On This Date (48 Years Ago): Styx – Come Sail Away

August 1977 – Styx released the single “Come Sail Away” b/w “Put Me On” (A&M 1977-S) in the US. Featured on their seventh studio album The Grand Illusion (1977), the track became one of the band’s most iconic songs.

Highlights:

• Peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• Helped push The Grand Illusion to multi-platinum sales by 1978.

• Written and sung by Dennis DeYoung, the song begins as a soft ballad before soaring into a powerful rock anthem.

Legacy:“Come Sail Away” remains a timeless classic of the 1970s rock era. With its dreamy intro and uplifting message of escape and adventure, it continues to resonate with generations of fans.

Contemporary Review:Record World (Sept 17, 1977):

“From a restrained, dreamy beginning this single builds to a powerful, rocking conclusion of the sort that Styx fans expect. The melody here is most appealing; the message of escape seems just right for the spirit of the seventies.”