Journey's Greatest Hits reaches 100 weeks on Billboard Chart

[Don]

Journey's Greatest Hits jumps back up to #100 this week on Billboard's Album chart.

In the UK, DSB slips to #9 but more people are opting to buy the complete Journey's Greatest Hits album instead, so it's all good. The collection sees a monstrous increase in sales to come in at #12 on the UK Album Chart.

[steveo777]

Hehehe

I guess Mr. Paid likeamotherfucker can thank Journey again for yet more royalty checks. Actually, they should be thanking him for singing songs of such enduring value. I'm sure AP has not much to do with it.

[Don]

Hehehe

I guess Mr. Paid likeamotherfucker can thank Journey again for yet more royalty checks. Actually, they should be thanking him for singing songs of such enduring value. I'm sure AP has not much to do with it.

Every review in the UK newspapers says the popularity has nothing to do with anything the group itself is doing right now. it all stems from the song being used on the Sopranos and Glee. The song has become bigger than the group itself, hence the reason the Glee Version is outselling the original version now. DSB fever seems a bit absent here in the States though at the moment. Perry, Cain and Schon are the main beneficiaries here, so it's all good.

[steveo777]

Hehehe

I guess Mr. Paid likeamotherfucker can thank Journey again for yet more royalty checks. Actually, they should be thanking him for singing songs of such enduring value. I'm sure AP has not much to do with it.

Every review in the UK newspapers says the popularity has nothing to do with anything the group itself is doing right now. it all stems from the song being used on the Sopranos and Glee. The song has become bigger than the group itself, hence the reason the Glee Version is outselling the original version now. DSB fever seems a bit absent here in the States though at the moment.

Not in the last couple bars I was in.

[Don]

Hehehe

I guess Mr. Paid likeamotherfucker can thank Journey again for yet more royalty checks. Actually, they should be thanking him for singing songs of such enduring value. I'm sure AP has not much to do with it.

Every review in the UK newspapers says the popularity has nothing to do with anything the group itself is doing right now. it all stems from the song being used on the Sopranos and Glee. The song has become bigger than the group itself, hence the reason the Glee Version is outselling the original version now. DSB fever seems a bit absent here in the States though at the moment.

Not in the last couple bars I was in.

Even after Glee used it and all the T.V. appearances, besides it's annual run up the i-tunes charts, it still didn't get back on Billboard's Chart. Now, if Billboard has a Karaoke chart, I'm sure Journey has a #1 hit on their hands.

Unlike Europe, If the song becomes a hit again here in the states, I think it will have more to do with Journey itself performing it in a high profile setting, rather than being promoted as a soundtrack on some television show.

The beergarden at the superbowl doesn't count as that did nothing for the song in the long run. At the SuperBowl, pre-game appearance does not equate to halftime show. Totally different beast.

[Michigan Girl]

Those TWO (2) Bars Steveo visited must speak very loudly for the rest of the US ...

It was used in N'Awlins recently very heavily along w/ Livin On a Prayer ... no spikes?!?!

[Don]

Very slow today. I'm missing the obligatory post about Journey keeping the music alive by touring non-stop the last 10 years, and how Arnel is opening up new markets for the group yada, yada, yada.

Where are the zealots hiding? Where's the fighting between loons and pinheads? Is anybody out there?

I'll be over at the Celtic Woman site if anyone is looking for me.

[WykkedSensation]

Very slow today. I'm missing the obligatory post about Journey keeping the music alive by touring non-stop the last 10 years, and how Arnel is opening up new markets for the group yada, yada, yada.

Where are the zealots hiding? Where's the fighting between loons and pinheads? Is anybody out their?

I'll be over at the Celtic Woman site if anyone is looking for me.

Lmao. Nice one.

[steveo777]

I think it's only fair to mention that had it not been for Journey touring the last 10 years and Journey hiring Arnel Pineda, who has brought back the Journey sound and saved the band from certain doom, none of this success would be possible. Journey had been trying to get their sound back since they regrouped in 1998 and they got it pretty close with Steve Augeri, but unfortunately Steve lost his voice and the band had to find another singer. I do give props to Steve Augeri for his role in keeping the band alive until such time Journey could find a singer who is the real deal, which they have found in Arnel Pineda. Journey toured Europe last year and the new voice of Journey got people interested in the band again and now their Greatest Hits album is selling like wildfire in the UK and spending an unbelieveable number of weeks on the Billboard charts.


Is that what you had in mind, Gunny?

That, my friends, is the fucking truth and don't let anyone tell you any different!

[Since 78]

I think it's only fair to mention that had it not been for Journey touring the last 10 years and Journey hiring Arnel Pineda, who has brought back the Journey sound and saved the band from certain doom, none of this success would be possible. Journey had been trying to get their sound back since they regrouped in 1998 and they got it pretty close with Steve Augeri, but unfortunately Steve lost his voice and the band had to find another singer. I do give props to Steve Augeri for his role in keeping the band alive until such time Journey could find a singer who is the real deal, which they have found in Arnel Pineda. Journey toured Europe last year and the new voice of Journey got people interested in the band again and now their Greatest Hits album is selling like wildfire in the UK and spending an unbelieveable number of weeks on the Billboard charts.


Is that what you had in mind, Gunny?

That, my friends, is the fucking truth and don't let anyone tell you any different!

And, don't forget that Perry is a quitter and the reason he doesn't come out with new music is that he can't sing anymore + why would he when he can live off of the hard work of his former "brothers."

And Arnel could sing better than Perry any day of the week!

Guess that about covers it.

[Michigan Girl]

And don't forget Piinheads are called that for a reason!!

[Since 78]

And don't forget Piinheads are called that for a reason!!

That's Pinheads, Thanks!

[Michigan Girl]

And don't forget Piinheads are called that for a reason!!

That's Pinheads, Thanks!

lol ...I am having serious isssues w/that lately, Please forgive!!

PS~ Did you say anything to G~boy about his thread title?!?!? univerally ...

[Rockindeano]

And, don't forget that Perry is a quitter and the reason he doesn't come out with new music is that he can't sing anymore + why would he when he can live off of the hard work of his former "brothers."

What a ridiculous statement.

And Arnel could sing better than Perry any day of the week!

You are retarded. When Pineda writes a top 100 song, let me know. The Pinheads are a complete embarrassment.

[Since 78]

And, don't forget that Perry is a quitter and the reason he doesn't come out with new music is that he can't sing anymore + why would he when he can live off of the hard work of his former "brothers."

What a ridiculous statement.

And Arnel could sing better than Perry any day of the week!

You are retarded. When Pineda writes a top 100 song, let me know. The Pinheads are a complete embarrassment.

Come on Dean, get a sense of humor already. Im retarded!

Good grief!

[SherriBerry]

The renewed success of DSB has nothing to do with the band touring the past ten years or Arnel - David Chase put the song in the final scene of 'The Sopranos' because he was a fan of Journey back in the day and liked the song enough to jump through hoops to get it, not because he went to a recent concert and suddenly remembered the song existed. The original still gets played on Classic Radio and Sirius and not because the band is touring. When Ben E. King suddenly had a chart hit in 1986 again with 'Stand By Me', it had nothing to do with touring - it was because the song was perfect for the movie, Ron Reiner used it, the movie was a hit, and it put the song back on the charts, just like in the case of DSB.

[steveo777]

And, don't forget that Perry is a quitter and the reason he doesn't come out with new music is that he can't sing anymore + why would he when he can live off of the hard work of his former "brothers."

What a ridiculous statement.

And Arnel could sing better than Perry any day of the week!

You are retarded. When Pineda writes a top 100 song, let me know. The Pinheads are a complete embarrassment.

What do you call the fans of William Hung........Hungheads?

Hey, you're going off on him? You must not have read the shit I posted.

[Michigan Girl]

And, don't forget that Perry is a quitter and the reason he doesn't come out with new music is that he can't sing anymore + why would he when he can live off of the hard work of his former "brothers."

What a ridiculous statement.

And Arnel could sing better than Perry any day of the week!

You are retarded. When Pineda writes a top 100 song, let me know. The Pinheads are a complete embarrassment.

What do you call the fans of William Hung........Hungheads?
Hey, you're going off on him? You must not have read the shit I posted.

Wow ... I agree w/you and I can practically hear Barry Manilow singing in my ear it's a miracle...
My guess would be that he expects that^^^ from you and he didn't realize '78 was joking ... or, he did realize it
and just didn't find it humorous!!
The statement was so outrageous it was hysterical!!

[tammy]

The renewed success of DSB has nothing to do with the band touring the past ten years or Arnel - David Chase put the song in the final scene of 'The Sopranos' because he was a fan of Journey back in the day and liked the song enough to jump through hoops to get it, not because he went to a recent concert and suddenly remembered the song existed. The original still gets played on Classic Radio and Sirius and not because the band is touring. When Ben E. King suddenly had a chart hit in 1986 again with 'Stand By Me', it had nothing to do with touring - it was because the song was perfect for the movie, Ron Reiner used it, the movie was a hit, and it put the song back on the charts, just like in the case of DSB.

There's always a catalyst...a visual & strong emotion that brings certain songs back to life...popular movies, t.v. shows, commercials. Journey also had the World Series, the Hollywood Star, Hilary Clinton for bringing the song up front...and, now it is the person who sang it on the U.K. talent show.

[Rockindeano]

And, don't forget that Perry is a quitter and the reason he doesn't come out with new music is that he can't sing anymore + why would he when he can live off of the hard work of his former "brothers."

What a ridiculous statement.

And Arnel could sing better than Perry any day of the week!

You are retarded. When Pineda writes a top 100 song, let me know. The Pinheads are a complete embarrassment.

What do you call the fans of William Hung........Hungheads?
Hey, you're going off on him? You must not have read the shit I posted.

Wow ... I agree w/you and I can practically hear Barry Manilow singing in my ear it's a miracle...
My guess would be that he expects that^^^ from you and he didn't realize '78 was joking ... or, he did realize it
and just didn't find it humorous!!
The statement was so outrageous it was hysterical!!

No, I am sorry if 78 was being sarcastic. I thought he was being serious as a heart attack. I was red faced pissed when I read that Pineda can out sing Perry.

[Since 78]

And, don't forget that Perry is a quitter and the reason he doesn't come out with new music is that he can't sing anymore + why would he when he can live off of the hard work of his former "brothers."

What a ridiculous statement.

And Arnel could sing better than Perry any day of the week!

You are retarded. When Pineda writes a top 100 song, let me know. The Pinheads are a complete embarrassment.

What do you call the fans of William Hung........Hungheads?
Hey, you're going off on him? You must not have read the shit I posted.

Wow ... I agree w/you and I can practically hear Barry Manilow singing in my ear it's a miracle...
My guess would be that he expects that^^^ from you and he didn't realize '78 was joking ... or, he did realize it
and just didn't find it humorous!!
The statement was so outrageous it was hysterical!!

No, I am sorry if 78 was being sarcastic. I thought he was being serious as a heart attack. I was red faced pissed when I read that Pineda can out sing Perry.

Yes, I was being sarcastic but, actually, unless Perry has had some kind of miracle surgery Arnel can out sing him now. I don't know why that is so hard for everyone to admit. Its just a fact of life, no one can sing like that forever.

[Chubby321]

The Irish Times - Friday, February 12, 2010

Hearin' is believin': the Journey single that keeps on givin'



REVOLVER: You wouldn’t be able to pick Neal Schon, Steve Perry and Steve Smith out of a line-up. But then, the only line-up those three would be in these days is a Forbes magazine special on the most royalty cheques ever picked up for a single song. Back in 1981, when the Journey men wrote Don’t Stop Believin’ , they were thrilled with its top 10 placing in the singles charts, but unaware they had just written a musical phenomenon.

In this download era, on each of the many occasions that their power ballad has featured in a film or been played at a major sports event, it’s climbed back up the charts. It’s now in the top 10 of most singles charts in the world. It just goes on and on and on and on.

If you presented Don’t Stop Believin’ at a songwriting class, you’d be laughed out of it. It has one of the strangest song structures ever, with the chorus not making an appearance until more than three-quarters of the way in.

Lyrically, it’s a poetically strained: Steve Perry sets up a narrative thread at the beginning – a small town girl and a city boy both taking a midnight train, but we never find out what happens to them. Instead, there are a series of exhortations to “don’t stop believing” and to “hold on to that feeling”. These kinds of banal aphorisms, so loved by politicians and TV personalities, mean nothing but sound positive and upbeat.

The song was always there as a minor rock classic over the years, but went straight to the front of the queue when it was used at the end of the final episode of The Sopranos three years ago. For series creator David Chase, acquiring rights to the song was a real struggle.

“There was a lot of ‘conversation’ about my song choice,” he says. “When I said Don’t Stop Believin’ , people were going ‘What? Oh my god!’. I said just give it a listen, and little by little, people started coming around.”

Chase picked the song because it unfolds a bit like the final episode of The Sopranos : a gradual build up of tension with no real resolution. The line that goes “The movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on” was crucial to Chase because it was his answer to all the speculation of how he would end the series.

Steve Perry, Journey’s singer, was initially reluctant to give permission for the song to be used. He felt that it had built up a certain status over its previous 25 years or so and if it was used at such a dramatic stage of a prominent TV series, it would be inextricably linked to The Sopranos and not to Journey. “I was concerned,” acknowledges Perry. “I was not excited about the possibility of the Soprano family being whacked to Don’t Stop Believin’ .”

The band had no such hesitation when Simon Cowell approached them last year and asked them if he could use Don’t Stop Believin’ as the X Factor winner’s debut single (a song that reliably sells by the millions). It was a flat “No”.

“Simon had contacted our management,” says guitarist Neal Schon. “He wanted to redo the song with a different arrangement. We listened to it. We declined.”

Cowell’s master plan was ruined, he had to scrape around for a different song for Joe McElderry, and all he could come up with was the pedestrian Miley Cyrus song The Climb. However, Journey had no problems with the version of the song used on the US TV series Glee – they loved it and readily agreed.

By rights, though, this song should never had made its way out of the studio. On paper its structure is confused and fragmented: it opens with a piano riff, moves to the first verse, there’s a guitar arpeggio, a second verse, a pre-chorus, a guitar solo, a third verse, a repeat of the pre-chorus, another guitar solo, and then – at three minutes and 20 seconds – the actual chorus arrives.

Yet it worked magnificently. And it continues to do so. Don’t Stop Believin’ just goes on and on and on and on.

[Jana]

The Irish Times - Friday, February 12, 2010

Hearin' is believin': the Journey single that keeps on givin'



REVOLVER: You wouldn’t be able to pick Neal Schon, Steve Perry and Steve Smith out of a line-up. But then, the only line-up those three would be in these days is a Forbes magazine special on the most royalty cheques ever picked up for a single song. Back in 1981, when the Journey men wrote Don’t Stop Believin’ , they were thrilled with its top 10 placing in the singles charts, but unaware they had just written a musical phenomenon.

In this download era, on each of the many occasions that their power ballad has featured in a film or been played at a major sports event, it’s climbed back up the charts. It’s now in the top 10 of most singles charts in the world. It just goes on and on and on and on.

If you presented Don’t Stop Believin’ at a songwriting class, you’d be laughed out of it. It has one of the strangest song structures ever, with the chorus not making an appearance until more than three-quarters of the way in.

Lyrically, it’s a poetically strained: Steve Perry sets up a narrative thread at the beginning – a small town girl and a city boy both taking a midnight train, but we never find out what happens to them. Instead, there are a series of exhortations to “don’t stop believing” and to “hold on to that feeling”. These kinds of banal aphorisms, so loved by politicians and TV personalities, mean nothing but sound positive and upbeat.

The song was always there as a minor rock classic over the years, but went straight to the front of the queue when it was used at the end of the final episode of The Sopranos three years ago. For series creator David Chase, acquiring rights to the song was a real struggle.

“There was a lot of ‘conversation’ about my song choice,” he says. “When I said Don’t Stop Believin’ , people were going ‘What? Oh my god!’. I said just give it a listen, and little by little, people started coming around.”

Chase picked the song because it unfolds a bit like the final episode of The Sopranos : a gradual build up of tension with no real resolution. The line that goes “The movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on” was crucial to Chase because it was his answer to all the speculation of how he would end the series.

Steve Perry, Journey’s singer, was initially reluctant to give permission for the song to be used. He felt that it had built up a certain status over its previous 25 years or so and if it was used at such a dramatic stage of a prominent TV series, it would be inextricably linked to The Sopranos and not to Journey. “I was concerned,” acknowledges Perry. “I was not excited about the possibility of the Soprano family being whacked to Don’t Stop Believin’ .”

The band had no such hesitation when Simon Cowell approached them last year and asked them if he could use Don’t Stop Believin’ as the X Factor winner’s debut single (a song that reliably sells by the millions). It was a flat “No”.

“Simon had contacted our management,” says guitarist Neal Schon. “He wanted to redo the song with a different arrangement. We listened to it. We declined.”

Cowell’s master plan was ruined, he had to scrape around for a different song for Joe McElderry, and all he could come up with was the pedestrian Miley Cyrus song The Climb. However, Journey had no problems with the version of the song used on the US TV series Glee – they loved it and readily agreed.

By rights, though, this song should never had made its way out of the studio. On paper its structure is confused and fragmented: it opens with a piano riff, moves to the first verse, there’s a guitar arpeggio, a second verse, a pre-chorus, a guitar solo, a third verse, a repeat of the pre-chorus, another guitar solo, and then – at three minutes and 20 seconds – the actual chorus arrives.

Yet it worked magnificently. And it continues to do so. Don’t Stop Believin’ just goes on and on and on and on.

I wonder how much Neal, Steve, and Jon have made off this song.

[Don]

The Irish Times - Friday, February 12, 2010

Hearin' is believin': the Journey single that keeps on givin'



REVOLVER: You wouldn’t be able to pick Neal Schon, Steve Perry and Steve Smith out of a line-up. But then, the only line-up those three would be in these days is a Forbes magazine special on the most royalty cheques ever picked up for a single song. Back in 1981, when the Journey men wrote Don’t Stop Believin’ , they were thrilled with its top 10 placing in the singles charts, but unaware they had just written a musical phenomenon.

In this download era, on each of the many occasions that their power ballad has featured in a film or been played at a major sports event, it’s climbed back up the charts. It’s now in the top 10 of most singles charts in the world. It just goes on and on and on and on.

If you presented Don’t Stop Believin’ at a songwriting class, you’d be laughed out of it. It has one of the strangest song structures ever, with the chorus not making an appearance until more than three-quarters of the way in.

Lyrically, it’s a poetically strained: Steve Perry sets up a narrative thread at the beginning – a small town girl and a city boy both taking a midnight train, but we never find out what happens to them. Instead, there are a series of exhortations to “don’t stop believing” and to “hold on to that feeling”. These kinds of banal aphorisms, so loved by politicians and TV personalities, mean nothing but sound positive and upbeat.

The song was always there as a minor rock classic over the years, but went straight to the front of the queue when it was used at the end of the final episode of The Sopranos three years ago. For series creator David Chase, acquiring rights to the song was a real struggle.

“There was a lot of ‘conversation’ about my song choice,” he says. “When I said Don’t Stop Believin’ , people were going ‘What? Oh my god!’. I said just give it a listen, and little by little, people started coming around.”

Chase picked the song because it unfolds a bit like the final episode of The Sopranos : a gradual build up of tension with no real resolution. The line that goes “The movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on” was crucial to Chase because it was his answer to all the speculation of how he would end the series.

Steve Perry, Journey’s singer, was initially reluctant to give permission for the song to be used. He felt that it had built up a certain status over its previous 25 years or so and if it was used at such a dramatic stage of a prominent TV series, it would be inextricably linked to The Sopranos and not to Journey. “I was concerned,” acknowledges Perry. “I was not excited about the possibility of the Soprano family being whacked to Don’t Stop Believin’ .”

The band had no such hesitation when Simon Cowell approached them last year and asked them if he could use Don’t Stop Believin’ as the X Factor winner’s debut single (a song that reliably sells by the millions). It was a flat “No”.

“Simon had contacted our management,” says guitarist Neal Schon. “He wanted to redo the song with a different arrangement. We listened to it. We declined.”

Cowell’s master plan was ruined, he had to scrape around for a different song for Joe McElderry, and all he could come up with was the pedestrian Miley Cyrus song The Climb. However, Journey had no problems with the version of the song used on the US TV series Glee – they loved it and readily agreed.

By rights, though, this song should never had made its way out of the studio. On paper its structure is confused and fragmented: it opens with a piano riff, moves to the first verse, there’s a guitar arpeggio, a second verse, a pre-chorus, a guitar solo, a third verse, a repeat of the pre-chorus, another guitar solo, and then – at three minutes and 20 seconds – the actual chorus arrives.

Yet it worked magnificently. And it continues to do so. Don’t Stop Believin’ just goes on and on and on and on.

I wonder how much Neal, Steve, and Jon have made off this song.

I think Open arms has made more as it's included in a lot of Ballad compilations in Japan, two soundtracks (one of which went platinum) and on an album that sold over 20 million copies (Mariah Carey). That's not even including Escape, Journey Essential and Journey's Greatest Hits (another 27 million albums) and all the radio play.

Gerry Rafferty's song "Baker Street" earns him $150, 000 a year. How many times do you actually hear that song on the radio?
Now take Journey's catalog. I hear at least six different Journey songs a day on Jack FM, here in L.A. (WITS, SW, DSB, LTS, AWYWI and Lights) and OA along with WCN and Faithfully are on constant rotation on the A/C stations.
Now look at what Rafferty makes, multiply that anywhere from 8 to 12 times ( a rough number on how many of Journey's 18 top 40 hits that actually get played on the radio/muzak/ Jukebox regularly enough) and divide by three (the average number of songwriters for Journey). That will give you a rough estimate that is probably on the low side as I haven't even taken into account commercials and other soundtracks/T.V. shows which feature Journey music.
Take that yearly figure, multiply it by 25 years (just a general number here), subtract 20% (total guess work now as I'm just assuming DSB has that much of a larger percentage of the total gross) and since we have already divided by three earlier in the equation, you can get a very rough estimate of what may have been made so far off of that one particular song.
I think that comes out to about 2.5 million dollars each (Schon, Perry and Cain), for just that one song.

Totally unscientific as I'm using the royalties for Baker Street as the measuring point and probably less than the actual real figures but you get the idea.

[jrny84]

Wow, very interesting! Thats a nice chunk of $ for one song. Journey has got to be pulling in some nice dough with the songs that get regular airplay. On the Jackfm station here in Michigan regular rotation along with ones already listed also include: Lovin, touchin, squeezin, and WCN.

[Don]

Wow, very interesting! Thats a nice chunk of $ for one song. Journey has got to be pulling in some nice dough with the songs that get regular airplay. On the Jackfm station here in Michigan regular rotation along with ones already listed also include: Lovin, touchin, squeezin, and WCN.

The ACTUAL Songwriters are really the ones collecting money when songs get airplay, the band's payment is usually in the form of the free promotion from having their music on the radio, which should theoretically generate album sales. That's why playing Journey re-records on the radio never would have made much sense. The songs are really carbon copies of the originals. If the song's airplay don't generate more sales for Revelation rather then The Greatest hits, then the only people benefiting are the writers (Schon, Perry and Cain).
Satellite radio, Internet radio and cable TV music channels do pay fees to performers and musicians, along with songwriter royalties but their market share is rather small compared to AM/FM radio.

[jrny84]

Wow, very interesting! Thats a nice chunk of $ for one song. Journey has got to be pulling in some nice dough with the songs that get regular airplay. On the Jackfm station here in Michigan regular rotation along with ones already listed also include: Lovin, touchin, squeezin, and WCN.

The ACTUAL Songwriters are really the ones collecting money when songs get airplay, the band's payment is usually in the form of the free promotion from having their music on the radio, which should theoretically generate album sales. That's why playing Journey re-records on the radio never would have made much sense. The songs are really carbon copies of the originals. If the song's airplay don't generate more sales for Revelation rather then The Greatest hits, then the only people benefiting are the writers (Schon, Perry and Cain).
Satellite radio, Internet radio and cable TV music channels do pay fees to performers and musicians, along with songwriter royalties but their market share is rather small compared to AM/FM radio.

Yeah, exactly. Perry, Cain, and Schon are getting some nice paychecks with the songs they have written.

[squirt1]

Perry sells and those 3 had writing credits and deserve financial rewards till their work ,if ever, stops selling. They WERE a hit writing machine !

[Don]

At #104 this week. Keep pressin' those discs Sony.

[Don]

AT #107 this week. Classic Journey continues to sell well for Sony. On a side note, Sade holds onto the #1 spot for the third consecutive week.