Journey is an American band formed in San Francisco in 1973 and originally composed of Neal Schon, Ross Valory, George Tickner, Prairie Prince and Gregg Rolie.
Group which can boast of having placed no less than 19 titles in the American Top40, of which 6 will finish in the Top10 and 2 which will finish No.1 of the Billboard Hot 100. Group which can also boast of having sold to date no less than 80 million records around the world.
The group signed in 1974 with the label Columbia Records, label which will allow them to release a first eponymous album the following year in 1975. Album which will know a nice success in esteem but will not produce any single of big caliber. Same fate for his albums "Look into the future" in 1976 and "Next" in 1977, two albums which will not do better on the singles side.
It was the arrival of Steve Perry in 1977, coupled with a change in tone and style, that would be a game-changer. The arrival of Perry obviously boosted the group and the album "Infinity" which came out in 1978 was to meet a very different fate from its predecessors. The album was a real hit and finally produced some big caliber singles like "Wheel in the sky" and "Lights".
The success was confirmed and amplified the following year in 1979 with the release of the album "Evolution", an album that would mainly produce the huge single "Lovin', touchin', suqeezin'". Followed a year later in 1980 by the album "Departure", an album with less success but which saved the furniture thanks to the single "Any way you want it".
Things will seriously accelerate in 1981 with the release of the album "Escape", album which will make a real worldwide hit, explode the notoriety of the group and produce no less than 3 mega hits ! Starting with "Who's crying now" and the enormous "Don’t stop believin" in 1981 and finally "Open arms" which will have its heyday in 1982.
New album "Frontiers" two years later in 1983, album which confirms the excellent form of the group with no less than 4 titles classified on this album. With the climax of the very big caliber single "Separate ways (Worlds apart)".
Three years will pass before the release in 1986 of the album "Raised on radio", three years in which Perry and Schon will each work on their own on personal projects. In any case, three years that have not affected the level of inspiration of the 2 because the album is very successful and will produce 6 classified titles, a real feat !
Unfortunately, tensions after the reunion are numerous, especially between Perry and the rest of the group. So much so that the group will not do anything for almost 10 years ...
After many changes, the group returned to the forefront in 1996 with the release of the album "Trial by fire", album which allows the group to once again return to success. Album whose main feature will be the single "When you love a woman".
Unfortunately, the sequel is going to be more complicated with Perry deteriorating physically and inspiration levels dropping year after year. With the consequence in the years which will follow the release of albums which will know a course of the most honorable in the Charts but which will be unable to produce singles of big caliber worthy of the name ...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
To play some music 1975
On a saturday night 1976
Spaceman 1977
Wheel in the sky 1978
Anytime 1978
Lights 1978
Just the same way 1979
Lovin’, touchin’, squeezin’ 1979
Too late 1980
Any way you want it 1980
Walks like a lady 1980
Good morning girl 1980
The party's over (Hopelessely in love) 1981
Who’s crying now 1981
Stone in love 1981
Don’t stop believin' 1981
Open arms 1982
Still they ride 1982
Separate ways (Worlds apart) 1983
Faithfully 1983
After the fall 1983
Send her my love 1983
Be good to yourself 1986
Suzanne 1986
Girl can't help it 1986
Raised on radio 1986
I’ll be alright without you 1987
Why can't this night go on forever 1987
Natural thing 1993
When you love a woman 1996
Message of love 1996
Can't tame the lion 1996
If he should break your heart 1996
All the way 2001
With your love 2001
After all these years 2008
Where did I lose your love 2008
Anything is possible 2011
Clips :
1975 ... the very first steps. Who would imagine at this point the enormous career that awaits this group in the years to come. Not many people, that's for sure ...
1976 ... all in all confidential beginnings with a level of success of the most modest. The group will have to quickly increase its level of play to hope to compete on a level playing field with the competition ...
1977 ... still no improvement in terms of success in the Charts. But it could be that things will evolve in the right direction in the short term ...
1978 ... this time will be the good one. The group finally won its first classified title and entered full force in the big leagues. A court of the great that they are not ready to leave ...
1978 ... and now that they've got a taste for success, they certainly don't intend to stop there. So let's go for almost 20 years of uninterrupted success !
1978 ... it is not 1 success on the clock for this year 1978 but no less than 3 ! The rise in power is obvious and above all impressive !
1979 ... the mid-1970s saw them hatch and the end of the decade saw them grow at great speed. They therefore almost reached maturity at the gates of the 1980s. We can imagine the rest !
1979 ... not to mention that their fame also spreads at high speed on a planetary level. Everything is now in place for the great fireworks display !
1980 ... 1980 will serve them more as a year of transition than anything else. The group is living on its achievements and has not yet passed the overdrive. So let's be patient a little longer ...
1980 ... this does not prevent them from signing a new major hit here and above all obtaining a first title classified across the Channel. It smells good all that !
1980 ... the rest will be a little less glorious but no need to worry about them. Especially when you see what is looming on the horizon ...
1981 ... the year of the big takeoff, the real one ! Starting with this title which puts them in the best conditions for a sequel that promises to be grandiose !
1981 ... their first mega hit ! The group delivers here one of its most emblematic titles and is positioned de facto as one of the major groups of the moment. A well-deserved recognition. HU-GE !
1981 ... paradoxically, the titles follow each other but do not necessarily resemble each other. This title will go almost under the radar. After all is a question of inspiration and this one is below the previous one, we are not going to lie to each other ...
1981 ... and inspiration, this title on the other hand will not be lacking, that's clear ! Here they sign their second mega hit of the year and enter definitively and above all shatteringly into the musical legend of the 80s. MAS-TER-FUL !
1982 ... and 3 ! Third mega hit for the group, a group which literally walks on water at the beginning of the 80's. And the adventure is far from over ...
1982 ... it is sure that the group cannot chain the mega hits like one threads the pearls. This title will experience a lower level of success but in no way affects the group's irrepressible ascent to the stars ...
1983 ... and the group will definitely reach the stars with this title. Admittedly, it will not be their most prestigious title, but it offers them a new major star on a prize list that already has a hell of a lot. All good little guys !
1983 ... another sign of recognition between a major group and a lambda group : the biggest are good in all areas ! And this group will have shown time and again that he can venture on all possible and imaginable musical paths !
1983 ... not to mention a plethora of titles with almost zero waste, a real feat ! But it is also there that we recognize the greatest !
1983 ... in 3 years the group will have established himself as one of the major groups of this decade and of the end of the twentieth century period. A consecration that they still consider unfinished and we will therefore have to count on them again in the years to come, that's for sure ...
1986 ... first big air hole after almost 10 years of practice at the highest level. It must be said that the pace was so sustained at the beginning of the decade that it would have been difficult for the group to maintain such a pace ...
1986 ... anyway, the 3-year break will have been profitable because the group is back in a certain form. Sufficient in any case to find the highest level directly !
1986 ... it is clear that the best years are behind. But what they deliver now still largely holds water, it is clear ...
1986 ... it will happen to them all the same to pass 'through'. This will be the case for this title but in an ocean of top and mega hits, it's the kind of hitch that goes unnoticed to say the least ...
1987 ... the years go by and the group manages to keep in touch with the best with obvious ease. Hope it lasts ...
1987 ... yet another high-caliber Intimist title of which they have the secret. They will have been really good in all areas and just for that, they largely deserve their level of notoriety and especially of success !
1993 ... this time it's a 6-year air gap that will separate this title from the previous title. It is clear that the group is losing momentum but it is still there anyway. Isn't that the main thing ?
1996 ... new 3 years air hole. Definitely, times are getting more and more difficult for the group. But given the level of success achieved by this title, it was worth the wait 3 years !
1996 ... a year 1996 which saw them return to the race in a spectacular fashion. Admittedly, the level of success has nothing to do with what they experienced during the previous decade but all the same ...
1996 ... four titles produced during this year 1996 and four classified titles. Mighty feat for ghosts. A lot of groups of their generation would like to come back like this during the 90s ...
1996 ... especially as they explore all musical fields and especially all possible tempos, which does not spoil anything. But with them, nothing surprising ...
2001 ... they will even attempt the transition to the 2000s. All with a title full of finesse and lightness. Who would have thought that they would still be here almost 25 years after their debut ...?!
2001 ... the beginning of the decade decidedly very much oriented towards 'With emotions'. Admittedly, they are somewhat against the current of the latest musical trends of the moment but whatever, we take no matter what !
2008 ... then nothing more for 7 years. This time we feel that the group is reaching the end of its adventure. But what an adventure !
2008 ... this does not prevent them from believing in it for a while longer. Not for a very long time, that's for sure but what is taken is no longer to be taken as they say ...
2011 ... as they say so well in their song, with them, anything is possible ! The proof because here they are in this new decade 2010 and nothing, and no one, seems able to slow down their momentum. For how much longer is that something else. To be continued ...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :