Artist · chart history
Asia
Band London United Kingdom Formed 1981 UK progressive rock band
Asia formed in 1981 in London, United Kingdom. Asia has 72 chart appearances on 60 radio countdowns from 23 stations on RockLists, spanning 1997–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Heat Of The Moment”, which appears on 60 lists with a best position of #67. The station that charted Asia most often is Big 100 (Washington, DC), with 9 appearances.
Asia were the prog-rock all-star team of the early '80s, formed in London in 1981 by 4 veterans of the '70s art-rock big leagues: John Wetton on lead vocals and bass (King Crimson, Uriah Heep, U.K.), Steve Howe on guitar (Yes), Geoff Downes on keyboards (Yes and the Buggles) and Carl Palmer on drums (Atomic Rooster, Emerson, Lake & Palmer). What they delivered was big, glossy, radio-ready arena rock with the solos trimmed to fit.
Their self-titled debut on Geffen became their best-selling record and topped the charts in several countries, and "Heat of the Moment" was the reason: a grand, chiming anthem with a stadium-sized chorus that reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Rock chart. "Only Time Will Tell" gave them another slice of synth-heavy melodrama, and the band was up for Best New Artist at the Grammys.
After that it was a merry-go-round: Greg Lake stepped in on lead vocals for a spell, John Payne fronted the band for years, and guitarists came and went. The original four reunited in 2006, Howe retired from the band in 2013, and after Wetton died, Downes kept the name alive with new lineups.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs by Asia on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heat Of The Moment | 60 | #67 | – | – | |
| 2 | Only Time Will Tell | 12 | #288 | – | – |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about Asia.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.