Classic Rock
Top 25 Journey Songs of the 21st Century
Mar
Journey entered the 21st Century at a crossroads. Make that two crossroads.
They’d recently moved on Steve Perry, placing the Steve Augeri-sung “Remember Me” on 1998’s chart-topping multi-platinum Armageddon: The Album soundtrack. They followed that up with 2001’s Arrival before Journey and their long-time label, Columbia Records went their separate ways.
This newfound freedom sparked a rangy creativity with 2002’s Red 13 EP, but Journey’s heavy touring schedule led to vocal issues for Augeri. He’d share the mic with every other member of the group on 2005’s Generations before exiting the lineup.
READ MORE: Ranking All 52 Journey Songs From the ’80s
Arnel Pineda then became the longest-tenured singer in Journey history, following a brief stint by Jeff Scott Soto as frontman. Journey was back on track: 2008’s No. 5 smash Revelation became the first platinum seller of the post-Perry era.
Journey again reached the Billboard Top 20 with 2011’s No. 13 Eclipse but then took a long break before 2022’s pandemic-sparked Freedom album. Their talented drummer Deen Castronovo also continued to double as a singer after making his debut on Generations.
They were no longer cranking out hit single after hit single. “After All These Years” reached the Top 10 on the Billboard adult-contemporary chart in 2008 – but it was the only one. Their last visit to the Hot 100 was in the ’90s. Still, as shown by this list of Top 25 Journey Songs of the 21st Century, there have been plenty of tracks that might have been a hit in another era.
No. 25. “Turn Down the World Tonight”
From: Revelation (2008)
The always-powerful Arnel Pineda must have been listening as predecessor Steve Augeri found a way to do more with less emoting. Pineda is carried along by a track that appears headed toward this almost operatic conclusion – then Journey switches gears to end “Turn Down the World Tonight” on a nicely placed grace note.
No. 24. “What It Takes to Win”
From: Revelation (2008)
Pineda lets a roughness slip into his vocal, and a little bit more of himself. “What It Takes to Win” is better for it. He was 40 when he joined Journey, a fully formed singer in his own right. He deserves a lot more of these moments.
No. 23. “You Got the Best of Me’
From: Freedom (2022)
Soaring chorus? Gnarly riff? Lovesick lyric? Compact, fleet-fingered solo? Welcome one and all, but not quite unexpected. “You Got the Best of Me” stands apart because of 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 rest of the Augeri-era Journey lineup credibly recreate a “Separate Ways”-type groove, switching things up with a spacious, inspirational bridge.
No. 21. “Never Walk Away” from ‘Revelation’ (2008)
Pineda came bursting out of the gates with the opening track on his first Journey studio effort, singing with power to spare. Kevin Shirley, back for his third Journey album after 1996’s Trial by Fire and 2001’s Arrival, turns everything up around Pineda – particularly Schon.
No. 20. “After Glow”
From: Freedom (2022)
Castronovo began his second stint in Journey too late to contribute to the rhythm tracks for this pandemic-era return to recording, but he wasn’t absent from the finished LP. Initially, Castronovo only planned on adding some backgrounds. Then Neal Schon suggested that he try singing lead on this surging ballad. “After Glow” came alive.
No. 19. “Walkin’ Away from the Edge”
From: Red 13 (2002)
Before being felled by vocal issues, Steve Augeri was able to convey a depth, a relative darkness, that no other Journey singer since Gregg Rolie could touch. Here’s your proof.
No. 18. “Loved by You”
From: Arrival (2001)
Augeri updates the patented Journey ballad model by staying modulated, singing with a steadier, quieter certitude. That showed no small amount of guts. Problem: This was not what Journey fans wanted. Arrival stalled at No. 56, the group’s worst finish since Next in 1977.
No. 17. “In Self-Defense”
From: Generations (2005)
“In Self-Defense” actually dates back to Schon’s 1982 Here to Stay collaboration with Jan Hammer. The original version showcased Journey’s early-’80s lineup (minus Cain) at the peak of their increasingly rare heavy-rocking form. Same here, with Castronovo in place of Steve Smith. If only they’d had Augeri provide his own version of Perry’s elevating vocals during the solo.
No. 16. “She’s a Mystery”
From Eclipse (2011)
Schon had long hoped for a return to the wide-open heavy fusion of Journey’s original ’70s-era records. He got his wish with Eclipse, which boldly reanimated an era when he pulled and stretched his muse. But it wasn’t all guitar histrionics. A lovely Pineda co-written acoustic aside, “She’s a Mystery” finds Journey taking their foot off the gas without swerving into power-ballad cliche.
No. 15. “All the Way”
From: Arrival (2001)
In their first album without Perry, Journey obviously had an eye on recapturing the successes they found when Jonathan Cain joined the band in the ’80s. Cain was game, co-writing this instantly familiar love song with Schon, Michael Rhodes and the recently installed Augeri. “All the Way” may not have been a big hit, but it showed Journey could still be Journey even without their famous former frontman.
No. 14. “Anything Is Possible”
From: Eclipse (2011)
Pineda got the chance to showcase his pop-star sensibilities as Eclipse became his second consecutive Top 20 album with Journey. There’s a feeling of soaring expectancy about “Anything Is Possible” that balances the tough, guitar-focused tracks found elsewhere on Eclipse.
No. 13. “Together We Run”
From: Freedom (2022)
Pineda begins in a darker vocal place before soaring into his highest highs, setting the stage for a classic Journey narrative filled with big possibilities and bigger dreams. In this way, quietly determined verses set the stage for the kind of heart-filling choruses that once poured out of every passing car window.
No. 12. “Like a Sunshower”
From: Revelation (2008)
Schon couldn’t have done a better job of smoothing the way for the just-arrived Pineda than he did on “Like a Sunshower,” which begins with a lick straight out of “Stay Awhile” from Departure. It apparently worked: Revelation became Journey’s best-selling project since Trial by Fire, their last with Perry.
No. 11. “Out of Harms Way”
From: Generations (2005)
A hard-nosed war song, “Out of Harms Way” was handled with an eye-opening aggression unique to Journey, thanks to the gone-too-soon Augeri.
No. 10. “Beyond the Clouds”
From: Generations (2005)
A slow burner co-written by Augeri in his final outing, “Beyond the Clouds” illustrates why he was such a good initial fit. Augeri’s ability to elevate, as this track zooms into the stratosphere, and then to wind down into a whispery vulnerability certainly recalls a Certain Other Steve. But then Augeri makes it his own.
No. 9. “Red 13 / State of Grace”
From: Red 13 (2002)
They followed the soft rock-dominated Arrival with a scorching, fusion-kissed EP-opening song. But that’s not the way it started. Instead, Journey spent two minutes easing into things before launching into a wrecking-ball groove – and Augeri is with them, step for breathless step.
No. 8. “City of Hope”
From: Eclipse (2011)
You could say Schon is an unstoppable force on this song, except that Pineda – in one of his most impressive vocal performances – is every bit the equal of his molten riffs. At least at first. Eventually, Schon and company step forward for a floorboard-rattling, song-closing jam that edges all the way into fusion. Journey hadn’t sounded this wide open since the Jimmy Carter administration.
No. 7. “A Better Life”
From: Generations (2005)
As Augeri struggled with the vocal problems that would end his tenure in Journey, they turned to a then-surprising figure for help: Castronovo had never sung lead during tenures with the Journey offshoot bands Bad English or Hardline, but quickly took command at the mic. “A Better Life” confirmed that Castronovo was more than a temporary fill-in. This delicately conveyed track, featuring one of Schon’s more restrained turns, is one of the very best moments on Generations. Within a few years, he’d be leading his own offshoot band.
No. 6. “Edge of the Moment”
From: Eclipse (2011)
Castronovo and Ross Valory create a foundation-rattling rhythm, while the big-voiced Pineda ably conveys the fiery sense of sensuality required by this song. But “Edge of the Moment” will always belong to Neal Schon, who’s by turns melodic, out there, gurgling, eruptive. Long after their hit single-making days, and a couple of albums into Pineda’s tenure, Journey finally found their rock-music mojo again on this track, emerging with a sense of furious third-act abandon.
No. 5. “The Way We Used to Be”
From: Freedom (2022)
Journey’s COVID-themed video for “The Way We Used to Be” reflected its beginnings as a loop created by Schon while Journey was separated by quarantines. He added some guitar then shared the skeletal results over to Cain, but questions remained. After all, the band hadn’t released a new song in more than a decade. Things started clicking even before co-producer Narada Michael Walden’s R&B-leaning influences nudged the song into a entirely different space.
No. 4. “Higher Place”
From: Arrival (2001)
Journey again moved beyond Augeri’s similarities with Perry on this composition by Schon and Jack Blades, which at one point has an almost a proggy feel. In that way, “Higher Place” references previous successes but ultimately uses them as a foundation for something different.
No. 3. “Faith in the Heartland”
From: Generations (2005)
The urge to return to an everyday working-stiff theme has been almost unavoidable for a group that, in no small way, is best remembered for “Don’t Stop Believin.'” And yet “Faith in the Heartland” never slips into tribute – or, worse still, parody. Credit goes most of all to Steve Augeri, who strikes a visceral pose on upbeat tracks like this one, singing every line as if his whole heart is in it. Unfortunately, Generations went nowhere, and Augeri was gone after just two albums with Journey.
No. 2. “Where Did I Lose Your Love”
From: Revelation (2008)
Very familiar but even more fun, “Where Did I Lose Your Love” is a welcome return to Journey’s arena-ballad sound. Sure, it’s very much in the style of their Escape / Frontiers era. Castronovo and Cain, who co-wrote this track with Schon, even close things out with a fierce entanglement that again recalls “Separate Ways.” But Pineda added a few new wrinkles as Journey continued to move past the same old Perry comparisons.
No. 1. “We Will Meet Again”
From: Arrival (2001)
Castronovo’s inventively layered rhythm gives “We Will Meet Again” a distinct character among Journey’s more anthemic-leaning tunes, setting the stage for a moment of controlled fury from Augeri. It all builds toward a sweeping vista reminiscent of Journey’s classic Roy Thomas Baker-helmed sides like “Winds of March” and “Opened the Door,” a welcome development indeed. And as with those two 1978 tracks, “We Will Meet Again” serves as an emotionally resonant side-closing moment. Questions about whether they could continue into a new era were now answered.
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