Sole Survivor (Asia song)
1982 song by Asia
"Sole Survivor" is a song by progressive rock band Asia. Written by Geoffrey Downes and John Wetton, it is the third track and third single from the band's 1982 eponymous debut. It was Asia's second single for the U.S Mainstream Rock Charts that reached the Top Ten. The single also peaked at #75 in Germany and #91 in the UK.
The song was covered by Japanese power metal band Galneryus for their 2008 cover album, Voices from the Past II. It was also used in some of the foreign versions of the 1982 Japanese anime Future War 198X.
In 2000, the song was referenced in satirical newspaper The Onion with a brief article titled "Sole Survivor of Air Crash Has Asia's 'Sole Survivor' Stuck in Head".
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Sole Survivor (Asia song)” is 1982 song by Asia. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Sole, Survivor and Asia, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “1982 song by Asia” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 13, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q7557467. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1982, 2008 and 2000.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Sole Survivor (Asia song)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Sole Survivor (Asia song) primary sources, Sole Survivor (Asia song) archive and Sole research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Sole Survivor (Asia song)”?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Sole Survivor (Asia song)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.