Song · Steve Winwood
“Arc of a Diver” by Steve Winwood
From the album Arc of a Diver (1980)
“Arc of a Diver” by Steve Winwood appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 2009 and 2026. It was first released in 1980 on the album Arc of a Diver. Its best result is #351 on the KSHE 95 U-Man 500 (2026). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #3,144 classic rock song of all time.
Steve Winwood wrote "Arc of a Diver" with Vivian Stanshall and made it the title track of his second solo album, the 1980 record that broke him as a solo act. He produced, engineered and mixed it himself, with John Clarke assisting. The whole album was a one-man job: Winwood cut it at Netherturkdonic Studios, which he'd built on his farm in Gloucestershire, and played every instrument on it.
"While You See a Chance" led the album off as a single and gave him his first solo hit. Not everyone was won over. Reviewing it for The Village Voice in 1981, Robert Christgau gave him credit for doing all that overdubbing himself but found the grooves more about atmosphere than songs.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 724 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) | 885 |
| 2026 | 351 | KSHE 95 | KSHE 95 U-Man 500 (2026) | 499 |
Also listed as: Arc Of A Diver.
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