Faithfully, We Rank Journey’s Best
Journey didn’t just define arena rock—they perfected it. From heart-stopping ballads to road-trip anthems that make you sing at the top of your lungs, their songs have soundtracked generations. So grab your air microphone and your denim jacket—it’s time to countdown the 24 greatest Journey songs of all time, complete with the stories and moments that made them legendary.
24: “Suzanne”
Journey’s late-’80s era doesn’t always get enough love, but Suzanne is a total gem. It’s glossy, hook-driven, and pure Perry charisma. Sure, it’s drenched in synths—but it proves the band could still crank out radio gold when everyone else was chasing trends.
Matt Becker, Wikimedia Commons
23: “Walks Like a Lady”
From Departure (1980), this one slides right into a smoky bar groove. Perry channels his inner soul singer while Neal Schon’s guitar snakes around the rhythm. “We were experimenting with blues and jazz feels,” Perry later said. “It was us stretching out.” A reminder that Journey knew how to ride a groove, too.
Travis Shinn, Wikimedia Commons
22: “Still They Ride”
Tucked near the end of Escape, Still They Ride feels like driving home after a long night—melancholy, nostalgic, and quietly powerful. Perry called it “one of our most emotional cuts.” You can almost picture headlights fading into the distance.
Dave Golland, Wikimedia Commons
21: “The Party’s Over (Hopelessly in Love)”
Only Journey could make heartbreak sound upbeat. The Party’s Over—the lone new song on their live album Captured—finds Perry smiling through the tears. Neal Schon once joked, “Even when we were writing sad songs, Steve made them sound hopeful.”
Matt Becker, Wikimedia Commons
20: “Girl Can’t Help It”
From Raised on Radio (1986), Girl Can’t Help It is peak MTV Journey: shiny production, big hooks, and Perry belting like he’s having the time of his life. “We were still hungry to prove ourselves,” Jonathan Cain said of this album. “We didn’t want to fade into nostalgia.”
Mark Bentley, Wikimedia Commons
19: “Only the Young”
Written for Vision Quest (1985), Only the Young carries one of Journey’s most uplifting messages. Perry once said playing it for a terminally ill fan “broke me completely.” Cain remembered that day too: “We all left that hospital changed. That song took on a whole new meaning after that.”
18: “Escape”
The title track from their biggest album feels like a mission statement. Escape is about freedom, taking chances, and chasing something better—exactly what the band was doing in 1981. Schon later said, “That’s when we became this monster. It felt like the rocket had finally launched.”
it:User:Kronos, Wikimedia Commons
17: “Line of Fire”
Short, loud, and ready to blow the roof off. Line of Fire isn’t trying to reinvent anything—it’s just pure, tight rock energy. Schon told Guitar World, “Sometimes the best stuff is what comes in one take. That song was lightning in a bottle.”
Robert Knight, Wikimedia Commons
16: “Stone in Love”
If summer nights had a soundtrack, Stone in Love would be on repeat. Schon’s opening riff instantly transports you to 1981, windows down, stereo blasting. Perry once said, “That song was just us remembering what it felt like to fall in love the first time.” Nostalgic without being corny—and criminally underrated.
15: “Ask the Lonely”
Buried on the Two of a Kind soundtrack, Ask the Lonely should’ve been a monster hit. It’s got everything: big chorus, soaring vocals, killer solo. Perry later said in a BBC interview, “That song got lost between albums—but man, it still holds up.”
14: “Lights”
Perry wrote Lights while imagining the glow of San Francisco’s skyline—and it feels exactly like that. “I was homesick for a city I didn’t even live in yet,” he said. It’s gentle, sentimental, and has become the Bay Area’s unofficial anthem.
Basil D Soufi, Wikimedia Commons
13: “Be Good to Yourself”
This mid-’80s pep talk came when Journey was dealing with burnout, but Perry turned it into pure motivation. “That was our reminder to keep perspective,” Cain said. “It wasn’t just a lyric—it was therapy.” You can hear that energy in every line.
12: “Send Her My Love”
If heartbreak could be cinematic, Send Her My Love would be the end-credits song. Perry’s delivery is heartbreak in high definition. Schon later recalled, “We had to stop takes because Steve was tearing up. You can hear it in his voice.”
11: “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”
The synth riff that could power a small city. Separate Ways is peak 1983—big hair, big emotions, and even bigger choruses. Cain told The Guardian in 2024, “We wrote it backstage in five minutes. We were living those lyrics—touring, breaking up, trying to hold it together.”
Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons
10: “Who’s Crying Now”
This is Journey showing restraint, and it’s beautiful. Perry said, “Sometimes a whisper hits harder than a scream.” That smooth, soulful groove gives him space to breathe. Schon’s bluesy solo seals the deal. It’s heartbreak set to silk.
9: “Wheel in the Sky”
Before they were headlining arenas, Wheel in the Sky was the song that put Journey on the radio map. Perry’s debut album with the band (Infinity, 1978) turned them from a jam outfit into hitmakers. Schon told MusicRadar, “That was the sound that finally clicked—melody, muscle, and a hook.”
8: “Faithfully”
Jonathan Cain famously wrote Faithfully on a tour bus, inspired by his marriage and the grind of life on the road. “It was the most honest thing we ever recorded,” Perry said. Cain added, “It’s every musician’s love letter to home.” Simple, heartfelt, and timeless.
r. nial bradshaw, Wikimedia Commons
7: “Anytime You Want Me” (Live)
This live rarity captures what made Journey so special in concert. Perry’s voice is untouchable, Schon’s solo goes full church revival, and the crowd? Completely unglued. Schon once said, “Playing live was where we became a family.”
6: “Anyway You Want It”
If Journey had a theme song, this might be it. Anyway You Want It is pure adrenaline—fast, fun, and totally unstoppable. Perry recalled, “Neal and I wrote it the first night we met. That was the spark that started everything.” Chemistry from day one.
5: “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’”
That “na na na na” outro is the sound of every crowd losing its mind. Released in 1979, Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ showed the band could do bluesy, dirty rock just as well as glossy hits. “It’s the audience that finishes that song,” Perry once laughed. “We just start it.”
4: “Open Arms”
Arguably the power ballad of the ’80s. Perry said he wanted the chorus to “go up and soar”—mission accomplished. Open Arms hit No. 2 and basically set the template for every power ballad that followed. Cain admitted, “Even we didn’t realize how huge that one would be.”
3: “Girl Can’t Help It” (Live 1986)
The Raised on Radio tour was Perry’s final run before leaving the band—and the live version of Girl Can’t Help It captures him at his absolute peak. “I knew I needed a break,” he later said, “but those shows were electric. I’ll never forget them.”
2: “Feeling That Way” / “Anytime” (Live 1978)
The Infinity tour performances of these two tracks were pure magic—Perry and Rolie trading lines like pros, the crowd already singing every word. Rolie said, “When the audience knew every lyric, we realized something had changed. Journey had arrived.”
1: “Don’t Stop Believin’”
You knew this was coming. Don’t Stop Believin’ isn’t just a hit—it’s a cultural anthem. Jonathan Cain’s dad gave him the phrase that became the title: “Stick to your guns. Don’t stop believing.” Perry once called “South Detroit” a “mystical place,” and somehow, we all believe him. It’s the song that refuses to fade—and we wouldn’t want it to.
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