Shockingly, Journey Never Had a No. 1 Hit Song — But a Few Came Close
Journey has dozens of hit songs that people all over the world remember. But the band is missing one very significant accolade. Did you know the classic rock group has never had a No. 1 hit?
Rock group Journey boasts hits like ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ and ‘Faithfully’
The group was formed in 1973 by former band members of Santana, the Steve Miller Band, and Frumious Bandersnatch. They originally called themselves Golden Gate Rhythm Section. The group was intended to be a backup group for other established rock groups.
The band’s current lineup includes Neal Schon on guitar and vocals, Jonathan Cain and Jason Derlatka on keys, Deen Castronovo on drums, Tod Jensen on bass, and Arnel Pineda on lead vocals.
Journey has seen a lot of lineup changes over the years. Lead singer Steve Perry, who was with the group from 1977 to 1987, sang some of the band’s biggest hits. Those tunes include “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Faithfully,” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’.”
“Don’t Stop Believin'” features in multiple hit TV shows; most famously in Glee and The Sopranos. It’s also been used by different sports teams, like the hockey team the Detroit Red Wings.
Journey has never had a No. 1 song, but 1 single came close
While Journey has released plenty of successful hits. But the rock band has surprisingly never had a No. 1 song on the Billboard charts. The closest they ever came? The 1982 single “Open Arms,” which peaked at No. 2.
The band has had six Top 10 hits over the course of their career: “Who’s Crying Now,” a single from their 1981 album Escape hit the fourth place slot, while 1983’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” came in at No. 8. “Don’t Stop Believin’,” arguably Journey’s most well-known hit, peaked at No. 9, as did 1985’s “Only The Young.”
Other popular songs from the band, like “Any Way You Want It” and “Wheel in the Sky,” failed to crack the Top 10, coming in at No. 23 and No. 57, respectively.
Journey is one of the best-selling bands of all time
Even though Journey doesn’t have a No. 1 hit song in their catalog, the group has received plenty of other accolades. Journey has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time.
Journey boasts 19 Top 40 US singles, which is the second-most without a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single behind Electric Light Orchestra, who have 20 Top 40 singles.
They have 25 gold and platinum albums, and their 1988 Greatest Hits album is 15-time platinum RIAA Diamond Certified. Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
Journey is still making music — in 2022, they released Freedom, as well as a live album, Live in Concert at Lollapalooza. The band played at the popular music festival in the summer of 2021.
