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Cornerstone
Studio album by Styx
Released	October 19, 1979
Recorded	1979 at Pumpkin Studios, Oak Lawn, IL
Genre	Rock
Length	38:17
Label	A&M
Producer	Styx
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Rolling Stone (mixed) link
Styx chronology
Pieces of Eight (1978) Cornerstone (1979) Paradise Theater (1981)

Cornerstone is the ninth album by Styx, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music).

Cornerstone was Styx's follow-up to the Top 10 selling Triple Platinum album, 1978's Pieces of Eight.

Like the four previous Styx effort, the band produced the album themselves. However, the band started using a new recording studio Pumpkin Studios in Oak Lawn, Illinois and shied away from the art-rock/prog-rock influences that dominated their first eight studio albums.

The album was the band's first move towards pop/rock direction.

Dennis DeYoung had two ballads on the album. The first was the album's first single and Styx's only US #1 single "Babe" which Dennis wrote for his wife Suzanne. The track performed as demo with just him and the Panozzo brothers but then James Young and Tommy Shaw heard the track and decided to put it on Cornerstone with Shaw overdubbing a guitar solo in the song's middle section. Another ballad was "First Time" which was intended to be Cornerstone's second single until Shaw complained and threated to leave the band. "Borrowed Time" was released instead, reaching #63 on the charts. DeYoung also wrote the Top 30 hit, the poppish "Why Me", which was the third single release from the album.

DeYoung and Shaw co-wrote two tracks. The opening "Lights" was music by DeYoung and lyrics by Shaw (who sang the track). The rocking "Borrowed Time" had music by Shaw with lyrics from DeYoung (who sang this track). "Borrowed Time" would open concerts on the group's tour in support of Cornerstone nicknamed The Grand Decathlon tour.

Shaw's famous song on the album was the folkish sounding "Boat on the River" which became the band's biggest European hit. He also penned the poppish "Never Say Never" and the epic closer "Love in the Midnight," which has been sampled to create the hip-hop song "The Streets been good to me" by the artist Maino, on the album "Death before Dishonor".

JY contributed the rocker "Eddie" which was a homage to Edward Kennedy.

Cornerstone became Styx's first US Top 5 album peaking at #2 on the Billboard album chart and is currently sitting at Double Platinum according to the R.I.A.A. although A&M said it went Triple Platinum (3 million copies sold in the US).

Contents 1 Track listing 2 Personnel 3 Production 4 Charts

1. "Lights" (DeYoung, Shaw) – 4:38
   • Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
2. "Why Me" (DeYoung) – 3:54
   • Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, saxophone solos: Steve Eisen and lead guitar: James Young
3. "Babe" (DeYoung) – 4:25
   • Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
4. "Never Say Never" (Shaw) – 3:08
   • Lead vocals: Tommy Shaw
5. "Boat on the River" (Shaw) – 3:10
   • Lead vocals and mandolin: Tommy Shaw, accordion and backing vocals: Dennis DeYoung, string bass: Chuck Panozzo, bass drum and tambourine: John Panozzo and acoustic guitar: James Young
6. "Borrowed Time" (DeYoung, Shaw) – 4:58
   • Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
7. "First Time" (DeYoung) – 4:24
   • Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: James Young
8. "Eddie" (Young) – 4:15
   • Lead vocals and lead guitar: James Young
9. "Love in the Midnight" (Shaw) – 5:25
   • Lead vocals: Tommy Shaw, synthesizer solo: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: James Young

Styx

• Dennis DeYoung - keyboards, vocals
• Chuck Panozzo - bass, vocals
• John Panozzo - percussion, drums, vocals
• Tommy Shaw - Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, autoharp, vocals
• James Young - guitars, guitar synthesizer, autoharp, vocals

Additional personnel

• Steve Eisen - saxophone
• Arnie Roth - strings on "First Time" and "Love in the Midnight"
• Ed Tossing - horn

• Producer: Styx
• Engineers: Rob Kingsland, Gary Loizzo
• Arrangers: Arnie Roth, Ed Tossing
• Design: Mick Haggerty
• Photography: Aaron Rapoport

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1979	Pop Albums	2

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1979	"Babe"	Pop Singles	1
1980	"Borrowed Time"	Pop Singles	63
1980	"Why Me"	Pop Singles	26

Singles - Germany

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1980	"Boat on the River"	Singles	5

v • d • e Styx
Tommy Shaw • James "J.Y." Young • Todd Sucherman • Lawrence Gowan • Ricky Phillips • Chuck Panozzo Dennis DeYoung • John Panozzo • John Curulewski • Glen Burtnik
Studio albums	Styx • Styx II • The Serpent Is Rising • Man of Miracles • Equinox • Crystal Ball • The Grand Illusion • Pieces of Eight • Cornerstone • Paradise Theatre • Kilroy Was Here • Edge of the Century • Brave New World • Cyclorama • Big Bang Theory
Live albums	Caught in the Act• Return to Paradise • Arch Allies: Live at Riverport• Styx World: Live 2001 • At the River's Edge: Live in St. Louis • 21st Century Live • One with Everything: Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra
Compilations	Best of Styx • Lady • Styx Classics Volume 15 • Styx Greatest Hits • Styx Greatest Hits Part 2 • The Best of Times - The Best of Styx • Best of Styx 1973-1974 • Extended Versions • Singles Collection • Styx Yesterday & Today • 20th Century Masters - The Millenium Collection • Rockers • Come Sail Away - The Styx Anthology • The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings
Singles	"Best Thing" • "Lady" • "You Need Love" • "Lorelei" • "Mademoiselle" • "Crystal Ball" • "Come Sail Away" • "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" • "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" • "Sing for the Day" • "Renegade • "Babe" • "Why Me" • "Borrowed Time" • "The Best of Times" • "Too Much Time on My Hands" • "Nothing Ever Goes As Planned" • "A.D. 1928/Rockin' the Paradise • "Mr. Roboto" • "Don't Let It End" • "High Time" • "Music Time" • "Love Is the Ritual" • "Show Me the Way" • "Love At First Sight" • "Paradise" • "Everything Is Cool" • "Waiting for Our Time" • "I Am the Walrus"
Related articles	Discography