"A.D. 1928 / Rockin' the Paradise" is a song by American rock band

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

, released as the fourth single from their tenth album '' Paradise Theatre''. The song peaked at No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' Rock Chart. "A.D. 1928" is a short, piano-based song by

Dennis DeYoung Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx, and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was th ...

, set to the same melody as " The Best of Times", that segues into "Rockin' the Paradise". These two tracks would serve as the opening songs of not only the ''Paradise Theatre'' album but also its subsequent tour and the 1996 '' Return to Paradise'' reunion tour. According to ''Bismarck Tribune'' critic Patrick Miller, the message of "Rockin' the Paradise" is "for Americans to get back to the honest hard work that made the country great. DeYoung expanded on this saying that that what is needed in order to turn things around in American "common decency between human beings and people feeling useful. One of the biggest crimes in the United States is people not feeling useful. People need to feel like they're a useful part of society because they are. We need to get people to believe in themselves—that they are important. ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...

'' critic Wayne Robins felt that some of the lyrics "are worthy of a politician's adventures in locution," for example "Let's stick together and futurize our attitudes / I ain't looking to fight but I know with determination we can challenge the schemers / who cheat all the rules.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic Eduardo Rivadavia called the song "a total team effort of wonderfully stripped down hard rock." ''Classic Rock'' critic Malcolm Dome rated "Rockin' the Paradise" as Styx 4th greatest song, praising the "sparkling sense of fun and nostalgia" and the band's "inspired performance." The music video for the song was the tenth to air on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

when it debuted in the U.S. on August 1, 1981.

Personnel

- lead vocals, keyboards *

Tommy Shaw Tommy Roland Shaw (born September 11, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his tenure in the rock band Styx (band), Styx as co-lead vocalist. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups includi ...

- lead guitar, backing vocals * James Young - rhythm guitar, backing vocals *

Chuck Panozzo Charles Salvatore Panozzo (born September 20, 1948) is an American musician best known as a co-founder of the rock band Styx. He is currently a part-time bass player in the band, sharing bass duties with Ricky Phillips. Panozzo suffers from HIV ...

- bass *

John Panozzo John Anthony Panozzo (September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996) was an American drummer best known for his work with rock band Styx. Early life and career Panozzo grew up in the Roseland neighborhood, the south side of Chicago, Illinois, with hi ...

- drums

References

{{Authority control 1980 songs 1981 singles Styx (band) songs Songs written by Dennis DeYoung Songs written by Tommy Shaw Songs written by James Young (American musician) A&M Records singles