Album · King Crimson
Beat by King Crimson
Beat is an album by King Crimson, released in 1982. 2 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 7 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Heartbeat”, on 5 lists with a best position of #30.
Beat, King Crimson's ninth studio album, came out on E.G. Records on 18 June 1982, and for the first time in the band's restless history the lineup hadn't changed since the last record. Robert Fripp and Bill Bruford were back with the Americans Adrian Belew, on guitar and lead vocals, and Tony Levin, on bass and Chapman Stick, with Rhett Davies producing.
This is the reborn Crimson that soaked up African music, gamelan, post-punk and New York minimalism, and here the interlocking guitars loop and chime like clockwork while Bruford's drums snap and flicker underneath. Belew brings a warmer, poppier edge, and "Heartbeat" lets a real melody float to the top. "Neal & Jack & Me" rides a nervy, circling pattern that never quite sits still. Brainy, yes, but it moves.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Beat on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heartbeat | 5 | #30 | – | 1982–2002 | |
| 2 | Neal & Jack & Me | 2 | #84 | – | 1982–2010 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.