1 9 8 0 , ▁a ▁month ▁after ▁Metro ▁Music ▁achieved ▁gold ▁status . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁band ' s ▁only ▁significant ▁international ▁hit , ▁although ▁they ▁had ▁several ▁others ▁in ▁Canada . ▁It ▁reached ▁No .   1 0 ▁on ▁the ▁UK ▁Singles ▁Chart , ▁ ▁and ▁No .   6 ▁on ▁the ▁Australian ▁Singles ▁Chart ▁( K ent ▁Music ▁Report ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Q ▁magazine ▁listed ▁it ▁among ▁the ▁ 1 0 0 1 ▁best ▁songs ▁ever . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁" E cho ▁Beach " ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁ 3 5 th ▁greatest ▁Canadian ▁song ▁of ▁all ▁time ▁on ▁the ▁C BC ▁Radio ▁One ▁series ▁ 5 0 ▁Tra cks : ▁The ▁Canadian ▁Version . ▁ ▁Background ▁E cho ▁Beach , ▁as ▁mentioned ▁in ▁the ▁song , ▁does ▁not ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁real ▁beach , ▁but ▁rather ▁a ▁symbol ic ▁notion ▁of ▁somewhere ▁the ▁narr ator ▁would ▁rather ▁be , ▁somewhere ▁" far ▁away ▁in ▁time ". ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁created ▁while ▁G ane ▁was ▁working ▁checking ▁wall paper ▁for ▁printing ▁fault s . ▁He ▁found ▁the ▁work ▁rather ▁d ull ▁and ▁his ▁mind ▁dr ift ed ▁to ▁times ▁he ▁would ▁like ▁to ▁live ▁over ▁again . ▁One ▁such ▁time ▁was ▁an ▁evening ▁spent ▁at ▁S unn ys ide ▁Beach ▁on ▁the ▁sh or eline ▁of ▁Lake ▁Ontario ▁in ▁Toronto ▁in ▁summer . ▁E cho ▁Beach ▁was ▁a ▁reference ▁made ▁to ▁a ▁f aded ▁time ▁and ▁place ▁gone ▁in ▁the