The Best of Times

Zoo Freaks, get ready to groove with the Zoo Crew as they spin "The Best of Times" by Styx from their iconic Paradise Theatre album! This track, a heartfelt ballad penned by Dennis DeYoung, hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981 and became a staple of the band’s legacy. One juicy tidbit comes from DeYoung himself, who revealed in a 1981 interview that the song’s melody was inspired by the album’s opening track, "A.D. 1928," creating a thematic thread that ties the concept album together. The song’s optimistic lyrics, like “The best of times are when I’m alone with you,” were meant to counter the album’s broader metaphor of America’s struggles, offering a message of hope and personal connection amidst tough times.

Another cool story about "The Best of Times" is its pop culture footprint. According to a 2000 New York Times article, Adam Sandler’s a huge Styx fan, and this song found its way into his 1999 flick Big Daddy. It also served as the prom theme for a 1990 high school event in Downers Grove, Illinois, as noted by a Yakima Herald-Republic writer who attended with his future wife—talk about a song that sticks! On X, fans still rave about it, with a 2022 post from user @allen_marple listing it among their top three faves from the album, alongside "Rockin’ the Paradise" and "Too Much Time on My Hands." The Zoo Crew knows this track’s a crowd-pleaser for all you Freaks out there!

Now, let’s rewind to how Styx got their start. Formed in Chicago in 1972, the band emerged from the ashes of a local group called Tradewinds, led by brothers Chuck and John Panozzo on bass and drums, alongside Dennis DeYoung on keyboards and vocals. They later recruited guitarists James "J.Y." Young and John Curulewski, adopting the name Styx after the mythical river, which they thought sounded cool and mysterious. Their early years were gritty, playing bars and high schools while cutting demos. Their 1973 album Styx II featured the sleeper hit "Lady," which climbed to #6 in the U.S. after heavy radio play in Chicago, putting them on the map. By the late ’70s, albums like The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight blended prog-rock theatrics with catchy hooks, earning them multi-platinum status.

Styx’s journey wasn’t without drama—tensions between DeYoung’s theatrical vision and the band’s rockier edge led to lineup changes, including Curulewski’s exit in 1975 (replaced by Tommy Shaw) and DeYoung’s departure in 1999. Today, Shaw and Young lead the band with vocalist/keyboardist Lawrence Gowan, keeping the Styx flame alive with tours and new music like 2021’s Crash of the Crown. You can catch up with them on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. For you Zoo Freaks who wanna dive deeper, check out fan sites like DDY Talk for Dennis DeYoung’s solo career and join the Styx Lounge Fan Club on Facebook to connect with fellow devotees. Keep rockin’ the paradise, Freaks!