"Paradise Theatre" is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Styx, released in January 1981. The album combines elements of rock and pop while maintaining Styx's progressive rock roots. It employs the concept of a musical with interludes, lending a theatrical feel.
The album's focal point is the rise and fall of a once-beautiful theater, which parallels the state of the United States at that time. Interestingly, there was a real Paradise Theater in the band's home town of Chicago, which had also gone through a similar evolution. Several of the album's songs, such as "Rockin' the Paradise" and "Too Much Time on My Hands," have remained staples in the band's live performances.
"Paradise Theatre" was Styx's biggest commercial success becoming their only album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. It also generated four individual Billboard Hot 100 tracks, cementing the band's status as one of the premier rock groups of the 1980s. Despite its success, it was the last album to feature the classic lineup of Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young, Chuck Panozzo, and John Panozzo.
