Silent Lucidity
title: "Silent Lucidity" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1990-songs", "1990s-ballads", "1991-singles", "art-rock-songs", "american-progressive-rock-songs", "emi-america-records-singles", "heavy-metal-ballads", "queensrÿche-songs", "song-recordings-produced-by-peter-collins-(record-producer)", "songs-about-dreams", "songs-written-by-chris-degarmo"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Lucidity" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Silent Lucidity |
| cover | Queensryche - Silent Lucidity cover.jpg |
| type | single |
| artist | Queensrÿche |
| album | Empire |
| released | March 1991 |
| recorded | Spring 1990 |
| genre | {{flatlist |
| * Progressive rock{{cite web | last |
| * heavy metal{{cite web | last |
| * progressive metal{{cite web | last |
| * {{cite web | last |
| length | 5:47 |
| label | EMI America |
| writer | Chris DeGarmo |
| producer | Peter Collins |
| prev_title | Best I Can |
| prev_year | 1990 |
| next_title | Jet City Woman |
| next_year | 1991 |
| misc | |
| :: |
| name = Silent Lucidity | cover = Queensryche - Silent Lucidity cover.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Queensrÿche | album = Empire | released = March 1991 | recorded = Spring 1990 | studio = | venue = | genre = {{flatlist|
- Progressive rock
- heavy metal
- progressive metal
- art rock | length = 5:47 | label = EMI America | writer = Chris DeGarmo | producer = Peter Collins | prev_title = Best I Can | prev_year = 1990 | next_title = Jet City Woman | next_year = 1991 | misc =
"Silent Lucidity" is a power ballad by the band Queensrÿche from the 1990 album Empire. The song, which was composed by lead guitarist Chris DeGarmo, was the biggest hit for the band, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. "Silent Lucidity" was also nominated in 1992 for the Grammy Awards for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
Background
Guitarist Chris DeGarmo was inspired to write the song by the 1974 book "Creative Dreaming" by Patricia Garfield, which explained how to tap into one's subconscious to experience a lucid dream.
DeGarmo noted in an interview that the average person spends 4 1/2 years of their life in a vivid hallucination state during dreaming. During that time, they can do superhuman feats like flying and walking through walls, as well as experience incredible physical sensations. "We created a very real dreamlike landscape for this song. Everything from the vocal delivery to the orchestration, to the melody, the instruments, it’s all trying to create this very lush landscape. It’s a huge-sounding track," he said.
The song was originally only acoustic guitar and vocals, but additional instrumentation was added during the last week of working on the album. The album's producer was adamant that the song should not be included on the record, but the band members pushed for its inclusion.
The song was featured in the final season of Cobra Kai, and in the CW series Supernatural’s season two episode ”Heart”. It was also featured in the Season 1 finale of Nine Perfect Strangers.
Track listing
Original 1991 release
- "Silent Lucidity" – 5:49
- "The Mission" [Live] – 6:17
- "Eyes of a Stranger [Live] – 8:03
Chart performance
Weekly charts
::data[format=table] | Chart (1991–92) | Peak position | |---|---| | Canada RPM | 7 | ::
Year-end charts
::data[format=table]
| Chart (1991) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 69 |
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard) | 82 |
| :: |
Personnel
- Geoff Tate – lead vocals, keyboards
- Chris DeGarmo – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Michael Wilton – rhythm guitar
- Eddie Jackson – bass, backing vocals
- Scott Rockenfield – drums
Additional personnel
Accolades
::data[format=table]
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Rock | US | The 40 Greatest Power Ballads | 36 |
| Glide Magazine | US | title=The B List: Favorite Hair-Metal Power Ballads | url=https://glidemagazine.com/133653/the-b-list-favorite-hair-metal-power-ballads/ |
| VH1 | US | Greatest Power Ballads | 21 |
| :: |
References
References
- "Great Rock discography".
- Boehm, Mike. (June 27, 1997). "Metal and Its Byproducts : Queensryche Upgrades the Machinery Without Undergoing a Retrofit or Total Conversion".
- Jurek, Thom. (August 20, 1990). "Queensryche - Empire - Album Review".
- Criblez, David J.. (November 11, 2016). "Three lead singers take LI solo flights".
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Queensrÿche {{!}} Biography & History". [[AllMusic]].
- (February 14, 2015). "The 40 Greatest Power Ballads".
- "Greatest Power Ballads". MTV Networks.
- "Billboard Hot 100".
- Whitburn, Joel. (2004). "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits". Billboard Publications.
- "34th Grammy Awards — 1992". Rock on the Net.com.
- Dome, Malcolm. (June 15, 2022). "How a book on dreams inspired Queensryche's biggest ever hit single".
- Miller, Gerri. (December 1990). "Queensrÿche build an empire".
- MacIntosh, Dan. (November 29, 2012). "Queensrÿche founder Geoff Tate : Songwriter Interviews".
- McIntyre, Hugh. "Queensrÿche Scores Another Hit And Reaches A New All-Time High".
- "RPM Top 100 Singles - June 8, 1991".
- (17 July 2013). "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991".
- (December 21, 1991). "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Nielsen Business Media.
- (4 January 2007). "The B List: Favorite Hair-Metal Power Ballads". Glide Magazine.
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