The Great Radio Controversy Explained

The Great Radio Controversy
Type:	Studio
Artist:	Tesla
Cover:	Tesla_The_Great_Radio.jpg
Released:	February 1, 1989^[1]
Recorded:	1988
Studio:	Bearsville (Woodstock, New York)
Length:	59:18
Label:	Geffen
Prev Title:	Mechanical Resonance
Prev Year:	1986
Next Title:	Five Man Acoustical Jam
Next Year:	1990

The Great Radio Controversy is the second studio album by American hard rock band Tesla, released in 1989. The album's sound has been described as "glam metal to play inside the cab of a tractor-blusey denim and downright wholesome".^[2]

The hit singles "Love Song", "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)", "Hang Tough" and "The Way It Is" received considerable airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball, and rocketed the band to stardom.

The album is titled after the controversy about the identity of the inventor of radio. It is posited that Serbian engineer Nikola Tesla (whom the band is named after) is the true inventor of radio, while the Italian Guglielmo Marconi took the credit and is widely regarded as having the title. The album's inner sleeve recounts this story.

The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA on July 23, 1998.^[1]

Critical reception

Kirk Blows, reviewer of British music newspaper Music Week gave positive response to the album. He thinks that the album musical material will "satisfy even the most fastidious rock fan". He writes, "There's plenty of light and shade here too, all conveyed with an overwhelming air of confidence from a band set to expand on their promising base".^[3]

Spin wrote, "This is hard rock's call to the Party, and it will compel anyone with a butt to wiggle and huff and leap around playing air to all eight solos."^[4]

Personnel

Tesla

• Jeff Keith – vocals
• Tommy Skeoch – guitars, backing vocals
• Frank Hannon – guitars, piano, synthesizer, organ
• Brian Wheat – bass, backing vocals
• Troy Luccketta – drums

Production

• Steve Thompson – producer, mixing at Mediasound, New York City
• Michael Barbiero – producer, engineer, mixing
• George Cowan – additional recording and assistant engineer
• Vic Deyglio – assistant engineer
• George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York City
• Barry Diament – CD mastering at BDA, New York City

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[5]	121
Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[6]	94

Year-end charts

Accolades

Publication	Country	Accolade	Rank
Rolling Stone	US	50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time^[8]	11
L.A. Weekly	US	Chuck Klosterman's Favorite Hair Metal Albums^[9]	18
Martin Popoff	US	The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time^[10]	415

See also

• List of glam metal albums and songs

Notes and References

1. Web site: Gold & Platinum. April 22, 2021. RIAA. en-US.
2. Book: Klosterman, Chuck. Fargo Rock City : a Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota. 2007. Scribner. 3M Company. 978-1-4165-8952-5. 869442403. 160–161.
3. Blows. Kirk. Review: Tesla – The Great Radio Controversy. Music Week. February 4, 1989. November 4, 2021. 22. London. Spotlight Publications Ltd.. American Radio History. 0265-1548. https://web.archive.org/web/20211102183251/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-02-04.pdf. November 2, 2021.
4. Spin . Spin offs. Evelyn McDonnell . May 1989. 47. 89.
5. Web site: Tesla ARIA Chart History (albums) complete to 2024. ARIA. Imgur.com. July 26, 2024. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
6. Book: Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Oricon Entertainment. Roppongi, Tokyo. 2006. 4-87131-077-9. ja.
7. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1989. Billboard. May 4, 2021.
8. 50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time. October 13, 2015. Rolling Stone. September 22, 2019.
9. News: Ben . Westhoff . Chuck Klosterman's Favorite Hair Metal Albums . . December 6, 2011 . June 25, 2021 .
10. Book: Popoff, Martin. The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time.. 2004. ECW Press. 978-1-55490-600-0. Chicago. 705538374. 415.