Phil Collins, In The Air Tonight | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 144^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins.  

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 144^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2025), we recollect and reflect on “In The Air Tonight” performed by Phil Collins.

“I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord.” Indeed, Phil Collins (1951 – ), indeed! He continues singing in the unforgettable chorus of “In The Air Tonight”, “And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life / Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? / Oh Lord, oh Lord.”  The lyrics were spontaneous, according to the legendary pop/rock singer/songwriter. “In The Air Tonight” is the opener from Collins’ 1981 multi-platinum album, Face Value. Collins penned “Air” while he produced it with Hugh Padgham.  The single earned Collins a top 20 hit, which peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. He would have higher charting hits, including seven number ones, but “Air” is one of his most popular and renowned songs. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2016.

The lyrics raise eyebrows throughout “In The Air Tonight” despite the spontaneity asserted by Collins. In the first verse, he’s angry: “Well, if you told me you were drowning / I would not lend a hand.” Oh, wow! Someone would have to be extremely pissed off not to aid in this situation, right? At the end of the verse, Phil tells her, presumably, “So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you’ve been / It’s all a pack of lies.”  Collins doesn’t threaten not to save a drowning person in verse two, but he is bothered and pained by how bad this person, whom he was in a relationship with, is/was: “Well, the hurt doesn’t show, but the pain still grows / It’s no stranger to you and me.” Despite all of the anger, heartache, heartbreak, and pain, Collins masterfully puts it into this marvelous song.  His voice sounds incredible.  He sings with authenticity and sincerity. The melodies are tuneful while the lyrics are honest and undoubtedly relatable to many who have experienced a horrible relationship. The sound of the record is sweet, too, with quintessential ‘80s keyboard/synthesized sounds, including enigmatic drum programming.  Also, there are ripe guitars, a fat bass line that asserts itself later, and a dash of vocoder adds some spice to the track. Collins delivers a brief but timeless, pummeling drum solo after the second verse before the final choruses arrive and fade out. “In The Air Tonight” is not only a surefire classic from Phil Collins, but one of the quintessential songs from the 1980s.  It’s timeless to the nth degree!