 Akkerman wrote "Janis" as a tribute to Janis Joplin, and its closer, "Eruption", is a 23-minute multi-part track inspired by the operas "Orfeo ed Euridice" by Christoph Willibald Gluck and "L'Orfeo" by Claudio Monteverdi, combining rock, jazz and classical influences.Released in October 1971, "Moving Waves" became the band's international breakthrough, reaching number 2 in the UK, number 4 in the Netherlands, and number 8 in the US.The album awarded Focus with a Conamus Export Award, their second Edison Award, and gold certifications in the three aforementioned countries; the US award was issued in 1973 for selling 500,000 copies.