As the vocalist of Journey from 1977 through 1987, Steve Perry led the band with his powerhouse vocals and co-wrote a collection of their biggest hits, including “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Anyway You Want It,” and “Separate Ways” with more through his solo career from his 1984 debut, Street Talk, and hits “Oh Sherrie,” and “Foolish Heart.”
Throughout Perry’s career outside of Journey, he has collaborated with dozens of artists, everyone from Sammy Hagar—singing background vocals on “The Iceman,” “Heartbeat,” “Run for Your Life,” and “Love or Money,” from Hagar’s 1980 solo album Danger Zone. In 1988, Perry also appeared on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young‘s American Dream track “Soldiers of Peace,” and in 2023 Perry joined Dolly Parton for a duet of Journey’s 1981 hit “Open Arms” on her Rockstar album.
Perry released his tenth solo album For the Love of Strange Medicine in 1994 before taking a nearly quarter-century break from music. He returned in 2018 with his third solo album Traces, and the holiday album, The Season, in 2021.
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“When I left the music business, I was gone for about 25 years, and I had no intentions of coming back,” Perry shared with American Songwriter in 2021. “In my heart, I truly had done everything that living the dream could have possibly been, and I really believe that’s true. We [Journey] were so successful, and we really had such a blast and we had such great songs in the band. And I had some solo stuff that was great. It’s good. I’m good. So I left.”
Perry continued, “Then over 20 years go by and all of a sudden the creative juices just started to come back.”
[RELATED: The Writer’s Block — Steve Perry Talks Songwriting with American Songwriter]
Though Perry’s collaborations as a songwriter stretch across four decades, here are five songs Perry wrote for other artists throughout the 1980s.
1. “Don’t Fight It,” Kenny Loggins, Featuring Steve Perry (1982)
Written by Steve Perry, Kenny Loggins, and Dean Pitchford
Appearing on Kenny Loggins‘ fourth album, High Adventure, “Don’t Fight It” also features Perry on vocals and Pat Benatar‘s husband guitarist Neil Giraldo on guitar. “Don’t Fight It” went to No. 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and peaked at No. 17 on the Hot 100. In 1983, Loggin’s song also picked up a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
Live long enough you’re bound to find
Moonshine’ll make a man go blind
Never can tell what the brew will do
But there’s times you’ll wind up feelin so fine
Some women seem to have a knack
They’ll turn you on and leave you flat
Never can tell who’s playin for keeps
So tell me now what’s holding you back
I know your heart can take it
Don’t fight it
Don’t fight it
Don’t fight it
It’ll do your heart so good
2. “Self Defense” Schon & Hammer (1982)
Written by Steve Perry, Neal Schon, and Jonathan Cain
On Here to Stay, the second collaborative album from his then-bandmate Neal Schon and composer Jan Hammer, Perry’s vocals can be heard behind the track “Self Defense. The song marked the only time Perry and Schon collaborated outside of Journey.
In 2005, Journey rerecorded the song for their album Generations with the title “In Self Defense” and Schon on vocals.
The situation’s got me rattled
I twist and turn late at night
This whole world is up in shambles
Who is the one to make it right
Missing persons lost in action (action)
Forgotten victims of the night (victims of the night)
They are making crime the main attraction (attraction)
They are making everyone uptight
They are all looking for a fight
In this confusion from day to day
Sometimes fear just makes no sense
In this crossfire I see one way
In self defense
3. “Only the Young,” Scandal with Patty Smyth (1984)
Written by Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, and Neal Schon
Though Journey was the first to record “Only the Young” in 1984, the band shared the track with Scandal with Patty Smyth, who released it first on their breakthrough debut album The Warrior.
Initially, Journey had written “Only the Young” for their 1983 album Frontiers but the band later recorded the song for the soundtrack of the 1985 film Vision Quest, starring Matthew Modine and Linda Fiorentino. Their version hit the top 10 at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Another night in any town
You can hear the thunder of their cry
Ahead of their time
They wonder why
In the shadows of a golden age
A generation waits for dawn
Brave carry on
Bold and the strong
Only the young can say
They’re free to fly away
Sharing the same desires
Burnin like wildfire
4. “(Can’t Fall Asleep to A) Lullaby,” America (1984)
Written by Steve Perry, Dewey Bunnell, Bill Mumy, and Robert Haimer
Perry appears on America’s “Can’t Fall Asleep to a Lullaby,” which he co-wrote for the band’s 12th album Perspective. America’s Dewey Bunnell later appeared in the music video for Perry’s 1984 solo hit “Oh Sherrie.”
It’s late at night, I’m all alone
I call you up, hear your voice on the phone
Say that you’re mine, tell me it’s true
Say that my love, is still right for you
‘Cause I can’t fall asleep to a lullaby
And I miss you so much I don’t wanna cry, you are why
I love you, oo-oo-oo, you don’t know
Here I am, part of the crowd
Need you so bad, I’m dreamin’ out loud
Say that you’re mine, tell me it’s true
Say that my love, is still right for you
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
