Top 100 Rock Songs

Released in January 1981 in the UK, the ex Genesis member’s single was an instant hit. It was also an international hit, reaching the top 20 on the Billboard magazine pop singles chart in the summer of 1981. Written on a break from Genesis and after the breakup with his tired-of-being-married-to-a-rock-star wife. “In the Air Tonight” remains, alone among Collins’ solo oeuvre, a popular selection on many classic rock radio stations. It is the song most often associated with Collins’ solo career, and he has performed versions of it at many events, notably at Live Aid, where he played the song on the same calendar day in both Philadelphia and London.