'80s Rock Band, With Classic No. 1 Hit, Ranked Among 'Best Supergroups' of All Time
In 1981, a legendary British rock band was born in London and eventually became one of the best supergroups ever formed.
Asia, the band that comprises members from three notable bands from the progressive rock scene of the '70s, delivered chart-topping hits and top-selling albums.
The original lineup featured lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton from King Crimson, Roxy Music and U.K., guitarist Steve Howe from the famed band Yes, keyboardist Geoff Downes from The Buggles and Yes and drummer Carl Palmer from Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Amid the rise of new wave, arena rock and hair metal, Asia kept the progressive rock scene alive by blending it with radio-friendly and arena-ready pop-rock hooks that made the band stand out.
Decades after their debut, Asia joined a slew of great talents, completing the top 23 list of the greatest rock supergroups of all time as cited by BBC Music.
Ranking at No. 3, the quartet was accompanied on the list by fellow supergroups like the Canadian folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at No. 2 and ‘70s prog-rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, which topped the rankings.
What Was Asia's Biggest Hit?
With the release of their self-titled debut album, Asia, in 1982, the band immediately stole the spotlight after launching their lead single "Heat of the Moment."
Written by Wetton and Downes, the track took the music world by storm after peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking their highest placement on the U.S. singles chart.
The song eventually reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock / Top Tracks chart, securing the spot for six non-consecutive weeks.
Beyond its popularity in the U.S., "Heat of the Moment" also took over the U.K. airwaves, entering at No. 73 and eventually climbing to No. 44, almost making it to the Top 40 chart.
While the track became the band's signature hit, Downes previously revealed that it almost didn't make it onto their debut album.
"It was an afterthought," he told Prog in an interview, as cited by Louder. "We were going to lead off with ‘Only Time Will Tell,' but the label said, ‘Do you have anything else?' So John [Wetton] and I came up with ‘Heat of the Moment' in one morning. Literally, the bones of the song were written in maybe a couple of hours."
Thankfully, they decided to include it, as the song became their ticket to breakthrough success.
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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 6:37 PM.