Top 10 Glass Tiger Songs

Glass Tiger Songs

The top 10 Glass Tiger songs look into the Canadian rock band’s musical portfolio that technically began in 1981. The group made its explosive debut in 1986 with The Thin Red Line and a collection of singles that would win over a multitude of fans in Canada, the United States, and the rest of the world. When Glass Tiger debuted its first single, “Don’t Forget (Me When I’m Gone),” its popularity of it didn’t just stay within the Canadian border. It became a worldwide hit that would launch the group to become one of the world’s most popular rock bands during the 1980s.

A Glass Act

In 1981, Alan Frew, Wayne Parker, and Sam Reid teamed up with Mike Hanson in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, to form their rock band which was originally called Tokyo. Like many promising new bands, the men humbly started out performing in clubs and bars. As their popularity grew, major record labels began to take notice. In 1985, Frew and his crew signed up with Capitol Records. By this time, the group had Allan Connelly in the lineup before changing their name to Glass Tiger. When The Thin Red Line was released as an album, it became the fastest-selling debut in Canadian history. There were five singles that were released that would earn Glass Tiger its place as an iconic rock star that would win over millions of fans.

The first two singles released from the album, “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” and “Someday” not only became big hits in Canada but in the United States and the rest of the world as well. 1986 also marked the year Glass Tiger won three Juno Awards that included Album of the Year, Single of the Year, and Most Promising Group of the Year. The group’s album producer, Jim Vallance, also received an award as Composer of the Year. In 1987, Glass Tiger’s winning streak continued with another Juno Award, this time for “Someday” as Single of the Year. Glass Tiger also won Canadian Entertainer of the Year at the Junos in 1988. The Thin Red Line became certified platinum four times in Canada, as well as gold in the United States.

After enjoying the first world tour that had them perform with legendary rock legends Tina Turner and Journey, it was back to the recording studio for Glass Tiger. In 1988, Diamond Sun was released as the group’s follow-up album after The Thin Red Line. This also became a commercial success for Frew and his crew as it became triple platinum with Music Canada, as well as certified gold with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Despite numerous awards nominations Glass Tiger’s second album received, it didn’t share the winning streak The Thin Red Line had. Still, Glass Tiger was still on top as one of Canada’s most popular musical acts. Globally, including in the US, the band enjoyed a large and loyal fan base that couldn’t seem to get enough of their music.

In 1991, Glass Tiger released its third album, Simple Mission. It was popular in Canada and Europe as it was released among those nations. It became certified platinum by Music Canada, making it the third album in a row that proved to be a commercial success for the boys from Ontario. However, after 1993, the bandmates took a break from each other so they could pursue personal projects of their own. It wouldn’t be until 2003 before Glass Tiger would be united again. However, this time it was with a new drummer, Christopher McNeil. He replaced Mike Hanson as Glass Tiger went on tour together as they performed in concert in Canada and the rest of the world.

Still Glassy

The reunited lineup of Glass Tiger didn’t release its fourth album until 2018. As a celebration of thirty-one years as a band, Frew and his crew recorded and released 31. The tracklist featured guest vocalists who performed some of Glass Tiger’s greatest hits such as Julian Lennon for “Thin Red Line.” In 2019, 33 was released as Glass Tiger’s fifth studio album before the group teamed up with fellow Canadian rock legend, Corey Hart. Together, they toured across Canada with one sold-out concert after another. In 2020, the group released its sixth studio album, Songs for a Winter’s Night. Together, they continue to tour as their dedication to entertaining their fans shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

In addition to six studio albums produced by Glass Tiger, there are also three compilation albums, as well as a live album. The first compilation album, Air Time: The Best of Glass Tiger, became certified gold by Music Canada after it was released in 1993. The first three studio albums recorded by Glass Tiger remain major fan favorites to this day. 31 and 33 featured music from a group of men who shared who they became as artists and are well-favored by a devout audience who continue to follow them as fans. Songs for a Winter’s Night was an album that featured a collection of songs written by Glass Tiger, as well as covering Gordon Lightfoot’s “A Song for A Winter’s Night.” Among fans following Glass Tiger’s every move as a band, they’re anticipating additional recordings as the group’s website announced there is more original music material to come.

Top 10 Glass Tiger Songs

#10 – Animal Heart

Released in 1991, “Animal Heart” was the first single from Glass Tiger’s third studio album, Simple Mission, to become a hit. On the Canadian Singles Chart, it peaked as high as number four. This was a song loaded with similes as Alan Frex sang expressed to his love interest that his heart was true. Referencing himself as a hunter and his lover as the prey, this was a fast-paced love song that had him declare she was his one and only desire. From the opening riff to the finish, “Animal Heart” made it clear the desire Alan Frew expressed as the group’s lead vocalist could only be quenched by capturing his “prey” so they could share some fun times together.

#9 – You’re What I Look For

“You’re What I Look For” was released as the fourth single from Glass Tiger’s iconic debut album, The Thin Red Line. On the Canadian Singles Chart, it became a number-eleven hit. This was a catchy tune Alan Frew performed as someone dedicated to a special love interest he knew felt the same way about him. However, there was a certain awkwardness that stood in the way between the two. As Frey voiced “It’s over,” it suggested whatever romance took place was not taken seriously enough to become a long-term relationship.

#8 – My Song (featuring The Chieftans)

Teaming up with The Chieftans, Glass Tiger’s “My Song” became a number nineteen hit on the Canadian Singles Chart after it was released in 1988. From Diamond Sun, “My Song” won a special place in the hearts of music fans around the world. “My Song” was about the power of songs people use as a source of inspiration. Most people have that one special song that serves as “their song” to describe who they are. The traditional Irish music featured in the song came from The Chieftans as they collaborated with Glass Tiger in what’s truly a musical gem. The Chieftans have been credited as one of the pioneers that made Irish music so popular around the world. When looking for an uplifting song to sing as a personal “this is me” anthem, “My Song” is it.

#7 – I Will Be There (featuring Bryan Adams)

On the Canadian Singles Chart, “I Will Be There” became a number twenty-nine hit. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it peaked as high as number thirty-four. It was a number twenty-one hit on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart. It was the second single released by Glass Tiger to feature Bryan Adams as a guest vocalist. This was a song of promise that inspired so many fans that made it a personal favorite.

The understanding of someone having their back during troubled times served as a beacon of hope among listeners whenever they heard “I Will Be There.” Leading the charge of this awesome song was the flurry of keyboards performed by Sam Reid, as well as the bass and guitar riffs by Al Connelly and Wayne Parker. The solos in the middle of the song were awesome, sounding as if the cavalry was riding in to save the day.

#6 – Thin Red Line

The opening of “Thin Red Line” instantly painted the picture of an active battlefield with the sound of firearms going off. Between the power behind the riffs and the clanging of the instruments, “Thin Red Line” left a heavy impression among fans who are proud to declare this song is their personal favorite. On the Canadian Singles Chart, “Thin Red Line” peaked as high as number nineteen.

It was also a number ninety-one hit in Australia. Although it didn’t quite share the same popularity level as “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone),” “Thin Red Line” had an intense vibe so many fans were drawn to. In terminology, “Thin Red Line” was a figure of speech to describe a minimal spread of military troops assigned to stand against an incoming attack. This has also become a favorite quote used to describe sticky situations such as corporate takeovers, as well as political and social stances.

Glass Tiger’s “Thin Red Line” was a song that was about the Balaklava in the 1854 Crimean War. The battle line described in the song focused on the small village of Kedikoi which had six companies of the 93rd Highland Regiment. Better known as the Sutherland Highlanders, there were six hundred soldiers that stood against the Russian cavalry of about 2,500 troops. This infamous battle took place in the hills and valleys north of the village in what should have been an easy victory for the Russians.

As the cavalry approached, the Turkish infantry that was supposed to lend their support fled. Now down to just over two hundred soldiers and guards and one hundred walking wounded, the 93rd squared off in a desperate attempt to beat what looked like impossible odds. After firing three volleys against the invaders, the Russians turned tail and left. The press wrote about this event at Balaklava in what was seen as a thin red streak tipped with a line of steel known as the 93rd. This phrase featured in the November 14, 1854 article, Heights Before Sebastopol became a symbol of British composure in battle.

Of all the songs performed by Glass Tiger, “Thin Red Line” has been established as the most dramatic. Between the music score and the video that went with it, Glass Tiger was to Canada’s MuchMusic what Duran Duran was to MTV. To this day, fans seem to rise up as if “Thin Red Line” itself served as a musical call to arms.

#5 – I’m Still Searching

“I’m Still Searching” became a number-two hit on the Canadian Singles Chart after it was released in 1988. It was the first single released from Glass Tiger’s second studio album, Diamond Sun. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it was a number thirty-one hit. On the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart, it peaked as high as number twelve. “I’m Still Searching” became the final single released by Glass Tiger that would hit the music charts belonging to the United States.

This was a song about someone still mending a broken heart as he lived his life on the run. It was a lyrical quest to find that special something, along with the special someone, in an effort to have his world make sense again. Opening with an acoustic guitar, Glass Tiger brought forth yet another powerful performance. “I’m Still Searching” dug into the hearts of the fans who were so easily drawn to the group’s musical talent. This song is perfect for rebels who have a heart of gold but are always on the move.

#4 – My Town (featuring Rod Stewart)

The Celtic charm of “My Town” was a single released by Glass Tiger that featured Alan Frew revealing his Scottish roots before he and his family moved to Canada. On the Canadian Singles Chart, it became a number-eight hit. It peaked as high as number thirty-three on the UK Singles Chart. Going into the tail end of the song, Rod Stewart’s lyrical performance felt like a musical treat that made this already great song into something greater. Stewart’s collaboration with Glass Tiger for this song came about after he had a conversation with Alan Frew. As a fellow Scotsman, he expressed interest to perform “My Town” with Glass Tiger and was surprised he wasn’t approached by Frew during the songwriting process. Frew admitted he didn’t want to impose as he had tremendous respect for the man.

The beauty behind “My Town” is it’s more than just a song. This is expressing the fondness of hometown roots. No matter how successful people become and where their paths take them, there is no place like home. The connection to each person’s ancestry can bring out the best part of them when done so with a positive attitude. Frew’s lyrical performance of “My Town” was celebratory as he and the rest of the Glass Tiger crew expressed the desire to return home where the concerns of a troubled world no longer mattered. Frontman and founder Alan Frew was originally born in Coatbridge, Scotland, before moving with his family to Newmarket, Ontario, when he was sixteen years old.

#3 – Diamond Sun

“Diamond Sun” was the title track from Glass Tiger’s second studio album which was released in 1988. On the Canadian Singles Chart, it became a number-five hit. In the UK, it peaked as high as number seventy-eight. This was a song about conflict as Alan Frew and his crew laid out a story between a group of immigrants and the indigenous population of a nation they arrived in. Among the fans, “Diamond Sun” became an anthem favorite, thanks to the intense delivery of a song that still describes how mankind still struggles with political and social issues that divide people instead of uniting them.

Although the music video suggested Glass Tiger was making reference to North American Indians, Frew has pointed out it wasn’t about the differences in their culture and the arrival of European settlers. It was about people abusing money and power through policies that are as inhumane as it gets. When listening to the end of “Diamond Sun,” the prediction of a dominant culture overtaking the meek results in the “heartbeat of a nation’s unrest.” When listening to that song today, it seems as if that prediction has come true among several fans who remember Glass Tiger and “Diamond Sun.” They have been favoring the song as a source of inspiration to stand up for their beliefs. It was popular material to use as a source of inspiration then and it still is now.

#2 – Someday

In 1986, Glass Tiger released “Someday” as the follow-up single behind “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone).” On the Canadian Singles Chart, it became a number fourteen hit. It was even more popular in the United States as it peaked as high as number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also charted in the UK and Australia, peaking at number sixty-six and number ninety-seven, respectively. In Canada, “Someday” became certified gold after selling over fifty thousand copies.

In 1987, it won a Juno Award for Single of the Year. It would be the second time Glass Tiger would earn this achievement as “Someday” demonstrated this Canadian rock group wasn’t about to fade off into obscurity anytime soon. “Someday” was a song Alan Frew sang as a jilted lover who pointed out to his girlfriend that sooner or later her mistreatment of him would come back to haunt her. This was a powerful performance that was loaded with attitude as Frew didn’t hold anything back as he gave his love interest a piece of his mind. For many fans, “Someday” was a great breakup song that sometimes gave them the gumption to stand up for themselves as they dealt with their own personal relationships.

#1 – Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone) (featuring Bryan Adams)

As Alan Frew and Glass Tiger performed “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone),” Bryan Adams chimed in as their backup vocalist as they neared the end of the song. The songwriting development of Glass Tiger’s biggest hit came to them after they were inspired by “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears. After listening to that classic favorite, the bandmates ran into the studio and recorded what became Glass Tiger’s first song. As lead vocalist, Alan Frew pleaded with his love interest to not forget him as he was under the impression she didn’t care about him nearly as much as he cared about her.

When it was released in 1986 as a single, it became an explosive hit that would put Glass Tiger’s name on the billboard map. It was a number one hit on the Canadian Singles Chart, a number two hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, and a number seventeen hit on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart. In Australia, it peaked as high as number nine. “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” also made an appearance on the UK Singles Chart as it climbed as high as number twenty-nine. Throughout Europe, this single was at least a top forty hit among the nations of Ireland, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. With Music Canada, “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” became certified platinum and won a Juno Award for Single of the Year.