Journey

From fusion to Escape

Journey formed in San Francisco in 1973 from former members of Santana, the Steve Miller Band and Frumious Bandersnatch under the ex-Santana manager Herbie Herbert. They were first the Golden Gate Rhythm Section, meant to back Bay Area artists, and after one Hawaii show played jazz fusion; the roadie John Villanueva suggested the name Journey after a radio naming contest failed. Their first show was at the Winterland Ballroom on New Year's Eve 1973, and a February 1974 showcase led to Columbia. Aynsley Dunbar joined on drums in 1974. Journey (April 1975, produced by Roy Halee) reached 138 on the Billboard 200, Look into the Future (1976) 100 and Next (1977) 85, when Columbia nearly dropped them.

Steve Perry joined in 1977, and Infinity (January 1978, produced by Roy Thomas Baker, 21) shifted them to a pop-oriented sound; Steve Smith replaced Dunbar. Evolution (1979) reached 20 and Departure (1980) 8. At the end of 1980 Gregg Rolie left and Jonathan Cain came in from the Babys. Escape (July 1981) reached number 1, Frontiers (1983) 2 and Raised on Radio (1986) 4. Perry left after the Raised on Radio tour in 1987, there was a brief reunion in 1991, and Perry returned for Trial by Fire (1996, 3). Steve Augeri sang from 1998, Jeff Scott Soto briefly in 2006, and Neal Schon found Arnel Pineda online, named singer in December 2007; Revelation (2008) debuted at 5. Freedom, their 15th studio album, came in July 2022, and a final tour began in February 2026 after Cain announced he would leave.

Greatest Hits (1988) sold over 15 million copies. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 with a speech by Pat Monahan of Train. Wikipedia credits "Don't Stop Believin'" with 18 times platinum in 2024, the top-selling digital track in US history, helped by the 2007 Sopranos finale.