Is This Love by Survivor

Album: When Seconds Count (1986)

Charted: 9

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Songfacts®:

The first single from Survivor's sixth album, this was written by their songwriting tandem of keyboard player Jim Peterik and guitarist Frankie Sullivan. In our interview with Peterik, he explained: "That's another song that I wrote out of experience. 'We run those mean streets, blind alleys where the currency of love changes hands, all touch, no feeling, just another one night stand,' we've all felt that. I felt that when I was dating and on the road and empty relationships that you knew weren't going to go anywhere. What is love? It's a guy questioning that."
This song peaked on the Hot 100 in January 1987. In December that same year, a Whitesnake song called "Is This Love?" rose to #2. That song has a heavier sound but a very similar sentiment and the same hook line: "Is this love that I'm feeling?"

Comments: 3

Louis from New EnglandSounds like Tommy Shaw on backing vocals
Patrick Longworth from Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, CanadaI prefer Survivor's song to Whitesnake's and as far as similar lyrics, only superficially is that true. I did an "air band" performance of Jimi Jamison and Survivor in my grad year. I love the song and the lyrics, the video is a decent one focusing solely on the band rather than injecting a story line like in "The Search is Over".
Naoko from California Wow! it's Another my favorite Survivor song. This song was made earlier than Whitesnake's one. How come they used the same lines?
I found this song in YouTube, they were on the Japanese TV. They played it so great! I miss Jimi so much...
I wondered why the Grammy Award in 2015 didn't mention Jimi's name "In Memoriam"

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