post-2337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-1980s","tag-classic-rock","tag-styx"],"savage_platform_primary_term":{"category":{"term_name":"Features","term_id":12,"term_link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/category\/features\/"},"post_tag":{"term_name":"1980s","term_id":61,"term_link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/tag\/1980s\/"}},"hide_from_homepage":false,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The History Behind Styx\u2019s 1981 Concept Album \u2018Paradise Theatre\u2019 - Songfacts Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In 1981, Styx released their most commercially successful album, &#039;Paradise Theatre&#039;. 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