One of the most successful rock bands of all time, Journey sold mega-millions when their classic line-up of singer Steve Perry, guitarist Neal Schon, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, bassist Ross Vallory, and drummer Steve Smith dominated the charts with the albums Escape (1981) and Frontiers (1983)—which also boosted their back catalog. The iconic group claimed its fame with a combination of ballads, rockers, and all the spaces in between. They also soldiered on without Steve Perry starting in the late ‘90s, first with Steve Augieri, then (briefly) Jeff Scott Soto, and since 2007, Arnel Pineda. At its core, Journey is just a killer rock band. So here are 12 tracks, mostly more anthemic numbers, that make that case as strongly as their hits. Listed in chronological order…
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1. “Look into the Future” (1976)
One could argue that anything Journey recorded before they became a hit-making machine with Steve Perry as frontman is a deep cut. Back then, the group was a progressive rock-oriented quartet with guitarist Neal Schon, keyboardist/vocalist Gregg Rolie, bassist Ross Vallory, and on their second album, drummer Aynsley Dunbar. The title track is an eight-minute epic that starts as a quiet ballad that ebbs and swells into majestic rock passages, making it feel like [pause for effect] a journey.
2. “La Do Da” (1978)
When Perry joined the band for Infinity in 1978, he brought a crooning style to many ballads that would generate greater airplay and sales for the band. But as evidenced by later cuts such as “Stone in Love” and “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” he could rock too. This is a good early example of the latter as his voice soars over muscular riffing from Schon and the band’s hard rock intensity.
3. “Daydream” (1979)
This ballad from Evolution has a different vibe from traditional Journey tearjerkers like “Open Arms” and “Faithfully.” It has a hazy, dreamy quality to it that will often make you feel like you’re drifting into the clouds. At least until it is pierced by a potent Schon solo about two-thirds of the way through. Then you’ll feel like you’re soaring through space.
4. “Where Were You” (1980)
The big single from Departure is “Any Way You Want It,” but this riff-driven track is a fun, no-frills rocker that hits hard and shows how strong Perry and Schon could be on heavier tracks. Journey’s music was always marked by contrasts—Perry on the softer side, Schon on the harder side—and despite their artistic differences, they could usually move fluidly between both styles (for a good long while, at least).
5. “Mother, Father” (1981)
This dramatic, haunting ballad from the Diamond-selling Escape was not a love song, and it was the first of three songs co-written by incoming keyboardist Jonathan Cain. The lyrics profile a family divided by internal friction and alcohol, and a son who seems to have lost his way. The choruses are epic and powerful and brimming with hope beneath the despair. “Mother, Father” has thankfully been getting more play in Journey’s concerts in recent years. But it’s still one of those songs that many people will not be as familiar with.
6. “La Raza del Sol” (1982, live 2000 rendition)
This non-album B-side from the Escape period finds the group flirting with a Latin-inflected sound echoing the work guitarist Schon did with Santana when he was much younger. But while the studio version is pretty good, the below live version from Las Vegas in 2000 with soaring singer Steve Augieri is dynamite. Also featured is fiery organ work from Jonathan Cain, skillful soloing from Schon, snaking bass lines from Ross Vallory, and hyperkinetic drumming from Deen Castronovo.
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7. “Frontiers” (1983)
The title track to this hit album—one that saw them get heavier and more ‘80s-sounding at the same time—is a callback to Journey’s earlier prog days. It’s one of the album’s most beguiling cuts, and Steve Smith’s quirky rhythm pattern makes it a tricky one to follow (and refreshingly so). Perry shows off his vocal prowess with effortlessly fluid singing over the challenging arrangement. You can’t dance or rock out to this one—you just absorb it.
8. “Into Your Arms” (1986, released 1992)
This unreleased instrumental from the Raised on Radio sessions emerged on the Time3 box set six years later. While it feels like it might have been meant to have vocals, Schon’s melodic guitar lines and agile soloing in both the verses and choruses say otherwise. This is a delicious showcase for the man’s six-string abilities, and rocks harder than anything on that album—a nice exclamation point on the era, as Journey wouldn’t release new music for a decade.
9. “Can’t Tame the Lion” (1996)
When Journey’s most famous lineup reunited for the first time in 10 years, they released the 16-song Trial by Fire. While it was a mixed bag on the whole, half of the album is fantastic—especially “Message of Love,” “Castles Burning,” and this bright, effervescent anthem. It’s rarely been played live, which is a shame because back in the Perry days it would have been a good rock tune for him to belt on. But no tour ever happened for this album, and the band eventually found Steve Augieri to take over the frontman spot.
10. “World Gone Wild” (2001)
In 2001, Augieri’s debut with Journey, Arrival, yielded a somewhat popular radio track called “Higher Ground” that featured that classic ‘80s Journey vibe. But “World Gone Wild” is more engaging. The ethereal, mystical keyboard intro gives way to an energetic rocker about finding strength with a loved one in the face of crazy times. It’s also about focusing on clarity amidst chaos.
11. “A Better Life” (2005)
After Arrival, Journey released the Red 13 EP (2002) and then the Generations album (2005), which gave us this subdued, atmospheric track about high school sweethearts who marry and find that the promise of a great future has not been achieved. The song walks the line between hope and melancholy, and it could be considered a low-key thematic variation on the group’s ubiquitous hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” or Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
12. “Human Feel” (2011)
Let’s end the list on a rockin’g’, upbeat note. On Eclipse, their second album with singer Arnel Pineda, Journey got into full-on hard rock mode. There are almost no ballads to be found, and we get a grittier, less-poppy version of the band—which was probably the one Schon wanted all along. Buoyed by stomping percussion, bursts of organ, and gritty riffs, Pineda sings about how virtual life is alienating. This isn’t old-man-yells-at-the-clouds stuff, though; it’s more, “Hey, let’s disconnect some of the digital and plug back into the organic.”
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
