Yahoo Finance article on DSB's sales due to Sopranos

[Playitloudforme]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070615/nyf104.html?.v=45

'Don't Stop Believin'' in the Music of Journey: Downloads Of Definitive Power Ballad Jump 482% in Wake of Tony Soprano's Final Cut-to-Black
Friday June 15, 6:25 pm ET
'The Sopranos' Last Episode Provokes Resurgence of Interest in Journey's Timeless Catalog of Classic Rock

NEW YORK, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Sopranos" may be over, but the timeless music of Journey lives on. After Journey's classic power ballad "Don't Stop Believin'" served as the soundtrack to the climactic final set-piece of HBO's hit mafia family television series, download sales of the song on iTunes rocketed an incredible 482% for the period from Saturday, June 9 (the night before "The Sopranos" finale) through Tuesday, June 12.

As downloads of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" reached record numbers, demand for the band's CD catalog began accelerating. By Thursday, June 14, sales for Journey's "Greatest Hits" album had increased 104% at Best Buy; 98% at Borders; 97% at Target; and 40% at Circuit City.

During a typical week, "Don't Stop Believin'," a perennial favorite, averages roughly 1,000 downloads per day on iTunes. On Sunday, June 10 (immediately post-finale), that number jumped to 2,491. On Monday, June 11, that figure hit 6,531. By Wednesday, June 13, the song was #1 on the iTunes Music Rock Chart and #18 on the iTunes Music Top 100 chart, a phenomenally strong showing for a track that's turning 26 this year.

Following its original release in 1981, "Don't Stop Believin'," the second single from Journey's groundbreaking chart-topping "Escape" album, peaked at #8 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and at #9 on the Pop Singles chart. Propelled by what the All Music Guide has called "one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock," "Don't Stop Believin'" quickly established itself as one of Journey's signature songs while defining the possibilities of the classic rock power ballad.

Like the rest of the Journey catalog, "Don't Stop Believin'" continues to connect with the hearts and lives of pop music lovers. The song has been a perennial favorite with producers and directors of both movies and television. It was featured memorably in "Monster," starring Charlize Theron, and last made its way into the iTunes Top 10 most downloaded list in 2005 following same-week appearances on both Fox's "Family Guy" and MTV's "Laguna Beach."

"Don't Stop Believin'" hit a grand slam in 2005 when it became the unofficial theme song for the Chicago White Sox, World Series Champions. Journey frontman Steve Perry performed the song at the World Series Championship celebration in Chicago.

*****

And what does Journey do? Commit Hari-Kari the day after. There was probably a ton of hits to the main site too, and no forum.

So WELL thought out boys. Gaaah!!!!

[Ms_M]

482%% Good Lord! It really was Hari-Kari - WTF were they thinking??

[JrnySuxBalls]

Journey frontman Steve Perry performed the song at the World Series Championship celebration in Chicago.

Well, sort of.

[NealIsGod]

Think about it...

* Cain said they want to "sound like the 65 million units that are out there."

* Cain said DSB being featured on The Sopranos is "the most important usage of Journey music ever."

* Perry-era Journey music is flying off the shelves and onto hard drives due to The Sopranos (see above article).

It seems Cain and Schon want to take advantage of this by sounding as much like Perry-era Journey as possible. Maybe they see a lot of new fans coming on board, and are afraid that the new direction they were planning on taking with JSS would not appeal to this "new audience" who is discovering their musical legacy.

[StevePerryHair]

Think about it...

* Cain said they want to "sound like the 65 million units that are out there."

* Cain said DSB being featured on The Sopranos is "the most important usage of Journey music ever."

* Perry-era Journey music is flying off the shelves and onto hard drives due to The Sopranos (see above article).

It seems Cain and Schon want to take advantage of this by sounding as much like Perry-era Journey as possible. Maybe they see a lot of new fans coming on board, and are afraid that the new direction they were planning on taking with JSS would not appeal to this "new audience" who is discovering their musical legacy.

I just don't get it. DSB is one of the most well known Journey songs out there. You hear it EVERYWHERE you go. I don't know anyone who doesn't know this song. My 3 kids could sing you all the lyrics. Who is going out and buying it like it's new??? It makes no sense to me.

[conversationpc]

DSB is not a power ballad. It's not a love song and, other than the piano intro, it's not even close to being a ballad.

[EightyRock]

Maybe that's why they've given up. They are running backwards as fast as they can to try to catch up with their past. They'll go where the most interest lies....in Perry-era Journey music.
It's the only thing that makes sense as to why they'd go the route of an impersonator or sound-a-like....WHATEVER you'd prefer to call it. It's easy money and the sales of their back catalog due to the Sopranos thing is proving it to them and management. Go for the buck. Take the easy, no-brainer, no need to create anything, route.

[Playitloudforme]

If they had a 'replacement singer' ready to go when they made the annoucement, it might have made more sense to me. But they're taking the year off. Disappearing.

NOW would have been the time to Tour like CRAZY. Nope... they're gonna sit on their collective asses.

NOW would have been the time to book spots on late night shows, or at least do interviews in print introducing whomever... nope.

Here's my thought... they're done. Period. They're gonna hole up, lick their wounds, and replay the segment where Perry said "Don't crack the stone" over and over. Maybe join Opus Dei and start flaggelating themselves.

[StevePerryHair]

If they had a 'replacement singer' ready to go when they made the annoucement, it might have made more sense to me. But they're taking the year off. Disappearing.

NOW would have been the time to Tour like CRAZY. Nope... they're gonna sit on their collective asses.

NOW would have been the time to book spots on late night shows, or at least do interviews in print introducing whomever... nope.

Here's my thought... they're done. Period. They're gonna hole up, lick their wounds, and replay the segment where Perry said "Don't crack the stone" over and over. Maybe join Opus Dei and start flaggelating themselves.

Well if your theory is right, why would they treat Jeff the way they have. They would have sat him down and told him Journey is over. I don't buy that for one second. They couldn't even tell him to his face, the cowards. There are definitley plans in the works.

[Playitloudforme]

I think there WAS a plan in the works... and it's all falling to shit. Backfire of the century.