Long-running American favorite band Journey was created in the San Francisco Bay Area and led to multiple instantly recognizable hit songs throughout the country. With seven multi-platinum albums and one diamond, despite polarizing opinions within the music press, Journey was one of the most successful bands of the 1980s. They have maintained this in the modern day, as Don’t Stop Believing become the best selling 20th century track on iTunes and showed, despite their long history the band has been able to translate their success into the modern world.
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Early Years
In their early years, Journey went through multiple different forms. Initially started as a backing band set up by the former manager of Santana, Herbie Herbert, they intended to provide instrumentals for established artists. This idea was soon abandoned as the members practiced jazz fusion and became an act in their own right, although 1975’s Journey album and 1976’s Look into the Future were not commercial successes.
This led the band to change their style and venture into pop rock after a third unsuccessful album, Next. Robert Fleischman joined as a vocalist, but only stayed for a year. In that time, Journey managed to have a hit song with Wheel in the Sky, but several other lineup changes took place before their biggest commercial success, Escape, in 1981. These included replacement of drummer Aynesley Dunbar with Steve Smith, and vocalist Steve Perry filled the gap left by Fleischman. However, this turbulent period saw the band’s first platinum album, Infinity, on which Wheel in the Sky was the single, and from this they gained a substantial new fanbase.
Commercial Success
Escape saw even greater success with the singles Don’t Stop Believin’, Who’s Cryin’ Now, and Open Arms all reaching the top ten. Follow up album Frontiers in 1983 also did well with four top 40 hits and one top ten, Separate Ways (Worlds Apart). However, at this point the music press had begun to criticise Journey for their radio-friendly, commercial sound- although this didn’t stop their millions of fans seeing them in concert, and their tours at this period quickly made them one of the highest earning bands in the world. Journey capitalised on this by allowing the release of an arcade game using their images as well as another video game by Data Age.
Line-Up Changes and Present Day
Following this, Journey had another turbulent period and more line-up changes as Steve Perry pursued a solo career, as did guitarist Neil Schon. After a three-year hiatus both bass player and drummer were fired and new members Bob Glaub, Randy Jackson and Larrie Londin filled their spots. Journey took a longer hiatus from 1987-1995 as the individual members pursued solo projects and other collaborations, however, Journey as an outfit were still earning considerably with their record label Columbia releasing three compilation albums, and the single Don’t Stop Believin’ still remained a major part of popular culture. It was famously covered by Glee and was the highest earning rock song in history until 2014, when it was overtaken by Imagine Dragons’ radioactive.
Currently, Journey tour with Neil Schon on lead guitar, Johnathan Cain on keys, and Arnel Pineda on vocals, the latter having been discovered on YouTube. A recent lawsuit in March 2020 saw bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith fired, but the band remains active to this day and boasts an impressive discography of 15 albums, as well as having Don’t Stop Believin’ used as the unofficial anthem of two sports teams and the end number to musical Rock of Ages.
