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Prog Heroes Genesis Portended Their Move To Pop With Their First American Top 10 Single in 1983
Genesis reached the US Top 10 for the first time in 1983 with “That’s All”, a concise, catchy song that marked a step towards the pop sound that would bring the band wider success. The track showed how Genesis were adapting their songwriting after years of being known for elaborate progressive rock.
The shift followed Peter Gabriel’s departure in 1975 and Phil Collins’s success as a solo artist, which helped steer the band towards more direct, everyday themes. “That’s All” grew from a guitar idea by Mike Rutherford and a keyboard riff by Tony Banks; Collins wrote the lyrics and used a drum style inspired by the Beatles. It reached No. 6 in the US, and Genesis later scored five US Top 5 singles from 1986’s *Invisible Touch*, including two No. 1s.
In short
- “That’s All” became Genesis’s first US Top 10 single.
- The 1983 hit reached No. 6.
- Genesis later had five Top 5 singles from *Invisible Touch*.
Explained simply
Genesis began in the late 1960s as a British progressive rock band, known for long songs, changing musical sections and theatrical performances. Peter Gabriel, the original lead singer, left in 1975; drummer Phil Collins then became the lead singer, while the group continued as a trio with keyboardist Tony Banks and guitarist and bassist Mike Rutherford.
In the early 1980s, Genesis increasingly wrote shorter songs with more direct lyrics, alongside their more elaborate material. Collins’s growing success as a solo artist was part of the period in which the band’s sound was changing. That shift matters because it helped Genesis reach a much wider pop audience in the United States.
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