Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

Before the mainstream pop tendencies of No Jacket Required came this Phil Collins anthem that became larger than life without crushing the charts. It was a dark period in his personal life, and the musical explorations in the song definitely reflected Peter Gabriel and early Genesis.

The power of the song can be boiled down to two moments, both revolving around the percussion. First, the creepy, ominous drum machine in the opening, a peculiar instrument of choice for a drummer. And second, the explosive drum barrage at the 3:40 mark, which is arguably the most famous drum break in music history. One showed Collins’ reclusive, detached persona, the other revealing an outburst of emotion. Just absolutely brilliant.

“I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord. Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord.”