The Moment of Truth (song)

"The Moment of Truth" is a song recorded by the rock band Survivor. It was the first hit single with their new lead singer Jimi Jamison, originally from Cobra, who replaced Dave Bickler. After making the No. 1 hit "Eye of the Tiger" for Rocky III, the band was asked to perform a composed song for the 1984 film The Karate Kid. The song reached No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 7, 1984, and stayed on the chart for seven weeks.^[2] The song was later re-issued on the Vital Signs album in 2009 by Rock Candy.

"The Moment of Truth"
Single by Survivor
from the album The Karate Kid
Released	June 1984 (US) [1]
Recorded	1984
Genre	Rock new wave power pop
Length	3:47
Songwriter(s)	Bill Conti Dennis Lambert Peter Beckett
Survivor singles chronology
"I Never Stopped Loving You" (1984) "The Moment of Truth" (1984) "I Can't Hold Back" (1984)

Critical reception

In a September 1984 review, Vici MacDonald of Smash Hits called the song a "horrible example of American pomp-rock."^[3]

Music video

The music video shows the band performing in a Japanese-style park with mixed scenes from the movie. The song is written by Bill Conti, Dennis Lambert & Peter Beckett and published by Karussell Label.^[4]

Charts

Chart (1984)	Peak position
El Salvador (UPI)[5]	9
Panama (UPI)[6]	10
US Billboard Hot 100[7]	63

Cover versions

• Mari Hamada covered the song for her 1985 album Rainbow Dream.
• Carrie Underwood covered the song for her appearance in the fourth season of the Netflix series Cobra Kai.^[8]

References

1. "Survivor singles".
2. "Survivor The Moment Of Truth Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
3. MacDonald, Vici (27 September – 10 October 1984). "Survivor: "The Moment of Truth"" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 6, no. 19. Peterborough: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. p. 23. ISSN 0260-3004. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2023 – via World Radio History.
4. "Survivor - Moment Of Truth". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-11-06.
5. "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). November 19, 1984. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
6. "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). November 19, 1984. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
7. "Survivor Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
8. "How 'Cobra Kai' Season 4 Landed That Rock Star Cameo". January 2022.