Top 25 Journey Songs of the 21st Century

Journey entered the twenty first Century at a crossroads. Make that two crossroads.

They’d lately moved on Steve Perry, putting the Steve Augeri-sung “Bear in mind Me” on 1998’s chart-topping multi-platinum Armageddon: The Album soundtrack. They adopted that up with 2001’s Arrival earlier than Journey and their long-time label, Columbia Information went their separate methods.

This newfound freedom sparked a rangy creativity with 2002’s Purple 13 EP, however Journey’s heavy touring schedule led to vocal points for Augeri. He’d share the mic with each different member of the group on 2005’s Generations earlier than exiting the lineup.

READ MORE: Rating All 52 Journey Songs From the ’80s

Arnel Pineda then turned the longest-tenured singer in Journey historical past, following a short stint by Jeff Scott Soto as frontman. Journey was again on monitor: 2008’s No. 5 smash Revelation turned the primary platinum vendor of the post-Perry period.

Journey once more reached the Billboard High 20 with 2011’s No. 13 Eclipse however then took an extended break earlier than 2022’s pandemic-sparked Freedom album. Their proficient drummer Deen Castronovo additionally continued to double as a singer after making his debut on Generations.

They had been not cranking out hit single after hit single. “After All These Years” reached the High 10 on the Billboard adult-contemporary chart in 2008 – nevertheless it was the one one. Their final go to to the Sizzling 100 was within the ’90s. Nonetheless, as proven by this record of High 25 Journey Songs of the twenty first Century, there have been loads of tracks that may have been a success in one other period.

No. 25. “Flip Down the World Tonight”
From: Revelation (2008)

The always-powerful Arnel Pineda will need to have been listening as predecessor Steve Augeri discovered a strategy to do extra with much less emoting. Pineda is carried alongside by a monitor that seems headed towards this nearly operatic conclusion – then Journey switches gears to finish “Flip Down the World Tonight” on a properly positioned grace be aware.

No. 24. “What It Takes to Win”
From: Revelation (2008)

Pineda lets a roughness slip into his vocal, and a bit bit extra of himself. “What It Takes to Win” is healthier for it. He was 40 when he joined Journey, a totally shaped singer in his personal proper. He deserves much more of those moments.

No. 23. “You Received the Better of Me’
From: Freedom (2022)

Hovering refrain? Gnarly riff? Lovesick lyric? Compact, fleet-fingered solo? Welcome every one, however not fairly sudden. “You Received the Better of Me” stands aside due to its soaringly emotional finale – oh, and Jonathan Cain’s cool little keyboard squiggle.

No. 22. “World Gone Wild”
From: Arrival (2001)

Neal Schon, Cain and the remainder of the Augeri-era Journey lineup credibly recreate a “Separate Methods”-type groove, switching issues up with a spacious, inspirational bridge.

No. 21. “By no means Stroll Away” from ‘Revelation’ (2008)

Pineda got here bursting out of the gates with the opening monitor on his first Journey studio effort, singing with energy to spare. Kevin Shirley, again for his third Journey album after 1996’s Trial by Fireplace and 2001’s Arrival, turns all the things up round Pineda – significantly Schon.

No. 20. “After Glow”
From: Freedom (2022)

Castronovo started his second stint in Journey too late to contribute to the rhythm tracks for this pandemic-era return to recording, however he wasn’t absent from the completed LP. Initially, Castronovo solely deliberate on including some backgrounds. Then Neal Schon recommended that he strive singing lead on this surging ballad. “After Glow” got here alive.

No. 19. “Walkin’ Away from the Edge”
From: Purple 13 (2002)

Earlier than being felled by vocal points, Steve Augeri was capable of convey a depth, a relative darkness, that no different Journey singer since Gregg Rolie might contact. Here is your proof.

No. 18. “Beloved by You”
From: Arrival (2001)

Augeri updates the patented Journey ballad mannequin by staying modulated, singing with a steadier, quieter certitude. That confirmed no small quantity of guts. Drawback: This was not what Journey followers needed. Arrival stalled at No. 56, the group’s worst end since Subsequent in 1977.

No. 17. “In Self-Protection”
From: Generations (2005)

“In Self-Protection” truly dates again to Schon’s 1982 Right here to Keep collaboration with Jan Hammer. The unique model showcased Journey’s early-’80s lineup (minus Cain) on the peak of their more and more uncommon heavy-rocking type. Similar right here, with Castronovo rather than Steve Smith. If solely they’d had Augeri present his personal model of Perry’s elevating vocals in the course of the solo.

No. 16. “She’s a Thriller”
From Eclipse (2011)

Schon had lengthy hoped for a return to the wide-open heavy fusion of Journey’s unique ’70s-era data. He received his want with Eclipse, which boldly reanimated an period when he pulled and stretched his muse. But it surely wasn’t all guitar histrionics. A stunning Pineda co-written acoustic apart, “She’s a Thriller” finds Journey taking their foot off the fuel with out swerving into power-ballad cliche.

No. 15. “All of the Method”
From: Arrival (2001)

Of their first album with out Perry, Journey clearly had an eye fixed on recapturing the successes they discovered when Jonathan Cain joined the band within the ’80s. Cain was recreation, co-writing this immediately acquainted love music with Schon, Michael Rhodes and the lately put in Augeri. “All of the Method” might not have been a giant hit, nevertheless it confirmed Journey might nonetheless be Journey even with out their well-known former frontman.

No. 14. “Something Is Potential”
From: Eclipse (2011)

Pineda received the prospect to showcase his pop-star sensibilities as Eclipse turned his second consecutive High 20 album with Journey. There is a feeling of hovering expectancy about “Something Is Potential” that balances the robust, guitar-focused tracks discovered elsewhere on Eclipse.

No. 13. “Collectively We Run”
From: Freedom (2022)

Pineda begins in a darker vocal place earlier than hovering into his highest highs, setting the stage for a basic Journey narrative crammed with huge prospects and greater desires. On this means, quietly decided verses set the stage for the type of heart-filling choruses that after poured out of each passing automobile window.

No. 12. “Like a Sunshower”
From: Revelation (2008)

Schon could not have finished a greater job of smoothing the best way for the just-arrived Pineda than he did on “Like a Sunshower,” which begins with a lick straight out of “Keep Awhile” from Departure. It apparently labored: Revelation turned Journey’s best-selling venture since Trial by Fireplace, their final with Perry.

No. 11. “Out of Harms Method”
From: Generations (2005)

A tough-nosed warfare music, “Out of Harms Method” was dealt with with an eye-opening aggression distinctive to Journey, because of the gone-too-soon Augeri.

No. 10. “Past the Clouds”
From: Generations (2005)

A gradual burner co-written by Augeri in his closing outing, “Past the Clouds” illustrates why he was such preliminary match. Augeri’s skill to raise, as this monitor zooms into the stratosphere, after which to wind down right into a whispery vulnerability definitely remembers a Sure Different Steve. However then Augeri makes it his personal.

No. 9. “Purple 13 / State of Grace”
From: Purple 13 (2002)

They adopted the comfortable rock-dominated Arrival with a scorching, fusion-kissed EP-opening music. However that is not the best way it began. As a substitute, Journey spent two minutes easing into issues earlier than launching right into a wrecking-ball groove – and Augeri is with them, step for breathless step.

No. 8. “Metropolis of Hope”
From: Eclipse (2011)

You can say Schon is an unstoppable pressure on this music, besides that Pineda – in considered one of his most spectacular vocal performances – is each bit the equal of his molten riffs. A minimum of at first. Finally, Schon and firm step ahead for a floorboard-rattling, song-closing jam that edges all the best way into fusion. Journey hadn’t sounded this vast open for the reason that Jimmy Carter administration.

No. 7. “A Higher Life”
From: Generations (2005)

As Augeri struggled with the vocal issues that may finish his tenure in Journey, they turned to a then-surprising determine for assist: Castronovo had by no means sung lead throughout tenures with the Journey offshoot bands Dangerous English or Hardline, however shortly took command on the mic. “A Higher Life” confirmed that Castronovo was greater than a brief fill-in. This delicately conveyed monitor, that includes considered one of Schon’s extra restrained turns, is among the highest moments on Generations. Inside a couple of years, he’d be main his personal offshoot band.

No. 6. “Fringe of the Second”
From: Eclipse (2011)

Castronovo and Ross Valory create a foundation-rattling rhythm, whereas the big-voiced Pineda ably conveys the fiery sense of sensuality required by this music. However “Fringe of the Second” will at all times belong to Neal Schon, who’s by turns melodic, on the market, gurgling, eruptive. Lengthy after their hit single-making days, and a few albums into Pineda’s tenure, Journey lastly discovered their rock-music mojo once more on this monitor, rising with a way of livid third-act abandon.

No. 5. “The Method We Used to Be”
From: Freedom (2022)

Journey’s COVID-themed video for “The Method We Used to Be” mirrored its beginnings as a loop created by Schon whereas Journey was separated by quarantines. He added some guitar then shared the skeletal outcomes over to Cain, however questions remained. In spite of everything, the band hadn’t launched a brand new music in additional than a decade. Issues began clicking even earlier than co-producer Narada Michael Walden’s R&B-leaning influences nudged the music right into a fully totally different area.

No. 4. “Larger Place”
From: Arrival (2001)

Journey once more moved past Augeri’s similarities with Perry on this composition by Schon and Jack Blades, which at one level has an nearly a proggy really feel. In that means, “Larger Place” references earlier successes however finally makes use of them as a basis for one thing totally different.

No. 3. “Religion within the Heartland”
From: Generations (2005)

The urge to return to an on a regular basis working-stiff theme has been nearly unavoidable for a bunch that, in no small means, is greatest remembered for “Do not Cease Believin.'” And but “Religion within the Heartland” by no means slips into tribute – or, worse nonetheless, parody. Credit score goes most of all to Steve Augeri, who strikes a visceral pose on upbeat tracks like this one, singing each line as if his entire coronary heart is in it. Sadly, Generations went nowhere, and Augeri was gone after simply two albums with Journey.

No. 2. “The place Did I Lose Your Love”
From: Revelation (2008)

Very acquainted however much more enjoyable, “The place Did I Lose Your Love” is a welcome return to Journey’s arena-ballad sound. Certain, it’s totally a lot within the model of their Escape / Frontiers period. Castronovo and Cain, who co-wrote this monitor with Schon, even shut issues out with a fierce entanglement that once more remembers “Separate Methods.” However Pineda added a couple of new wrinkles as Journey continued to maneuver previous the identical previous Perry comparisons.

No. 1. “We Will Meet Once more”
From: Arrival (2001)

Castronovo’s inventively layered rhythm offers “We Will Meet Once more” a distinct character amongst Journey’s extra anthemic-leaning tunes, setting the stage for a second of managed fury from Augeri. All of it builds towards a sweeping vista paying homage to Journey’s basic Roy Thomas Baker-helmed sides like “Winds of March” and “Opened the Door,” a welcome improvement certainly. And as with these two 1978 tracks, “We Will Meet Once more” serves as an emotionally resonant side-closing second. Questions on whether or not they might proceed into a brand new period had been now answered.

Nick DeRiso is creator of the Amazon best-selling rock band bio ‘Journey: Worlds Aside,’ out there right here and in any respect main bookseller web sites.

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