Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Phil Collins turns 71 today. To honor the occasion, we’re looking back at the storied career of the iconic hitmaker.
Phil Collins has been an international superstar for decades, and for good reason. Through the body of work he has established since his recording debut with Genesis in 1970, Collins has essentially ensured his own relevance at any given point by means of contemporary application or simply through sheer nostalgia.
The most recent example of Collins’ cultural reemergence may be the co-opting of his signature hit, “In the Air Tonight”, by Tik Tok users for a viral challenge. Collins has also achieved viral prominence through the widespread popularity of memes marveling at the level of commitment and musical mastery he displayed in the recording of the 1999 soundtrack for Disney’s Tarzan, an animated children’s film.
But the singer’s ubiquity long precedes that of social media. In fact, Collins himself has acknowledged the potentially overbearing effect of his musical omnipresence in the 1980s. Indeed, Collins’ list of top 5 singles throughout the decade was substantial, and included enduring tunes such as “Another Day In Paradise”, “Against All Odds (Take a Look At Me Now)”, “You Can’t Hurry Love”, and of course, his debut single, “In the Air Tonight”.
Any public resentment that had begun to fester during the first half of the decade was only further exacerbated by Collins’ multiple appearances at 1985’s Live Aid benefit concert. Collins first performance was with Sting at Wembley Stadium in London, after which he famously crossed the Atlantic on a Concorde to play drums for Eric Clapton, perform his own set, and play drums for the surviving members of Led Zeppelin in a highly anticipated reunion set.
The latter performance is notoriously remembered as a fiasco, and the blame for this often falls upon Collins’ shoulders. However, lead vocalist Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page have since acknowledged a number of contributing factors including Plant’s voice having been shot, Page’s guitar being out of tune, faulty equipment, and the entire band lacking essentially any rehearsal whatsoever.
An important bit of context that often gets lost in the narrative is that Phil Collins was not simply shoehorned in behind the kit due to the fact that he was international pop star Phil Collins. Collins had actually played drums for Robert Plant on his first two solo albums following the breakup of Led Zeppelin, and apparently, initial discussions with Collins had pitched the idea as a Plant solo set.
Context notwithstanding, the fact that Collins was successful enough to headline two sets of his own, as well as respected enough, musically, to back revered acts such as Clapton and Zeppelin, speaks to Collins’ overwhelming ability as a musician.
Though Collins’ emotive vocals and uncanny knack for pop melody are responsible for the bulk of what most would consider his greatest successes, it has, in a sense, kneecapped the public’s perception of his notable musicianship. While many are aware of Collins’ beginnings as a member of Genesis, most are not aware of what exactly it means to have been a member of Genesis.
Genesis were a pioneering band in the progressive rock genre, a form characterized by the use of complex thematic and musical structures such as unusual time signatures, extended improvisatory sections, and expansive, multi-section suites characteristic of classic compositions, among others.
As such, assuming the role of the drummer in a prog-rock outfit is no simple task, and it is arguably the most demanding role in the band. Collins’ assumption of the role in Genesis is impressive on its own, and that isn’t considering his contributions as backing vocalist, or his later – reluctant – assumption of the mantle of lead singer and primary songwriter following the departure of Peter Gabriel.
Collins took on the recording of his debut solo album, Face Value, as a means of killing time between his obligations with Genesis. He performed nearly all the instrumentation on the record himself, and it proved to be a breakout success, propelled by the ominous opening number “In the Air Tonight.” Collins wouldn’t step away from Genesis for another 16 years, maintaining his position within the band in the midst of his already demanding solo career.
In recent years, Collins’ has toured extensively, published an autobiography, and reformed Genesis for an upcoming tour set to take place later this year. On this day, we salute the man who can do it all, and continues to prove as much. Here’s wishing a Happy Birthday to the great Phil Collins!