1978 Jazz Rock Classic, Created for a Box Office Flop, Became a Defining Radio Anthem
In 1978, Steely Dan's Donald Fagen was asked to develop a rock track for an upcoming comedy-drama directed by John A. Alonzo. Based on the film's storyline, Steely Dan released "FM (No Static at All)" that became a radio hit and a Grammy winner.
"FM (No Static at All)" gained traction when released as a single by the band and included in the 1978 film. FM was a moderate success after its release, making over $32 million at the box office against its $2 million budget. It was produced by Universal Pictures and starred Michael Brandon, Eileen Brennan, Alex Karras, Cleavon Little, Martin Mull, and Cassie Yates, with special appearances byLinda RonstadtandJimmy Buffett.
The film follows a DJ at an FM radio station and a group of charismatic on-air personalities playing hit rock and roll tracks. A new sales manager is soon brought in to help capitalize on the station's popularity and suggests broadcasting cheesy ads as advertising for the U.S. Army. When the DJ refuses, and the higher-ups are displeased, he quits. He wakes up the gollowng da to learn the rest of the staff have taken over the station with a sit-in protest.
FM received poor reviews from critics due to its storyline, but its soundtrack caught attention and sold millions of copies. Steely Dan was at the height of their career in 1977 and were in the midst of creating their album Aja when Fagen and Walter Becker received a call.
"There was a film called FM and we were asked to do the title song. And I said, ‘Does it have to have any specific words?' And they said, ‘No, it just has to be about FM radio.' We wrote that very quickly, I remember, in one or two days. And we also recorded it very quickly, too. Johnny Mandel came in and did the string chart. It was fun to meet Johnny Mandel," said Fagen, according to American Songwriter.
The rock duo hadn't written a song for a feature film since You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat in 1971. About the production of the track, Fagen reported that they developed it to sound good with a big production and used overdubbed strings that would work with theater speakers.
"FM (No Static at All)" ended up becoming a hit at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became a radio anthem. While the duo was told to make the track about FM radio, it gained popularity for its commentary on the industry's current state. The track commented on FM becoming increasingly corporate and homogenized at the time.
The track also gained another accolade when recording engineer Roger Nichols won a Grammy for Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical in 1979. He received the same award a year earlier for Steely Dan's Aja.
Related: 1970 Rock Classic, Helping Define the Power Pop Genre, Remains a Timeless Anthem
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 8:03 AM.