Al Stewart's commercial apex arrived when Alan Parsons wrapped his historical musings in symphonic studio gloss, transforming the Scottish troubadour into an unlikely American FM radio fixture. The title track's wistful meditation on memory cracked the Top 10, proving audiences craved literate pop that didn't condescend.

Where Year of the Cat had hinted at accessibility, Time Passages committed fully, trading some narrative complexity for broader appeal. The arrangements occasionally gilt the lily, but Stewart's peculiar gift for making the past feel immediate remained intact, securing platinum sales his earlier work never approached.