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Bon Jovi's 10 greatest songs ever, ranked

11 January 2023, 16:19 | Updated: 11 January 2023, 17:03

By Tom Eames

Bon Jovi are one of the world's most successful bands of all time.

Formed in 1983 in New Jersey, Bon Jovi are currently made up of singer Jon Bon Jovi , keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald.

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Original bassist Alec John Such quit the band in 1994 (and died in 2022), and longtime guitarist Richie Sambora left in 2013.

They started out as a stadium rock and glam metal band - complete with big hair - but by the mid-1990s had matured into a pop rock band with hard rock elements.

Here are the group's greatest songs to kick off your Bon Jovi journey:

Bon Jovi - Runaway

This track was originally recorded back in 1981 for the Power Station Demos at the very beginning of Jon Bon Jovi's career, featuring him alongside session musicians.

While not recorded with the rest of the band that would become legendary Bon Jovi's lineup, it was the song that started it all.

In 1983, a local radio station held a contest to search for the best unsigned band. After the song won the contest, it became a hit in the summer of 1983.

I'll Be There for You

Bon Jovi - I'll Be There For You

Taken from their 1988 album New Jersey , this soft rock number topped the US charts a year later.

It was an indication of the direction Bon Jovi were taking as they slowly moved from their stadium rock anthems to power ballads.

Something for the Pain

Bon Jovi - Something For The Pain

Released as a single from their These Days album in 1995, this wasn't a hit in the US but was a top 10 success in the UK.

The video features actors impersonating Eddie Vedder, Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre, Courtney Love, and Scott Weiland.

Bed of Roses

Bon Jovi - Bed Of Roses (Official Music Video)

Jon Bon Jovi wrote this song in a hotel room while suffering from a hangover, with the lyrics reflecting his feelings at the time.

The emotive power ballad offered fans a more mature sound to their previous glam metal output, and became a live favourite.

Keep the Faith

Bon Jovi - Keep The Faith (Official Music Video)

This was the lead single from Bon Jovi's album of the same name in 1992.

It soon became a live staple and was top five hit in the UK.

Wanted Dead or Alive

Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead Or Alive (Official Music Video)

For Bon Jovi's iconic Slippery When Wet album in 1986, the band went country rock for this track.

The song pays homage to Jon's Old West heroes, and how he identifies with them as being hated and loved at the same time.

He later revealed that he got the inspiration for the song when he could not sleep while riding in a tour bus. The "lifestyle of every rock band" was similar to the outlaws, as each was, "a young band of thieves, riding into town, stealing the money, the girls, and the booze before the sun came up."

It's My Life

Bon Jovi - It's My Life (Official Music Video)

Perhaps Bon Jovi's last truly big hit single, this 2000 track harked back to their stadium rock bangers of the '80s.

Co-written with pop supremo Max Martin and featuring Richie Sambora's famous talkbox, it gave the band a top three hit in the UK.

You Give Love a Bad Name

Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name (Official Music Video)

This was the lead single from Slippery When Wet , and it's impossible not to feel pumped when you hear those opening lines.

It was actually originally written for Bonnie Tyler under the title 'If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)' with different lyrics, from legendary producer Jim Steinman .

Not satisfied with its success, Desmond Child re-wrote the song with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, and hey presto.

Bon Jovi - Always (Official Music Video)

One of Bon Jovi's most successful songs, this was one of the greatest power ballads and rock songs of the 1990s.

The song was originally written by Jon Bon Jovi for the soundtrack to the 1993 film Romeo Is Bleeding (referenced in the song), starring Gary Oldman as a corrupt cop.

However, after being unimpressed by a preview screening of the movie - which ended up being a critical and box office flop, he decided not to lend 'Always' to the producers. He said: "The script was great: the movie wasn't."

Livin' on a Prayer

Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer

It could only be one song. Weddings, house parties and '80s cheese nights wouldn't be complete without it.

Explaining what the song was about, Jon said: "It deals with the way that two kids – Tommy and Gina – face life's struggles, and how their love and ambitions get them through the hard times.

• This man was singing alone to Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a Prayer' and the whole park joined in

"It's working class and it's real… I wanted to incorporate the movie element, and tell a story about people I knew. So instead of doing what I did on 'Runaway', where the girl didn't have a name, I gave them names, which gave them an identity... Tommy and Gina aren't two specific people; they represent a lifestyle."

The song became the band's signature song, has sold million of copies, and has just under a billion views on YouTube as of 2023.

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Bon Journey

A tribute show to bon jovi and journey - featuring all-time favorite rock hits..

This six-piece band pays homage to Bon Jovi and Journey like no other ensemble can. Each band mate brings their own stellar music backgrounds to the stage, kicking out a tribute show of all-time favorite rock hits with dead-on vocals and sound. Bon Journey includes Rick Kendall (guitar), Tony DiCesaro (vocals), Jeff Morris (keyboards and delivering lead vocals) Mike Vargo (rhythm section) Jerry Onesi (bass), and Shane Kendall (drums).

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Bon-Journey   Rock Band from Pittsburgh, PA

Will travel up to 3000 miles

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Voted the #1 Tribute Band by the Pittsburgh City Paper in 2007 and 2008, Bon-Journey has been performing all along the east coast to fans of two of the greatest pop-rock acts of all times: Bon Jovi and Journey. With over three decades of chart topping hits, both of these artists have built a catalog which has easily become the soundtrack to many summer nights and always guarantee a night of singing along and parting with friends. Besides working at some of the finest clubs and venues around the group has had the opportunity to perform for numerous colleges in the U.S. such at the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, Washington Jefferson, Carlow University, University of New Haven, Lebanon Valley College, Wheeling Jesuit University and others. The act as also shared the stage with numerous national acts including LIVE and Mickey Thomas & Starship From Connecticut to Tennessee and everywhere in between you can always tell where the party is going to be when Bon-Journey is in town!.

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• Separate Ways (World Apart) | Journey
• Livin On A Prayer | Bon Jovi
• Don't Stop Believin | Journey
• You Give Love A Band Name | Bon Jovi
• Faithfully | Journey
• Raise Your Hands | Bon Jovi
• Ask the Lonely | Journey
• I Love This Town | Bon Jovi
• Be Good To Yourself | Journey
• Wanted Dead Or Alive | Bon Jovi
• Wheel In The Sky | Journey
• Bed Of Roses | Bon Jovi
• Any Way You Want It | Journey
• It's My Life | Bon Jovi
• Stone In Love | Journey
• Have A Nice Day | Bon Jovi
• Open Arms | Journey
• Never Say Goodbye | Bon Jovi
• Who's Cryin Now | Journey
• Runaway | Bon Jovi
• Send Her My Love | Journey
• Born To Be My Baby | Bon Jovi
• When You Love A Woman | Journey
• Bad Medicine | Bon Jovi
• Escape | Journey
• Lay Your Hands On Me | Bon Jovi
• I'll Be Alright Without You | Journey
• Who Says You Cant Go Home | Bon Jovi
• Just The Same Way | Journey
• Oh Sherrie | Steve Perry
• Sleep When I'm Dead | Bon Jovi
• Feeling That Way | Journey
• Raised On Radio | Journey
• After The Fall | Journey
• Girl Can't Help It | Journey
• Blaze Of Glory | Jon Bon Jovi
• Captain Crash And The Beauty Queen From Mars | Bon Jovi
• Last Man Standing | Bon Jovi

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Journey’s 10 Best Songs

Sure, "Don't Stop Believin'" -- but there's a whole lot more.

By Gary Graff

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Though it arrives amidst lawsuits , social media sniping and infighting, Journey is turning 50 this year.

During that half century, the group has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, logging 11 platinum-or-better albums (including Diamond certifications for 1981’s Escape and 1988’s Greatest Hits) , earning eight top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 and 25 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s also been a reliable ticket-selling act for most of its career, and in 2017, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Journey’s is the story of eras. When the group originally formed in San Francisco in 1973, original manager Herbie Herbert helped bring together guitarist Neal Schon and keyboard player/vocalist Gregg Rolie from Santana, bassist Ross Valory and rhythm guitarist George Tickner from Frumious Bandersnatch and drummer Prairie Prince from The Tubes. Prince would be replaced by David Bowie/Frank Zappa skins man Aynsley Dunbar, while Tickner would leave after Journey’s self-titled first album in 1975. The remaining quartet recorded two more albums before Steve Perry came on board for 1978’s Infinity, which began the band’s run of multi-platinum smashes — also marking the first appearance of Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse’s iconic scarab logo for the band. Dunbar was replaced by Steve Smith for 1979’s Evolution , and Rolie would leave in 1980 with Jonathan Cain of The Babys joining to help elevate the band to even greater fortunes on Escape and Frontiers .

The palette has been diverse, but there are common elements among Journey’s best songs — sturdy melodies and sing-along choruses, usually leading into one of Schon’s majestic guitar solos. But within that mold there’s also been plenty of invention and clever arrangements that have never been as formulaic as some of the band’s detractors (particularly during their early ‘80s heyday) would have you believe.

Journey has gone through its fair share of lineups, with singer Arnel Pineda on board since 2007 — the longest continuous tenure of any Journey frontman. The group released Freedom , it’s first new studio album in 11 years, in 2022, and despite the current legal fractures (which you can read about in detail here ), still they ride, as the Escape track says — and may they keep on runnin’ for a long time.

With all that in mind, here are our picks for Journey’s 10 best songs — not all of which come from the biggest hits.

"Someday Soon" ( Departure , 1980)

This album track from Rolie’s finally studio effort with the band is a hypnotic tone poem, with a ringing, cushy ambience and a hippie kind of optimism – not to mention the best give-and-take Perry and Rolie achieved during their time together in the band. It’s of course been eclipsed by Journey’s myriad hits (“Any Way You Want It” is the enduring top 40 Hot 100 hit from Departure ), but it’s a gem worthy of discovery.  Listen here.

"Escape" ( Escape , 1981)

The title track from Journey’s Billboard 200-topping studio album straddled the hard rock/pomp attack of the group’s mid-‘70s output with the melodic sensibility of the Perry-Cain axis. Its five-minute length provides room for the arrangement to stretch out and flow from one song part to the next, with a crunch that was part of Journey’s palette at the time. Listen here.

"Of a Lifetime" ( Journey , 1975)

The Journey of 1973-77 was certainly a different creature than the hitmaking colossus so many know and love. The group’s initial lineups flexed instrumental muscles, smoothly knitting together a number of styles more interested in the journey (ba- dum ) than any commercial destination. The first track from its first album is a prototype, leaning into blues, psychedelic rock and a touch of Latin, with the first of what would become many standout Schon solos, and a tuneful sturdiness delivered by Rolie’s soulful vocal. Listen here.

"Faithfully" (Frontiers , 1983)

The melody of this top 20 Hot 100 hit came to Cain in a dream on a tour bus, and his paean to the struggle between home and the road was written in a half-hour. The result was a swoon-inducing ballad tailor-made for a sea of lighters (back then) and cellphone flashlights (now), capturing one of Perry’s best recorded performances and one of Schon’s most inspired solos. One of its great side stories is that Prince contacted Cain after he wrote “Purple Rain,” concerned that it might be too similar to “Faithfully.” Cain determined it wasn’t, but joked to Billboard that, “After seeing what it became, I should have asked for a couple of points….”

"Ask the Lonely" (single, 1983)

Recorded for Frontiers , this one wound up in the romcom Two of a Kind (starring the Grease duo of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John) and rocked its way to No. 3 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. Like “Only the Young,” which wound up in Vision Quest two years later, it showed that Journey was on roll – and well-suited for big soundtrack moments. Listen here.

"Who's Crying Now" ( Escape, 1981)

The best of Journey’s swoon songs — started by Perry while driving into Los Angeles and finished with Cain — has a subtlety and dynamic build that sets it apart from the many others of its ilk they’d create. The verse slips into the chorus with a soulful ease, and Schon’s guitar accents deftly build up to his searing solo at the end. The Escape single reached No. 4 on the Hot 100. Listen here.

"Feeling That Way" ( Infinity , 1978)

If fans at the time wondered how Steve Perry and Gregg Rolie would co-exist, this was the answer — an ebb-and-flow tradeoff that proved they could complement each other as lead singers as well as harmonize smoothly together (first evidenced by Infinity ‘s lead track “Lights”). Its medley-like pairing with the next track, “Anytime,” was gravy that would become a motif on the next few Journey albums. Listen here.

"Just the Same Way" ( Evolution , 1979)

Journey’s fifth album had a punchier sound than Infinity — though they shared producer Roy Thomas Baker — which worked to the benefit of the album’s first single. Led by Rolie’s piano and muscular lead vocal, with Perry responding on the choruses and bridge, it reached No. 58 on the Hot 100 in 1979. In a perfect world this would have been as big as anything from Escape or Frontiers, but it’s still a convincing introduction to the Rolie era of the band. Listen here.

"Don't Stop Believin'" ( Escape , 1981)

More than a billion Spotify streams, a Library of Congress National Recording Registry placement and plays at virtually every sporting event around the world don’t lie — this one is Journey’s pinnacle of success. Created during a rehearsal at the group’s warehouse HQ in Oakland, Calif., it gave us the “streetlight people” of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip and put the non-existent South Detroit on the map. And it saves the chorus for the song’s end, after the guitar solo. A cross-generational hit? Believe it, gleefully.

"Stone in Love" ( Escape , 1981)

Schon reportedly called this “Stoned in Love” when he wrote the riff, and it’s certainly an addictive track that’s the best roll-down-the-windows-and-crank-it-up Journey fix you could ask for — not to mention a frequent show opener. A No. 13 Mainstream Rock Airplay hit in 1981, the song is practically a deep cut today. But its anthemic chorus is a spirit-lifter and the dynamic breakdown that segues into the song-closing guitar solo harks back to the ambitious musicality of the first few albums. “Stone” is a gem that still shines bright. Listen here.

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bon - journey since 2006

The  first and original Award winning tribute to Bon Jovi and Journey

ACCEPT NO IMITATIONS!

Welcome to our new website! We are excited to be back at it! We will be announcing more summer dates soon! The world has changed so much in a few short months as we all do our best  to adapt! We are going strong as a band and firing on all cylinders! Our first show back is this Saturday June 13th at The Oaks Theater in Oakmont PA! One of our favorite venues. We are so excited to perform again! Once again, thank you for all of the support from our devoted fan base! We are the first and original tribute to Bon Jovi and Journey. Accept no imitation!

Guitarist Dan Newman proudly endorses SIT strings and InTune Guitar picks!

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all shows until at least June are cancelled. We will update everyone as soon as possible for other summer dates! Please stay safe and healthy! Please visit our facebook page for up to date info! http://www.facebook.com/therealbonjourney 

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All 173 Journey Songs Ranked Worst to Best

Journey 's discography will always have a clear line of demarcation: before Steve Perry and after Steve Perry. That makes sense on a couple of levels. The albums they made together remain Journey's best-selling and best-loved. But, as the following list of All 173 Journey Songs Ranked Worst to Best shows, the band did important work before he arrived and it's had some perhaps overlooked successes afterward. ( Revelation , their first with current singer Arnel Pineda , was a platinum-selling No. 5 hit, for instance.)

So, we decided to take a complete accounting. Whether you're a fan of original contributions by Gregg Rolie or Jonathan Cain , George Tickner or Steve Augeri, they're all here. The only thing we left out were live takes and cover songs including Perry's version of Sam Cooke's "Good Times" from the Time3 box and Pineda's return to earlier Journey songs on Revelation . Which one will end up on top? Keep scrolling as we count them all down on the following list of All 173 Journey Songs Ranked Worst to Best.

No. 173. "Back Talk" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

This song almost single-handedly kept Frontiers from becoming Journey's best '80s album . That's enough to earn it this spot.

No. 172. "Gone Crazy" from 'Generations' (2005)

For a singer, co-founding member Ross Valory is a terrific bassist.

No. 171. "Can Do" from 'Infinity' (1978)

Actually, can't.

No. 170. "Butterfly (She Flies Alone)" from 'Generations' (2005)

Steve Augeri, Perry's first replacement, drew a bad hand. He had to follow a legend, to lead a difficult transition after Journey was dropped by Columbia Records, to endure gimmicky moves like sharing the mic with everyone in the band, then to step aside after faltering out on the road. But this misfire was all his.

No. 169. "Baby I'm a Leavin' You" from 'Trial By Fire' (1996)

If you were wondering what Journey would sound like as a reggae band.

No. 168. "Venus" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

As Journey co-founder Neal Schon consolidated his latter-day power, a long-dreamt-of goal of a guitar-focused Journey album – on hold since 1977's Next – finally came to fruition. This freed Pineda, a former cover-band singer Schon found on YouTube, from the trap of sounding exactly like Steve Perry. But it also opened the door for plenty of indulgent Schon-related moments. Eclipse inevitably ended with yet another three-and-a-half minutes of Schon.

No. 167. "Pride of the Family" from 'Generations' (2005)

Augeri had to have been dismayed as some of the best material on his second album went elsewhere – including "A Better Life," found later on our list of Journey Songs Ranked Worst to Best. But Jonathan Cain's thin, objectively lazy bonus track (he swipes a line from .38 Special ) isn't one of those times.

No. 166. "The Journey (Revelation)" from 'Revelation' (2008)

If you're wondering what Journey would sound like as a boring fusion-jazz band.

No. 165. "Human Feel" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

Eclipse at its worst took Eclipse at its best to a mind-numbing zenith. What's missing on this pummeling, endlessly propulsive track is, ironically enough, human feel. It's is all head, no heart.

No. 164. "After All These Years" from 'Revelation' (2008)

Another of Journey's undeniably well-crafted, but often un-involving later-period ballads.

No. 163. "Departure" from 'Departure' (1980)

Pretty but insubstantial, this brief instrumental was tucked into the middle of co-founding member Gregg Rolie's last proper studio effort with Journey.

No. 162. "I'm Cryin'" from 'Departure' (1980)

Perry usually had a canny ability to convey emotion. "I'm Cryin'," however, slipped off into abject mawkishness.

No. 161. "Every Generation" from 'Generations' (2005)

This is the first time Cain had been at the mic since singing lead on "All That Really Matters," a Frontiers -era leftover found elsewhere on our list of Journey Songs Ranked Worst to Best. Admittedly, he's a better singer than Ross Valory, but not Deen Castronovo – and certainly not Augeri. A missed opportunity.

No. 160. "Positive Touch" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

The demos for Raised on Radio were completed with a click track rather than in a room together as Journey had typically done in the past. That left drummer Steve Smith to either copy these metronomic sounds – heard to teeth-grating effect on "Positive Touch" – or to stay home. Part way through the sessions, it became the latter. "They felt that the drum machine itself was part of the compositions," Smith later complained in Don't Stop Believin': The Untold Story of Journey . "I started feeling that it wasn't a band, and it certainly didn't have the same band approach as when we wrote collectively."

No. 159. "La Do Da" from 'Infinity' (1978)

Steve Perry's initial collaborations with Schon were a revelation. So many of the group's foundational songs emerged from those initial writing sessions. And then there was this.

No. 158. "Liberty" from 'Time3' (1992)

If you were wondering what Journey would sound like as a country band.

No. 157. "Troubled Child" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

Another Side Two dud. Replace this with "Only the Young" or "Only Solutions," and all is forgiven.

No. 156. "Wildest Dream" from 'Revelation' (2008)

Schon wants to rock, and he's always talking about rocking, so every once in a while they let him rock. The results are sometimes better than those undeniably well-crafted, but often uninvolving later-period ballads. And sometimes, as with "Wildest Dream," they are not.

No. 155. "Into Your Arms" from 'Time3' (1992)

One of a pair of unfinished jams from the Raised on Radio sessions that were later completed for release as part of the Journey's Time3 box set, and the less interesting of the two.

No. 154. "Tantra" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

Pineda spends most of the album inhabiting a fresh, almost feral persona, which makes this downshift into required balladry even more jarring. He sings like it's required too, recalling every Perry tick he can manage without giving any of himself to the lyric.

No. 153. "Lady Luck" from 'Evolution' (1979)

Journey join a number of artists who have sung tracks called "Lady Luck," including Deep Purple , Rod Stewart and David Lee Roth . Come to think of it, none of those are really any good either.

No. 152. "Karma" from 'Next' (1977)

The last pre-Steve Perry album ends with a grinding, unfocused rocker featuring Schon at the mic. Changes were coming.

No. 151. "Resonate" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

There might have been a hook buried in this song somewhere. Schon's army of guitars marched right over it, though.

No. 150. "Happy to Give" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

Perry had trouble nailing the vocal on this too-atmospheric ballad, which should have told them something. (In fact, it got to the point where Cain started calling "Happy to Give" Perry's "pet song.") It's understandable: "Happy to Give" grew out of a soundtrack idea Cain had, and it sounds like it. Journey never played the song live.

No. 149. "Ritual" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

Imagine one of those classic-era mid-tempo Journey tracks, but in a wild-eyed 'roid rage. Settle down, boys.

No. 148. "What I Needed" from 'Revelation' (2008)

There's slightly more drama here than on the weirdly slack "After All These Years," but Journey seemed to be struggling to update their tried-and-true ballad style in Augeri's absence. Pineda co-wrote this song, but he's utterly subsumed in the trademark Journey sound. He ends up sounding like the nondescript tribute singer he once was.

No. 147. "Topaz" from 'Journey' (1975)

There's no denying the level of musicianship here. It's just not very interesting music.

No. 146. "Believe" from 'Generations' (2005)

Any good coach will tell you players have to be positioned to their strengths. So if you have Jonathan Cain available to play, you let Jonathan Cain play, right? Instead, we find Augeri at the keyboard on a repetitive song that becomes pure drudgery. "Well, I have a love and a desire to play the piano, and I love the way Jon plays and I get a chance to listen to him every night," Augeri told Melodic Rock in 2005. "So, he has influenced my writing and my arranging." Seriously, though, coach: Put Cain in.

No. 145. "Chain of Love" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

Journey spend roughly a minute and a half lulling you into thinking that they've put the sledgehammer away. Then: nah.

No. 144. "In the Morning Day" from 'Journey' (1975)

This serviceable mid-tempo song abruptly turns into mostly shapeless jam.

No. 143. "Change for the Better" from 'Revelation' (2008)

A Journey-by-the-numbers tune, kicked into another gear by Pineda's undeniable energy.

No. 142. "La Raza Del Sol," B-side of "Still They Ride" (1981)

The song's heart in the right place, as Cain finds inspiration in the plight of immigrant California farm workers. Unfortunately, that narrative is surrounded by a meandering music bed that sounds like a rightly discarded leftover from their pre-Perry days.

No. 141. "Let It Take You Back" from 'Revelation' (2008)

This was the first bonus track on Pineda's initial studio album with Journey, and a much better conclusion that Schon's amorphous instrumental "The Journey (Revelation)."

No. 140. "All the Things" from 'Arrival' (2001)

The last thing Augeri – a largely unknown Brooklyn-born singer trying to separate himself from the obvious Steve Perry comparisons – needed to be saddled with was an anonymous rocker. But that's what he was given.

No. 139. "Knowing That You Love Me" from 'Generations' (2005)

Jonathan Cain has been trying to write the next "Faithfully" since the day after he brought it into a Journey recording session. He still hasn't found it.

No. 138. "Mother, Father" from 'Escape' (1981)

An overwrought, understandably disjointed song that was pieced together from two separate ideas by Perry and Schon, then completed with another interlude written by Schon's dad.

No. 137. "I Got a Reason" from 'Arrival' (2001)

This isn't as a faceless as "All the Things," but it's close.

No. 136. "The Time" from 'Red 13' (2002)

After a promising opening track that tapped the band's Journey's early fusion-loving roots, "The Time" falls back into more comfortable, and far less intriguing, blues rock.

No. 135. "Better Together" from 'Generations' (2005)

Augeri boasts a rare co-composing credit on a Glenn Hughes -ish song that tries very hard to be heavy, to be anthemic, to be defiant. Too hard, actually.

No. 134. "Majestic" from 'Evolution' (1979)

An abbreviated multi-tracked instrumental that was used as this album's opening theme, their last with producer Roy Thomas Baker. It's probably best remembered as the taped intro music for Journey concerts during this era.

No. 133. "Colors of the Spirit" from 'Trial By Fire' (1996)

This seemed like it was going to be more intriguing. They begin (and end) with a vague world-music feel, but return to expected post '80s-era Journey-isms in between.

No. 132. "All That Really Matters" from 'Time3' (1992)

Jonathan Cain took over the mic for this Frontiers outtake, returning to a sound that's more in keeping with his earlier tenure in the Babys . That's fine, but it's not Journey.

No. 131. "With Your Love" from 'Arrival' (2001)

Unfortunately, "With Your Love" doesn't live up to the thoughtful reinvention surrounding "Loved by You," found later in our list of Journey Songs Ranked Worst to Best.

No. 130. "Homemade Love" from 'Departure' (1980)

Despite discovering a newfound chart prowess, Journey were still prone to longing looks back to their earliest musical excesses. In keeping, this sludgy, clumsily salacious song couldn't have sounded more out of place on Departure . Positioning "Homemade Love" as the album-closing song made even less sense.

No. 129. "One More" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

The first in a number of Trial by Fire songs that made overt faith references. That became an underlying theme on the album, sparked when Perry arrived at the sessions carrying a Bible.

No. 128. "Never Too Late" from 'Generations' (2005)

Augeri was probably relieved to learn that Castronovo didn't get all the good songs.

No. 127. "To Be Alive Again" from 'Arrival' (2001)

There's nothing too offensive about this one, but nothing all that interesting either.

No. 126. "I Can Breathe" from 'Red 13' (2002)

This often-forgotten EP was initially self-released as a thank-you note to fans after Journey lost their longtime label support from Columbia. It's formatted as a kind of four-song travelogue through their history, with a proggish track, a blues rocker, the expected ballad and a more uptempo melodic rocker. The latter is the least interesting of the bunch. Augeri is in fine voice, but he's saddled with poor material.

No. 125. "Nothin' Comes Close" from 'Arrival' (2001)

This deep into Side Two of the ballad-heavy Arrival , basically any rocker was a relief. Even one this generally unimaginative.

No. 124. "To Whom It May Concern" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

Pineda's crying vocal gives this otherwise rather mechanical slow song a notable emotional underpinning.

No. 123. "Live and Breathe" from 'Arrival' (2001)

Yes, another ballad. At this point, even Neal Schon was, like, "Dude, really?" And he was listed as co-composer on almost all of them. "Yeah, I did write a lot of music on this album with Jon and everybody else this time – a lot of ballads and a lot of rock too," Schon told Melodic Rock in 2001. "But I had no idea that, you know, they'd pick every ballad that all of us wrote, you know what I'm saying?"

No. 122. "Dixie Highway" from 'Captured' (1981)

"Dixie Highway" sounds like what it was: a throwaway track written on Journey's tour bus while traveling the eponymous interstate into Detroit. It was perhaps interesting enough to be tried out live, but not interesting enough to make it onto a studio album.

No. 121. "Livin' to Do" from 'Arrival' (2001)

This song doesn't live up to thoughtful reinvention surrounding "Loved by You," either. It nevertheless holds an important place in the band's catalog because of a strong connection with Neal Schon's father Matt, who had earlier co-writes on "Winds of March" and "Mother, Father." "It was a couple of years before he passed away, and it was one of the last things that him and I sat down on a piano and we were playing together," Schon told Melodic Rock in 2001. He presented the rough idea to Cain and lyricist Kim Tribble, "and before the day was out, that song was sitting there. We really didn't change much at all in the studio on that one from the demo."

No. 120. "It's Just the Rain" from 'Trial By Fire' (1996)

Perry achieves a sweet sense of reverie, his most favored place, but the surroundings owe too much to rather boring solo forays into smooth jazz by Cain and Schon.

No. 119. "Lifetime of Dreams" from 'Arrival' (2001)

Journey's inventive call-and-response, first vocally and then with Schon's growling guitar, lifts an otherwise somewhat rote ballad to the next level.

No. 118. "The Place in Your Heart" from 'Generations' (2005)

Augeri sings his guts out, but this kind of undistinguished Cain/Schon-composed melodic rock is why Generations sunk to a paltry No. 170.

No. 117. "Keep On Runnin'" from 'Escape' (1981)

A pedestrian rocker, "Keep on Runnin'" is the only stumble on Side One of Journey's biggest-ever selling album.

No. 116. "Trial by Fire" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

This track made direct reference to verses in 2 Corinthians, underscoring once again how Cain's long-dormant songwriting partnership with Perry was reborn through a shared interest in scripture. "It was refreshing," Cain later told the Christian Post . "We wrote about 'treasures in jars of clay, let the light shine in the darkness.' I thought, 'This was fresh.' That was my first encounter with scripture and music, and I have been a believer all my life." Cain later returned to the theme on 2016's What God Wants to Hear , which consisted exclusively of faith-based songs.

No. 115. "Next" from 'Next' (1977)

Journey remind you of their canny knack for achieving liftoff here, but this time it's only window dressing for a song that doesn't feel completed.

No. 114. "Remember Me" from 'Armageddon: The Album' (1998)

Steve Augeri's first song with Journey was actually a soundtrack contribution that arrived years before his official full-length debut on 2001's Arrival . "Remember Me," unfortunately, was more utilitarian than memorable. They'd incorporated a nifty soundalike, but still needed to figure out how to draw out something creative from what began as a blatantly commercial decision.

No. 113. "Still She Cries" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

See "It's Just the Rain."

No. 112. "Dead or Alive" from 'Escape' (1981)

The second of two throwback-style songs on Escape that seek to approximate Journey's more rugged, fusion-leaning '70s-era, and the lesser of the pair. That "Dead or Alive" came directly after the too-similar "Lay It Down" didn't do the song any favors, either.

No. 111. "City of the Angels" from 'Evolution' (1979)

"Lights," found later on our list of Journey Songs Ranked Worst to Best, was originally about Los Angeles , before Perry shifted its locale to his new home base in San Francisco. He later returned to the idea of paying tribute to L.A., with much poorer results.

No. 110. "I Can See It in Your Eyes" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

The obvious goal of getting the early-'80s lineup back together was to recreate the sound of that era – and they did that here. Unfortunately, it was the sound of their throwaway stuff on Side Two of Frontiers .

No. 109. "With a Tear" from 'Time3' (1992)

A leftover instrumental track from the Raised on Radio -era that Schon and Cain returned to finish in 1992. After "Be Good to Yourself," this would have been the edgiest thing on the album, had it come to fruition earlier.

No. 108. "Can't Tame the Lion" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

See "I Can See It in Your Eyes."

No. 107. "Kiss Me Softly" from 'Arrival' (2001)

One of four Jack Blades co-writes on Arrival , "Kiss Me Softly" started out as a much heavier vehicle for a Schon riff before the Night Ranger singer-bassist suggested they move in a different direction. It worked.

No. 106. "Escape" from 'Escape' (1981)

Cain and Perry are credited as co-composers, but the title track from Escape still feels like the first of what became a series of not-always-successful attempts by Neal Schon to balance Journey's new knack for balladry with ballsier rock songs.

No. 105. "Winds of March" from 'Infinity' (1978)

Credited to a crowd including Matt and Neal Schon, Fleischman, Rolie and Perry, "Winds of March" actually sounds like a meeting of two minds: Perry, who deftly croons his way through the first two minutes, and his new bandmates – who absolutely tear through the remaining three.

No. 104. "Someone" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

The penultimate moment on Journey's heaviest album since the pre-Perry days was – wait, what? – a pop song. And a pretty good one, to boot. It's like a fever that just broke.

No. 103. "Line of Fire" from 'Departure' (1980)

A perfunctory rocker best remembered for a sound effect at roughly the 2:10 mark that Perry cribbed from Junior Walker's chart-topping 1965 R&B hit "Shotgun ."

No. 102. "Signs of Life" from 'Arrival' (2001)

This appropriately titled song emerged from a period of deep uncertainty, when Schon and Cain were still waiting for Perry to make up his mind about rejoining Journey. "I said, Why don't we start writing?" Schon told Melodic Rock in 2001. "I mean, you know, maybe Steve will decide that he wants to come back, maybe he won't. But at least when we decide what we're going to do, and we figure out what's going on, we won't be starting right at the beginning again." Steve Augeri eventually stepped in, and they had a ready-made song to help introduce him to fans.

No. 101. "Precious Time" from 'Departure' (1980)

Rolie adds a gurgling harp squall, but not much else stands out.

No. 100. "Lay It Down" from 'Escape' (1981)

Smith approximates co-founding drummer Aynsley Dunbar's thudding, heavy-rock approach while Schon swirls into the stratosphere on one of two songs from Escape that could have seamlessly fit into a Rolie-era album.

No. 99. "Turn Down the World Tonight" from 'Revelation' (2008)

Pineda breaks the mold here, following Augeri's example of doing more with less emoting. There's another twist: "Turn Down the World Tonight" appears headed toward an almost operatic conclusion before they switch gears again, ending on a nicely placed grace note.

No. 98. "Midnight Dreamer" from 'Look Into the Future' (1976)

The book on Journey was always that Steve Perry arrived and they suddenly shook themselves awake to commercial considerations. One listen to "Midnight Dreamer," and a good portion of the album it originated from, makes a powerful counter-argument. They still stretch out – dig that crazy keyboard solo! – but "Midnight Dreamer" wasn't that far from what album-oriented radio was playing at the time.

No. 97. "Chain Reaction" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

Schon finds a fusible groove, then joins Perry for a gutty vocal interplay. But "Chain Reaction" ends up getting lost somewhere along the way.

No. 96. "Once You Love Somebody" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

They tried for a bluesy feel on a song echoing the relationship troubles that both Perry and Cain were then experiencing, but there's simply not enough grit to this.

No. 95. "What It Takes to Win" from 'Revelation' (2008)

Pineda lets a roughness slip into his vocal, and a little bit more of himself. "What It Takes to Win" is better for it. He was 40 when he joined Journey, a fully formed singer in his own right. He deserves a lot more of these moments.

No. 94. "For You" From 'Time3' (1992)

An important, if not entirely successful, Robert Fleischman-sung track from the demo phase for 1978's Infinity . Journey were already headed toward a more compact, radio-ready direction, even before Perry arrived.

No. 93. "World Gone Wild" from 'Arrival' (2001)

The Augeri-era Journey lineup credibly recreates a "Separate Ways"-type groove, switching things up with a spacious, inspirational bridge.

No. 92. "Never Walk Away" from 'Revelation' (2008)

Arnel Pineda came bursting out of the gates with the opening track on his first Journey studio effort, singing with power to spare. Kevin Shirley, back for his third Journey album after 1996's Trial by Fire and 2001's Arrival , turns everything up around Pineda – in particular Schon.

No. 91. "In My Lonely Feeling / Conversations" from 'Journey' (1975)

The cool interplay between Schon and quickly departed co-founding rhythm guitarist George Tickner is perhaps best showcased on this composition by Rolie and Valory. Tickner was given two subsequent songwriting credits for 1976's Look Into the Future , but was already gone by the time it was released.

No. 90. "I'm That Way" from 'Arrival' (2001)

Augeri's ability to handle this kind of lithe, very Steve Perry-esque ballad is precisely why they brought him in. Unfortunately, you'll have to search way too hard to find it: For some reason, Journey originally tucked "I'm That Way" away as a bonus track on the Japanese version of Augeri's debut.

No. 89. "Natural Thing," B-side of "Don't Stop Believin'" (1981)

Your average classic rock radio-loving fan might not peg Steve Perry as a died-in-the-wool R&B guy who can totally pull off this sometimes very un-Journey style. Tell them to start here.

No. 88. "People" from 'Next' (1977)

Journey get proggy, and it would've worked – a few years earlier.

No. 87. "Easy to Fall" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

Presented in their classic arena-ballad style, but without much to differentiate it from other, better, more popular iterations, "Easy to Fall" is the sound of Journey trying to sound like Journey. This would go on for a while.

No. 86. "Walkin' Away from the Edge" from 'Red 13' (2002)

Before being felled by vocal issues, Augeri was able to convey a depth, a relative darkness, that no other Journey singer since Gregg Rolie could touch.

No. 85. "On a Saturday Nite" from 'Look Into the Future' (1976)

Rolie opens their second album with an approachable, yet still tough-minded song that confidently moves Journey more toward traditional classic rock, if not all the way over to the pop-leaning sound that later sent them to the top of the charts.

No. 84. "Rubicon" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

This song drove a seemingly permanent wedge in the band. Schon was playing "Rubicon," he told The New York Times in 2003, when Perry came over and turned down his amplifiers. "They want to hear the voice," Schon remembered Perry saying. "That was the start of it for me." They put out only two more albums together, and it took them 13 years to do it.

No. 83. "Look Into the Future" from 'Look Into the Future' (1976)

Everybody was into Led Zeppelin at this point, including Journey.

No. 82. "When I Think of You" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

"When I Think of You" appeared on Journey's Perry-curated Greatest Hits 2 not because of its chart history, but because of what it meant to him. Perry wrote this little-known deep cut after his late mother appeared, happy and healthy, in a particularly vivid dream. "She had been sick for so long that this was what I needed to know – even if it was a dream," Perry said in a 2011 fan Q&A . "I later went to Jon Cain's and told him I wanted to write a song about this experience and started singing a melody, and we finished it together."

No. 81. "She Makes Me (Feel Alright)" from 'Look Into the Future' (1976)

"She Makes Me (Feel Alright)" builds on Rolie's album-opening foray into more digestible song structures, though Schon's metallic asides nearly push it into hard rock.

No. 80. "Loved by You" from 'Arrival' (2001)

Augeri updates the patented Journey ballad model by staying modulated, singing with a steadier, quieter certitude. That showed no small amount of guts. Problem: This was not what Journey fans wanted. Arrival stalled at No. 56, the group's worst finish since Next in 1977.

No. 79. "Mystery Mountain" from 'Journey' (1975)

"The way I look at the early Journey stuff is, if we played that now, we'd be out with Phish, or the [Dave] Matthews Band ," Rolie remembered in 2011 . "We were a great jam band." Exhibit A: their trippy debut album-closing "Magic Mountain," written by Rolie and Tickner with help from Ross Valory's wife.

No. 78. "Frontiers" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

The second-best song on this album's deflating flip side. Singing in a clipped, coolly detached tone, Perry offers a great put-down for warmongers: "War is for fools; crisis is cool."

No. 77. "In Self-Defense" from 'Generations' (2005)

A track that had been bouncing around since Schon's 1982 Here to Stay collaboration with Jan Hammer. That version showcased Journey's early-'80s lineup (minus Cain) at the peak of their increasingly rare heavy-rocking form. Same here, with Castronovo in place of Steve Smith. They miss Perry's elevating vocals during the solo, though.

No. 76. "It Could Have Been You" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

Schon's riffy contributions work in brilliant counterpoint to Perry's poignancy, underscoring why this partnership meshed so easily – and so well.

No. 75. "She's a Mystery" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

A lovely, Pineda co-written acoustic aside, "She's a Mystery" is that rare moment on Eclipse where Journey take their foot off the gas without swerving into power-ballad cliche.

No. 74. "Sweet and Simple" from 'Evolution' (1979)

Perry brought this dream-like song with him, having written it years before while looking out over Lake Tahoe. Journey completed it with a quickly ascending final segment that matched now-patented multi-tracked vocals with a Schon's typical pyro.

No. 73. "All the Way" from 'Arrival' (2001)

In their first album without Perry, Journey clearly had an eye on recapturing the successes they found when Jonathan Cain joined the band in the '80s. Cain was game, co-writing this instantly familiar love song with Schon, Michael Rhodes and the recently installed Steve Augeri. "All the Way" may not have been a big hit, but it showed Journey could still be Journey even without their famous former frontman.

No. 72. "Cookie Duster" from 'Time3' (1992)

Journey's label asked that they replace this underrated Ross Valory instrumental with something more commercial for 1977's Next . The album stalled at No. 85 anyway.

No. 71. "Anything Is Possible" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

On an project that boldly reanimated the wide-open heavy fusion of Journey's original '70s-era records – a period when Schon fiercely pulled and stretched his muse – "Anything is Possible" gave Arnel Pineda an opportunity to showcase his pop-star sensibilities. There's a feeling of soaring expectancy here that balances the tough, guitar-focused tracks found elsewhere on Eclipse .

No. 70. "Where Were You" from 'Departure' (1980)

There's a reason Journey opened their concerts with "Where Were You" for so long. They were just coming off an opening gig with AC/DC at this point, and clearly the headliner's knack for outsized, riffy rockers rubbed off.

No. 69. "Spaceman" from 'Next' (1977)

Co-written by Aynsley Dunbar and Gregg Rolie, "Spaceman" offers Journey fans some of the most obvious initial flowerings of a pop sensibility. They placed it first on the album, and released it as a single – to no avail. "Spaceman" failed to chart as a single, and Journey were ordered to rework their lineup. They briefly added Robert Fleischman — who arrived shortly after the album’s release, toured with the band and even received co-writing credit on three songs for Journey’s following album — but eventually settled on Perry.

No. 68. "Castles Burning" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

A badly needed rocker on an album that too often played down to their ballad- and mid-tempo-loving fan base.

No. 67. "Beyond the Clouds" from 'Generations' (2005)

A slow burner co-written by Steve Augeri in his final outing with the band, "Beyond the Clouds" illustrates why he was such a good initial fit. Augeri's ability to elevate, as this track zooms into the stratosphere, and then to wind down into a whispery vulnerability recalls a Certain Other Steve. This wouldn't prove to be his principal strength, but it mattered at the time.

No. 66. "Like a Sunshower" from 'Revelation' (2008)

Schon couldn't have done a better job of smoothing the way for the just-arrived Pineda than he did on "Sunshower," which begins with a lick straight out of "Stay Awhile" from Departure . Fans reacted positively, making Revelation Journey's first platinum-selling project since Trial by Fire , their last with Perry.

No. 65. "Little Girl," B-side of "Open Arms" (1981)

"Little Girl" was the most Journey-sounding thing on 1980's Dream After Dream , which isn't really part of the band's catalog since it's otherwise filled with incidental music for a now-forgotten foreign film. Elsewhere, the instrumentals provide an untimely restatement of their old penchant for prog and fusion, considering Journey were already on a pop-chart roll after the Top 25 hits "Lovin,' Touchin,' Squeezin'" and "Anyway You Want It." Unsurprisingly, Dream After Dream disappeared without a trace once Journey issued their multi-multi-platinum smash Escape a year later. This too-often-overlooked song has since became known — if it was known at all — simply as a B-side to the "Open Arms" single.

No. 64. "Out of Harms Way" from 'Generations' (2005)

A hard-nosed war song, "Out of Harms Way" was handled with an eye-opening aggression unique to Journey, thanks to the gone-too-soon Augeri.

No. 63. "It's All Too Much" from 'Look into the Future' (1976)

Journey drill down to the marrow on this throwaway piece of psychedelia, finding a seriously nasty groove beneath the Beatles ' old atmospherics.

No. 62. "Raised on Radio" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

Radio holds a talismanic place in Perry's imagination for two reasons. It's a constant presence in the youthful places where he returns, time and time again, for creative sustenance. If things had gone another way, he also could see himself as a DJ, rather than a huge pop star. "I love radio," Perry said in that 2011 fan Q&A. "I think the idea of playing whatever music comes to your mind and talking about it is exciting to me."

No. 61. "City of Hope" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

You could say Schon is an unstoppable force on this song, except that Pineda – in one of his most impressive vocal performances – is every bit the equal of his molten riffs. At least at first. Eventually, Schon and company step forward for a floorboard-rattling, song-closing jam that edges all the way into fusion. Journey, who saw Eclipse become the second consecutive Pineda-sung Top 20 album, haven't sounded this wide open since the Jimmy Carter administration.

No. 60. "Nickel and Dime" from 'Next' (1977)

This very Mahavishnu Orchestra-influenced instrumental was originally constructed in three parts. The final section was ultimately cut off, however, leaving a pair of segments with unusual Aynsley Dunbar signatures – thus the name, "Nickel and Dime."

No. 59. "Higher Place" from 'Arrival' (2001)

Journey again move beyond Augeri's similarities with Perry on this composition by Schon and Jack Blades, which at one point has an almost a proggy feel. In that way, "Higher Place" references the group’s previous successes, but ultimately uses them as a foundation for something new.

No. 58. "Message of Love" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

A continuation of the untroubled sleekness of Raised on Radio -era Journey, this could have easily passed as a Steve Perry solo track.

No. 57. "Red 13 / State of Grace" from 'Red 13' (2002)

Journey return after the soft rock-dominated Arrival with a scorching, fusion-kissed EP-opening song. They spend two minutes easing into things before launching into a wrecking-ball groove – and Augeri is with them, step for breathless step.

No. 56. "I'm Gonna Leave You" from 'Look Into the Future' (1976)

Early rhythm guitarist George Tickner – he joined after a stint in the San Francisco psych-rock band Frumious Bandersnatch with Ross Valory – wasn't around long. He left behind this intriguingly offbeat 5/4 shuffle for fans to ponder what might have been.

No. 55. "A Better Life" from 'Generations' (2005)

Poor Steve Augeri. One of the best moments on his final album with Journey is this delicately conveyed track, featuring one of Schon's more restrained turns. And Deen Castronovo on vocals.

No. 54. "Where Did I Lose Your Love" from 'Revelation' (2008)

Here's Pineda's version of the familiar arena-ballad Journey sound, which is, on one level, very much in the style of their Escape / Frontiers era. Castronovo and Cain, who co-wrote this track with Schon, even close things out with a fierce entanglement that also must have brought older fans right back to "Separate Ways." But Pineda adds a few new wrinkles along the way to ultimately move past the same old Perry comparisons.

No. 53. "Ask the Lonely" from 'Two of a Kind' (1983)

"The guy can write love songs in his sleep," Jonathan Cain said of Perry in the liner notes for Journey's Time3 box set. Unfortunately, this only-okay leftover is an example of that assembly line-type approach. That said, "Ask the Lonely" is still better than most of the stuff on the back end of Frontiers .

No. 52. "Faith in the Heartland" from 'Generations' (2005)

The urge to return to an everyday working-stiff theme has been almost unavoidable for a group that, in no small way, is best remembered for "Don't Stop Believin.'" And yet "Heartland" never slips into tribute – or, worse still, parody. Credit goes most of all to Augeri, who strikes a visceral pose on upbeat tracks like this one, singing every line as if his whole heart is in it. Unfortunately, Generations went nowhere, and Augeri – citing throat problems – was gone after just two albums with Journey.

No. 51. "Lovin' You Is Easy" from 'Evolution' (1979)

Starts out as another cookie-cutter '70s-era Journey song, then Perry gets to the ear-worm title lyric and everything changes.

No. 50. "Anyway" from 'Look Into the Future' (1976)

A dark then searching rocker from Journey's second album, featuring one of Rolie's most desirous vocals.

No. 49. "When You Love a Woman" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

Featuring a saccharine sentiment with a too-sweet string section to match, this is Journey balladry at its limpest. Still, "When You Love a Woman" became a gold-selling No. 12 smash. Because, Steve Perry.

No. 48. "We Will Meet Again" from 'Arrival' (2001)

Deen Castronovo's inventively layered rhythm gives "We Will Meet Again" a distinct character among Journey's more anthemic-leaning tunes, setting the stage for a moment of controlled fury from Augeri. It all builds toward a sweeping vista reminiscent of Journey's Roy Thomas Baker-helmed sides like "Winds of March" and "Opened the Door," a welcome development indeed. And as with those two 1978 tracks, "We Will Meet Again" serves as an emotionally resonant side-closing moment.

No. 47. "Don't Be Down on Me Baby" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

Nobody aches like Steve Perry.

No. 46. "Hustler" from 'Next' (1977)

An explosion of heavy-rocking sexuality, "Hustler" found Journey considerably toughening up its by-then-established fusion-based formula — something the group would eventually return to, but only decades later, with 2011's impressively muscular Eclipse .

No. 45. "Why Can't This Night Go on Forever" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

Written in tribute to their fans, "Why Can't This Night Go on Forever" moved past its quite overt "Open Arms" / "Faithfully"-style ambitions on the strength of performances by Schon and Perry.

No. 44. "Edge of the Moment" from 'Eclipse' (2011)

Castronovo and Valory create a foundation-rattling rhythm, while the big-voiced Pineda ably conveys a fiery sense of sensuality required by the song's narrative. But "Edge of the Moment" will always belong to Neal Schon, who is by turns melodic, out there, gurgling, eruptive – and nothing like we've heard from him since the days of the spaceman 'fro. Long after their hit single-making days, and a couple of albums into Arnel Pineda's tenure, Journey finally found their rock-music mojo again on this track, emerging with a sense of furious third-act abandon.

No. 43. "To Play Some Music" from 'Journey' (1975)

The most accessible song on Journey's self-titled debut, "To Play Some Music" provides a down-to-earth vocal vehicle for Rolie on an album dominated by epic, often spacey instrumentals.

No. 42. "Patiently" from 'Infinity' (1978)

Schon memorably gave Perry a ride home after sitting in with Azteca in San Francisco, but had no idea his passenger was a singer. Five years later, Perry finally got the chance to make an impression. He stopped by Schon's hotel the day after a Journey show in Denver, and they wrote this song. "It was really about the determination of me wanting to get next to those players," Perry said in the Time3 liner notes.

No. 41. "I Would Find You" from 'Next' (1977)

Schon takes a rare vocal turn with Journey, and it's his most successful.

No. 40. "Kohoutek" from 'Journey' (1975)

Named after a comet then approaching Earth's orbit, "Kohoutek" bridges the sounds that Rolie and Schon made earlier as part of Santana with those to come from their new band. Makes sense: This track dates back to Journey's earliest rehearsals.

No. 39. "You're on Your Own" from 'Look Into the Future' (1976)

Their slow-fast approach gives "You're on Your Own" a noticeably modern feel; Rolie's heartfelt singing centers it all.

No. 38. "The Eyes of a Woman" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

Steve Smith only appeared on three Raised on Radio tracks, but that doesn't mean he didn't have an undeniable impact. His anticipatory rhythm builds a palpable tension on the underrated "The Eyes of a Woman," as Schon's echoing chords surround the vocal. Perry has called this one of his favorite Journey songs, and that might be because "The Eyes of a Woman" is one of the very few here that fully recalls their Escape / Frontiers sound.

No. 37. "Here We Are" from 'Next' (1977)

Perhaps Journey's heaviest-ever pop song. Rolie had a knack for Beatlesque touches (see their earlier cover of George Harrison 's "It's All Too Much"), even if it was buried in a cacophony of sound from Schon and Dunbar (see their earlier cover, etc. etc.).

No. 36. "Suzanne" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

If Steve Perry sounds a little overwhelmed on the second single from this album, there's a reason for that. This No. 17 hit was written in tribute to an actual crush. "It was a fantasy encounter with a film star, who also had a vocal artist career," Perry said in a 2011 fan Q&A. "Just a secret person that's in the song to live forever in that song. Real or not, she's real in the track."

No. 35. "Somethin' to Hide" from 'Infinity' (1978)

Journey's first attempt at a power ballad was devastatingly effective, though it arrived years before "Open Arms." Perry's final cry is just astonishing.

No. 34. "Edge of the Blade" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

Side Two of Frontiers gets off to a roaring start. Buckle up, though. As things progress, you're in for a bumpy ride.

No. 33. "If He Should Break Your Heart" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

One of the best-ever meldings of Solo Steve (verses) and Journey Steve (the rest).

No. 32. "Be Good to Yourself" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

A throwback Top 10 rocker, "Be Good to Yourself" had little in common with the sleeker, more adult-contemporary feel found elsewhere on Raised on Radio . It didn't make for the most representative lead single, but manager Herbie Herbert prevailed. "[Perry] phoned me at my house, and just went nuts about 'Be Good to Yourself' having been the first choice of a single," Herbert told Melodic Rock in 2008. "And I said, 'It's a great song, it's a great production, it's great sound – it's Journey.' That was the problem: It sounds too much like Journey. Well, too many of the other songs sound too much like a glorified Steve Perry solo record."

No. 31. "Of a Lifetime" from 'Journey' (1975)

Journey's recorded output begins here, with a seven-minute jazz fusion-influenced, at times Pink Floyd -ish excursion that boldly stepped away from Rolie and Schon's previous work in Santana. "Talking about Santana screws up the whole concept of everyone in this band," Rolie lamented in Don't Stop Believin' . "A lot of people would come to see us and expect conga drums. The last thing I was to see for the rest of my life is conga drums!"

No. 30. "I'll Be Alright Without You" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

Schon, who earned a co-writing credit with Cain and Perry, tried out a then-new guitar in search of a distinct sound for this song. Best known for using a 1963 Fender Stratocaster, Schon experimented with a graphite Roland 707 to see if he could get a different, more even tone. It worked: "I'll Be Alright Without You" remains Journey's penultimate Top 20 hit, followed by 1996's "When You Love a Woman." Cain, like Perry, was going through a breakup and called this track the other half of the emotions expressed in "Once You Love Somebody."

No. 29. "Only Solutions" from 'Tron' (1982)

Unjustly forgotten, and barely used in the film at all, the hooky "Only Solutions" would have greatly enlivened what turned out to be a letdown on Side Two of Frontiers .

No. 28. "People and Places" from 'Departure' (1980)

A circular vocal effect makes the song's larger point, as Perry and Schon share a vocal that examines life's maddening duality.

No. 27. "Opened the Door" from 'Infinity' (1978)

The last song on the first album to feature Perry, "Open the Door" begins like every gorgeous, ear-wormy love song they ever hit with a few years later — but after Perry's initial three minutes, Rolie joins in a huge vocal bridge ( "Yeah, you opened ..." ), and from there Schon and company are loosened from those binding conventions. Drummer Aynsley Dunbar, on his final recording date with Journey, sets a thunderous cadence, and Schon powers the song — and this career-turning album — to its quickly elevating conclusion.

No. 26. "Faithfully" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

Cain has said this No. 14 power-ballad smash, written in tribute to a happily married musician's life on the road, came from nowhere – literally. "He told me he got the melody out of a dream," Schon later mused in the Time3 liner notes. "I wish something like that would happen to me." Cain wrote it in his own key, and that allowed Perry to explore a different vocal timbre. They finished the song with a memorable back-and-forth between Perry and Schon, also completely unrehearsed.

No. 25. "When You're Alone (It Ain't Easy)" from 'Evolution' (1979)

Perry chirps and coos his way through this winking tease of a song – that is, until about a third of the way through, when Schon provides a moment of release.

No. 24. "Forever in Blue" from 'Trial by Fire' (1996)

As with "Girl Can't Help It," found later on our list of Journey Songs Ranked Worst to Best, "Forever in Blue" represents that rare moment when the latter-day edition puts it all together again.

No. 23. "Wheel in the Sky" from 'Infinity' (1978)

He never got much credit, but Robert Fleischman played an important role in Journey. "Wheel in the Sky," the band's initial Billboard chart entry, was originally a poem written by Ross Valory's wife – until Fleischman rounded it into song form. Schon added a guitar melody, and they handed it to Steve Perry after Fleischman's ouster. The rest is, as they say, history.

No. 22. "Walks Like a Lady" from 'Departure' (1980)

A great example of the way Journey songs evolved in the studio. Perry brought in a rough sketch, Schon added a blues-inspired riff, then Smith picked up his brushes. All that was left to complete things was Rolie's greasy Hammond B3 groove, reportedly one of his favorites.

No. 21. "Too Late" from 'Evolution' (1979)

A delicate, beautifully conveyed song of encouragement, "Too Late" was aimed at a friend of Perry's who had fallen into drug abuse.

No. 20. "Girl Can't Help It" from 'Raised on Radio' (1986)

Perry essentially took control of Journey in the run-up to this album, switching out band members for sidemen with whom he'd worked before then serving as the project's de facto producer. That led them to some song treatments that moved well away from anything Journey had done before, or since. "Girl Can't Help It," one of three Top 40 singles from Raised on Radio , was the exception. This was classic Journey, spit-shined up for a new era.

No. 19. "After the Fall" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

Perry began this song on the bass, perhaps an early indication of the changes in store for Journey. By the time they released 1986's Raised on Radio , Ross Valory had been replaced by Randy Jackson, later of American Idol fame. Smith departed too, but not before proving himself utterly invaluable here.

No. 18. "Good Morning Girl" / "Stay Awhile" from 'Departure' (1980)

Inextricably linked by their successive appearances on Departure , these two songs showcased Perry's dual gifts: "Good Morning Girl" was a fragile, impossibly beautiful ballad that emerged from a jam session with Schon, while "Stay Awhile" showed off his R&B chops.

No. 17. "Who's Crying Now" from 'Escape' (1981)

The initial single from Escape , a No. 4 hit, perfectly illustrates how Jonathan Cain's new presence changed Perry's writing style, then forever changed Journey. The first inklings of the track came to Perry as he was driving up to San Francisco on Route 99. But "Who's Crying Now" was a song with no real direction until Cain suggested the title. They worked out a cool b-section featuring only voice and keyboard, and their very first co-written composition was completed. "He helped me go to another place as a writer," Perry later gushed in the Time3 notes. Inspired, Perry also fought to keep Schon's extended guitar solo on the single.

No. 16. "Do You Recall" from 'Evolution' (1979) Maybe the perfect blending of Journey's tough early sound and Perry's sun-flected sense of reminiscence. Roy Thomas Baker's familiar stacked vocals propel the bridge to untold heights.

No. 15. "Someday Soon" from 'Departure' (1980)

The final major vocal collaboration featuring Perry and the soon-to-depart Rolie and, still, one of the more memorable for its thoughtful optimism. There were plenty of reasons for this upbeat outlook, even though "Someday Soon" appeared on Journey's next-to-last album with Rolie. Departure reached the Billboard Top 10, then the band's highest-charting effort ever. Meanwhile, a subsequent, wildly successful tour was chronicled on 1981's Captured .

No. 14. "Open Arms" from 'Escape' (1981)

If you dislike power ballads, blame Jonathan Cain. He brought this seminal example of the genre to Journey after John Waite , the frontman in Cain's former band the Babys, rejected an early version. Schon didn't really want "Open Arms," either. But Perry intervened, and they turned it into a soaring paean to renewal. Oh, and Journey's highest-charting single ever.

No. 13. "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" from 'Evolution' (1979)

A song with a real-life storyline, "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" came to life in another Journey jam session, then went on to become their very first Top 20 hit. Rolie's Nicky Hopkins-esque honky tonk piano rides atop a stuttering, 12/8 rhythm, building inexorably toward a cloud-bursting nah-nah-nah conclusion. Steve Smith has compared that blues shuffle to "Nothing Can Change This Love" by key Perry influence Sam Cooke. The heartbroken Perry, who's described the writing of this song as "love justice," again played the bass on the initial sessions. The results opened the pop-chart floodgates.

No. 12. "Still They Ride" from 'Escape' (1981)

A touchingly emotional trip back to Perry's San Joaquin Valley youth, "Still They Ride" showed that the seemingly ageless Escape could still produce a Top 20 single, more than a year after its release.

No. 11. "The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)" from 'Captured' (1981)

"After I left," Rolie later mused , "it became more pop rock. It was a little heavier when I was in it." That transformation started with "The Party's Over," a Top 40 studio song tacked onto a live project which marked Rolie's exit. Journey's original keyboardist doesn't even appear on the track. Instead, the session featured Stevie "Keys" Roseman, who was later part of VTR with Ross Valory and George Tickner.

No. 10. "Stone in Love" from 'Escape' (1981)

Schon had a tape recorder going while he fooled around with the guitar during a party at his house in San Rafael. Perry and Cain did the rest.

No. 9. "Daydream" from 'Evolution' (1979)

An episodic triumph, "Daydream" is defined by dreamy, Jon Anderson -esque verses, rangy guitar riffs and forward-thinking keyboard asides – very much in keeping with the prog-rock pretensions of the '70s, though that sound had already become decidedly passe.

No. 8. "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

Cain and Perry looked on, feeling a little helpless, as Valory and Schon endured painful divorces. "There's got to be a more soulful way of looking at this," Perry countered in the Time3 liner notes. Just like that, the pair had the makings of the Top 10 opening single from Frontiers . "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" so energized Journey that they began performing it onstage before Perry had completely learned the words.

No. 7. "Just the Same Way" from 'Evolution' (1979)

Built off a Rolie piano riff, "Just the Same Way" once again leveraged Journey's layered harmony vocals, already a trademark of producer Roy Thomas Baker from his previous work with Queen . Baker achieved this effect by having Perry and Rolie double and triple their parts, an incredibly time-consuming new approach that almost derailed "Anytime." (Rolie and Schon still considered themselves jam guys at this point.) But that's what ultimately gave this song – and Journey themselves – such a striking propulsion.

No. 6. "Send Her My Love" from 'Frontiers' (1983)

One of four Top 40 hits found on the album, the lonesome No. 23 anthem "Send Her My Live" is notable for an ambient turn by Schon (he used a high-end Lexicon 480L echo unit) and perhaps the most intriguing drumming contribution on Journey's string of familiar ballads from Steve Smith. A jazz lover who later founded his own combo, Smith added a slyly involving polyrhythm lifted from Miles Davis' "In a Silent Way." "The drummer on that was Tony Williams," Smith said in 2011 , "and he played quarter notes with a cross-stick on the snare drum — a very hypnotic groove." Same here.

No. 5. "Only the Young" from 'Vision Quest' (1985)

Another song that, had it been included, might have pushed Frontiers past Escape as Journey's best Cain-era album. Instead, "Only the Young" appeared much later on this soundtrack, and by then Kenny Sykaluk – a 16-year-old fan suffering from cystic fibrosis – had already died after becoming the first person to hear it . "Only the Young," which opened every concert on Journey's subsequent tour, will be forever associated with his brave fight.

No. 4. "Lights" from 'Infinity' (1978)

Perry had an early version of this song in his back pocket when he joined Journey, and it's a good thing. Rolie has said that the rest of the band wasn't sold on Perry until they harmonized on "Lights" while backstage at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. "It dawned on me right then," Rolie later admitted in the Time3 notes, "that this could really be great."

No. 3. "Any Way You Want It" from 'Departure' (1980)

Perry said the vocal and guitar interplay on "Any Way You Want It" was inspired by the performances of Phil Lynott , after Thin Lizzy opened for Journey. "I loved his ability and phrasing," Perry revealed in Open Arms: The Steve Perry Anthology . "This guy is one of the more under-recognized geniuses of that era." Perry and Rolie brought a tight focus to the bursts of shared vocals that close things out, fashioning Journey's second-ever Top 40 hit.

No. 2. "Don't Stop Believin'" from 'Escape' (1981)

It difficult to believe, considering how rightfully ubiquitous this anthem has become, but "Don't Stop Believin'" originally only barely cracked the Top 10. What's up with that, 1981?

No. 1. "Feeling That Way" / "Anytime" from 'Infinity' (1978)

These paired songs took a convoluted path to the top of this list, as everyone worked and reworked both halves into a legacy-defining moment for Journey and their new singer. "Feeling That Way" began as a Rolie track called "Velvet Curtain" then evolved into "Let Me Stay," which was considered for Next . When Perry arrived, he added a gliding new chorus, and they were halfway there. Meanwhile, the Fleischman co-written "Anytime" – released as a separate, No. 83-charting single but forever linked on the album and rock radio – was going nowhere. At one point, Journey almost dropped it altogether. Then Schon decided to tap the music of his childhood by adding a Beatlesque lyric, " Anytime that you want me ." The then-new mixture of Perry and Rolie's voices did the rest. "As soon as the vocals were put in, the song came alive," Rolie remembered in 2014 , laughing. "I'm glad we didn't can it!" The results meld every great thing about the band's earthy first era with the pop-facing second era to come. In that way, it's the perfect Journey moment.

Think You Know Journey?

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Jon Bon Jovi’s Long Journey Back: ‘Life Has Happened’

How the kid phenom of jersey rock has handled 40 years of fame — and the potential loss of his most precious instrument: his voice.

John Colapinto,

In the spring of 2022, Jon Bon Jovi led his band on what they hoped would be a triumphant return to live performing after a two-year pandemic break. They had booked a 15-city U.S. arena tour. By the third or fourth show, however, critics were asking, “What’s going on with Jon Bon Jovi’s voice?” Known for the power, range and precision of his hard-rock belting on hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive,” on this tour the singer was often flat, reedy, choked. The band’s longtime keyboardist, David Bryan, who’d been playing with Bon Jovi since they were 16, says: “Something was wrong. It was scary as hell for all of us and for him.”

Legendarily driven, Bon Jovi pushed on with the tour. But after a show in Nashville, he came offstage and his wife, Dorothea, told him flat out, “It wasn’t great.” Jon and Dorothea had met and started dating in high school; they married in 1989 and have been together ever since, a remarkable feat in the music business. He knew he might be staring down the barrel of retirement , the end of a career he had worked extremely hard to build.

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It was a fate he could not quite accept. That June, Bon Jovi underwent surgery on his throat, which gave him, and his band, considerable hope. Since then, they have recorded a new LP, Forever , their 16th studio album, released this June during the band’s 40th anniversary year. But when — or even whether — Bon Jovi’s voice can withstand the rigors of another multicity arena tour remains up in the air. His doctor is hopeful. Dorothea knows that her husband has the grit to confront the challenge — as she makes clear in a new four-part Hulu documentary titled Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story , which chronicles not only the band’s rise to fame but Jon’s vocal struggles. “He’s used to controlling everything,” Dorothea says. “I always say, by sheer will, he will make it happen.”

I met with Bon Jovi in late February, a few days before his 62nd birthday. He greeted me in the kitchen of his home, a French château–style house in New Jersey. As he prepared us some tea with ginger honey (“My crack,” he said, flashing his billion-watt smile), he immediately off-footed me with an unexpected show of modesty. I complimented him on more than 1 billion Spotify streams of “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and he waved away the praise, saying Taylor Swift and The Weeknd regularly rack up more. (For all his diplomacy, Bon Jovi holds his own in such company, with worldwide record sales of more than 130 million.)

We sat in his personal office, which was crammed with memorabilia and musical instruments . Dressed in a pale blue T-shirt and faded jeans, he looked fit and healthy. He has allowed his hair to go gray, and his once Teen Beat –pretty face is all the more handsome for its smile lines and wrinkles . His speaking voice is grainier than it used to be, and he is careful with it. There’s an awful lot riding on those vocal cords.

We Can Be Heroes

Bon Jovi’s struggle has perhaps been particularly hard on a man who, by his own admission, has been extraordinarily lucky. He was born John Bongiovi in 1962, the eldest of three sons, and raised in the modest suburban community of Sayreville, New Jersey. His parents — dad, a hairdresser; mom, a florist — had met in the Marines, and they encouraged his rock ’n’ roll dream from the start. “They were like, ‘You can do this,’ ” he recalls. “And you believed it.” At 16 he formed his band the Atlantic City Expressway, and they landed a regular gig at the Fast Lane, a bar on the Jersey Shore where his heroes Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes had cut their teeth. He jumps up and shows me a photo of the band in matching satin tour jackets. “Look at those jackets!” He laughs with irony and nostalgia. “Emulating Southside Johnny!”

Skipping college (“There was no plan B,” he says), he was working as a gofer at a Manhattan recording studio when he wrote “Runaway,” his wide-eyed response to the teenage streetwalkers who thronged the Port Authority bus terminal on his commute into the city. Recorded after hours at the studio, the single was picked up by a local radio station and was soon being requested at affiliated stations across the country. Record labels scrambled to see the band live. But there was no band. Bon Jovi reached out to acquaintances that included a guitarist and songwriter named Richie Sambora, for what all of them assumed would be a short promo tour. It would extend to four decades.

In 1983, he signed with the Mercury label of PolyGram Records, which suggested a name change from “Bongiovi” to “Bon Jovi” because it looked like “Van Halen.” After releasing two passable albums, songwriters Bon Jovi and Sambora sought fresh inspiration from the pro Desmond Child, who pushed the pair to extend their themes beyond “hot girls and cars” to tell actual stories. The trio pumped out “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ on a Prayer” — irresistible sing-along mega anthems that powered the band’s third LP, Slippery When Wet , to No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. Global arena tours ensued. Asked about the moment when he first realized, Wait, I’m an actual rock star, Bon Jovi shakes his head. “You always say you’re a rock star. I played in that club in that satin jacket, and I thought I was a rock star.”

Many of the songs Bon Jovi writes are strikingly inspirational, with soaring choruses: songs about the underdog prevailing, the long-shot triumph, the star-crossed lovers who defeat the odds. And then there are songs like “Bed of Roses,” off the band’s fifth LP, Keep the Faith (1992), which hints at the temptations of living out of lonely hotel rooms on the road. It includes the lyrics: “ ’Cause a bottle of vodka’s / Still lodged in my head / And some blonde gave me nightmares / Think that she’s still in my bed … ” He and Dorothea were married when he wrote those words, which begged a nosy journalistic question.

“Those lyrics to ‘Bed of Roses,’ ” I start to say, delicately, “are very — ”

“Honest,” he cut me off. “I don’t hide behind anything. I’ve never lied to my wife’s face. We were 18 when we met and started dating. Life has happened.”

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Keep the Faith was released at the height of the gloom-laden grunge movement led by Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden — a style of indie rock music that made big commercial pop bands like Bon Jovi obsolete overnight. Many of Bon Jovi’s contemporaries (then in their 30s) adopted the look, sound and attitude of grunge. “I watched my peer group suddenly buy flannel shirts and run to that,” Bon Jovi recalls. “I said, ‘This is a big mistake. Why would you chase something?’ ... I realized: Be who you are, tell your truth.”

The band survived and was still charting in 2013, when its 12th studio album, What About Now, instantly went to No. 1 and spawned the year’s top-grossing tour. But there were problems brewing — problems that would ultimately end up impacting Bon Jovi’s voice. Sambora, who had been in and out of rehab over the previous decade, quit the band suddenly during the first leg of the tour. Together, Bon Jovi and Sambora had been a powerhouse vocal team. Bon Jovi found himself “singing for two” for the rest of the shows, he recalls — some 80 dates. “It was after that when everything started to go south,” he says. “I couldn’t figure it out. Was it psychological, was it physical — what was it?” He was especially mystified because he had, since his teens, always taken assiduous care of his voice, performing not only warm-ups before concerts but also cool-down exercises after shows. He had long eschewed drugs and smoking, in part to preserve his voice. But after the 2013 tour, an increasing breathiness, diminished volume and moments of uncertain pitch made singing increasingly fraught for Bon Jovi. He got through tours from 2015 to 2019, but upon his return to performing after the pandemic break, he discovered that his voice had further deteriorated — to the point where Dorothea had to speak up.

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Rock Star vs. Aging

Singing is a mysterious activity. It has mystical connections to the deepest part of ourselves as individuals and as a species. For a book I wrote in 2021, This Is the Voice, I spoke with Julie Andrews about the botched vocal surgery that destroyed her singing voice. Singing, she said, had afforded her an “ecstasy” that was unbearable for her to think “would never come my way again!” Another former singer, an opera tenor forced to retire because of vocal cord scarring, told me, “When you sing, you’re giving voice to your soul.” For Bon Jovi, the potential loss was devastating. “People had to talk me off the ledge,” he says. “Because you’re like, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong! What’s wrong?’ ”

Lip-syncing to a prerecorded vocal track in concert was out of the question for him. So was relying on Auto-Tune, a digital technology that can tweak voices to perfect pitch in live performance. “I’d rather get hit by a bus on the high­way,” he told me.

It was not until he spoke to singer Shania Twain, who detailed how she overcame her own voice problems in the February/March 2020 issue of this magazine , that he found hope. Bon Jovi consulted Twain’s voice doctor, Robert Sataloff, a leading voice surgeon in Philadelphia. Sataloff was struck by the care Bon Jovi had taken of his voice.

How to Protect Your Voice

Some vocal aging — in the form of weakness, breathiness, quavering or raspiness — may be inevitable. Still, there are things you can do to keep your voice strong and clear longer.

Tone your core.  Being able to draw in and expel a good amount of air depends on the muscles that drive respiration. Regular core-strength exercises, such as push-ups and squats, can help. So can aerobic exercise like walking or running .

Hum a tune.  Speech pathologists have an array of exercises for keeping the vocal membranes strong and pliable, including humming into a straw. Note: If your voice changes suddenly, see a laryngologist to rule out growths on the vocal folds.

Hack these habits . Smoking and alcohol rob the vocal folds of crucial moisture and hence pliability. Drinking plenty of water is key. Fried foods, hot spices and (again) booze can cause reflux, which harms the delicate organs of speech.

Take it easy.  Overuse can age the voice. And to go from zero (silence) to 60 (“O sole mio!”) in an instant is to risk vocal fold bruises that can cause a permanent rasp. Thus it can be said of vocal health: everything in moderation, even speech and song.

“Jon has worked, throughout his career, harder and more diligently than most of his fans would ever have guessed,” Sataloff told me. But now Bon Jovi was facing something he could not control through hard work alone: the natural aging process. “Eventually it catches up with all of us,” Sataloff says. Despite the overwork on his 2013 tour, there is no specific vocal injury that Bon Jovi suffered, no disease or illness. His voice problem is mainly the result of aging, and like all aspects of aging, some people are more susceptible to vocal diminishment than others. Over time, Bon Jovi began to experience the thinning of his vocal cords — or, as they are properly called, vocal folds: bands of tissue composed of muscle, mucous membranes and connecting structures.

When singing or talking, we produce sounds by bringing our vocal folds together across the opening of our windpipe and blowing air through them, like blowing a Bronx cheer through our closed lips. Our fluttering vocal folds actually chop the airflow from our lungs into pulses that we hear as a musical note or a spoken vowel. A strong, clear, effortless-sounding voice results from vocal folds that meet flush and firmly across the top of the windpipe but can also vibrate freely and symmetrically. However, with age the folds can lose mass, just like the muscles in the rest of our body.

“When that happens,” Sataloff says, “the vocal folds fail to meet firmly. People naturally and unconsciously work harder to squeeze their vocal folds together so they can get a strong voice. However, that kind of excess muscle tension is counterproductive, inefficient. It causes muscle strain that makes it more effortful to talk or sing and leads to fatigue of the voice and sometimes to the vocal fold injury.” All the more so if your job involves singing to packed arenas every night. That muscle strain can also lead to the flattened notes that Bon Jovi was suffering from — as well as an overall physical exhaustion. Most people don’t know that we sing with our entire bodies, from planting our feet, to using our diaphragms to compress the lungs, to engaging our abdominal and back muscles to sustain a note, to manipulating our neck and throat muscles to shape its tone. A seemingly tiny problem in a single vocal fold can lead to a cascade of compensatory muscular exertion that affects the entire body.

For Bon Jovi, Sataloff recommended a surgery called thyroplasty, in which a shim of Gore-Tex is placed in such a way as to move the vocal folds closer together. Surgery alone, however, was not sufficient to restore Bon Jovi’s voice to its former power and precision. Post-surgery, Bon Jovi follows a gym regimen to keep his core and back strong, and works with speech-language pathologists and singing-voice specialists to retrain the muscles of his vocal tract. Of his own accord, he also undergoes regular laser treatment in hopes of promoting blood flow through his vocal folds and the nerves that control them. Sataloff and Bon Jovi are optimistic that the singer’s voice will continue to strengthen — so optimistic that Bon Jovi is eyeing a return to touring at some point. “Whether or not I can ever do a 100-show tour again, I don’t know,” he says. “But if I can have joy on the stage on night one, that would be great.”

Lessons From a F---ing Beatle

Along with his vocal struggles, Bon Jovi has faced the conundrum of how to age gracefully in a young person’s game. In this, he has some help; some of his friends have set an inspiring example. Bruce Springsteen, who is 13 years Bon Jovi’s senior and a longtime mentor, has never sacrificed his integrity as a musician. (The two take regular drives together to talk.) Another is Paul McCartney , who has, to Bon Jovi’s delight and astonishment, become a close friend. The rocker shows me a recent photo of the two of them eating and talking animatedly at a picnic table on Bon Jovi’s property in East Hampton, New York. “We do this all summer,” he says, his tone tinged with disbelief. “I’m sitting there with a f---ing Beatle. He comes to my house often, I go to his beach house often, and our wives are very close.” What most impresses him about Paul is the enthusiasm and love of songwriting that the  Beatle still possesses. He slips into an imitation of McCartney’s Liverpool accent and childlike enthusiasm: “ ‘Oh, I’ve got new stuff!’ he tells me. At 81. Crazy.”

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Bon Jovi may well keep writing into his 80s, too, because he has seen how aging has deepened his songwriting. “I have a grander palette to write from,” he says. “More life experience. I think that every record reflects somehow who I am at that time.” The band’s last studio album, 2020, covered tough subjects like COVID , school shootings and the killing of George Floyd. It was overlooked by critics, perhaps because the band could not tour to promote it. Still, “I think it’s one of my better records,” Bon Jovi says.

The new record, by contrast, he says, “is about joy” — although the first song he wrote for the album is one that, to my ear, sounds uncharacteristically despairing. “Hollow Man,” sung in a low rumble, has brooding lyrics about a man bereft of inspiration. Bon Jovi casts an entirely different light on it, one that reflects his spirituality. The song, he says, is an appeal to God. “It says, ‘Fill me up. I’m a vessel. What do I want to say? And how do I say it?’ ”

Another song on the album, “Kiss the Bride,” also reckons with age and change, dealing, as it does, with how parenthood inevitably makes us aware of the passage of time. He and Dorothea have four children: three sons and a daughter, ranging in age from 20 to 31. “Kiss the Bride” is about giving away their daughter at her wedding and stepping aside.

“Cried writing it and cried recording it,” he says.

Is the whole album about aging? I ask.

“Most definitely,” he says. “ ‘Don’t try to be what you used to be.’ I don’t want to be the kid from Slippery When Wet. I have no desire to be that kid.”

Who Bon Jovi wants to be is who he has become — who he has, by force of will, turned himself into. He points to the album’s opening track, “Legendary.” The lyrics evoke the audacity of his own dream of escaping his blue-collar beginnings (“Who are you and who am I / To think that we could ever fly?”) and offer an ecstatic celebration of dear friendships and his long marriage. “Got my brown-eyed girl / And she believes in me,” he sings — a line he rhymes with a single word made all the more emphatic because the band drops out and he sings it into silence: “Legendary.”

Bon Jovi had debuted his post-surgery voice in live performance just a few weeks before our meeting, when he was honored by MusiCares at an annual event in Los Angeles that acknowledges the philanthropy of musicians. (For 13 years, Bon Jovi’s Soul Foundation has run JBJ Soul Kitchen, a restaurant for paying customers and those who can’t afford to pay, with four New Jersey locations.) To a packed audience in the Los Angeles Convention Center, Bon Jovi sang a duet with Springsteen, a version of Bruce’s “The Promised Land.” McCartney was in the audience. For Bon Jovi, the performance represented far more than just a good show. It was a return to himself.

We — all of us, singers and nonsingers alike — identify with our voices to a degree we rarely acknowledge. A voice’s pace and timbre and volume, its accent and texture, are all a result of physical attributes and innate and acquired habits of temperament and personality that are as unique as a fingerprint, instantly recognizable to all who know and love us. For two difficult years, Bon Jovi lost that acoustic signature and gained a head full of negative thoughts about his future as a performer.

The best thing to come out of the MusiCares event, for him, was the silencing of those thoughts. When he was onstage, he tells me, “Doubt wasn’t there. Fear wasn’t there. It was just the old me.”

And even if he has no desire to be his “old” young self, he wasn’t sorry to catch a fleeting glimpse of that long-lost kid. “Ohhh, I liked seeing him,” he says. “It was good.”

Journalist John Colapinto is a longtime contributor to  The New Yorker  and  Rolling Stone  and author of  As Nature Made Him  and  This Is the Voice . He wrote about music and memory in the December 2023/January 2024 issue.

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Abi Carter of Indio takes crown in star-studded 'American Idol' finale

"American Idol" fans: Tonight is the big night, when finalists Abi Carter, Jack Blocker and Will Moseley  will give it their all at center stage in a bid to claim the coveted title. Featuring heavily in the finale will be the traditional "hometown visits" with the contestants, and The Desert Sun was there for all of the festivities surrounding Indio native Abi Carter's homecoming last week. Follow along tonight as we report from the ground in Indio as the entire Coachella Valley cheers Abi on in her quest for the title.

• Abi Carter's start: Get to know 'American Idol' finalist Abi Carter, an Indio native who busked in Palm Springs
• Hometown visit: Indio native Abi Carter sings 'Bring Me To Life' during moving homecoming
• New single: Abi Carter releases new single 'This Isn't Over' ahead of finale Sunday

Abi Carter on her 'American Idol' win: 'This is my dream'

Season 22 "American Idol" winner Abi Carter has shared a few thoughts on Instagram about her crowning moment.

"HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE!??!?!?!? I couldn't have imagined winning #americanidol when I started this whole journey," Carter wrote. "We haven't had a girl winner in over 4 years and to be the first after so many seasons is the greatest honor."

The last female winner of "American Idol" was Just Sam (Samantha Diaz) during Season 18 (2020).

"I'm just a girl from Indio, who used to sing on street corners, and now I've had the pleasure and privilege to work with some of the most talented people in the industry and be heard by millions of people," the post continued. "This is my dream and I know it's just the beginning. I love you all so much."

City of Indio, others celebrate Abi Carter's 'American Idol' win

Organizations throughout the Coachella Valley shared congratulatory messages to Carter across social media, including The City of Indio, Palm Springs VillageFest and the University of California Riverside Palm Desert campus.

"OUR AMERICAN IDOL WINNER @abicartermusic!!! Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for Abi each week and the support of our community throughout this incredible journey! Congratulations to @abicartermusic!" read an Instagram post from the City of Indio.

Indio is already known as the "City of Festivals," but now it gets to add "City of the latest 'American Idol' winner" to its resume as well.

"She was made for this" read an Instagram post from "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest. The post included photos of Carter hugging judge Richie and wiping away tears while Seacrest showed off the winning envelope in his hand.

Abi Carter of Indio named winner of 'American Idol'

She has done it! Indio native Abi Carter is the winner of "American Idol."

The whole arena erupted into applause once Carter's name was read by host Ryan Seacrest. As she fell to her knees with tears streaming down her face, the judges looked emotional at their newest singer extraordinaire.

Bringing it back to the song that started her "Idol" journey, Carter sang "What Was I Made For?" to close out the show. Afterward, her fellow contestants and family members came to her side to hug her.

Carter started her "American Idol" journey with the judges saying they were looking at the next winner, and that came true Sunday night.

"What were you made for?" Perry asked Carter during her audition. "You were made for this, 100%."

In the show's final moments, Perry was seen wiping tears and being consoled by Lionel Richie as she also bid farewell to her "Idol" journey as a judge.

Will Moseley was named runner up, while Jack Blocker earned third place in the competition series.

What did the 'American Idol' finalists sing?

Abi Carter:

• "Bed of Roses" by Jon Bon Jovi
• "Somewhere" from "West Side Story"
• "River" – duet with Bishop Briggs
• "This Isn't Over" – original single

Will Moseley:

• "It's My Life" by Jon Bon Jovi
• "My Town" by Montgomery Gentry
• "Hold My Hand" and "Only Wanna Be With You" – duet with Hootie and the Blowfish
• "Good Book Bad" – original single

Jack Blocker:

• "I'll Be There for You" by Jon Bon Jovi
• "All My Ex’s Live in Texas" by George Strait
• “What Makes A Woman” – duet with Katy Perry

‒ USA Today

'American Idol' finalist Abi Carter ends her journey with new single 'This Isn't Over'

For her final “American Idol” song, the Indio native belted her latest single, “This Isn’t Over.”

The singer was clearly emotional during the song, trying to hold back tears as she belted high notes. Once she finished, she let them flow while the audience chanted "Abi! Abi! Abi!"

The judges were left speechless.

Carter's song tells a story about personal growth, becoming a stronger person and wanting to tell one's younger self that it's not over, even when it seems impossible to keep going. It also sends a message to the young singer's fans that, regardless of what happens on Sunday, Carter is just getting started with her music career.

This is the second song Carter has released during her time on the competition series. Her first single, "It's All Love," was released on March 29.

The winner of “American Idol” will be announced in just a few minutes.

'American Idol' finalists Abi Carter, Will Moseley win Disney Cruise to Bahamas

Finalists Abi Carter and Will Moseley have to start planning their next vacation.

Host Ryan Seacrest announced that the two singers, along with three guests of their choosing, won a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas. What could be better? Well, possibly winning "American Idol," but at least they can relax for a few days before their music careers take off.

Top 12 ladies honor judge Katy Perry with medley

"American Idol" finalist Abi Carter and the remaining Top 12 ladies honored judge Katy Perry, who was ending her show tenure Sunday, with a medley of her songs.

The contestants sang “Teenage Dream,” “Dark Horse,” “California Gurls.”

Perry was shown munching on some pizza, dancing and tossing beach balls to the audience. She climbed on top of the judges' table at the end and showed off her muscles.

Abi Carter, Bishop Briggs belt out together on 'American Idol'

Before diving into the Top 2 round, Carter hit the stage with singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs. Briggs started the performance solo with her song "Triumph" before Carter joined for the electric song "River."

Judge Katy Perry could be seen bopping her head along with the audience.

'American Idol' finalist Abi Carter makes it into Top 2

Indio native Abi Carter was the second name called to make it into the "American Idol" Top 2.

Will Moseley is also in the Top 2, while Jack Blocker earned third place in the competition series.

How to vote in 'American Idol' finale

Coachella Valley viewers at home have three ways to vote for their favorite “Idol” contestant:

• Visiting americanidol.com/vote
• Using the American Idol App ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
• Text 8 to 21523⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

You can submit up to 10 votes for each contestant per voting method (meaning 10 votes on americanidol.com/vote, 10 votes on the American Idol app and 10 votes via text message), for a total of 30 votes for that contestant.

Voters must be at least 16 and located in the U.S., Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands to vote online or in the American Idol app. Voting is open throughout the show.

‒ Ema Sasic

'American Idol' judge Katy Perry sparkles in metallic corset outfit

Judge Katy Perry sparkles on her own, but her outfit during Sunday's finale made her shine like a “Firework.”

The “California Gurls” singer wore a gold metallic corset with roses, which looked beautiful on her, but got us wondering if it was at all comfortable to wear during the show. The dress also featured a long white skirt.

Fantasia Barrino, Jason Mraz, more hit the ‘Idol’ stage during finale

The "American Idol" finale was full of hot shot guests.

Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino returned to her “Idol” roots on Sunday. She told the Top 3 to keep going and to never let closed doors stand in their way.

“This show opens doors,” she added. Barrino would return later in the show for a performance.

Singer Jason Mraz and “Idol” contestant Julia Gagnon later hit the stage together to sing Mraz’s hit “I Feel Like Dancing.” Gagnon finished in this season’s Top 7.

Seal also celebrated the 30th anniversary of his song "Crazy" with Top 12 contestant Jayna Elise.

Other people who took the stage included James Bay, New Kids on the Block, Hootie & the Blowfish, Wynonna and all three "Idol" judges.

'American Idol' finalist Abi Carter dedicates 'Somewhere' to Indio

For her second song, Carter picked "Somewhere" from "West Side Story" as her dedication to Indio.

Draped in all a light blue ensemble, Carter belted the emotional song and savored each moment.

Once again, the judges gave her a standing ovation and let the crowd cheer. Lionel Richie said "that was a show-stopping moment" and "doesn't get any better than that." Katy Perry compared Carter to the Statue of Liberty, and added that if Carter wins the show, the bar is going to be so high.

Moments from Carter’s hometown visit were shown during the segment as well, including visiting the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, being welcomed by students at George Washington Charter School in Palm Desert and ending her day at her parade and concert in downtown Indio.

Abi Carter takes on Bon Jovi’s ‘Bed of Roses,’ gets surprise shout out from Billie Eilish

Indio native Abi Carter took on Bon Jovi’s hit “Bed of Roses“ during her Top 3 performance on Sunday night.

Sitting at the piano and wearing a black and white blazer and white pants, Carter got the audience to turn on their iPhone lights and wave them back and forth. As she sustained long notes, the crowd could be heard cheering for her.

During her mentor meeting, Bon Jovi told Carter her rendition of the song was “beautiful,” but that he wanted her to make it hers.

“I got the chills now,” Bon Jovi said as she tweaked the song.

Following her performance, the judges all stood and clapped for Carter. Luke Bryan had to wait a while before he could address her because of all the cheering.

“Well, I think they’re saying it. That was tremendous,” he said. “I think the room is saying what they feel.”

Carter said she was “unimaginably thankful” as she took in the applause.

Then she was delivered the surprise of a lifetime: Grammy Award-winner Billie Eilish sent in a video message, voicing her support for the Indio singer.

“I love you so much. I wish you nothing but the best, and I just can’t wait to see what happens tonight,” Eilish said. ‘I’m here to support you forever.”

'American Idol' finale opens with a tribute to mentor Jon Bon Jovi

The three finalists kicked off the evening with a tribute to their mentor for the week, rock legend Jon Bon Jovi. 

They sang “Livin’ on a Prayer,” before Bon Jovi joined them on stage for “Legendary.” 

How to watch the 'American Idol' season 22 finale with Abi Carter, Jack Blocker, Will Moseley

The "American Idol" finale, during which footage from Indio native Abi Carter’s visit to the Coachella Valley will be shown, will air live at 5 p.m. PST Sunday on ABC. It will also be available to stream on Hulu starting Monday.

Jackalope Ranch, located at 80-400 Highway 111 in Indio, is also hosting a watch party beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday. Attendees can enjoy drink, food and a chance to win prizes.

What does the winner of ‘American Idol’ receive?

After weeks of performing and vying for America’s vote, someone will be crowned the next “American Idol” winner tonight. But what do they actually win?

USA Today reports the winner goes home with a $250,000 cash prize and recording contract. In past seasons, finalists have also won new cars and other goodies, so who knows what surprises are in store for the Top 3 tonight.

One of them will also join an impressive list of past winners, who include:

• Season 1 (2002): Kelly Clarkson
• Season 2 (2003): Ruben Studdard
• Season 3 (2004): Fantasia Barrino
• Season 4 (2005): Carrie Underwood
• Season 5 (2006): Taylor Hicks
• Season 6 (2007): Jordin Sparks
• Season 7 (2008): David Cook
• Season 8 (2009): Kris Allen
• Season 9 (2010): Lee DeWyze
• Season 10 (2011): Scotty McCreery
• Season 11 (2012): Phillip Phillips
• Season 12 (2013): Candice Glover
• Season 13 (2014): Caleb Johnson
• Season 14 (2015): Nick Fradiani
• Season 15 (2016): Trent Harmon
• Season 16 (2018): Maddie Poppe
• Season 17 (2019): Laine Hardy
• Season 18 (2020): Just Sam (Samantha Diaz)
• Season 19 (2021): Chayce Beckham
• Season 20 (2022): Noah Thompson
• Season 21 (2023): Iam Tongi

Everything 'American Idol' finalist Abi Carter performed this season

It’s been a long journey on “American Idol” for Carter. She kicked things off by dazzling the judges, and viewers at home, with her powerful rendition of “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish for her audition, and it earned her one of three platinum tickets to Hollywood.

Throughout the season, she has continued to show a wide range of her musical abilities, from serenading audiences at the piano to showing her inner rocker.

Here is everything Carter sang this season:

• Audition: “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish
• Hollywood Week: "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas (trio with Julia Gagnon, and Odell Burton Jr.)
• Showstopper round: "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher
• Top 24: "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong UNITED
• Top 20: "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance and "My Mind" by Yebba
• Top 14 (Theme: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame): "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John
• Top 12 (Theme: Billboard #1 Hits): "All Too Well" by Taylor Swift
• Top 10 (Theme: Contestants' birth year): "Clocks" by Coldplay
• Top 8 (Theme: Judges' song contest): "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence; noncompetitive performance of "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry with McKenna Faith Breinholt, Gagnon and Kaibrienne
• Top 7 (Themes: Dance songs and Adele): "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" by Fall Out Boy and "Hello" by Adele
• Top 5 (Theme: Disney songs): "Part of Your World" from “The Little Mermaid” and "The Chain" from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”

Jon Bon Jovi will serve as this week’s guest mentor and be among the special performances from music legends and top stars in Sunday's episode, according to ABC.

'American Idol' hometown visit: Exciting week for Indio native Abi Carter

Sunday's “American Idol” finale caps off an exciting week for 21-year-old Carter.

Once she secured her spot in the Top 3, she returned to the Coachella Valley for an emotional hometown visit. She visited downtown Palm Springs, where she used to busk during VillageFest , before heading to George Washington Charter School in Palm Desert. Students welcomed the singer with signs and chants of her name, which brought Carter to tears. She was later able to reunite with former teachers and sing with the fifth grade honors choir.

"I was told when I was about your age that I would never be a singer. I was told that my voice was too raspy, so I fixed it, I made it really clear," Carter told a group of students. "I don't want any of you guys to have your dreams crushed because I'm still standing here and I'm still able to do what I love here today. I just want all of you guys to do the same."

After Carter cruised down downtown Indio for her parade , she took the stage at Indio's newest venue, Center Stage, to perform a number of her "Idol" songs, including "The Chain," "Bring Me to Life," "Hello" and "What Was I Made For?" as well as a couple original songs (including "This Isn’t Over," which was released Friday ).

One of the highlights of the evening was Carter spotlighting several members of her family. First, she sang a duet of "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Misérables" with her mother, Andrea, which was a nod to when the two performed the song during the annual McCallum Theatre Open Call Talent Project in 2016. Audience members were treated to powerhouse vocals from both women, and the rest of the Carter family rushed the stage to wrap them in a big hug at the end of the song.

She also performed an original song dedicated to her sisters, during which Carter was moved to tears.

Those moments from the Coachella Valley and more will be shown during Sunday's finale.

Who was in the 'American Idol' Top 12 on Season 22?

• Will Moseley
• Jack Blocker
• Emmy Russell
• Triston Harper
• Julia Gagnon
• Mckenna Breinholt
• Kaibrienne "KB" Richins
• Sam "Kayko" Kelly-Cohen
• Mia Matthews
• Roman Collins
• Jayna Elise

Who are the judges on 'American Idol' Season 22?

Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Ritchie are the judges for Season 22.

Ryan Seacrest also returns as host, and has been with "American Idol" for nearly every season.

Perry  announced on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"  that Season 22 will be her last as a judge on "American Idol." She told Kimmel that the other judges were aware she has "some things planned for this year," including performing at the Rock in Rio music festival in Brazil.

Who won 'American Idol' Season 21?

Iam Tongi was the Season 21 winner, with Megan Danielle finishing as the runner-up. Colin Stough finished in third place.

Who are some of the most famous 'American Idol' winners?

Since it premiered in 2002, "American Idol" has launched the career of the world's most iconic singers from Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert to its first winner Kelly Clarkson.

Abi Carter is the newest 'American Idol' winner: Look back at her best moments this season

N ewly crowned 2024 winner Abi Carter was an "American Idol" frontrunner since her Season 22 audition , where Luke Bryan declared she "may be the winner."

But that didn't mean the 21-year-old musician from Indio, California, was coasting over the course of the season, which ended with Sunday night's finale.

Though Carter earned one of three coveted platinum tickets from  Lionel Richie ,  Katy Perry  and  Luke Bryan and became known for her emotional performances of sweeping ballads, she also came out on the "Idol" stage with several alternative and rock hits to show she wasn't a one-trick pony.

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When she wasn't wowing viewers with her vocals singing Billie Eilish's " What Was I Made For? " (her audition song) and " Part of Your World " from "The Little Mermaid," she was storming the stage in dramatic fashion with songs like Fall Out Boy's " My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) " and Evanescence's " Bring Me to Life ."

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"I probably had a lot of the voters who liked me for the slow, nice things but then there's a massive part of the voters that don't like the slow stuff," Carter told media outlets, including USA TODAY, an hour after her "Idol" win. "So I think it was really cool — that gave me the opportunity to show versatility I didn't even know I had."

In celebration of Carter being crowned "American Idol's" 22nd winner , here's a look back on her season.

From Jennifer Hudson to Abi Carter: All 22 'American Idol' winners, ranked

Abi Carter says she wouldn't 'be here without Billie Eilish'

During the May 19 finale, in a full-circle moment, Carter received a surprise personal message from Eilish.

"Hi Abi, it's Billie. I wanted to say congratulations on making the Top 3 on 'American Idol.' This is such a big deal, and I'm so happy for you. It's so amazing to see you in the finale after you sang my song 'What Was I Made For?' in your audition," the Grammy winner said as Carter, shocked, sank to the floor on stage.

Eilish added, "I love you so much. I wish you nothing but the best. I am here to support you forever, and I love ya."

Carter told members of the press after filming, "I've literally been a fan of Billie Eilish since her first single, 'Ocean Eyes,' came out. That, I'm pretty sure, changed me musically (and) who I am as a person. I just don’t think I'd be here without Billie Eilish."

Of Eilish's video, she said, "Maybe that was a kick and helped me. It's changed my life. She's changed my life.”

Luke Bryan predicted Abi Carter as the winner after her audition with 'What Was I Made For?'

As the final televised audition, Carter finished Episode 2 with a bang.

"I hope I can do it justice for you," she told Perry, who'd expressed her love for Eilish's song.

As the 21-year-old sang and played the piano, the judges exchanged approving glances. With her closing notes, the room erupted in applause, with the judges giving a standing ovation as Carter cried.

"Thank you for being an example of singing from your heart. What were you made for? You were made for this, 100%," Perry said before embracing the singer.

"That may be the winner of 'American Idol,'" Luke declared, adding, "I've never heard the crew clap."

After Carter's family rushed into the room to congratulate her, Perry exclaimed, "She's the best thing we’ve ever heard!"

Richie concurred: "That’s the best we've ever heard on this show," he said. "I'm not kidding."

Carter looked back at the life-changing audition in March while speaking with the Palm Springs Desert Sun , part of the USA TODAY Network.

"It was nerve-racking, of course. I'm pretty sure I blacked out during the performance," she said. "But to see all three of the judges stand up, and for Katy to come up to me and give me a big hug, for Luke Bryan to say that he thought I was going to be the next winner of 'American Idol,' and Lionel Richie to agree with him and say they didn't even have to vote, that just meant the absolute world to me.

"I thought I was dreaming."

Who's replacing Katy Perry? Judges reveal must-haves for whoever takes Katy's seat

Abi Carter was an early favorite for the judges

In an 18-episode season, Carter rarely fumbled.

A week after she squeaked into the Top 24 despite performing Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time" with bronchitis, Carter made a valiant comeback with her performance of "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United in Episode 8.

"I don't know if I’m allowed to say it, but you're my favorite," Perry said as Carter was brought to tears. "I just think you are so gifted."

Fast forward a few weeks, and Carter was continuing to kill it in the live shows. After she sang Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" in Episode 12 , Perry deployed one of her favorite adjectives for her fellow Southern Californian: "angelic."

"From day one, it's always been you," Perry said. "Tonight, it's always been you. You sing with such an angelic frequency, and I think a lot of things are going to happen in the future when you sing."

As the competition narrowed down to the Top 5, Perry was as shocked as the rest of the viewers by Carter's fiery performance of "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark."

"Why were you saving that for almost the last show? You can do that?" Perry said, then added, "That performance made me scared for my job."

Who is Abi Carter? The 'Idol' winner's background

Carter, the second oldest of seven children, was homeschooled for most of her life, she told the Desert Sun in March. She attended high school for part of a school year but decided to stay home and help her single mom manage their family when her parents got divorced.

"My mom had to start going back to school to get a degree to support all of us," she said. "I, subsequently, kind of had to leave public high school and go back into homeschooling so that I could get a job to be able to buy a car and take my siblings to and from school and extracurricular activities because my mom was then occupied with her schooling."

With the inspiration of her mom, who enjoyed singing, Carter was a lifelong chanteuse. When she was 7 or 8 years old, she started piano classes. And when her family could no longer afford the lessons, the teacher "continued to do it for free because she believed so much in me," Carter recalled.

She went on to perform all across the Southern California's Coachella Valley in street fairs and on small stages in local venues. For college, she attended California State University San Bernardino and earned a degree in psychology.

Contributing: Ema Sasic, USA TODAY Network

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abi Carter is the newest 'American Idol' winner: Look back at her best moments this season

More From Forbes

Journey’s ‘don’t stop believin’’ is still reaching chart peaks decades after its release.

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Journey at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, September 3, 1981. (Photo ... [+] by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” is one of the biggest hits of all time. It’s one of the most instantly recognizable smashes ever, and people never seem to tire of hearing it in almost any setting. Decades after the cut was first released, it’s not only still present on a number of Billboard charts, but it actually manages to rise to a new high point on one list.

“Don’t Stop Believin’” rises to No. 121 on this week’s edition of the Billboard Global 200. That’s a new best showing for the track on Billboard’s namesake ranking of the most-consumed songs in the entire world.

This frame, “Don’t Stop Believin’” jumps from No. 133 to No. 121. Somehow, despite the fact that the tune has now lived on the Billboard Global 200 for 124 weeks, it’s never climbed this high before.

“Don’t Stop Believin’” is one of only two songs from Journey that have reached the Billboard Global 200. The tally was introduced only a few years ago, so it’s not entirely shocking that the group hasn’t landed many wins on the tally, which uses a methodology that combines sales and streams.

In addition to “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey has also appeared on the global ranking with one other tune. In 2022, the Bryce Miller/Alloy Tracks remix of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” debuted and peaked at No. 132 on the Billboard Global 200.

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As “Don’t Stop Believin’” reaches a new high on the Billboard Global 200, the tune is also performing well in the United States. The song is seemingly always a hit on some Billboard chart, but this frame it’s doing better than it has in a while.

“Don’t Stop Believin’” returns to the Rock Digital Song Sales chart this frame. The unforgettable smash reappears on the purchase-only, genre-specific tally at No. 15. It’s also a non-mover at No. 13 on the Rock Streaming Songs ranking.

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