Silent Lucidity Explained

Silent Lucidity
Cover:	Queensryche - Silent Lucidity cover.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Queensrÿche
Album:	Empire
Released:	February 1991
Recorded:	Spring 1990
Length:	5:47
Label:	EMI America
Producer:	Peter Collins
Prev Title:	Best I Can
Prev Year:	1990
Next Title:	Jet City Woman
Next Year:	1991

"Silent Lucidity" is a power ballad^{[1] [2]} by the band Queensrÿche from the 1990 album Empire. The song, which was composed by lead guitarist Chris DeGarmo, was the biggest hit for the band, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100^[3] and at #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.^[4] "Silent Lucidity" was also nominated in 1992 for the Grammy Awards for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.^[5]

Background

Guitarist Chris DeGarmo was inspired to write the song by the 1974 book "Creative Dreaming" by Patricia Garfield, which explained how to tap into one's subconscious to experience a lucid dream.^[6]

DeGarmo noted in an interview that the average person spends 4 1/2 years of their life in a vivid hallucination state during dreaming. During that time, they can do superhuman feats like flying and walking through walls, as well as experience incredible physical sensations. "We created a very real dreamlike landscape for this song. Everything from the vocal delivery to the orchestration, to the melody, the instruments, it’s all trying to create this very lush landscape. It’s a huge-sounding track," he said.^[7]

The song was originally only acoustic guitar and vocals, but additional instrumentation was added during the last week of working on the album. The album's producer was adamant that the song should not be included on the record, but the band members pushed for its inclusion.^[8]

Track listing

Original 1991 release

1. "Silent Lucidity" – 5:49
2. "The Mission" [Live] – 6:17
3. "Eyes of a Stranger [Live] – 8:03

Chart performance

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)	Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	69^[10]
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)	82^[11]

Personnel

• Geoff Tate – lead vocals, keyboards
• Chris DeGarmo – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Michael Wilton – rhythm guitar
• Eddie Jackson – bass, backing vocals
• Scott Rockenfield – drums

Additional personnel

• Michael Kamen – orchestrator / conductor

Accolades

Publication	Country	Accolade	Rank
Classic Rock	US	The 40 Greatest Power Ballads	36
Glide Magazine	US	Favorite Hair Metal Power Ballads^[12]	6
VH1	US	Greatest Power Ballads	21

See also

• List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one songs of 1991

External links

• Video clip on YouTube.

Notes and References

1. Web site: February 14, 2015. The 40 Greatest Power Ballads. Classic Rock.
2. Web site: VH1.com. Greatest Power Ballads. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20061113051936/http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/66390/episode_countdown.jhtml. November 13, 2006. MTV Networks . August 7, 2020.
3. Billboard Hot 100. 2021-06-25. Billboard.
4. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn . 2004. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. 8th . Billboard Publications. 514.
5. Web site: 34th Grammy Awards — 1992 . May 7, 2012 . Rock on the Net.com .
6. Web site: How a book on dreams inspired Queensryche's biggest ever hit single . Dome. Malcolm. . June 15, 2022 . June 8, 2023.
7. Web site: Queensrÿche build an empire . Miller. Gerri. . December 1990 . June 8, 2023.
8. Web site: Queensrÿche founder Geoff Tate : Songwriter Interviews . MacIntosh. Dan. Songfacts. November 29, 2012 . June 8, 2023.
9. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - June 8, 1991. collectionscanada.gc.ca.
10. Web site: RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991. RPM. 17 July 2013 . November 23, 2017.
11. December 21, 1991 . 1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles . YE-14 . Billboard . 103 . 51 . Nielsen Business Media.
12. Web site: The B List: Favorite Hair-Metal Power Ballads. 2023-06-07. GlideMagazine. 4 January 2007 .