Few power chords are more instantly recognizable than the opening blasts of Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger. The song wasn’t just a chart-topping rock hit—it was the new sound of Rocky III, slamming into the film’s opening montage and redefining the franchise’s energy.
Originally released in 1982, Rocky III marked a tonal shift in the series, and its soundtrack followed suit. The original theme, Gonna Fly Now, was nowhere to be found in the opening credits. Instead, Eye of the Tiger plays front and center, scored over a rapid-fire montage of Rocky Balboa defending his title, living the high life, and basking in mainstream stardom.
This wasn’t accidental. The montage—and the song—were designed to show that Rocky had changed. And behind the scenes, Sylvester Stallone had, too.
Stallone Wanted a New Sound for a New Rocky
Jim Peterik, Survivor’s guitarist and co-writer of the track, remembers the call clearly. He came home one day to a message on his answering machine:
“Hey, yo, Jim, that’s a nice answering machine you got there. Give me a call. It’s Sylvester Stallone.”
At first, he thought it was a prank. But Stallone was serious. He’d heard Survivor’s Poor Man’s Son and loved its stripped-down, aggressive sound. He wanted something like that—something with a pulse—for his next film.
“I’ve got this new movie called Rocky III, and I don’t want to use that Gonna Fly Now song,” Stallone told him. “It’s a good song, but I want something for the kids.”
The Montage That Made the Song a Legend
Peterik and Survivor bandmate Frankie Sullivan were sent a rough cut of the film on Betamax. They watched Rocky’s new life unfold: the fancy suits, the fame, the photo ops—and Clubber Lang coming up behind him, all business.
Peterik grabbed his Les Paul and began riffing while watching the footage. The song’s famous guitar intro was built live in that moment, reacting directly to the edited montage on screen. They didn’t even know the full story yet—just the mood. But it was electric.
They recorded a rough demo and sent it to Stallone. He loved it—almost.
“You got a little lazy on me,” he said. “You didn’t write me a third verse.”
They fixed it, fast. That version—the demo—is the one used in the actual film.
Apollo Creed Brings the Song Full Circle
Eye of the Tiger isn’t just a cool track. It’s embedded in the film’s plot. After Rocky loses to Clubber and Mickey dies, he’s spiraling. That’s when Apollo Creed steps in to pull him out of his slump. And Apollo lays it out:
“When we fought, you had that eye of the tiger, man—the edge. And now you gotta get it back.”
Apollo doesn’t just coach him back into shape. He takes Rocky to L.A.—his old gym, his old training methods—and strips everything down. He’s trying to rebuild the fighter from scratch. He’s showing Rocky what it means to be hungry again.
In a contemporary interview, Carl Weathers explained it like this: “The eye of the tiger was something that Apollo Creed had in his younger days, when he went out to become the great champion that he became. And what Rocky had all those years prior to Apollo Creed.”
Weathers broke it down further, describing it as an “intense concentration on that goal.”
“It’s hunger. It’s desire,” he said. “And anything that’s in your way becomes an obstacle that you must overcome.”
That message wasn’t just for Rocky. It was Stallone’s, too. After massive success from the first two Rocky films, Stallone knew he couldn’t coast on nostalgia. He had to find his edge again—and that’s what Rocky III was all about.
The Legacy of Eye of the Tiger
The song debuted as part of the official Rocky III soundtrack and went straight to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed there for six weeks. It earned a Grammy nomination, became one of the most-played tracks of the decade, and is still a fixture on classic rock stations and gym playlists alike.
To this day, ask someone to hum the Rocky theme, and most won’t belt out Gonna Fly Now.
They’ll go straight to Eye of the Tiger.
That riff. That pace. That attitude.
It became Rocky’s sound—and Stallone’s wake-up call.
