Guitarist Emmett's songwriting style brought both progressive rock and classical music influences; each Triumph album included a classical guitar solo piece. Moore doubled as lead singer on many of the band's heavier songs and in their later years, some softer ballads; bassist and pianist Levine produced their early albums. As with many progressive rock and heavy metal bands, Triumph's style proved unpopular with rock critics; "Rolling Stone" reviewers labeled them a "faceless band". Triumph's first album (originally self-titled but later renamed "In the Beginning") was rare outside Canada, but their widely released second LP, "Rock & Roll Machine", received some scattered airplay in the US, with Moore's cover of Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way". In mid-1978 Triumph subbed in for Sammy Hagar on an FM radio-station promotion date in San Antonio, Texas, followed by a run of five shows in Texas for JAM Productions (a promoter named Joe Anthony), then toured across Canada with fellow Canadian rockers Moxy and Trooper. In August 26, 1978, they were headliners at the Canada Jam Festival at Mosport Park, playing before a crowd of about 110,000 people. Triumph's third album, "Just a Game" (1979), featured a moderate U.S. radio hit, "Hold On", which reached No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Hold On" became a significant song in some select markets, for example, in St. Louis the song made it to No. 1 on KSHE, an album-oriented/classic rock FM radio station. "Hold On" peaked at No. 33 on the RPM Singles chart in Canada. The second single "Lay It on the Line" received greater acceptance at album-oriented rock FM radio across the U.S. and Canada. "Lay It on the Line" received heavy FM radio airplay, and reached No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 'oldies' classic-rock format radio stations in the US, it remains the most widely played and recognized song from the Triumph catalogue. The album eventually went gold in the US. In 1980, the album "Progressions of Power" was released and peaked at No. 32 in the US, reaching Gold in overall sales. Its single "I Can Survive" peaked at No. 91 on the Hot 100. That year the band performed their heavy metal show in Passiac, New Jersey; it was their first show in the New York area.  1981's "Allied Forces" sold over a million copies in the US, while attaining the highest chart positions any Triumph album would attain; No. 23 in the US and No. 13 in Canada.