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Journey albums and songs sales

During the iTunes era, the greatest selling deep catalog song has been Don’t Stop Believin’ , Journey ‘s 1981 smash hit.

The name itself of the band is unknown in most countries. How have they manage this feat? Are they one-hit wonders? Is their success exclusively limited to the US? Today we will address all these legitimate questions.

Journey is an American rock band, formed in 1973 and still active. They come from San Francisco and have been part of Columbia’s roster during several decades.

Journey started as a mostly intrumental band, with keyboardist Gregg Rolie providing vocals for their first 3 albums. Steve Perry was recruited as the lead singer in 1977, strongly boosting the group’s success. He left in 1998. Steve Augeri (1998-2006), Jeff Scott Soto (2006-2007) and Arnel Pineda (since 2007) took over the role in recent years.

The band is up to 15 albums, from 1975’s eponymous effort to 2011’s Eclipse .

Escape (1981) is widely regarded as the band’s greatest album, with Evolution (1979) and Frontiers (1983) also receiving their share of critical acclaim.

When we talk about Journey ‘s success, it’s impossible to ignore the presence (or absence) of Steve Perry .

In the eye of the general public, there is no Journey without him. His participation in the band’s outputs from Infinity in 1978 to Trial By Fire in 1996 was fundamental to their sales as we will see throughout this article.

As usual, I’ll be using the Commensurate Sales to Popularity Concept in order to relevantly gauge their results. This concept will not only bring you sales information for all Journey ‘s   albums, physical and download singles, as well as audio and video streaming. In fact, it will also determine their true popularity.

If you are not yet familiar with the CSPC method, below is a nice and short video of explanations. I fully recommend watching it before getting into the sales figures. Of course, if you are a regular visitor feel free to skip the video and get into the numbers directly.

Table of Contents

The Commensurate Sales to Popularity Concept (CSPC)

There are two ways to understand this revolutionary concept. In the first place, there is this Scribe video posted below. If you are unaware of the CSPC method, you will get the full idea within just a pair of minutes.

If you are a mathematical person, and want to know the full method as well as formulas, you can read the full introduction article .

Now let’s get into the artist’s sales figures in detail in order to apply this concept and define the act’s true popularity!

Journey Album Sales

Original Album Sales – Comments

The first 3 albums of Journey sold poorly. They peaked at #138, #100 and #85 in the US, in this order, without making an impact abroad except a bit in Japan.

The fact they weren’t sung by Steve Perry also limited their catalog performances once the band started to be famous.

Infinity , now with Perry , was their breakthrough. It sold over 4.4 million units to date. None of its singles was a big hit, but 3 of them made the Hot 100, unlike extracts from their previous LPs.

Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin became the band’s first top 20 Hot 100 hit, peaking at #16 in 1979. It fueled sales of the album Evolution to 3.7 million units.

Dream, After Dream , the soundtrack to a movie that got next to zero exposure, sold next to nothing.

Departure , the true follow up of Evolution , sold roughly the same amount at 3.8 million. It was their first US Top 10 LP (#8) and features the successful Any Way You Want It .

The 8th album, Escape , made the group superstars in North America. Who’s Crying Now (#4), Don’t Stop Believin’ (#9) and Open Arms (#2 for 6 weeks) were all big hits.

Naturally, the album did very well on its side too topping US charts while lasting 38 weeks inside the top 10. It’s very close to 10 million pure sales there.

Raised On Radio wasn’t as big with less than 3.3 million sales. This was disappointing enough to see the band go into a near 10-years hiatus.

They returned in 1996 with the 1.8 million selling Trial By Fire . This represented a nice commercial reception for veterans.

The departure of Perry concluded on irrelevant sales for the next albums. Only Revelation did better, mostly because it included a CD 2 of re-recordings of their classic hits and because it was hugely supported by the exclusivity deal with WalMart.

Journey Songs Sales

Physical Singles

As a reminder, the weighting is done with a 10 to 3 ratio between one album and one physical single.

Journey started their career slow with singles which sold very limited amounts during several years.

Things got a bit better with singles off Infinity . It’s all relative though since they only add for 240,000 units combined.

Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ did way better. It sold 660,000 copies, more than all singles issued before combined.

The band’s profile was then stronger. Any Way You Want It consolidated it with nearly half a million sales.

The 3 main hits from Escape all did 800,000 plus sales thanks to their strong initial reception in the US along with successful reissues. It may come as a surprise nowadays, but Don’t Stop Believin’ hasn’t done better than the remaining two in first place.

Separate Ways and Faithfully moved consistent numbers too at 1.1 million combined. While the majority of their sales was still coming from the US, the former did fairly well in Japan with over 70,000 units sold.

Songs from Raised On Radio performed decently but without troubling the higher spots of charts. They combine for less than 1 million.

When You Love A Woman was a surprising return to form with 660,000 copies sold, once again mostly in the US.

All told the group moved just over 8 million physical singles.

Digital songs

As a reminder, the weighting is done with a 10 to 1,5 ratio between one album and one digital single.

Expectedly, downloads for the early material of Journey are irrelevant.

It gets interesting with songs from Infinity . A pair of them still widely popular to this day, Lights and Wheel In The Sky , both at 1 million or more.

This explains why this LP has been one of their strongest catalog seller during the 80s, before the release of their Greatest Hits in 1988.

Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ is also fairly close to 1 million, an illustration of the band’s strong digital impact.

Any Way You Want It puts the bar even higher at 1.61 million. Obviously, Journey is no one-hit wonder.

This feeling is down to the fact that Don’t Stop Believin’ is ridiculously massive. The song posts an insane 13.14 million digital sales.

Who could have expected that this #9 US hit that was unknown elsewhere would go on and do that well during the downloads era?

Don’t even listen to people telling you these sales are down to the usage of the song on Soprano, or on Glee episodes.

Hundreds of songs have been used in the latter, and none reacted the way Don’t Stop Believin’ did. Soprano boosted it? The song was already the highest selling catalog song of iTunes before the final episode.

Also, 10+ years after these temporary events, the song is still massively downloaded / streamed. It means the tune is simply organically popular. People like it, as simple as that.

The fact that it hasn’t sold better internationally in first place instead illustrate a wasted opportunity by their label.

Let’s not forget the rest of their discography. Open Arms, Separate Ways and Faithfully are all at 2-3 million downloads and ringtones, while Who’s Crying Now is close to 1 million.

In total, that’s nearly 30 million digital sales for the band, with thus over 16 million for songs outside Don’t Stop Believin’ , which should be enough to highlight how popular their catalog is.

Streaming is made up of audio and video streams. Our CSPC methodology includes both to better reflect the real popularity of each track. The main source of data for each avenue is respectively Spotify and YouTube . To factor in the growing impact of multiple Asian countries where these platforms aren’t always the go-to site for music streaming, more sources have been added.

In order to account for their real popularity in each relevant country, the below sources have been used along with the mentioned ratios that reflect the market share of each area.

Audio Streams – South Korea : Genie streams * 3.05  (consistent with Gaon streaming numbers) – Japan : AWA streams * 100/5.5  (AWA has 5.5% of the Japanese streaming market) – Elsewhere : Spotify streams * (370 – 8.5 – 9.5 – 33 – 9) / 207  (370 million global subscribers minus 8.5 million from South Korea minus 9.5 million from Japan minus 33 million from China divided by the number of Spotify only users minus 9 million more Asian users) + Genie streams * 3.05 (uses Genie rather than Spotify to extrapolate markets like Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam)

Video Streams – China* : Xiami streams * 125/6.5  (Xiami has just over 5% of the Chinese streaming market) – Elsewhere : Youtube views

*since 96.4% of Chinese streaming platforms are free users, that paid-for users pay less than $2 a month and that they are also used as video streaming platforms, their streams are weighted in par with YouTube streams.

Audio Stream value – 1500 plays equal 1 album unit Video Stream value – 11,750 views equal 1 album unit

Equivalent Albums Sales (EAS) = ( Spotify * 310/207 + Genie * 3.05*2 + AWA * 100/5.5 ) / 1500 + ( Xiami * 125/6.5 + YouTube ) / 11750

Just like downloads figures, streaming statistics show why Don’t Stop Believin’ is seen like the definitive signature song of Journey .

The track has an immense 690 million streams on Spotify alone. It’s the 3rd biggest pre-2000 song behind Queen ‘s Bohemian Rhapsody and Oasis ‘ Wonderwall .

Shockingly, Open Arms tops it on AWA and Genie which represent the Japanese and South Korean markets. In the other side, it’s only their 5th strongest song on Spotify.

In-between are Any Way You Want It , at a solid 141,000 EAS, Faithfully at 115,000 EAS. Separate Ways is also ahead on Spotify and Xiami but loses the global battle.

While half a dozen of tracks are quite solid, numbers go down fast. Stone In Love makes their top 10 with only 18,000 EAS.

Full catalog breakdown

If you are familiar with the artist’s catalog and want to check details of each and every song, you can access to all of them right here .

Keep yourself up to date

Our website provides you a fantastic tool which fetchs updated Spotify streams as you request them , use it to watch these results grow day after day!

Journey compilations sales

It sounds fairly logical to add together weighted sales of one era – studio album, physical singles, downloads, streams – to get the full picture of an album’s popularity. For older releases though, they also generate sales of various live, music videos and compilation albums.

All those packaging-only records do not create value, they exploit the value originating from the parent studio album of each of its tracks instead. Inevitably, when such compilations are issued, this downgrades catalog sales of the original LP.

Thus, to perfectly gauge the worth of these releases, we need to re-assign sales proportionally to its contribution of all the compilations which feature its songs. The following table explains this method.

The distribution process

How to understand this table? In the example of  Greatest Hits , these figures mean it sold 20,500,000 units worldwide. The second statistics column means all versions of all the songs included on this package add for 1,349,432 equivalent album sales from streams of all types.

The second part on the right of the table shows how many equivalent streams are coming from each original album, plus the share it represents on the overall package.

Thus, streaming figures tell us songs from the  Escape  album are responsible for 62% of the  Greatest Hits track list attractiveness. This means it generated 12,661,000 of its 20,500,000 album sales and so forth for the other records.

Compilations sales figures listing

With many popular songs in the US plus the powerhouse Don’t Stop Believin’ , it’s no wonder the band sold a lot of live albums and compilations.

Their highlight is 1988’s Greatest Hits . Their first proper best of album, it sold 20.5 million units to date, including 17.5 million in the US. It’s one of the best selling albums of all-time there.

The studio album Revelation is also listed here since the CD 2 was made of reworks of original hits.

As a bonus, below is the breakdown of the top selling compilations.

Full Length related records Sales – Summary

Here is the most underestimated indicator of an album’s success – the amount of compilation sales of all kinds it generated. Due to the dependency of sales of the original studio albums on these releases, they are a key piece of the jigsaw.

These numbers are obtained by applying the method from the section The distribution process to all packages listed under Compilation sales figures listing  category.

Total Album (all types) Sales per Country

Please note country-specific numbers may miss sales of a few minor releases, although totals are complete.

Journey Career CSPC Results

So, after checking all the figures, how many overall equivalent album sales has each album by Journey achieved? Well, at this point we hardly need to add up all of the figures defined in this article!

Albums CSPC results

In the following results table, all categories display figures in equivalent album sales. If different, pure sales are listed between parentheses.

As a reminder:

• Studio Album : sales of the original album
• Other Releases : sales of compilations generated thanks to the album
• Physical Singles : sales of physical singles from the album (ratio 3/10)
• Download Singles : sales of digital singles from the album (ratio 1,5/10)
• Streaming : equivalent album sales of all the album tracks (ratio 1/1500 for Audio stream and 1/6750 for Video stream)

Artist career totals

See where the artist ranks among remaining singers

Often overlooked online because of the weak popularity of Journey outside of the US, Escape records a stunning 33.14 million equivalent album sales through all formats.

To put this number in perspective, this places it among the 50 greatest selling albums of all-time , ahead of monsters like Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd , The Eminew Show by Eminem and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles .

We can hardly say the band did well with only this album though. Frontiers is huge at 13.65 million while Departure, Infinity, Evolution and Raised On Radio add for 26.5 million combined.

Trial By Fire , the last album with Steve Perry , hasn’t done as well since it moved only 2.17 million units.

The difference in results with and without this singer is striking. With him, they registered 75.5 million sales with 7 proper albums. Without him, they sold 3.77 million albums with 7 releases too. That’s a 20 to 1 gap in performance.

Career-wise that sums up to 80.3 million equivalent album sales.

Singles CSPC results

The list is compiled in album equivalent sales generated by each song. Therefore, these figures are not merged units of singles formats. Instead, it includes weighted sales of the song’s physical single, download, ringtone and streaming as well as its share among sales of all albums on which it is featured.

1. 1981 – Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’ [Escape] – 27,230,000 2. 1982 – Journey – Faithfully [Frontiers] – 7,000,000 3. 1982 – Journey – Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) [Frontiers] – 5,440,000 4. 1980 – Journey – Any Way You Want It [Departure] – 5,300,000 5. 1979 – Journey – Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ [Evolution] – 4,130,000 6. 1978 – Journey – Wheel in the Sky [Infinity] – 3,920,000 7. 1981 – Journey – Open Arms [Escape] – 3,770,000 8. 1980 – Journey – Little Girl [Dream, After Dream] – 3,690,000 9. 1978 – Journey – Lights [Infinity] – 3,070,000 10. 1981 – Journey – Who’s Crying Now [Escape] – 1,350,000 11. 1996 – Journey – When You Love a Woman [Trial by Fire] – 1,330,000 12. 1986 – Journey – I’ll Be Alright Without You [Raised on Radio] – 1,280,000

If you feel inspired by this list, we just created this CSPC Journey playlist on Spotify!

Discography results

Thanks to our new ASR (Artist Success Rating) concept , we know that their sales represent 40.25 million times the purchase of their entire discography. Coupled with their total sales, it translates into an ASR score of 322.

It is just below the score of Barbra Streisand but better than artists like Prince , Bob Dylan and David Bowie .

Records & Achievements

• At 33,136,000 EAS, Escape  is the most successful album from 1981.
• At 13,654,000 EAS,  Frontiers  is among the 10 most successful albums from 1984.
• At 27,230,000 EAS, Don’t Stop Believin’ is among the 10 most successful songs of all-time .
• At 27,230,000 EAS, Don’t Stop Believin’ is the most successful non- Michael Jackson song of the 80s.
• At 13,140,000 downloads and ringtones, Don’t Stop Believin’ is the highest selling pre-2000 song in these formats.
• At 690.8 million, Don’t Stop Believin’ is the 3rd most streamed pre-2000 song on Spotify.
• At 17,510,000 pure album sales, Greatest Hits is the 12th best selling album of all-time in the US. At 17,510,000 pure album sales, Greatest Hits is the 2nd best selling compilation of all-time in the US.

NB: EAS means Equivalent Album Sales.

You may be interested in…

… best-selling artists, albums, and singles.

To improve your navigation we created several amazing cross-artists lists posted inside the CSPC: Data Collector article. Click on it to see the full listing of all CSPC results compiled so far!

… similar artists

To put figures from this article into perspective, click on the images below to reach career breakdowns of similar artists:

As usual, feel free to comment and / or ask a question!

Sources:  IFPI ,  Spotify ,  YouTube ,  Discogs .

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

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Journey's 'Escape' Album Gets Diamond Status In U.S. Ahead Of Anniversary

By Andrew Magnotta @AndrewMagnotta

July 16, 2021

Journey 's Escape album has been certified diamond by the RIAA for sales in excess of 10 million equivalent units in time for its 40th anniversary tomorrow (July 17).

Following its initial release in 1981, Escape hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of hits like "Don't Stop Believin'," "Open Arms," "Who's Crying Now" and "Stone In Love."

"This is such a truly gratifying achievement for all the work we did together," said Journey guitarist and founder Neal Schon . "Congratulations to all."

Escape was the band's seventh studio album overall and the fourth to feature Steve Perry on lead vocals. It was also the band's first album to feature keyboardist Jonathan Cain , who's a credited co-writer on each song.

"On behalf of all that helped to make our album Escape a diamond award achievement, we say thank you," Cain said. "To our fans, to our bandmates who took part in recording this album, to our label, to all in radio and finally to the distributors who believed in this music, we are deeply humbled and honored to accept this prestigious award."

Escape is the second album in Journey's catalog to achieve diamond status (the other being the band's Greatest Hits ).

After making significant lineup changes in 2020 , Journey is poised to release a new album this year. The band's first single in over a decade, "The Way We Used To Be," arrived last month .

With the band about to hit the road again later this month, Schon is auctioning off more than 100 guitars from his collection , including many used during the writing and recording of Escape .

Get all of Journey's 2021 tour dates here .

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JOURNEY's 'Escape' Certified Diamond In U.S. For Sales In Excess Of 10 Million

JOURNEY 's seventh studio album, "Escape" , has been certified diamond by the RIAA , which denotes the album has sold over 10 million equivalent units. "Escape" , released in 1981, will celebrate its 40th anniversary on July 17, and spawned the hits "Open Arms" , "Who's Crying Now" , "Stone In Love" and "Don't Stop Believin'" , which has over a billion streams on Spotify alone. JOURNEY 's "Greatest Hits" has previously been certified diamond.

JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon says of the certification: "This is such a truly gratifying achievement for all the work we did together. Congratulations to all." Keyboardist Jonathan Cain adds: "On behalf of all that helped to make our album 'Escape' a diamond award achievement, we say thank you. To our fans, to our bandmates who took part in recording this album, to our label, to all in radio and finally to the distributors who believed in this music, we are deeply humbled and honored to accept this prestigious award."

Recently, JOURNEY shared its new song "The Way We Used To Be" . The song is the band's first new music since 2011's album "Eclipse" . It was accompanied by a music video, directed and produced by Andrew Seth Cohen and Ryan Kieffer , with animation produced by Confidential Creative .

JOURNEY has confirmed a number of new tour dates, including shows in Atlantic City and Grantville, as well as their performance at the Tunnel To Towers Foundation 's "Never Forget" concert, a night of live music to honor and commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on Saturday, August 21. Additionally, the band will headline Lollapalooza at Chicago's Grant Park on Saturday, July 31. The band has also confirmed "An Evening With Journey: Official Lollapalooza Aftershow" at the Aragon Ballroom on Thursday, July 29. On Friday, September 18, the band will be performing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. More live shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

JOURNEY was founded in 1972 by original member Neal Schon , and is one of the most famous and beloved American rock bands of all time, having written some of the best-known songs in the modern musical canon. Since the group's formation, the band has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold nearly 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times platinum, and their song "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone. The band has undergone many changes since 1972, and with the recent release of the single "The Way We Used To Be" move into a new chapter with a lineup comprised of Neal Schon (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jonathan Cain (keyboards, backing vocals), Arnel Pineda (lead vocals), Randy Jackson (bass), Narada Michael Walden (drums) and Jason Derlatka (keyboards). The band will announce new music soon.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than one million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan" , a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame , and was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame . Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary, "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" , about the band's resurgence upon adding Arnel Pineda as lead singer after Schon discovered the Philippines native on Youtube .

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Journey Escape Album Certified 'Diamond" For Sales Of 10-Million

Journey’s seventh studio album, Escape has been certified Diamond by the RIAA, which denotes the album has sold over 10 million equivalent units. Escape , released in 1981, will celebrate its 40th anniversary on July 17th, and spawned the hits “Open Arms,” “Who’s Crying Now,” “Stone in Love” and “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which has over a billion streams on Spotify alone. Journey’s Greatest Hits has previously been certified Diamond.

Journey Guitarist Neal Schon said of the certification, “This is such a truly gratifying achievement for all the work we did together. Congratulations to all.” Jonathan Cain added, “on behalf of all that helped to make our album, Escape a Diamond Award achievement, we say thank you. To our fans, to our band mates who took part in recording this album, to our label, to all in radio and finally to the distributors who believed in this music; we are deeply humbled and honored to accept this prestigious award.”

Recently, Journey shared their new song “ The Way We Used To Be .” The song is the band’s first new music since 2011’s album Eclipse. Watch the music video for “The Way We Used To Be,” directed & produced by Andrew Seth Cohen & Ryan Kieffer with animation produced by Confidential Creative, here .

Journey have confirmed a number of new tour dates including shows in Atlantic City and Grantville, as well as their performance at the Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Never Forget Concert, a night of live music to honor and commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on Saturday, August 21. Additionally, the band will headline Lollapalooza at Chicago’s Grant Park on Saturday, July 31st. The band have also confirmed “An Evening with Journey: Official Lollapalooza Aftershow” at the Aragon Ballroom on Thursday, July 29th. On Friday, September 18th, the band will be performing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. More live shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

Journey was founded in 1972 by original member Neal Schon, and has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 Gold and Platinum albums, and has sold nearly 100 million albums globally. Their  Greatest Hits  album is certified 15 times-Platinum for 15,000,000 units sold. The line-up has undergone many changes since 1972, and with the recent release of the single “The Way We Used To Be” has solidified into Neal Schon (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jonathan Cain (keyboards, backing vocals), Arnel Pineda (lead vocals), Randy Jackson (bass), Narada Michael Walden (drums) and Jason Derlatka (keyboards).

Journey Tour Dates

Jul 29, 2021 - Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom - Chicago, IL

Jul 31, 2021 - Lollapalooza - Chicago, IL

Aug 20, 2021 - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Atlantic City, NJ

Aug 21, 2021 - Tunnel To Towers Foundation's Never Forget Concert - Wantagh, NY

Aug 22, 2021 - Hollywood Casino At Penn National Racecourse - Grantville, PA

Sep 18, 2021 - IHeartradio Music Festival - Las Vegas, NV

Photo : Getty Images North America

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By kslx | july 16, 2021, journey’s “most diversified record,” ‘escape,’ celebrates its 40th anniversary saturday.

This Saturday, July 17, marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Journey ‘s seventh studio album, Escape , which is the band’s only album ever to top the Billboard 200.

Escape is packed with memorable tunes, including four top-20 hits — “ Don’t Stop Believin’ ,” “ Open Arms ,” “ Who’s Crying Now ” and “Still They Ride” — and the classic-rock-radio staple “Stone in Love.”

Escape has just been certified Diamond for amassing 10 million sales or album equivalent units in the U.S. It becomes Journey’s second album to achieve the milestone, following the group’s 1988 Greatest Hits compilation.

Speaking with ABC Audio, founding guitarist Neal Schon gushes, “To have a greatest-hits Diamond is incredible, but to have one of your [studio] albums become a Diamond, it’s like beyond incredible to all of us.”

Reflecting on what made Escape a special album, Schon notes, “I felt definitely it was the most diversified record musically we had ever made, with many different types of music on it.”

The album was Journey’s first to feature keyboardist Jonathan Cain , who replaced founding member Gregg Rolie . Cain immediately made his presence felt, co-writing all 10 of Escape ‘s tracks.

Schon, who co-wrote eight of Escape ‘s tunes, notes, “[Jonathan] bought something that the band needed to move on and move forward, and better the songwriting in a different creative way.”

Of course, “Don’t Stop Believin'” has become Journey’s best-known song, although it only peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Open Arms” and “Who’s Crying Now” reached #2 and #4, respectively.

Schon recalls that when “Don’t Stop Believin'” was finished, he “said to everybody in the studio, ‘I think this song has something special. I think this song is going to be one of our biggest songs ever.'”

Here’s Escape ‘s full track list:

“Don’t Stop Believin'” “Stone in Love” “Who’s Crying Now” “Keep On Runnin'” “Still They Ride” “Escape” “Lay It Down” “Dead or Alive” “Mother, Father” “Open Arms”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Friday, July 16, 2021

Journey: escape album certified diamond for us sales of 10 million.

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Journey: ‘Escape’ Album Gets Diamond Certified – 2021

ESCAPE celebrates the 40th anniversary of its release this month. The album features the singles “Who’s Crying Now,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” “Still They Ride,” and “Stone in Love.”

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John Waite Documentary ‘The Hard Way’ – 2022 – MOVIE – Trailer – The Babys – Bad English

Marco Mendoza ‘New Direction’ – 2022 – NEW ALBUM/SONG/VIDEO

Journey Guitarist Neal Schon: Guest Performer on America’s Got Talent – 2022 – VIDEO

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How Journey Tweaked Their Lineup and Went Supernova With ‘Escape’

Journey thought they were on the verge of something big in 1980. And they were – but only after a period of sudden adversity.

Their first three studio albums with Steve Perry had each sold millions, followed by another multi-platinum live project, Captured . “The band had already exploded on tour, and the Captured record was exploding and the energy on that record was something you couldn’t deny,” co-founder Neal Schon told Goldmine in 2013. “And so, I felt that at any point that whatever we came with, as long as there were good songs, it was going to be big.”

But  Gregg Rolie , who'd started Journey with Schon after both left Santana , wanted out. When it came time to add a new studio cut to Captured , they had to turn to a sessions player, Steve Roseman. "The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)" went Top 40, but Journey was abruptly in disarray.

Certainly nothing pointed to the successes of Escape , which arrived on July 31, 1981 after the addition of Rolie's replacement,  Jonathan Cain . Yet, it became Journey's first-ever No. 1 album amid an amazing run of four Top 20 hit singles, including "Don't Stop Believin',' "Who's Crying Now," "Open Arms" and "Still They Ride" – along with the rock-radio favorite "Stone In Love."

"I have to attribute that to Jonathan coming in and joining the writing team," Perry told the New Haven Register in 2012. "Jon had so many creative ideas, and he and I did a lot of lyrics back then, too. It just turned another corner ... though at the time it felt like we were just doing more music the same way we always had. But time has shown it to be more of a quintessential album than some of the others."

Watch Journey Perform 'Stone in Love'

Cain, who favored a modern synthesizer sound versus Rolie's sturdy Hammond B-3, had been featured on a pair of Babys albums released in 1980 before joining Journey. They met when the Babys served as opening act on a tour in support of Journey's 1980 studio effort Departure .

Something immediately clicked between Cain, Perry and Schon. Escape was made with remarkable efficiency, and cost just $80,000 in total. Perry, whose mantra was reportedly "time is money," rarely did more than two takes. Despite the dramatic shift in sound, the album seemed to glide onto store shelves.

“When Jon came in, he brought in a whole different thing,” Schon told Goldmine. “It was like, he’s an accomplished songwriter ... and an accomplished keyboardist, a classical keyboardist like on piano. Gregg was more of a bluesy guy, someone from a B3/Jimmy Smith school of organ playing, which was a completely different thing. So we went more with Jon ... and there was always more of a classical vein to what we were doing, as opposed to what we were doing with Gregg.”

They emerged with a new signature song. No, not " Don't Stop Believin' ." In fact, back then, "Open Arms" – a song that set a template for '80s power ballads – was considered the album's stand-out single. The track soared to No. 2, and remained there for six weeks in early 1982. It had followed the opening single success of "Who's Crying Now," which topped out at No. 4.

In between was "Don't Stop Believin'," a single that barely crept into the Top 10. Today, it's undoubtedly the best-known thing about Escape , a track that became the adopted anthem of not one but two World Series teams (2005's White Sox and 2010's Giants), a fixture on TV (including memorable appearances on The Sopranos and Glee ), and one of the best-selling catalog items ever on iTunes. The song actually roared back into the Top 10 twice in the U.K., almost 30 years after its initial release.

Listen to Journey Perform 'Don't Stop Believin"

"Don't Stop Believin'" had much humbler beginnings. Cain brought the chorus melody and lyric into a rehearsal for the album being held at an Oakland warehouse. “The phrase came from my father,” Cain told the New York Post in 2010. “I had a tough time trying to get down the road in the music business, and he used to tell me that stuff, 'Don’t stop believing.'" Perry asked for some "rolling piano" to get things started, and he and Schon started tracking the music. That arpeggiated guitar riff, for instance, followed Perry's suggestion that Schon approximate the sound of a train.

Perry and Cain finished the lyrics later, including a line about a non-existent place called "South Detroit." "I ran the phonetics of east, west, and north, but nothing sounded as good or emotionally true to me as South Detroit," Perry told Vulture in 2012. "The syntax just sounded right. I fell in love with the line. It's only been in the last few years that I've learned that there is no South Detroit. But it doesn't matter."

Indeed, Schon says "Don't Stop Believin'" earns Journey as much as three times the amount of any other catalog song. That belated success underscores Schon's consistent, though at-first largely unheard, assertion that there was more to Journey's tour-de-force Escape than the soaring romanticism of its blockbuster ballad.

“I listen to it now and it’s a great record, but it’s all over the map,” Schon told Goldmine . “You’ve got a song like ‘Dead or Alive’ on it, which is like really musical punk. I don’t know what you’d call it. It had tight time changes and drum lines that Steve Smith had to sort out. And then you have ‘Open Arms’ on the other side of the spectrum, and so it was like everything between A and Z and everything in the middle.”    

The Best Song on Every Journey Album

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Escape by Journey

Album Reviews 1981 Albums , 2011 Reviews , Album Reviews by Ric Albano , American Artists , California Artists , Journey 1

Fortunately for Journey, the British pop band The Babys were breaking up at about the same time, freeing up keyboardist Jonathan Cain to join the band. This created the respectable songwriting triumvirate of Perry, Schon, and Cain that launched the band into mega popularity through the early 1980s, starting with their 1981 album, Escape .

Although a critical listener may find the lyrical content a bit common and trite, there is no denying that sound that was forged on this album creates a niche and feeling that is quite fantastic. There is an edge to each and every song that makes it indelible and taps into a deep reservoir of nostalgia, while some of the individual, performances are at a stratospheric level.

While Cain was the driving force behind crafting many of the songs on Escape , and Perry and Schon provided, without a doubt, the incredible performances of this album (more on them later), bass player Ross Valory added a special touch to this album, with a unique-sounding, high end buzz to his bass sound that gives it just an edge to make the overall sound distinct. This is evident right from the jump on the hit “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” as he compliments the low end of Cain’s rotating piano riff in a preview of one of the elements the distinguishes this album from any other (including other Journey albums).

A true classic in every sense, “Mother, Father” was arranged by Neal’s father and jazz musician Matt Schon who put together the ingenious chord structure that sets the mood for Perry’s soulful vocals and the absolutely superlative solo in the mid section. It climaxes with a surreal, harmonized outro, which completes a song that is as melodramatic as anything The Who ever did, while as deep into the “inner space” as anything that Pink Floyd ever did.

Steve Perry’s voice is a unique entity, unlike any ever quite heard before or since. He compliments any odd 7th or augmented chord by smoothly transitioning from note to note along an almost-superhuman range. He never seems to miss a note, but especially shines on the rockers “Lay It Down” and “Stone In Love”, as well as the ballad “Open Arms”, a calm lullaby that eases the album to its conclusion after the emotional journey of “Mother, Father”.

Another high point on the album is “Still They Ride” a haunting ballad, dripping with melancholy, that is dark yet addictive, here the band displays amazing discipline in measuring out the simple and slow notes with perfect, moody precision.

In total, Escape is a difficult album to pigeon hole. It is best known for its ballads that rose high in the charts, but yet has made a few “Top Heavy Metal Album” lists. It was undoubtedly a template for scores of album oriented rock efforts in the 1980s. Yet it gives a slight nod to the progressive rock of the 1970s with the exotic arrangements, jazz fusion, and the mini-suite title song, “Escape” (not to mention the official title of the album being the cleverly arranged “E5C4P3”).

No matter how it may be classified, it was certainly and instantly a hit, and the band did not shy away from reaping the benefits from this new found fame. In 1982, with the gush of a mainstream audience, Journey became the top-selling concert ticket, and that same year a Journey Escape video game was released for the Atari 2600 system.

Journey may be credited or blamed for what followed in the wake of Escape , when acts such as Poison, Bon Jovi, and countless other “hair” bands would put forth their own inferior carbon copies of this album but nonetheless stuck to the formula and gained success from it. In any case, they were the originators of this hybrid of pop-friendly “hard rock”, whether by design or not.

Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of 1981 albums .

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Escape (2022 Remaster)

“Don’t Stop Believin’” wasn’t the biggest single on Escape, or even the second. But the fact that we’re still prepared to hear it anywhere and at any time—grocery stores, baseball games, karaoke bars, finales of revered prestige-television series—is a testament to how deeply the song lodged in the cultural imagination. Like The Beatles in the 1960s, Led Zeppelin in the 1970s, or Nirvana in the 1990s, Journey captured their era, but they also transcended it. Listening to Escape, released in 1981, you can hear the blockbuster sound of the early Reagan years—the passion, the hair, the lights. But you can also hear the seeds of everything from Bon Jovi to Foo Fighters and Imagine Dragons—that blend of muscle and sensitivity that has defined arena rock for more than four decades. Interestingly, the singles that outshined “Don’t Stop Believin’” at the time—“Who’s Crying Now” and the Motown-esque “Open Arms”—pointed toward the past. And as an album in the era of so-called album-oriented rock, Escape is actually kind of weird, governed at one extreme by rowdy hard rock (“Dead or Alive”) and at the other by the fusion-curious sound the band had perfected long before vocalist Steve Perry was called up from the minors (“La Raza del Sol”). Talking to an interviewer in 2008, Perry described the feeling of being at a club and seeing a new generation sing along to “Don’t Stop Believin’” on the stereo: “There’s something reverent about that to me,” he said. “And I only wish to protect it, because it means something to them like it means something to me.”

July 31, 1981 10 Songs, 42 minutes ℗ 1981 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

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BestSellingAlbums.org

global archive of albums sales, charts and industry statistics

JOURNEY album sales

According to JOURNEY , JOURNEY sold over 100,000,000 albums worldwide, including 50,395,000 in the United States and 400,000 in the United Kingdom. The best-selling album by JOURNEY is GREATEST HITS , which sold over 25,000,000 copies .

Related artists: BAD ENGLISH , STEVE PERRY

JOURNEY albums ranked by sales

JOURNEY total sales by country

Journey detailed sales by country.

Journey In The Studio For 'Escape' Album's 40th Anniversary

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2024 Tour Dates

You Got The Best Of Me

• Listen on Spotify
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The Way We Used To Be

The first new song from Journey in 10 years. Listen as the classic band roars back to form.

A soaring, modern album of 12 original songs. "This is Journey with combat boots on."

11 re-recorded classics in union with 11 new, hard-hitting tracks. Find your revelation.

Steve Augeri’s debut album with the band, featuring "All the Way" and "Higher Place"

Trial By Fire

The blazing, rowdy reunion after a 10-year hiatus.

Raised On Radio

The ninth studio album from Journey

4-times platinum, and featuring the legendary ballad "Faithfully"

The legendary origin of "Don't Stop Believing", "Open Arms", and 9 more epic tracks.

The ferocious hit album including "Any Way You Want It" and more.

The breakthrough triple-platinum album, bringing Journey into the mainstream with "Touchin', Lovin', Squeezin'".

Journey arrives at its iconic style on their fourth studio album, featuring "Wheel In the Sky"

Look Into the Future

Jonathan Cain

Keys, songwriting.

Lead Guitar, Songwriting

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You Want It Tee

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2024 Freedom Tour Merch

Platinum logo 50th anniversary zip hoodie, gold logo 50th anniversary zip hoodie, 2024 black/grey elmo raglan, 2024 50th anniversary tour tee, 2024 mineral wash deco scarab tee, ladies infinity tee - black, ladies infinity tee - mauve, crystal scarab freedom tee, 50th anniversary trucker hat, 2024 soar trucker hat, 50th anniversary snapback hat, 50th anniversary bronze scarab koozie, journey’s “don’t stop believin’” recognized by forbes as officially the biggest song of all time.

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Albums in Order

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The List of Journey Albums in Order of Release

by Ram · September 22, 2023

Journey Albums in Order: This iconic American rock band, emerged onto the music scene in 1973 in the vibrant city of San Francisco.

Journey, the iconic American rock band, emerged onto the music scene in 1973 in the vibrant city of San Francisco. Founded by former members of illustrious groups such as Santana, the Steve Miller Band, and Frumious Bandersnatch, the band has undergone various transformations over the years while maintaining its core spirit. As of 2021, the lineup featured the indomitable guitarist and vocalist Neal Schon, the longest-serving original member, as well as the talents of keyboardist, guitarist, and vocalist Jonathan Cain, keyboardist and vocalist Jason Derlatka, drummer and vocalist Deen Castronovo, bassist Todd Jensen, and lead vocalist Arnel Pineda.

Journey’s journey to musical stardom encompasses a remarkable timeline of success, with their pinnacle period spanning from 1978 to 1987 when Steve Perry assumed the role of lead vocalist. During this era, the band produced a string of chart-topping hits, including the timeless anthem “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which earned the distinction of becoming the top-selling track in iTunes history for songs not released in the 21st century. Their album “Escape” soared to number one on the Billboard 200, while “Frontiers” continued to captivate audiences in the United States and beyond. With numerous gold and platinum albums, record-breaking sales, and a reputation as one of America’s most influential rock/pop bands, Journey’s legacy is etched in the annals of music history.

Their enduring impact is celebrated globally, and their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 solidified their place among the legends of rock. With a worldwide fan base and an enduring presence on rock radio, Journey’s melodies continue to resonate, ensuring their status as one of the world’s best-selling and most cherished bands of all time.So, if you are a die heart fan of Journey Albums then check out here we have list of Journey albums in order of release so far.

Journey Albums Available on:  Apple Music 

How many albums does Journey have?

The discography of American rock band Journey has released 15 studio albums, five live albums, 11 compilation albums, and 51 singles.

All Journey Albums in Order: Check Out The List of Journey Albums in Order of Release Here!

• Journey — April 1, 1975
• Look into the Future — January 1, 1976
• Next — February 1977
• Infinity — January 20, 1978
• Evolution — March 23, 1979
• Departure — February 29, 1980
• Dream, After Dream — December 10, 1980
• Escape — July 17, 1981
• Frontiers — February 22, 1983
• Raised on Radio — April 21, 1986
• Trial by Fire — October 22, 1996
• Arrival — December 1, 2000
• Generations — August 29, 2005
• Revelation — June 3, 2008
• Eclipse — May 24, 2011
• Freedom — July 8, 2022

Journey Band Albums List

1. journey (1975).

• Of a Lifetime
• In the Morning Day
• To Play Some Music
• In My Lonely Feeling / Conversations
• Mystery Mountain

Released on April 1, 1975, “Journey” marked the debut studio album of the iconic American rock band Journey, distributed by Columbia Records. In contrast to their later works, this album embraced a jazzy progressive rock style, showcasing the band’s instrumental prowess. Notably, it featured rhythm guitarist George Tickner, a unique inclusion in their lineup. Prior to this release, Journey recorded a demo album, featuring the same songs but in a different order and with Prairie Prince as the drummer. Several unreleased tracks, including instrumental pieces and the original title track “Charge of the Light Brigade,” didn’t make the final cut of this foundational album.

2. Look into the Future (1976)

• On a Saturday Nite
• It’s All Too Much
• She Makes Me (Feel Alright)
• You’re on Your Own
• Look into the Future
• Midnight Dreamer
• I’m Gonna Leave You

“Look into the Future,” Journey’s second studio album, marked a shift in the band’s musical direction upon its January 1976 release through Columbia Records. While tempering the overt progressiveness of their debut self-titled album, this sophomore effort still retained elements of experimentation, notably in tracks like the title song and “I’m Gonna Leave You.” The album also featured a cover of The Beatles’ “It’s All Too Much” from the Yellow Submarine film. “Look into the Future” stands out as the longest recorded Journey song. Notably, this album saw the departure of rhythm guitarist George Tickner, leaving behind a lineup that included Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, Ross Valory, and Aynsley Dunbar.

3. Next (1977)

• I Would Find You
• Here We Are
• Nickel and Dime

“Released in 1977, ‘Next’ stands as Journey’s third studio album, a continuation of their signature sound that melded elements from 1976’s ‘Look into the Future’ with traces of their earlier jazzy progressive rock style. Notably, ‘Next’ marked the end of an era, being the final album to showcase Gregg Rolie as the primary lead singer. The album’s single, ‘Spaceman’/’Nickel and Dime,’ was a notable release. Interestingly, an instrumental track titled ‘Cookie Duster’ was initially listed on early pressings but not included. ‘Next’ reached No. 85 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and witnessed the beginnings of lead vocalist Robert Fleischman’s journey with the band, setting the stage for the group’s evolving musical direction.”

4. Infinity (1978)

• Feeling That Way
• Wheel in the Sky
• Somethin’ to Hide
• Winds of March
• Opened the Door

“Infinity,” the fourth studio album by the renowned American rock band Journey, marked a pivotal moment in the group’s history. Released in January 1978 under Columbia Records, this album represented a significant transition for the band as it introduced the powerful vocals of Steve Perry, becoming their first album with him as the lead singer. Simultaneously, it marked the end of an era, being the final album to feature drummer Aynsley Dunbar. This milestone release showcased Journey’s evolving sound and set the stage for their future successes, laying the foundation for the iconic musical journey that lay ahead.

5. Evolution (1979)

• Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’
• City of the Angels
• When You’re Alone (It Ain’t Easy)
• Sweet and Simple
• Lovin’ You Is Easy
• Just the Same Way
• Do You Recall

“Evolution,” the fifth studio album by American rock band Journey, marked a significant turning point in their career. Released in March 1979 under Columbia Records, this album introduced drummer Steve Smith to the band’s lineup. “Evolution” proved to be their most successful album at the time, peaking at No. 20 on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling three million copies in the US. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, known for his work with Queen, the album featured the hit “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” their first top 20 single, and “Just the Same Way,” which showcased both original lead vocalist Gregg Rolie and Steve Perry. With tracks like “Too Late,” “Evolution” pushed the boundaries of rock ballads, featuring Neal Schon’s impressive guitar work.

6. Departure (1980)

• Any Way You Want It
• Walks Like a Lady
• Someday Soon
• People and Places
• Precious Time
• Where Were You
• I’m Cryin’
• Line of Fire
• Good Morning Girl
• Stay Awhile
• Homemade Love
• Natural Thing
• Little Girl

“Departure,” the sixth studio album by American rock band Journey, made its debut on February 29, 1980, under the Columbia Records label. This album marked a significant milestone for Journey as it became their first top 10 Billboard 200 album, reaching No. 8. Featuring the hit track “Any Way You Want It,” which also made it to the top 25 singles chart, “Departure” showcased a slightly edgier sound due to its unique “live in studio” recording approach. The album included three singles, with “Walks Like a Lady” and a medley of “Good Morning Girl” and “Stay Awhile” also making their mark on the charts.

Notably, this album marked the departure of founding member Gregg Rolie and paved the way for Jonathan Cain to join the band. In subsequent years, “Departure” underwent remastering and reissues to introduce bonus tracks for fans worldwide.

7. Dream, After Dream (1980)

• Sandcastles
• A Few Coins
• When the Love Has Gone
• Festival Dance

“Dream, After Dream,” the soundtrack album by American rock band Journey, accompanies the Japanese fantasy film “Yume, Yume No Ato,” directed by Kenzo Takada. Released in 1980 on Columbia Records, it marked the band’s seventh album and a significant departure from their hard rock sound, embracing their progressive rock roots. The album, with nine tracks, includes vocals on “Destiny,” “Sand Castles,” and “Little Girl,” the latter becoming the B-side of “Open Arms.” This soundtrack also holds historical significance as it was the last studio album featuring founding member Gregg Rolie. While the film remained relatively obscure, the album remains a unique chapter in Journey’s musical journey.

8. Escape (1981)

• Don’t Stop Believin’
• Stone in Love
• Who’s Crying Now
• Keep On Runnin’
• Still They Ride
• Lay It Down
• Dead or Alive
• Mother, Father

Escape, stylized as E5C4P3 on the album cover, marks the pinnacle of Journey’s musical journey. This seventh studio album, released on July 17, 1981, via Columbia Records, soared to the top of the American Billboard 200 chart. A true chart-topping sensation, Escape boasts an impressive quartet of Billboard Hot 100 singles, including the iconic anthem ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ (no. 9), ‘Who’s Crying Now’ (no. 4), ‘Still They Ride’ (no. 19), and the heartfelt ballad ‘Open Arms’ (no. 2). This rock masterpiece also gifted the airwaves with the enduring classic ‘Stone in Love.’ In July 2021, the RIAA certified it as diamond, solidifying its status as Journey’s most successful studio album and second most successful overall, following only behind their Greatest Hits compilation.

9. Frontiers (1983)

• Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
• Send Her My Love
• Chain Reaction
• After the Fall
• Edge of the Blade
• Troubled Child

“Frontiers,” the eighth studio album by the American rock band Journey, was released on February 1, 1983, under Columbia Records. Notably, it marked the last appearance of bassist Ross Valory until 1996’s “Trial by Fire.” The album achieved great success, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawning four top 40 singles: “After the Fall” (No. 23), “Send Her My Love” (No. 23), “Faithfully” (No. 12), and “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” (No. 8). “Frontiers” was later certified six times platinum by the RIAA. Interestingly, the album’s tracklist underwent last-minute changes, with two songs replaced, one of which, “Only the Young,” gained popularity in the movie “Vision Quest.”

10. Raised on Radio (1986)

• Girl Can’t Help It
• Positive Touch
• Be Good to Yourself
• Once You Love Somebody
• Happy to Give
• Raised on Radio
• I’ll Be Alright Without You
• It Could Have Been You
• The Eyes of a Woman
• Why Can’t This Night Go on Forever

“Raised on Radio,” the ninth studio album by the American rock band Journey, made its debut in April 1986 under the Columbia Records label. This album marked a significant transition as it was the first without founding bassist Ross Valory, replaced initially by session bassist Bob Glaub and later by Randy Jackson. Drummer Steve Smith contributed to select tracks but was eventually replaced by session drummer Larrie Londin and later Mike Baird for the subsequent tour. The album was a commercial success, yielding three top 20 singles in the US, including “Girl Can’t Help It,” “I’ll Be Alright Without You,” and “Suzanne.” It reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and achieved double platinum certification in the USA.

11. Trial by Fire (1996)

• Message of Love
• When You Love a Woman
• If He Should Break Your Heart
• Forever in Blue
• Castles Burning
• Don’t Be Down on Me Baby
• Still She Cries
• Colors of the Spirit
• When I Think of You
• Easy to Fall
• Can’t Tame the Lion
• It’s Just the Rain
• Trial by Fire
• Baby I’m a Leavin’ You
• I Can See It in Your Eyes

“Trial by Fire,” the tenth studio album by American rock band Journey, released on October 22, 1996, marked a significant reunion. It brought together the classic 1981–1985 lineup, which hadn’t recorded together since 1983’s “Frontiers.” Produced by Kevin Shirley, the album featured bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith, rejoining since “Frontiers” and marked the final collaboration with vocalist Steve Perry. Notable tracks include the Grammy-nominated hit “When You Love a Woman” and spiritually-inspired songs. Despite its success, it’s the only Journey album without a supporting tour, due to internal disputes and Perry’s hip injury. “Trial by Fire” reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum.

12. Arrival (2001)

• Higher Place
• All the Way
• Signs of Life
• All the Things
• Loved by You
• Livin’ to Do
• World Gone Wild
• I Got a Reason
• With Your Love
• Lifetime of Dreams
• Live and Breathe
• Nothin’ Comes Close
• To Be Alive Again
• Kiss Me Softly
• We Will Meet Again

“Arrival,” the eleventh studio album by the iconic American rock band Journey, made its debut on April 3, 2001, following a Japanese release in 2000 with one substituted song. This record marked a significant transition for the band, as it introduced new lead vocalist Steve Augeri, taking the reins from the beloved Steve Perry, and featured Deen Castronovo as the new drummer, succeeding Steve Smith. “Arrival” showcased a blend of hard rock influences reminiscent of the band’s ’70s and ’80s material, alongside signature ballads akin to Perry’s style. While commercially successful, peaking at #12 on Billboard’s Top Internet Albums chart, the album garnered mixed critical reviews, with praise for Neal Schon’s guitar work but criticism for its formulaic elements.

13. Generations (2005)

• Faith in the Heartland
• The Place in Your Heart
• A Better Life
• Every Generation
• Butterfly (She Flies Alone)
• Knowing That You Love Me
• Out of Harms Way
• In Self-Defense
• Better Together
• Beyond the Clouds
• Never Too Late
• Pride of the Family

“Generations,” the twelfth studio album by iconic American rock band Journey, marked the end of an era with lead singer Steve Augeri. Released in 2005 on Sanctuary Records, it solidified the line-up that had debuted in 2000’s “Arrival” and continued with 2002’s “Red 13 EP,” featuring Deen Castronovo on drums. A distinctive feature of this album was that all band members shared lead vocal duties, driven by Augeri’s vocal fatigue. Critical reception was mixed, with praise for Augeri’s performance and the band’s diverse musical direction, but uncertainty about the vocal-sharing decision. The album peaked at No. 170 on the Billboard 200 chart, and Augeri left the band during the 2006 tour due to a throat infection, marking the end of an era for Journey’s sound.

14. Revelation (2008)

• Never Walk Away
• Like a Sunshower
• Change for the Better
• Wildest Dream
• After All These Years
• Where Did I Lose Your Love
• What I Needed
• What It Takes to Win
• Turn Down the World Tonight
• The Journey (Revelation)
• Let It Take You Back

“Revelation,” the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Journey, marked a significant chapter in the band’s history as their first featuring lead singer Arnel Pineda. The album boasted 11 new songs and 11 re-recorded greatest hits, all showcasing Pineda’s vocal prowess. Additionally, the North American version included a DVD capturing the band’s energetic March 8, 2008 concert in Las Vegas. Notable singles like “Never Walk Away,” “Where Did I Lose Your Love,” and “After All These Years,” penned by Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, found success on the adult contemporary charts. The album received positive reviews, lauding Pineda’s vocals and the band’s return to form. A bonus track, “Let It Take You Back,” was included in the European release.

15. Eclipse (2011)

• City of Hope
• Edge of the Moment
• Chain of Love
• Anything Is Possible
• She’s a Mystery
• To Whom It May Concern

Eclipse (stylized as ECL1P53) marks the fourteenth studio album by the iconic American rock band Journey and the second featuring lead singer Arnel Pineda. Released on various dates worldwide in 2011, with the United States and Canada receiving it on May 24, followed by Japan on May 27, the United Kingdom on May 30, and the international release on June 3, this album showcases the songwriting prowess of Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, with contributions from Pineda. Notably, it stands as the final album with bassist Ross Valory, who departed the group in 2020. ‘Eclipse’ adds another chapter to Journey’s enduring musical legacy.

16. Freedom (2022)

• Together We Run
• Don’t Give Up on Us
• Still Believe in Love
• You Got the Best of Me
• Live to Love Again
• The Way We Used to Be
• Come Away with Me
• Let It Rain
• Holdin’ On
• All Day, All Night
• Don’t Go
• United We Stand
• Life Rolls On
• Beautiful as You Are

“Freedom,” the fifteenth studio album by the iconic American rock band Journey, made its debut on July 8, 2022, under the labels BMG Rights Management and Frontiers Records. Marking a significant change, it stands as the band’s second album without founding bassist Ross Valory, replaced by Randy Jackson, who last appeared on “Raised on Radio” in 1986. Boasting fifteen tracks and a runtime of an impressive one hour and thirteen minutes, it secures the title of Journey’s lengthiest album, excluding compilation records. While lauded for performances and musicianship, the album garnered mixed critical reviews, with attention drawn to production, mixing, and its extended duration.

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Journey Escape (40th Anniversary Edition) 180g LP

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40th Anniversary Edition 180g Vinyl LP! 2021 Remaster from the Original Tapes! Featuring "Who's Crying Now", "Open Arms" & "Don't Stop Believin'"!

Escape is Journey's groundbreaking and chart-topping seventh studio album. It includes three of the band's biggest songs, all of which charted inside Billboard's Top Ten: "Who's Crying Now", "Open Arms" and the iconic "Don't Stop Believin'". The album is certified Diamond and has sold over 10 million copies in the US.

Outside of the singles, there is a certain electricity that circulates through the rest of the album. The songs are timeless, and as a whole, they have a way of rekindling the innocence of youthful romance and the rebelliousness of growing up, built from heartfelt songwriting and sturdy musicianship. -Mike DeGagne, AllMusic

• 40th Anniversary Edition
• 2021 Remaster from the Original Tapes
• Don't Stop Believin'
• Stone in Love
• Who's Crying Now
• Keep on Runnin'
• Still They Ride
• Lay it Down
• Dead or Alive
• Mother, Father

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Journey - Escape (40th Anniversary Vinyl)

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Journey - Escape (Vinyl)

'Escape' is Journey's groundbreaking and chart-topping seventh studio album. It includes three of the band's biggest songs, all of which charted inside Billboard's Top Ten: "Who's Crying Now", "Open Arms" and the iconic "Don't Stop Believin'". The album is certified Diamond and has sold over 10 million copies in the US. This new version is pressed on 180 gr. Audiophile vinyl.

Label : Legacy UPC : 194399216316 Genre : Rock Release Date:  8/26/2022 THIS ITEM IS NON RETURNBABLE

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9 of the Most Bizarre Licensed Video Games

By rudie obias | jun 10, 2024.

Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, video games were all the rage thanks to original titles like Super Mario Bros. , The Legend of Zelda , Sonic The Hedgehog , Crash Bandicoot , and others. Console sales were at an all-time high and it seemed like everyone with disposable income was buying games, which led some companies to go for easy cash grabs like licensed video games, which are based on existing properties and brands.

While some were actually good—like GoldenEye 007 , NBA Jam , Adventures of Batman & Robin , and X-Men 2: Clone Wars —others were more about marketing and brand awareness than anything else. Many of these games were inspired by popular movies, but sometimes, they were based on your favorite fast-food chains. Either way, plenty were just strange.

Ahead, you’ll find our picks for the most bizarre licensed video games from your childhood.  

Journey Escape (1982) and Journey (1983)

Street fighter: the movie: the game (1995), pepsiman (1999), the king games (2006), shaq fu (1994), chex quest (1996), home improvement: power tool pursuit (1994), taco bell: tasty temple challenge (2000).

Journey was so popular in the ‘80s that the rock band released two video games based on their music and exploits. The first, Journey Escape , was made for the Atari 2600 home console in 1982 and was influenced by  the band’s seventh studio album, Escape .

In Journey Escape , the objective is to get each member of Journey from the stage to their scarab spaceship—which is featured on the album cover—at the end of a concert. With the help of roadies and the band’s manager, players try to protect Journey from groupies, paparazzi, and sleazy concert promoters.

The following year, video game developer Midway Games created Journey , an arcade game featuring digitized versions of each member of the band. Players embarked on an interstellar journey to collect the band’s instruments from aliens who stole and scattered them on five different planets. Both games also have Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” playing in the background.

Fighting games rose in popularity during the early ‘90s, and Capcom’s Street Fighter II reigned supreme with its memorable characters, easy-to-learn mechanics, and fun gameplay in both single-player and two-player modes.

It was the toast of arcades in Japan and the United States when it was released in 1991. In fact, it was so acclaimed that it led to  Street Fighter: The Movie , a live-action film adaptation starring Jean-Claude Van Damme , Raul Julia, Ming-Na Wen, and Kylie Minogue.

However, by the time Street Fighter: The Movie was released in theaters in 1994, its main rival, Mortal Kombat , had gained a big following in arcades, courtesy of its realistic-looking digitized characters and graphic gameplay. So when it came time to adapt Street Fighter: The Movie into a video game, Incredible Technologies took cues from Mortal Kombat by featuring digitized characters (based on the actors in the movie), similar gameplay, and graphic violence. The end result was a game that didn’t play like Street Fighter II or Mortal Kombat , but serves as an odd tie-in to the film.

“Trying to make a game similar to Mortal Kombat — obviously, if you don’t know the secret sauce, it’s a lot more challenging than you realize,” Darryl Williams, video department supervisor at Capcom Coin-Op, told Polygon in 2021. “So we tried really hard to get the feel right. Between trying to get the feel right and trying to make it Mortal Kombat-esque , we got close enough but we didn’t quite hit the mark.”

Fun fact: The makers of Mortal Kombat wanted Jean-Claude Van Damme to appear in their game. But when the Belgian actor (who played Guile in Street Fighter: The Movie ) turned down their offer, the designers still modeled the character Johnny Cage after him anyway.

In a series of soda commercials that aired in the Land of the Rising Sun during the late ‘90s, PepsiCo of Japan created Pepsiman, a superhero mascot. The character was so popular that game developers KID Corp. created an action game based on him for the original Sony PlayStation in 1999.

Pepsiman has a very similar gameplay and stage layout to Nintendo’s Paperboy and PlayStation’s Crash Bandicoot . It takes place in San Francisco, New York City, Texas, and the fictional Pepsi City in the United States. You can play as the titular superhero, running, jumping, and dodging obstacles on streets while collecting Pepsi cans to save people from dehydration with the power of Pepsi.

For the holiday season of 2006, Burger King released three games, affectionately known as the King Games , for the Xbox 360 home console. The trio were initially released as downloadable games for the Xbox Live Arcade online platform; eventually, Burger King released physical copies of each game due to high demand. If you went to the fast-food chain in the lead-up to Christmas, you could get your hands on the games for $3.99 each , or $11.99 for all three. Most mainstream video games at the time cost upwards of $59.99, so charging under $15 for three games was considered a bargain.

As for the games themselves, they were all pretty different. PocketBike Racer is a kart-racing game similar to Super Mario Kart , but with Burger King characters, like The Burger King mascot, Whopper, Jr., Subservient Chicken, and an assortment of fast food workers. Another was Big Bumpin' , which features bumper car mini-games with the same cast of characters. The most popular game in the trilogy is Sneak King , wherein The King mascot sneaks around a city and surprises people with fast food from the chain. 

Basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal was the face of the NBA during the 1994-95 season after the retirement of Michael Jordan a year earlier. The athlete led the Orlando Magic team to a franchise-best 50-win season; released a platinum rap album called Shaq Diesel ; had a signature sneaker line with Reebok; and had an endorsement deal with Pepsi. O’Neal was at the top of the game when he tried (and failed) with video games. 

Shaq Fu , a 1994 fighting game for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, follows O’Neal as he travels to Tokyo, Japan, for a charity basketball game. However, he finds himself entering a dojo and speaking with a martial arts master named Leotsu. Shaq is then tasked with going to another dimension, “The Second World,” to rescue a boy from Sett Ra, an evil mummy. Along the way, Shaq uses a new form of martial arts, Shaq Fu, to fend off Sett Ra’s henchmen in a fighting tournament.

Thanks to its muddy graphics, tinny music, unresponsive controls, and overall bad storyline, Shaq Fu is considered one of the worst video games of all time . Still, it gained enough of a cult following over the years to warrant a sequel, Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn , which was released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices in 2018. 

General Mills gave away the video game Chex Quest inside of select Chex cereal boxes throughout the end of 1996. It was a family-friendly, first-person shooter game that was set on the planet Bazoik. You play as the Chex Warrior, trying to defend your home from the alien Flemoids invasion with your trusty “Zorchers” zapper.

Although the story and characters are based on a breakfast cereal, the gameplay itself resembles Doom . In fact, Chex Quest was built on top of the original Doom engine, which was obtained from id Software, the developers of the iconic first-person shooter game.

Chex Quest won the Golden EFFIE Award for Advertising Effectiveness in 1996. General Mills even released the sequel, Chex Quest 2: Flemoids Take Chextropolis , as a free digital download on the ChexQuest.com homepage in 1997, and it earned the Golden Reggie Award for Promotional Achievement the following year. The game still has fans: Chex Quest received an HD re-release for Steam and Nintendo Switch in 2020.

Based on the smash TV sitcom , Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit! —which was originally released in 1994—follows Tim Taylor (played by Tim Allen on the show) trying to recover his missing tools while filming Tool Time . Because his tools went missing at a TV studio, Taylor has to go through a number of TV sets to get them back.

The game was initially released on Super Nintendo. However, because of poor sales and mixed reviews from critics, plans for a Sega Genesis version of Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit! were scrapped—despite an official announcement in Sega Force magazine [ PDF ] in 1994.

Inside of a Taco Bell kids’ meal sometime in the year 2000, you’d have found a free copy of Taco Bell: Tasty Temple Challenge , a MS-DOS video game for PC. It was a first-person shooter, but instead of bullets, the game’s protagonist, Baja Bill, shot packets of Taco Bell Hot Sauce at snakes and scorpions as he tried to pursue the Grande Meal at the end of the game.

Taco Bell: Tasty Temple Challenge was published by Taco Bell , but developed by BrandGames , a studio that exclusively made brand-licensed video games, promotions, and interactive training programs for companies, such as GapKids, Mr. Pibb, BIC, and others.

Over the last few years, Taco Bell: Tasty Temple Challenge has been a favorite among the speedrun gamer community . Although the game generally lasts for about 23 minutes, a speedrunner named “ Vanity ” beat the game in just over one minute and 17 seconds.

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