Songs that Changed Music: Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight

This week was the 40th anniversary of the release of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight, the legendary debut single off his first solo album "Face Value"!

Phil Collins’ 1981 debut single, “In the Air Tonight,” is one of the most influential pop songs of all time. The song has many striking features. It starts with drums from a Roland CR-78 drum machine and an electric guitar, after which a pulsating synth pad and a Fender Rhodes piano come in. Together they set a strong, melancholy mood, over which Collins angrily and sadly ponders the separation from his wife. The CR-78 beat is mixed in the background, providing punctuation rather than a groove, making the song sound like a low-key ballad.

The ballad feel lasts for a full 3 minutes and 40 seconds, with the only moments of true drama provided by Collins singing “I remember,” masterfully dramatized by a Roland VP-300 vocoder, delays and a panned cymbal roll. At this point most people would expect a saxophone or synth solo, and for the song to end. If that had been the case, the song would most likely have sunk without a trace.

By contrast, at 3:41 one of the most dramatic, legendary and talked-about moments in the history of music arrives: the entrance of Collins’ gated drums, in particular THAT astonishing 10-note tom-fill, leading to a proper backbeat and the introduction of John Giblin’s bass.

The gated reverb drum sound was first heard a year earlier on Peter Gabriel’s song “Intruder,” on which Collins also played drums. Engineer Hugh Padgham heard Collins play drums through the heavily compressed reverse talkback mic on a new SSL desk, which also had noise-gates on every channel, and was awe-struck by the unexpected new sound. Gabriel and Collins also loved it, and the SSL was duly rewired so the talkback mic could be recorded easily.

For “In The Air Tonight” a year later, Collins and Padgham recreated the sound with heavily compressed and gated ambient mics.

The resulting thunderous gated drum sound has since been imitated countless times, and is now so deeply engrained in popular culture that it’s easy to forget how revolutionary it was at the time.

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[Producelikeapro]

Which other songs would you like us to cover in this series?

[macsnafu]

Phil's first solo album is so great, partly because it *isn't* overly-polished. The emotional content really comes through so much stronger because of that.

[ndrdst]

"The opening fill has become one of the most iconic of all time. Collins had tried a number of opening fills and that's the one they liked best."
And since that day he's known as Fill Collins.

[DolganoFF]

Nobody expected back then (before it came out) that Phil's solo album would be so great.

[edalder]

The greatest air drum fill in history.

[POGFROGULPOP]

Thanks to Hugh Padgham for discovering the Gated Reverb Drum sound. Thanks to Phil for the Caveman Drum Fill. Thanks to Ex-Wife for the Divorce Fueled Lyrics.

[wild_lee_coyote]

The song is so timeless, and the drums so iconic, that in 2020 it reached #2 on iTunes. Just from people reacting to it on YouTube. A whole new generation is getting to enjoy it for the first time.

[mrtwv]

I'm more a punk/new wave/indie guy, but I have a soft spot for Phil's solo work and his work with Genesis. I was about 7 or 8 when Sussudio came out. And Face Value is a helluva great album. Shame a lot of people won't give it a fair shake because it's Phil Collins.

[neckcheese]

I can't believe this song is 40 years old, I remember listening to it as a kid. I'm old lol.

[madderthanever]

Hugh Padgham is indeed a genius.
Thank you, good sir, for helping make my childhood a whole lot better.

[wretchedsoul]

What makes In The Air Tonight so incredible is when Phil Collins performs it live!!!!

[nunofernandes]

John Giblin's bass line is awesome too, this man played bass in so many hits and nobody knows him. You could do a series on unsung studio musicians!

[DavidLee]

Hugh should get royalties for that drum sound; it made the song a legend.

[A-small-amount-of-peas]

How did this only reach 19 in the US charts?! I know the music scene was more competitive back in those days but I wonder if any of those 18 songs ahead of it back then will stand the test of time like this song will

[stevenbrown]

Some of his hits were silly, but Collins hit the bullseye with this one.

[ziggy_zagged]

The most influential song, from the greatest drummer/composer/singer! Phil is a living legend. Stay with us for a long long time master!

[charlesseymour]

Great value this rock review. Phil Collins rocks.

[joetheman]

Here in the US In the Air Tonight only topping at 19 is a surprise to hear when I recall what a massive influence the song had in the early and mid 80's. When the song was used in the hit show Miami Vice I remember you couldn't go anywhere without kids in school and on the bus singing that song and air drumming to that iconic drum part. I remember one of the best drummers in my schools jazz and rock bands telling me that In the air tonight was a major influence in him becoming a drummer.

[wagnerribeiro]

Phil Collins has enormous talent. A very great artist, a master indeed.
Thanks for sharing these stories with us!
Cheers!

[grizcuz]

I once heard this played as the last song of the night at a rave, some time at the end of the 80's or start of the 90's. It was incredibly effective, that slow, almost ambient first section and then those crushing drums. I tipped my hat to the DJ, he obviously understood the value of dynamics.