Journey

Journey began life in San Francisco, US, having formed in 1973, spending several years developing their sound and lineup over their early albums. Their initial offerings were moderately successful jazz-rock records, that frequently broke out into instrumental experimentations. The influence of musical prodigy and former Santana guitarist, Neal Schon, was certainly on display, backed by Ross Valory (bass), Aynsley Dunbar (drums) and George Tickner (guitar), although George left after one album. Former Santana member, Gregg Rolie (keyboards, vocals) joined shortly after.

Not finding mainstream success, Journey decided they needed to find a strong vocalist, employing Steve Perry for the role. His presence immediately had an effect, with 1978's "Infinity" selling a million records in just one year. "Evolution" and "Departure" continued this success yet it was with "Escape" that they had created a real hit, featuring three Top Ten singles, "Who's Crying Now," "Don't Stop Believing" and "Open Arms." Journey sold millions of copies of "Escape," topping the charts internationally. 1983's "Frontiers" also spawned a number of hits, with Perry then embarked upon a solo venture, achieving double-platinum sales with 1984's "Street Talk."

Perry returned to Journey for 1986's "Raised on Radio," however the band disbanded shortly after. Perry continued his solo recordings whilst Schon and Cain formed Bad English and created the hit single, "When I See You Smile." In 1996, the band reunited, releasing the widely successful "Trial By Fire," bolstered by the success of the single, "When You Love a Woman." Tours followed, although minus Perry, maintaining the band's popularity.

In 2005, Journey's success was recognized, after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was followed by the band embarking on a celebratory 30th anniversary tour. Struggling to find a vocalist who could front Journey, they trialled Jeff Scott Soto before finding Arnel Pineda, a Filipino vocalist who they had discovered on Youtube. He made his debut with the band on 2008's "Revelation," which proved Journey still had songwriting abilities, with the album going Platinum. In 2011, they celebrated their prog-rock roots, blending their early sounds with the arena rock style they had developed into at their peak for the album, "Eclipse" in 2011.