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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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The Best Journey Songs Of All Time

What is Journey's biggest hit? Here are the best Journey songs of all time, ranked by fans everywhere. Journey are indisputably known as one of the greatest rock bands to ever walk the Earth, with former lead singer Steve Perry even crowned "the voice" by many industry moguls. Established in San Francisco, CA, in 1973, Journey has sold out countless concert tours worldwide throughout their five decade career. The arena rock band's legendary music and unparalleled performance style ultimately led to their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2017. Some of Journey's top songs include "Don't Stop Believin'" ( Escape , 1981), "Any Way You Want It" ( Departure , 1980), "Lights" ( Infinity , 1978), "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" ( Frontiers , 1983), and "Wheel In The Sky" ( Infinity , 1978).

From their new and latest music to their older popular songs, this Journey playlist features all of their greatest hits, according to the fans. Do your favorite Journey songs crack the top 10? Vote up the best songs by Journey, and don't forget to show their underrated tracks love as well.

Best Lyrics:

And being apart ain't easy on this love affair Two strangers learn to fall in love again I get the joy of rediscovering you Oh girl, you stand by me I'm forever yours, faithfully

Don't Stop Believin'

Strangers waiting Up and down the boulevard Their shadows searching in the night Streetlights, people Living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in the night

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

Someday, love will find you Break those chains that bind you One night will remind you How we touched and went our separate ways

If he ever hurts you True love won't desert you You know I still love you Though we touched and went our separate ways

Feeling That Way

Opened my eyes to a new kind of way All the good times that you saved Are you feeling You feeling that way too Or am I just Am I just a fool

Stone in Love

In the heat with a blue jean girl Burning love comes once in a lifetime She found me singing by the rail road tracks Took me home, we danced by the moonlight

Those summer nights are calling Stone in love Can't help myself, I'm falling

Send Her My Love

Callin' out your name I'm dreamin' Reflections of a face I'm seein' It's her voice That keeps on haunting me

Send her, send her my love Roses never fade Memories remain

Wheel in the Sky

Winter is here again, oh lord Haven't been home in a year or more I hope she holds on a little longer Sent a letter on a long summer day Made of silver, not of clay I've been runnin' down this dusty road

Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin' I don't know where I'll be tomorrow

Any Way You Want It

She said, any way you want it That's the way you need it Any way you want it

I was alone I never knew What good love could do Ooh, then we touched Then we sang About the lovin' things

Still They Ride

Spinning 'round, in a spell It's hard to leave this carousel 'Round and 'round And 'round and 'round

Still they ride, on wheels of fire They rule the night Still they ride, the strong will survive Chasing thunder

Who's Crying Now

One love, feeds the fire One heart, burns desire I wonder who's crying now? Two hearts, born to run Who'll be the lonely one? I wonder who's crying now?

When the lights go down in the City And the sun shines on the bay Ooh, I wanna be there in my City, oh Oh, oh, oh

Only the Young

Shadows of a golden age A generation waits for dawn Brave carry on Bold and the strong

Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desire Burnin' like wildfire

Ask The Lonely

You've got some fascination With you high expectations This love is your obsession Your heart, your past possession Let down your defenses Won't be up to the one who cares

Girl Can't Help It

If he could hold her, so close in his arms again If she could show him The letter her heart forgot to send why They're livin' dreams on their own Ooh they'll never stop running

The girl can't help it, she needs more He hasn't found what he's lookin' for They're still standing in the rain He can't help it, and she's just that way

Just The Same Way

Take a chance now the timing's right. You're free to leave the key to my life. Stay with me. Won't you stay the night, In the mornin' feelin' fine, yeah.

That's the same way you love me. 

Be Good To Yourself

Runnin' out of self-control Gettin' close to an overload Up against a no win situation Shoulder to shoulder, push and shove I'm hangin' up my boxin' gloves I'm ready for a long vacation

Be good to yourself when, nobody else will Oh be good to yourself You're walkin' a high-wire, caught in a crossfire

Touchin', Lovin', Squeezin'

It won't be long, yes, till you're alone When your lover, oh, he hasn't come home 'Cause he's lovin' who he's touchin', he's squeezin' another

He's tearin' you apart Ooh, every day, every day

I'll Be Alright Without You

I'll be alright without you Oh love's an empty face, I can't replace (You don't need it) People wonderin' why we broke apart The great pretender here I go again These things I do (It's all because of you) I'll keep holdin' but I'll try (Try not to think of you)

Mother, Father

Through bitter tears And wounded years, those ties Of blood were strong So much to say, those yesterdays So now don't you turn away.

Hey, mother, father, sister Hey, come back, tryin', believein' Hey, mother, father, dreamer

When You Love A Woman

When you love a woman You see your world inside her eyes When you love a woman (Well) You know she's standing by your side A joy that lasts forever There's a band of gold that shines Waiting somewhere, oh, yeah

The Party's Over (Hopelessly In Love)

So I will tell you this, Our love is in a fix. Just what more can I do. When I'm hopelessly in love with you?

I see your face at the movies I hear your voice on the radio You're making love on the silver screen I want you more than you will ever know Temptation...Infatuation

Suzanne, don't walk away

After The Fall

But a head strong stubborn man Only works it out the best he can Valentines he never sent There's not enough time he's a working man

Can't stop falling Heartaches calling Finds you after the fall

Why Can't This Night Go On Forever

Lost in twilight, the memories Precious moments, you and me We've been old friends, all through the years Picture postcards, sharing tears

What's in our hearts, there's never time, to say Need you tonight, lover don't fade away I've seen your city lights As I walk away Why can't this night...go on forever

After All These Years

A faded wedding photograph You and me in our first dance Our eyes are closed We're lost in one sweet embrace Since those days the world has changed But our love remains the same God knows we've had our share of saving grace

Where Were You

I didn't know what the hell was goin' on, Someday you're gonna break. So don't try to get yourself straight, You're just a little too late.

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Journey Song list

• After All These Years (2008)
• Any Way You Want It (1980)
• Anytime (1978)
• Be Good To Yourself (1986)
• City of Hope (2011)
• Dixie Highway (1981)
• Don't Stop Believin' (1981)
• Faithfully (1983)
• Feeling That Way (1978)
• Homemade Love (1980)
• I'll Be Alright Without You (1986)
• Lights (1978)
• Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' (1979)
• Never Walk Away (2008)
• Only The Young (1985)
• Open Arms (1981)
• Send Her My Love (1983)
• Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (1983)
• Still They Ride (1981)
• Suzanne (1986)
• Sweet and Simple (1979)
• The Journey (Revelation) (2008)
• Too Late (1979)
• Wheel In The Sky (1978)
• When I think Of You (1996)
• Where Were You (1980)
• Who's Crying Now (1981)

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Rock And Roll Led Zeppelin

According to Jason Bonham, who has filled in for his father on Led Zeppelin reunions, "Rock And Roll" is the hardest Led Zep song to play on drums.

Chelsea Dagger The Fratellis

The Fratellis song "Chelsea Dagger" was named for their lead singer's wife - it was her burlesque name.

Quicksand Britney Spears

Before she was famous, Lady Gaga was a staff songwriter, and wrote the song "Quicksand," which Britney Spears recorded in 2008.

Closer To Fine Indigo Girls

The "Doctor of philosophy" in the Indigo Girls' song "Closer To Fine" is based on a teacher Emily Saliers had who had a poster of Rasputin on his door.

Last Nite The Strokes

The Strokes admitted to purloining Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "American Girl" for their hit "Last Nite."

Rio Duran Duran

"Rio" by Duran Duran is a metaphor for America, where the band was trying to break through.

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Top 10 Journey Songs

The top Journey songs demonstrate quite clearly how the band, one of the early progenitors of what rock critics like to dismiss as "arena rock," achieved such popularity in the '70s and '80s.

Journey were undoubtedly ahead of their time in terms of PR, and especially in terms of professionalizing their live shows, pioneering elements of live production that are standard procedure today. But while the group took a great deal of flack for the skill with which they were marketed, it is the music they created – an interesting blend of guitar-driven hard rock and vocal-oriented pop – that has endured across the decades, connecting with several subsequent generations.

The group's earliest musical origins featured an elaborate mix of rock and progressive fusion, but it wasn't until they later shifted in a more commercial direction that they began their long, slow climb to superstardom. Though they were often critically derided, Journey's best work boasted a level of instrumental and vocal ability far beyond that of most of their peers and covered a wide array of styles – as you'll see in our list of the Top 10 Journey Songs.

"Lovin,' Touchin,' Squeezin'"

Steve Perry reportedly drew inspiration from one of his biggest influences, Sam Cooke, for this track from Journey's fifth album. The singer borrowed from " Nothing Can Change This Love " for the song, which struck a perfect balance between his soulful pop vocals and Neal Schon 's heavy rock guitars to become the group's first Top 20 hit, reaching No. 16 and helping Evolution to become a triple-platinum hit.

"Stone In Love"

This hard rock track from Journey's seventh studio album helped introduce the writing talents of newcomer keyboardist Jonathan Cain , who wrote the song with Perry and Schon. The song's infectious marriage of heavy riffing, blazing guitar solos and an alluring melody – all topped off by an undeniable Steve Perry vocal performance – helped it became a rock radio staple, easily earning its spot in our Top 10 Journey Songs.

Perry wasted no time making himself at home as a writer after he joined for Journey's fourth album. This soulful rock track pairs a Schon riff with a lyric Perry had originally written about Los Angeles, which he changed to fit after joining the San Francisco-based Journey. "Lights" originally charted at just No. 68, but went on to become a rock radio staple and an important part of Journey's live shows.

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"

Another in a long string of Journey classics penned by the duo of Cain and Perry, this song came together in a backstage writing session in which the singer was playing bass and the keyboardist was playing guitar. It marries Perry's Motown influence with hard rock for a track that hit No. 8 in the Mainstream Rock chart and has become an all-time classic rock track. The single release was accompanied by a much-lampooned video in which the band members mime to the track without their actual instruments.

"Feeling That Way"

"Feeling That Way" was initially an instrumental titled "Velvet Curtain," written by keyboardist Gregg Rolie with drummer Aynsley Dunbar before he added words and re-titled it "Please Let Me Stay." It wasn't until Perry joined Journey and wrote some additional material that the band recorded the track. He and Rolie shared the lead vocal duties on this song, which is almost always paired with " Anytime " both on the radio and in concert.

"Wheel in the Sky"

One of the earliest Journey songs to find traction at rock radio, "Wheel in the Sky" began as a poem titled "Wheels in My Mind" by Diane Valory, the wife of Journey bassist Ross Valory. When singer Robert Fleischman heard it, he appropriated it for a lyric that was juxtaposed against a hard rock riff from Schon. When Journey brought in Steve Perry to replace Fleischman, he put his signature vocal stamp on the track, undeniably making it one of the Top 10 Journey Songs

"Open Arms"

Cain had originally pitched the melody idea for "Open Arms" when he was a member of the Babys , but singer John Waite reportedly shot it down as too sentimental. Once he and Perry completed the song, their Journey bandmates didn't feel too differently – particularly Schon, who felt the song too light for the group. Despite the opposition, the group recorded and released the track, which held the No. 2 spot in the Billboard chart for six consecutive weeks and has become a cultural touchstone.

"Any Way You Want It"

Co-written by Perry and Schon, this track was heavily influenced by Thin Lizzy front man Phil Lynott , who was sharing in a rhyme scheme exercise with the two backstage while the bands were touring together. Recorded closer to a "live in the studio" environment, Departure featured an edgier sound than previous Journey records, and the track is a perfect example of that, propelled by Schon's fleet-fingered solos and Perry's high-octane vocal performance.

"Faithfully"

Cain wrote the wistful piano-based ballad "Faithfully" about the challenges of being on the road while trying to maintain a life with his wife at home. The song's universal sentiment and melodic structure struck such a chord with fans that it landed at No. 12 in the Billboard chart, and it has since gone on to become one of Journey's most recognizable and enduring songs. Ironically, the song has far outlasted the marriage it was written to commemorate, which ended in divorce in 1987.

"Don't Stop Believin'"

"Don't Stop Believin'" not only tops our list of the Top 10 Journey Songs, it came in at No. 13 in our overall poll of the Top 100 Classic Rock Songs, and it is the best-selling catalog track of the digital music era, having sold more than 5 million digital tracks. Written by Cain, Perry and Schon, the song's multi-generational attraction lies partly in its inspirational message and partly in its arrangement, which appeals equally to fans of hard rock and vocal-oriented pop.

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The 10 best Journey songs

Let's face it, AOR just wouldn't have been the same without them – here are Journey's ten best tracks

For many, Journey are the band who define AOR better than anyone else. Their catalogue glitters with unforgettable anthems, which not only contain massive choruses, but also the sort of musicianship you might expect from a band who began life as jazz rock instrumentalists before embracing the melodic rock style for which they’re renowned. We've gone through the band's back catalogue and hand-picked their 10 finest moments.

10. Girl Can’t Help It (1986)

After taking a break from the band to work on his solo album Street Talk , vocalist Steve Perry was persuaded to return to the fold for 1986's Raised On Radio album. While the production shows a clear-cut influence of the times, Perry’s vocals shine as brightly as ever, while Jonathan Cain’s smooth keyboards complement Neal Schon ’s edgy guitar stride.

9. Faithfully (1983)

This is the way Journey explained the problems of trying to carry on a relationship while out on the road touring. One of the stand-out tracks from 1983's Frontiers , Faithfully has a soft lilt that exposes an emptiness. However, this is augmented by the lush rhythm and the way that Steve Perry croons his way through without ever wallowing in over emotional hyperbole. A power ballad in the best Journey tradition.

8. Lovin, Touchin’, Squeezin’ (1979)

Anyone who thinks that Journey aren’t capable of anything other than slushy ballads really should check out Lovin, Touchin’, Squeezin’ from 1979's Evolution album. It has a funk groove, and while the tempo is very much of the balladic kind, Neal Schon stabs through with some electrifying moments. What’s more, Steve Perry’s vocals soar impressively to ensure maximum dramatic impact. One of the highlights on Evolution .

7. Lights (1978)

The opening song from 1978's Infinity record – the album that introduced Steve Perry to the world, and also put the band’s new-found melodic style on display for the very first time. It’s easy to tell why American radio fell in love with Journey at this point in time. The music is filled with commercial astuteness, the harmonies are sublime and the whole timbre of Lights is evocative and stylish. This oozes the sort of class that would become the norm for Journey in the coming years.

6. Who’s Cryin’ Now (1981)

Who’s Cryin’ Now begins with an unvarnished piano piece from Jonathan Cain, on which Steve Perry builds his rich tone. And Ross Vallory provides some tasteful bass lines, to underline the whole feel of the song. This is the type of track that accentuates Perry’s love for great soul singers, while it also showcases the way in which Journey stood apart from all the huge selling AOR masters, and why Escape is regarded as the classic Journey album.

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5. Stone In Love (1981)

The fact this song opens up with shards of Neal Schon's guitar riffing proves that Journey were always prepared to give full weight to the heavier side of their talent. And Steve Perry also comes across with a lot more power than you might expect. This is a song where Journey never forget about the melody, but also give free rein to a rocky vibe. It also accentuates that Escape was always far more than just a collection of power ballads.

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4. Any Way You Want It (1980)

It may seem odd, but this song was actually inspired by Thin Lizzy , with whom Journey had toured a couple of years before recording the Departure album in 1980. But when you dig down and analyse the way in which the vocals are constructed, and the interchange between the instruments, then the influence becomes a lot clearer. There’s a gliding feel to the guitar parts that does feel like it is Thin Lizzy influenced, and Steve Perry adopts a storytelling style that is close to the Phil Lynott approach – and the whole feel suits Journey superbly.

3. Wheel In The Sky (1978)

Wheel In The Sky was co-written by Robert Fleischman, the band’s original choice of vocalist when they moved into a more commercial direction. However, when Fleischman didn’t work out and was replaced by Steve Perry, the song was thankfully retained. It starts with a flashing guitar groove, through which Perry cuts with a vibrant performance. In some ways, this is a basic live performance from the band, bringing a heavier dynamic to bear, but this fitted right into the whole feel of Infinity , and showed Journey could pound with the best.

2. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (1983)

After the enormous success of the Escape album, how did the band choose to open up their next album Frontiers ? With a powerhouse rocker than fitted right into an era where AOR was beginning to become a little less reliant on studio technology and celebrated talent. Of course, the rich production is evident here, but what makes the song work superbly is that way Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry and Neal Schon intertwine. There’s a buoyancy in Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) that tells of a band who are really playing off of each other’s strengths. The result is undeniably passionate.

1. Don’t Stop Believin’ (1981)

Is there anyone on the planet who does not know this song? It has got to be one of the most exposed tracks over the past two decades or so. And, because it’s so well known, it’s very easy to lose sight of just why this is so popular. Because Don’t Stop Believin’ is a peerless example of musical genius. Everything about it is simply perfect – the musicality, the vocals, the simple structure, the insistent melody… hell, this is not just Journey’s best song, it’s one of the truly landmark moments of the 80s.

Malcolm Dome had an illustrious and celebrated career which stretched back to working for  Record Mirror  magazine in the late 70s and  Metal Fury  in the early 80s before joining  Kerrang!  at its launch in 1981. His first book,  Encyclopedia Metallica , published in 1981, may have been the inspiration for the name of a certain band formed that same year. Dome is also credited with inventing the term "thrash metal" while writing about the  Anthrax  song  Metal Thrashing Mad  in 1984. With the launch of Classic Rock magazine in 1998 he became involved with that title, sister magazine Metal Hammer, and was a contributor to Prog magazine since its inception in 2009. He died in 2021 . 

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Revisiting 10 Journey Songs From The ’70s

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Best Moments

Although some of their most enduring tracks were released in the early ’80s, Journey also had several classic hits from the ’70s. They formed in 1973 but it wasn’t until they got singer Steve Perry onboard when they finally achieved massive commercial success. He made his debut with them in 1977 and it was clear from the get-go that they were a match made in music heaven.

Let’s take a look at their unforgettable hits in the 1970s.

10. Do You Recall (1979)

Talk about pure power! Steve Perry’s vocals is fire.

9. Too Late (1979)

Perry wrote it about a friend who has become a drug addict. He said, “The drugs were setting up housekeeping.”

8. Daydream (1979)

It has that dreamy feel and while the musicianship is stellar, it’s Perry’s voice that steals the spotlight.

7. When You’re Alone (It Ain’t Easy)

Neal Schon lets loose with his brilliant guitarwork.

6. Lovin,’ Touchin,’ Squeezin’ (1979)

It’s the band’s first top 40 hit in the US. Written by Perry, it was inspired by an actual event – when he saw his girlfriend get out of a car and kiss the driver.

5. Just The Same Way (1979)

The layered harmony vocals is simply exquisite. It added more depth to the song.

4. Lights (1978)

The song is about San Francisco and it’s one of the first songs Perry sang for Journey. Perry explained, “I had the song written in Los Angeles almost completely except for the bridge and it was written about Los Angeles. It was ‘when the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on LA.’ I didn’t like the way it sounded at the time. And so I just had it sitting back in the corner. Then life changed my plans once again, and I was now facing joining Journey. I love San Francisco, the bay, and the whole thing. ‘The bay’ fit so nice, ‘When the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the bay.’ It was one of those early-morning-going-across-the-bridge things, when the sun was coming up and the lights were going down. It was perfect.”

3. Anytime (1978)

Written before Perry joined Journey, Schon recalled: “Gregg Rolie was doing Bing Crosby – you know, ‘ooh, ooh.’ And I’d listened to lots of Beatles records when I was a kid, so I just went ‘Anytime that you want me.’ It came out real easy in rehearsal.”

2. Feeling That Way (1978)

This was initially an instrumental titled “Velvet Curtain” which they later abandoned. Eventually, Rolie got back to it and added words then renamed it to “Please Let Me Stay.” It was shelved at the last minute. After Perry joined, Rolie rewrote it again and shared the lead vocal duties with Perry.

1. Wheel in the Sky (1978)

One of their finest moments, it began as a poem titled “Wheels In My Mind”. It was their first single with Perry that eventually became a staple in their live repertoire.

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14 best journey songs of all time (greatest hits).

Welcome to the mesmerizing world of Journey, a band that has left an indelible mark on the landscape of rock music.

With their anthemic sound and soaring melodies, Journey has become synonymous with timeless classics that have resonated with fans for generations.

Their music has become the backdrop to countless memories, evoking a sense of nostalgia and pure joy.

So, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for an exhilarating ride as we explore the 14 best Journey songs of all time.

Get ready to sing along, feel the music coursing through your veins, and experience the power of one of the greatest rock bands in history.

1. “After The Fall”

Prepare to embark on an unforgettable musical Journey with “After The Fall”.

This timeless classic rock song by Journey captivates listeners with its emotive music and meaningful lyrics, evoking a range of emotions that resonate deeply.

The powerful vocals and captivating chords of “After The Fall” create an anthemic experience that leaves a lasting impact.

With its depiction of life’s challenges and a message of hope in the face of adversity, the song strikes a chord with listeners, inspiring them to persevere.

Whether you interpret it as a metaphorical voyage through life’s ups and downs or a literal Journey to new destinations, “After The Fall” guarantees an unforgettable experience that will stay with you long after the song ends.

2. “Any Way You Want It”

Ready to hit the road with some serious tunes?

“Any Way You Want It” is sure to get you there!

This iconic Journey song, released in 1980, is one of their greatest hits and an absolute classic.

It has become a staple of classic rock radio stations, and featured in movies, TV shows, and commercials.

The song is instantly recognizable, with its signature guitar riff and lyrics about freedom and living life on your own terms.

The combination of the heavy guitar and the lyrics make it an instant sing-along anthem, and it’s sure to inspire and energize you on the road.

3. “Send Her My Love”

“Send Her My Love” is a powerful ballad that’ll tug at your heartstrings and make you feel the emotion of the lyrics.

Written and performed by Journey, the song was released in 1983 as the lead single off the band’s Frontiers album.

The lyrics tell the story of a man who’s coming to terms with the fact that his relationship with his significant other is over.

Despite his sadness, he sends his love to her in the hopes that it’ll help her find the happiness that he can no longer provide.

The song’s heartfelt vocals and memorable guitar licks are sure to bring a tear to anyone’s eye.

4. “Suzanne”

One of Journey’s most powerful ballads, “Suzanne”, is a tender love song that captures the emotion of saying goodbye to a loved one.

The song’s lyrics are full of emotion, as the narrator expresses his sadness at having to part ways with his beloved.

The song’s melody is equally powerful, with a slow, melancholic rhythm that conveys the narrator’s sorrow.

The song’s chorus is especially poignant, as the narrator sings of his longing for his beloved to return.

The song’s message is one of hope, as the narrator expresses his faith that his beloved will come back to him.

“Suzanne” is a timeless classic that will continue to resonate with listeners for years to come.

5. “Girl Can’t Help It”

Feeling the emotion of saying goodbye to a loved one?

Then you’ll love Journey’s classic hit, “Girl Can’t Help It”, which captures those feelings perfectly.

This song has been a part of Journey’s repertoire since 1986, and it’s become a fan favorite over the years.

The lyrics tell a story of a person who’s struggling to accept a goodbye and the emotions that come with it.

The instrumentation is also a standout, with its bright, rock-tinged sound that complements the lyrics perfectly.

The combination of the lyrics and the music makes “Girl Can’t Help It” an enduring classic that captures the sentiment of saying goodbye like no other.

6. “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'”

If you’re looking for a rock anthem that’ll have you singing along, Journey’s “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'” is the perfect choice!

Released in 1979, the track was their fifth single from the album Evolution and went on to become one of their most successful charting songs.

The lyrics, written by lead singer Steve Perry and guitarist Neal Schon, are a celebration of a passionate relationship and the joys that come with it.

Musically, the song is an upbeat rock number, featuring Schon’s signature guitar riffs, a propulsive rhythm section, and Perry’s powerful vocal performance.

The song was also a live favorite, as the band often performed it with an extended instrumental break that allowed the audience to sing along.

All these elements combined make “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'” a timeless classic and an essential addition to any playlist of the greatest Journey songs of all time.

7. “I’ll Be Alright Without You”

You’ll be mesmerized by Journey’s “I’ll Be Alright Without You”.

It’s an upbeat rock anthem that showcases Steve Perry’s heartfelt lyrics and Neal Schon’s driving guitar riffs.

Beginning with an uplifting guitar riff, the song quickly builds to a powerful chorus, propelled by passionate vocals of Perry.

The lyrics speak of finding strength and inner peace in spite of heartache, as the narrator reassures them that they’ll be alright without the one they love.

The strong instrumental accompaniment, including Schon’s memorable guitar solos, punctuates the song and adds an extra layer of emotion.

“I’ll Be Alright Without You” is a song that speaks to the power of resilience in the face of adversity and is sure to leave an impression on listeners.

8. “Faithfully”

As you reminisce about the remarkable journey you’ve shared, there’s one song that perfectly embodies the essence of your voyage.

“Faithfully” by Journey, a beloved classic rock anthem, encapsulates the spirit of staying true to the journey, even during the most challenging moments.

This timeless song expresses the importance of unwavering dedication and commitment to the chosen path, instilling hope and determination to persevere, regardless of the obstacles faced.

With its captivating melody and heartfelt lyrics, “Faithfully” resonates with a sense of resilience, becoming an essential addition to any cherished collection of Journey’s greatest hits.

9. “When You Love A Woman”

You can feel the emotion of love and devotion in the powerful lyrics of Journey’s “When You Love A Woman”, a song that speaks to the joys and struggles of a relationship and the importance of cherishing every moment.

The song opens with an acoustic guitar and leads into a soaring chorus of electric guitars and drums, highlighting the passionate sentiment of the lyrics.

Steve Perry’s emotive vocal delivery is a perfect complement to the story he tells of a man so deeply in love that he would do anything to make the woman in his life happy.

As the lyrics suggest, when you truly love someone, it’s not just an emotion but a commitment that requires hard work and effort, and the song captures this sentiment beautifully.

Throughout the song, the band builds the energy to a crescendo, culminating in a powerful guitar solo that encapsulates the passionate nature of the song.

“When You Love A Woman” is an iconic Journey song that celebrates the highs and lows of a meaningful relationship.

10. “Only The Young”

As you continue your journey, you may find yourself wanting to take a break and reflect on the experiences you’ve had so far.

One song that can help you do that is “Only The Young” by Journey.

This song is a powerful reminder that life is short and that we should make the most of it while we can.

The lyrics are full of hope and optimism, encouraging us to take risks and live life to the fullest.

The song also has a strong message of resilience, reminding us that no matter what life throws at us, we can always find a way to keep going.

With its uplifting message and catchy melody, “Only The Young” is sure to be one of the greatest Journey songs of all time.

11. “Don’t Stop Believin'”

Experience the power of resilience and hope with Journey’s classic hit “Don’t Stop Believin'”!

Let its uplifting message and catchy melody motivate you to keep going and make the most of life.

With its iconic opening guitar riff and Steve Perry’s powerful vocals, “Don’t Stop Believin'” is a timeless classic that has been inspiring people for decades.

The song’s lyrics are a reminder to never give up and to keep striving for your dreams, no matter how difficult the journey may be.

The song’s message of hope and perseverance is one that resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds, making it one of the most beloved songs of all time.

12. “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”

Continuing with the theme of Journey songs, let’s take a look at one of their bigger hits, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”.

This song was released in 1983 and has become one of the band’s most recognizable anthems.

It features a driving beat and memorable lyrics about the pain of separation and the hope that a broken relationship can still be saved.

Through its chorus, it conveys a sense of determination and resilience in the face of adversity.

It’s a song that speaks to anyone who has experienced a personal tragedy and is sure to be a classic for generations to come.

13. “Who’s Crying Now”

With its powerful, emotive lyrics, “Who’s Crying Now” is a song that captures the heartache of love lost and the bittersweet realization that it may never be regained.

The song was released by the band Journey in 1981.

It details the emotional roller-coaster of a break-up and the pain of having to accept that love can be fleeting.

The lyrics explore the idea that even after a relationship has ended, both parties still feel the pain of the breakup, with neither one having the courage to make the first move toward reconciliation.

The song’s upbeat yet melancholy tone perfectly captures the feeling of a broken heart, making it one of the most poignant and memorable songs in all of music.

14. “Open Arms”

“Open Arms” is a beautiful ballad that captures the longing for a lost love, and the hope that one day they’ll be reunited.

Performed by the band Journey and written by Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry, the song is a classic example of how a simple melody can be used to express such powerful emotion.

Its lyrics are deep and meaningful, as they evoke the feelings of sadness and loneliness that come with a broken relationship, but also the joy and optimism of reuniting with a lost loved one.

The song is also musically powerful, with its slow and gentle rhythm and the soaring guitar solos that give the piece its signature sound.

“Open Arms” is an enduring classic that will remain a staple of Journey’s greatest hits for many years to come.

Best Journey Songs – Final Thoughts

You can’t go wrong with any of these 14 best Journey songs of all time.

Whether you’re singing along to “Don’t Stop Believin'” or getting lost in the emotional ballad of “Open Arms”, these songs are sure to take you on a musical journey.

They’ve each stood the test of time and remain some of the greatest hits in rock history.

So grab some headphones and take a journey with these timeless classics.

You won’t regret it.

Put on your favorite song and let the music take you away.

It’s time to experience the beauty of Journey’s music and all it has to offer.

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Roger Daltrey unveils explosive Who songs, covers with cheer and humor on solo tour

VIENNA, Va. – It doesn’t matter if he’s playing Who classics, covers by John Fogerty or his own solo material.

It also doesn’t matter if he’s grasping an acoustic guitar or the corded microphone that has dangled by his side for decades.

Put Roger Daltrey on a stage and he’s going to rock.

On June 12, the second date of the month's block of solo concerts , Daltrey and his outstanding nine-piece band enchanted a packed Filene Center at Wolf Trap in northern Virginia with a 100-minute set that breathed with fresh energy.

As soon as he walked onstage in his typical uniform of white button-down shirt, jeans, sneakers and spectacles, Daltrey warned the crowd that the show “is not going to be perfect.”

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And so what if the band needed a restart on “Days of Light” (“Talk amongst yourselves,” Daltrey joked as he conferred with his musical mates for a few seconds)? Or Daltrey couldn’t initially hear guitarist/backup singer/right hand man Simon Townshend on what turned into glorious harmonizing for “After the Fire?”

This is a show structured by authenticity, not flawlessness.

More: The Sphere in Las Vegas really is a 'quantum leap' for live music: Inside the first shows

Roger Daltrey tailors crackling renditions of Who songs

But even with a couple of muffs, Daltrey and this top-notch troupe brought the audience on a rollicking journey dotted with Celtic bents ( Taj Mahal’s take on “Freedom Ride,” highlighted by Katie Jacoby’s vigorous violin and Geraint Watkins’ accordion), resonant percussion (Jody Linscott was a joy to watch on the cajon and cymbals during “Waiting for a Friend” ) and, of course, timeless gems from The Who.

“The truth is, I’m trying to get away from Who songs,” Daltrey said as the crowd groaned. “There are other things to do. I’m a good painter and decorator.”

But still, the robust 80-year-old knows he has to appease fans to an extent. Flashing blue and red lights swirled above the stage and guitarist Doug Boyle uncorked a bluesy electric solo during “Who Are You,” the song’s pinpoint harmonies ping-ponging around the stage.

Generations are irrelevant when it comes to “The Kids are Alright,” which Daltrey said he thought Pete Townshend wrote for him when he was going through a divorce at age 20 (“My only one … I didn’t have a collection,” he quipped). And the loping “Squeezebox” – obviously another showcase for Watkins on accordion – hasn’t lost any of its naughty charm.  

This Who classic has rarely sounded so alive in concert

But the highlight of a show stocked with several came with a loose-yet-visceral rendition of “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

“I have done the scream for 50 years and I don’t want to do it anymore,” Daltrey said, noting that he’d go backstage after Who concerts and not have a voice until the next afternoon. “So, I want you to have no voice tomorrow,” he added by way of inviting fans to inject the song with its patented roar.

With no synthesizers in his show, Daltrey assigned Jacoby and her violin to mimic the building intro of the anthem, which quickly burst into its full blossom. The crowd fervently stood and shouted along, and by the time drummer Scott Devours arrived midway for that explosive drum break, it was confirmed: a song wearing this much age has rarely felt so alive.

It was apparent throughout the night that as much as Daltrey wants to bring joy to his fans, he was clearly reveling in the moment as well.

Pre-submitted questions were rifled through with sarcastic humor (one serious response – the music he fell in love with first came from Hank Williams) and Daltrey fired off a few snarky asides as idiots in the crowd yelled idiotic things.

But while he was perplexed that many questions referenced The Kinks, it also led to an unplanned moment when Daltrey grabbed his acoustic guitar to perform a gentle version of band’s “Days” – or at least until Boyle attempted to hop in with rhythm guitar and Daltrey yelled, “Shut up!” before breaking into a cheeky grin.

Daltrey gets blunt: 'The whole music business has been stolen from musicians'

His brawny voice, which cracked on occasion but still sounds remarkably intact, offered the perfect amount of grit on a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” Daltrey praised CCR frontman John Fogerty as “a treasure of a guy,” but also took the opportunity to share some pointed reminders with the crowd.

“The whole music business has been stolen from musicians. There are no record sales, no publishing (income). The only thing left is what we do here,” he said. “The average musician struggles to put bread on the table – I’ve been lucky – and these musicians work their butts off.”

He also remarked, with his usual forthrightness, that those taking video “who go and put it on YouTube” are infringing on his and the band’s copyright. He’s absolutely correct. And while it might be an unpopular opinion, there are plenty who will quietly cheer his candor, as well as his continued love of the music that has fueled him for six decades.

More: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are equal parts ribbing and respect ahead of summer tour

KT Tunstall 'excited to be in the same room' as Daltrey as tour opener

Opening the show was KT Tunstall , the Scottish sparkplug who is sharing the bill on many of these June dates.

Armed with an acoustic guitar, looping pedal and keen wit, Tunstall started her 30-minute set with the aptly titled, “It Took Me So Long To Get Here, But Here I Am.”

Both gracious and self-deprecating (“I’m as excited as you are to be in the same room as Roger Daltrey,” she said), she interlaced her own songs with snippets of covers that showcased her vast influences and warm, throaty voice.

Her “Dear Shadow” was overlaid with Ella Fitzgerald’s “Summertime” and Edie Brickell’s “What I Am,” while her biggest U.S. hit, “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” – a spirited singalong as might be expected – was spiked with the stomping beat of Ram Jam’s “Black Betty,” a harmonica solo and what sounded like a kazoo laying the familiar foundation of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”

Tunstall engaged the crowd with witty stories before wrapping her performance with her melodically lush epiphany anthem, “Suddenly I See.”

She’s a fitting complement to Daltrey, who called her “really gutsy” in an interview with USA TODAY, and well worth an early arrival.

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Photo: Zack Massey

Tracing Luke Combs' Journey To 'Fathers & Sons' In 10 Songs, From "Be Careful What You Wish For" To "The Man He Sees In Me"

Country phenom Luke Combs' new album, 'Fathers & Sons,' is a touching tribute to his two boys, and a reflection of his journey as a new father. Here are 10 songs that trace his process of growin' up, gettin' old, and now, watching his sons grow up.

As a country artist of remarkable detail and relatability, Luke Combs has the songwriting muscle to deliver a gut-wrenching punch — and his latest set might be the biggest heart-tugger yet.

On June 14, the country star will release his fifth album, Fathers & Sons , which sees Combs stake his claim on songs about family, devotion and belonging. While those are all themes he's explored throughout his five-album discography, he's never honed them quite like this.

Combs is now a proud papa of two; he and his wife, Nicole, welcomed their first son in 2022 and their second in 2023. Fathers & Sons is a 12-song reflection on his experiences as a dad thus far, as well as the unique bond between parents and children.

The new album's highlights, like the mortality-addressing "In Case I Ain't Around"; the dewy, contemplative "Whoever You Turn Out to Be"; and the meditation on memory "Remember Him That Way," are sure to resonate throughout Combs' sizable fan base and beyond.

It's a natural progression for Combs, who has charted the prizes and pitfalls of growing up since his 2017 debut, This One's for You , whether in hits like his Eric Church collaboration "Does To Me" or deep cuts like "Memories Are Made Of." (He even named Father & Sons ' 2022 and 2023 predecessors Growin' Up and Gettin' Old .)

His preternatural knack for a heartfelt story song extends to songs he didn't write, too, as his cover of Tracy Chapman 's "Fast Car" became his biggest hit to date in 2023 and scored him two GRAMMY nominations at the 2024 GRAMMYs .

The familial sentiments of Fathers & Sons have often appeared in Combs' music as well, making his album full of "dad songs" all the more fitting — and continuing his beloved reputation as one of country music's most relatable superstars.

If you're unfamiliar with Combs' back catalog — or just want a refresher — use these 10 songs to trace his evolution from longing for the carefree days of teenhood to fully embracing fatherhood.

"Be Careful What You Wish For" ('This One's for You,' 2017)

Basically Combs' spin on the Beach Boys ' "That's Not Me," "Be Careful What You Wish For" reflects on his adolescence — when he had a fire in his belly to hurtle out of his circumstances into the unknown. The result plants seeds for the realizations he passes to his kin on Fathers & Sons .

In the song, an 18-year-old and newly emancipated Combs says sayonara to his "one-horse" town, before realizing the grass ain't always greener. "Sometimes things ain't what you think they're gonna be," Combs sagely warns in the pre-chorus. "What you want ain't always what you need."

"Memories Are Made Of" ('This One's for You,' 2017)

When you look back on your youth, what stuck in your craw most — generic milestones, or fleeting, stolen moments? Chances are, it's the latter, as Combs memorably argues in another This One's for You cut, another dispatch from his youth that resonates with Fathers & Sons .

Therein, he and his ne'er-do-well friends, fresh out of high school, crack open cold ones under a bright blue sky. "Just a couple buds and a good buzz, that's all it was," he sings in the chorus. "But that's what memories are made of." On Fathers & Sons , he seems to recognize his boys will remember the small moments, too — and those are often the ones worth cherishing most.

"Even Though I'm Leaving" ('What You See is What You Get,' 2019)

Many tracks on Combs' second album, What You See is What You Get , showed his maturation as a man and a songwriter, but one served as his introduction to paternal matters: "Even Though I'm Leaving."

The tear-jerker charts the evolution of a father-son relationship, from Dad evacuating a monster under the bed, to seeing his son off to the military, to eventually saying goodbye before his passing.

As the father assures the son in all of those stages, he'll always be there for his boy, even when he isn't physically there . It marked a poignant foreshadowing to Father & Son s' masterful interrogations of mortality and eternal family bonds.

"Dear Today" ('What You See Is What You Get,' 2019)

As What You See is What You Get winds down, the spectre of time still weighs heavily on Combs. "Dear Today" is just that — a letter to Combs' present self, from his future self. (There's a tint of that on "My Old Man Was Right," the penultimate track on Fathers & Sons .)

"You're the only one with a choice in the matter," tomorrow Luke gently, yet firmly, prods. Call your mom, have a drink with your dad, "put that diamond on her hand." What an effective framing device, to capture the crossroads we all face on the cusp of our thirties — another prelude to Combs' advice to his sons on Fathers & Sons .

"Does to Me (feat. Eric Church)" ('What You See Is What You Get,' 2019)

A few years before welcoming his first son, Combs hinted to Rolling Stone that he was ready to settle down. "I'm almost 30 years old now, and I'm not going to be out at the bar every night," he said in 2019. "I just want to grow up a little bit." "Does to Me" is a terrific inventory of what resources, exactly, he possesses in order to carry out that mission.

He's unflinching about the ways he's an ordinary, average guy. After all, the opening line is "I was a third-string dreamer on a second-place team."

But as "Does to Me" lays down, "achievements" have nothing on qualities that really matter, like being a good brother, or romantic partner. Fertile soil for a real man to grow from — and eventually pass on to his own boys.

"Doin' This" ('Growin' Up,' 2022)

In "Doin' This," Combs cements his life mission — regardless of whether it brings him fame and fortune.

He'd still be Luke Combs even if he wasn't Luke Combs , he explains. Whether at the Grand Ole Opry or some watering hole, picking up a guitar and laying waste to a besotted crowd is why he was put on this planet. "I'd still be doin' this if I weren't doin' this ": simple, evocative, masterful.

While "Doin' This" isn't necessarily centered around a theme of family, it makes all the sense in the world that his devotion to his boys is in parallel to his devotion of the craft — proof of which is all over Fathers & Sons .

"Used to Wish I Was" ('Growin' Up,' 2022)

You can only be yourself — that's the central message of this equally great Growin' Up cut, where Combs reflects on all the people he could be, and once ached to be.

He could have finished college — or pursued football, hunting or fishing with more chutzpah — but that's not him. This "North Carolina good ol' boy" is what he is — and he's not losing sleep over that pesky fact anymore. By knowing himself, Combs establishes himself as a man of integrity, which is exactly who his sons need as a role model.

"Where the Wild Things Are" ('Gettin' Old,' 2023)

Across his discography, Combs expertly builds out his family dynamics, and that continues on "Where the Wild Things Are." The song concerns a hell-raising brother, who pointed his Indian Scout motorcycle toward Southern California to indulge in earthly pleasures.

After detailing a wild night of brotherly bonding in the Hollywood Hills, the song ends in tragedy, when the "wild as the devil" brother crashes his motorcycle and perishes. "We buried him out in the wind 'neath the West Coast stars," Combs sings, "out where the wild things are."

If any father's lesson is to be taken away from this song: there's a time and a place to enjoy life in all its wildness, without risking calamity. It continues the life lessons Combs touches on again in "Growin' Up and Gettin' Old," and later on Fathers & Sons .

"Growin' Up and Gettin' Old" ('Gettin' Old,' 2023)

Oh, to be in your early thirties — you can't stay out as late, the hangovers hit harder. Overall, your perspective shifts dramatically, and you realize nothing lasts forever.

"I'm still bending rules, but thinkin' 'fore I break 'em/ And I ain't lost a step, I just look before I take 'em," Combs sings on "Growin' Up and Gettin' Old."

As usual, this ever-nimble songwriter nails this pivotal time of life — and takes a hard look in the mirror, taking inventory before undergoing his journey on Fathers & Sons.

"The Man He Sees In Me" ('Fathers & Sons,' 2024)

With Combs still being a very recent father, his sons are at the age where he can do no wrong upon Fathers & Sons ' release. Even so, he fears the day that illusion erodes, and lead single "The Man He Sees In Me" details his anxiety over this eventuality.

The song's not fatalistic, though; it's aspirational: "Maybe I'll finally be the man he sees in me" flips into "I hope he's trying to be the man he sees in me."

As Combs wrote in a letter to his boys upon the release of "The Man He Sees In Me," "With this song I want you to know that even though I'm not perfect, I try my hardest every day to be the best version of myself for you both."

He stresses that sentiment throughout Fathers & Sons — an album with a lot of introspective and self-realizing precedent in Combs' increasingly touching discography.

2024 GRAMMYs: Luke Combs & Tracy Chapman Team Up For A Surprise Duet Version Of "Fast Car"

Photo: David McClister

Meet Charles Wesley Godwin, The Rising Country Singer Who's Turning "A Very Human Story" Into Stardom

With his deep, piercing voice and intimate portraits of family life, Charles Wesley Godwin has become one of country music's most promising new stars. As he begins his 2024 tour, the singer/songwriter details his unexpected journey to the stage.

Charles Wesley Godwin never intended to play for audiences when he picked up a guitar for the first time in college. Now, the 30-year-old Godwin is a full-blown country star, playing stadium shows and prestigious music festivals as one of the genre's fastest rising talents.

Godwin's musical power and allure lie in the ability to inhabit both a superstar persona and family-man image. He's equally comfortable belting his raucous, anthemic "Cue Country Roads," and serenading his baby daughter in "Dance in Rain," a touching song about his vision for her future. Tapping into his West Virginia roots and family history, Godwin's authentic, raw storytelling hasn't just widely resonated — it's helped the singer realize his calling.

Known for his deep, piercing voice and intimate portraits of human experiences, Godwin first endeared himself to audiences with songs like "Hardwood Floors," a sweet love song to his wife, and "Seneca Creek," a ballad from his first album, 2019's Seneca. Across three studio albums thus far, Godwin mixes powerful vocals and relatable, heartfelt lyrics, aligning him with the likes of Zach Bryan , Tyler Childers , and Sturgill Simpson .

The son of a coal miner and a teacher, Godwin dreamed of playing professional football and attended West Virginia University to study finance. After moving on from college football dreams, he taught himself guitar, learning country classics to fill the football void.

But while studying abroad in Estonia, one of Godwin's roommates took his guitar to a club show and coaxed Godwin up on stage after the set. His cover of John Denver 's "Take Me Home Country Roads" — Godwin's college theme song and current show closer — earned him his second gig, performing at a fashion show. He was hooked.

After college, Godwin spent most of a decade touring relentlessly, crisscrossing the country to play bars and coffee houses. As he transitioned from covering favorite songs to writing his own, Godwin honed his writing chops and musical voice, intent on figuring out who he would be as a musician.

His latest studio album, 2023's aptly titled Family Ties, showcases the versatility and emotional depth that continues to make his songs resonate intensely. It includes upbeat country bangers like "Two Weeks Gone" and "Family Ties"; ruminations on deep generational connections to family, including his journey to understand his dad in "Miner Imperfections" and recounting his mother's heart-wrenching experience in "The Flood"; and raw, personal reflections on his love for his children, from "Gabriel" to "Tell the Babies I Love Them."

After signing his first major record label deal and opening for Zach Bryan in 2023, Godwin will spend 2024 headlining shows around the United States, also supporting Luke Combs on several dates and playing festivals like Stagecoach, Bonnaroo and Under the Big Sky.

Ahead of his tour launch on April 4, Godwin spoke with GRAMMY.com about his inspiration and writing, chasing his musical dreams, and his favorite career "pinch me" moments — so far.

How did you get started in music?

I watched the Avett Brothers in the 2011 GRAMMYs and was wowed by it, and thought maybe picking a guitar up would be a productive hobby to have. And then over time I began to realize I actually had the talent.

That hobby worked out okay.

I've always joked — even though people are like "Oh man, that's crazy, you didn't find it until you were in your 20s" — I'm like, "Well, at least I found my thing." I feel very fortunate. I feel like things could have easily gone a different way.

Was music of interest to you? What kind of music did your parents play when you were growing up?

My dad listened to oldies radio, a lot of pop music from the '60s and the '70s. I had a lot of the Beatles songs and CCR songs stuck in my head as a little kid.

I would casually consume whatever was put right in front of me, but I wasn't big into music. I was worried about sports. I wanted to be good at football.

What was it like for you picking up a guitar the first time?

It was frustrating. My fingers wouldn't go where I wanted them to. And it seemed very difficult. But I would just bite it off in 15-minute chunks each day. I wouldn't quit.

It wasn't until about a year into it that I could actually start stringing chords together. My dad had gotten a mining engineering degree, and to do some pretty high-level calculus, he always told me when I was growing up, "Math, it just clicks one day, as long as you don't give up on it."

Tell me more about your dad, for whom you wrote "Miner Imperfections." It sounds like you got your work ethic from him.

When he grew up, most of his friends were getting drafted to Vietnam. He had applied for the mines and he gave himself a timeline. He said, If the mines don't call within two weeks, I'm going to join the Air Force, because if I'm gonna get sent to Vietnam, I might as well join on my own terms. He ended up getting called by the mines and went underground in his early 20s. And worked his ass off.

He'd met my mom, and they created a better life for themselves. [They] were able to elevate themselves economically and give my brother and I a great life growing up, and the ability to chase our dreams.

He didn't love the mines, but he was good at it. And it was a way for him to make a good living. My dad had an amazing work ethic. He was very, very hard-nosed, independent, principled. And he taught me a lot of that.

As I've gotten older, I've grown to appreciate him more and more. And [my parents] gave me the mental tools I needed to be able to go through that whole crucible of going all across the country for a decade and sleeping in my car and playing in bars and restaurants and cafes, basically living well below the poverty line for many years, to make this dream of mine come true.

I think the very first song of yours I heard was "Seneca Creek." What's the story behind that song?

That's about my grandparents, on my mother's side. My mom's side of the family is from Seneca Rocks, West Virginia. They're part of the hillbilly highway, they moved up to Canton, Ohio. My granddad was working for Ford Motor Company. And he got drafted to go fight in Korea. So he went off and was a tank commander and fought in Korea for two years and went back to the Ford Motor Company when he got back.

They started a family and started building a life. They ended up moving back to West Virginia in the early '60s, and took over my great grandfather's General Store and farmed cattle. My grandmother was the postmaster.

They had a remarkable life, full of highs and lows and it was a very, very human story. And I thought it translated well into song.

What experiences in your life have colored the kinds of stories you want to tell in your music?

I draw on my family, my wife and my kids. That's really some of the most profound experiences I've had.

My dad, when he was my age, was crawling in less than three feet of coal. So I don't want to write too much about "playing on the road was hard."

One strong point of mine is I can observe somebody else and find the little nuggets of humanity to put into song that can still seem very personal and moving to people.

But you've also got these deeper generational connections and stories, too.

I have a lot of interesting family members in the family tree that I've been able to pull from. My mom's side came over in the potato famine in the mid-1800s. My dad's side, a lot of them were even here before the United States was the United States.

There's a lot of interesting and rich family history to draw from — moonshiners on my mother's side, there's been soldiers, drunkards, teachers and miners. My great grandfather on my dad's side, he used to eat a raw potato in the mines every day for lunch until Italians came over and showed the Irish guys how to eat better.

You've talked about your music sounding like it's from West Virginia. What does that mean? What is West Virginia music to you?

Before I put my first record out, I understood that I needed to find what my natural voice was. And make sure that I wasn't just trying to mimic somebody else.

I would not be able to pull off sounding like I'm trying to sing rodeo country. But I can sound like I'm from West Virginia, because that is the truth.

I think it has to have some bluegrass, if we're talking country music. Because you [also] got [late West Virginia native] Bill Withers , who is one of the best soul singers ever.

Stories about rural places and working class people often get tokenized and stereotyped. When you're writing songs, how do you honor the people you're writing about instead of making them stereotypes?

I just try my best. There's been a lot of lines that when I'm working on songs over the years, I've been like, "that's not it," and then put a line through it and try to come up with something better or more positive or more honest.

I'd rather shine a light on the more admirable character traits, either people in my family that I'm writing about or made up characters. I also try not to make it too unrealistic. I have a lot of songs about regret, which is something that [is] very human. But I definitely don't want to go around glorifying things that aren't really good for society or community.

You've talked about how you felt stuck when you wrote your latest album, Family Ties .  What was that feeling? And how did you get out of that rut?

I had a bunch of people on payroll for the first time in my life. Labels had come into the picture; my wife was just about to have our second child; we had a house we just bought the year prior. I had all these things around me that I'd never had around me before. I was putting pressure on myself, because I wasn't just this broke guy anymore that only needed enough to fill up his gas tank.

I let that affect my mind and my creativity, and my productivity with the notebook. The way I got out of it was just realizing — this sounds so cliche, but it's true, and it's true with music, and so many other things in life — that you can only control the things that you can control.

I felt like writing about my family is what I wanted to do. Just because there's so much love and guilt that I was feeling at that time. The birth my children — my daughter just being born, my son was still really young, with my wife and, being gone for hundreds of days [in] years prior, but then I was home that whole pandemic year, which was this super special time, but also just so weird after all those years of being gone all the time, and then going back to being gone all the time.

Now that all of that hard work has started paying off, what have been some of your biggest "pinch me, I can't believe this is happening" moments?

Recently, I opened for Jason Isbell and for Turnpike Troubadours. Those were folks that I was listening to a decade ago, in the middle of the night, trying to drive home from some gig far away.

And throughout our tour this year, we're doing these Luke Combs dates, and the Avett Brothers are on two of them. The whole reason I picked up a guitar, here we are over a decade later, and I'm going to be shaking their hands before we play a stadium. And this whole thing started with me just sitting on a couch in college watching them at the GRAMMYs. So that's gonna be a "pinch me" moment, for sure.

8 Artists Bringing Traditional Country Music Back: Zach Top, Randall King, Emily Nenni & More On Why "What's Old Becomes Beloved Again"

Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Remembering Toby Keith: 5 Essential Songs From The Patriotic Cowboy And Country Music Icon

After a two-year battle with stomach cancer, country star Toby Keith passed away on Feb. 5 at the age of 62. Revisit his influence with five of his seminal tracks, including his debut hit "Should've Been a Cowboy."

We may have known about Toby Keith 's stomach cancer diagnosis for nearly two years, but that didn't keep the news of his Feb. 5 death from hitting hard. The oftentimes outspoken country music star enjoyed a three-decade career as one of the genre's beloved hitmakers, courtesy of unabashed hits like "Who's Your Daddy?," "Made In America" and "I Wanna Talk About Me."

Occasionally his in-your-face persona clashed with folks, particularly when it came to his political views in recent years. But for the most part, it was Keith's blue-collar upbringing and work ethic that shined through and resonated with his legion of listeners. 

It wasn't until his thirties that the future Songwriters Hall of Famer landed his first record deal in 1993, following years grinding away as a rodeo hand, in oil fields and as a semi-professional football player to make ends meet. The Oklahoma-born crooner would go on to record 20 No.1 hits, sell over 40 million records across 26 albums, and gross nearly $400 million touring — cementing himself as one of country music's most successful artists in the process.

As we look back on Keith's life and legacy, here are five essential cuts from the seven-time GRAMMY nominee, whose memory will live on in the hearts of country music artists and fans alike.

"Should've Been A Cowboy" (1993)

Few artists strike gold with their maiden release, but Keith did just that when his song "Should've Been A Cowboy" launched in February 1993. The upbeat track received widespread acclaim, eventually reaching No. 1 on the Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart a few months later.

"Should've Been A Cowboy" takes on a distinctly traditional tone as Keith romanticizes cowboy culture by referencing classic westerns like Gunsmoke with nods to Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty in addition to six-shooters, cattle drives and Texas Rangers abound. The tune also reinforces the notion that cowboys just have more fun, whether its "stealin' the young girls' hearts, just like Gene [Autry] and Roy [Rogers]" or "runnin' wild through the hills chasin' Jesse James." 

By the looks of Keith's career, he certainly had his fair share of fun, and it may not have come if it weren't for "Should've Been A Cowboy."

"How Do You Like Me Now?!" (1999)

After a successful '90s run (which included two more No. 1s in "Who's That Man" and "Me Too"), Keith kicked off the 2000s with his fourth No. 1 hit, "How Do You Like Me Now?!" In signature Toby Keith fashion, he confronts his haters by asking the titular, rhetorical question, posed to his high school's valedictorian — who was also his crush. "I couldn't make you love me but I always dreamed about livin' in your radio," he sings on the brazen chorus.

The song is a stern reminder to never let anyone keep you from chasing your dreams; it's also a lesson of standing strong on your convictions. Its message also proved fitting for Keith's career: After Mercury Records Nashville rejected the song (and its namesake album) in the late '90s, Keith got out of his deal with them in favor of signing with DreamWorks Records, with whom he released the project a year later. Not only did the single go on to spend five weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, but it became the singer's first major crossover hit.

"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" (2002)

Keith was never afraid to share his opinion in public or in song, especially when it came to displaying his patriotism and appreciation for those who protect the United States. While the Okie approached this from a softer side on 2003's "American Soldier," his most renowned musings on the subject without a doubt came a year earlier with "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."

On the angsty ballad — which was written in the wake of his father's March 2001 death and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks — Keith channels a universal feeling of American hurt and pride. "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" inspired an equal outpouring of support and outrage that, for better or worse depending on where you stand, helped cement the song into the annals of country music lore.

"I Love This Bar" (2003)

We've all got our favorite watering hole full of its own quirks and characters, from winners to losers, chain-smokers and boozers. Keith taps into that feel-good, hometown hang feeling with "I Love This Bar," a lighthearted tale from 2003's Shock'n Y'all that makes dingy dive bars feel like the prime party destination.

The midtempo track — Keith's 12th No. 1 — further plays into country music drinking tropes as Keith proclaims, "I like my girlfriend, I like to take her out to dinner, I like a movie now and then" before making a hard pivot, adding "but I love this bar." 

All joking aside, the song, and all of the unique individuals described within it, have a harmony to them inside those hallowed walls. It's a kinship that seems more and more difficult to find in today's world, and a sentiment best captured at the song's conclusion: "come as you are."

"As Good As I Once Was" (2005)

Your best days may be behind you, but that doesn't mean you can't still live your best life and thrive in the present — even if you don't get over hangovers as quickly as you used to.

That youthful wisdom is distilled into every lyric of "As Good As I Once Was," a reminiscent story in which a then-44-year-old Keith recounts his prime as a lover, drinker and fighter humbly. That being said, his pride is still quick to take charge with convictions like "I still throw a few back, talk a little smack, when I'm feelin' bullet proof."

Lasting six weeks at No. 1, "As Good As I Once Was" was the biggest of the 15 chart-toppers Keith tallied in the 2000s. And though he scored one more in the following decade (along with several other hits, including the playful drinking song "Red Solo Cup"), "As Good As I Once Was" will live on as one of Keith's quintessential messages of fun-loving confidence: "I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once, as I ever was."

Photos: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Watch All The Performances From The 2024 GRAMMYs: Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo & More

The 66th GRAMMY Awards were full of memorable moments and incredible performances. Relive Music's Biggest Night with performance videos from Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox, Gaby Moreno & David Aguilar, and more.

The 2024 GRAMMYs were marked by record-breaking wins, moving speeches and viral moments both on- and offstage. But what truly tied together Music's Biggest Night — beyond artistic excellence — was its slate of stunning and emotional performances.

From Dua Lipa 's opening act and new song, to Joni Mitchell 's first-ever performance on the GRAMMY stage and the tearjerking-yet-thrilling tribute to lost icons, the 66th GRAMMY Awards were a showcase of the best of the business. 

Press play on the videos below and relive the most exciting performances from the 66th GRAMMY Awards

Dua Lipa opened the 66th GRAMMY Awards with a medley of the first two singles from her upcoming album. Tracks " Houdini" and "Training Season" are the first two singles off Dua Lipa’s forthcoming third studio record, which follows her GRAMMY-winning 2020 LP   Future Nostalgia . The 2024 GRAMMYs were a sneak peek of "Training Season," as the track officially arrives Feb. 15.

In a full-circle moment, Luke Combs   perform his GRAMMY-nominated cover of " Fast Car " — with a suprise appearance from Tracy Chapman . "Fast Car" earned Chapman a GRAMMY for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1989, when she took home the trophy. On the GRAMMY stage, the otherwise reclusive Chapman beamed as she strummed an acoustic guitar and duetted with Combs . "Tracy is such an icon and, I mean, one of the best songwriters that I think any of us will ever be around to see, "   Combs said in the video introducing his performance.

Miley Cyrus   had only performed "Flowers" twice before taking the GRAMMY-winning song to stage on Music’s Biggest Night. And while the hit track off   Endless Summer Vacation was sure to be a showstopper, Cyrus’ performance was made even more special by winning her first GRAMMY moments before. After  eight nominations and many years in the industry, the singer’s exclamations of excitment were felt by everyone watching.

After winning the GRAMMY Award for Best Song Written For Visual Media at the Premiere Ceremony, Billie Eilish  and brother   FINNEAS   performed the existential pop ballad from Barbie on the GRAMMY stage. "What Was I Made For?" would go on to win Song Of The Year, showing the world that Eilish certainly knows what she was made for.

Eighty-year-old icon ad 2022 MusiCares Person Of The Year Joni Mitchell performed for the first time at the GRAMMY Awrds — and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Seated in an elegant chair and surrounded by chandeliers, Mitchell offered an emotional performance of her 1969 hit "Both Sides Now." The legened was backed by Brandi Carlile , Allison Russell , Sistastrings, Lucius, Jacob Collier , and Blake Mills; earlier in the day, "Both Sides" took home the golden gramophone for Best Folk Album.

SZA went into the 2024 GRAMMYs as the most-nominated artist and took home awards for   Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best R&B Song. She then gave back to the audience, performing the GRAMMY-winning "Snooze," clad in a leather duster and wide-brimmed hat.

Olivia Rodrigo  may not have taken home a golden gramophone, but she still left her all on the GRAMMYs stage. Donning an appropriately hued dress and just a dash of "blood" on her face, Rodrigo performed "vampire" as red liquid seeped from the walls behind her.

Billy Joel performed twice at the 66th GRAMMY Awards, treating audiences to one familiar tune and one brand-new track. Joel shared his newest offering, "Turn the Lights Back On," just before Album Of The Year was announced. His first release since 2007, "Turn the Lights Back On" marked his first time playing on the GRAMMYs stage in more than 20 years.

Burna Boy   brought a piece of his homeland to the GRAMMYs, dancing among throngs of colorfully-dressed performers and equally colorful buildings. The Nigerian Afrobeats star performed "On Form," "City Boys" and "Sitting On Top Of The World," iwth special appearances by   Brandy   and   21 Savage .

U2   took the GRAMMY audience on a quick trip to Las Vegas, performing "Atomic City" live from the Sphere. The swirling, psychedelic and high-tech performance was the first live broadcast from Sin City venue, which the 22-time GRAMMY winners are currently doing a residency.

During the moving In Memoriam segment of the 2024 GRAMMYs,  Eurythmics singer  Annie Lennox  was joined by  Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman to  pay tribute to Sinead O'Connor . Together, they offered an emotional cover of the late Irish pioneer's "Nothing Compares 2 U."

Further honoring the lives of incredible individuals that the music world lost in 2023, Fantasia Barrino made Tina Turner proud with a high-energy performance of "Proud Mary." The performance and tribute were introduced by Oprah Winfrey, who called Turner "a towering figure. She is our forever goddess of rock and roll who inspired millions, a moving symbol of grace and grit, soul and power…And as those big wheels of time keep on turnin’, Tina’s voice continues to speak to all of us." 

Continuing the In Memoriam tribute,  Global Impact Award honoree Lenny Kravitz   paid respect to   Clarence Avant as the "Godfather of Black Music"   with a tribute that included a performance of "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me" by Album Of The Year nominee   Jon Batiste .

During the Premiere Ceremony, Gaby Moreno & El David Aguilar performed a harmonious and haunting “Luna de Xelaju.” Their take on the popular Guatemalan waltz composed by Paco Pérez was set against a video of falling rose petals, highlighting the romanticism of the duo’s voices.

The Premiere Ceremony kicked off the 2024 GRAMMYs with an exciting  performance from   Pentatonix ,   Jordin Sparks ,   Larkin Poe,   J. Ivy , and   Sheila E. , who welcomed audiences to a day-long celebration of musical excellence.

10 Acceptance Speeches That Made Us Laugh, Cry, & Smile At The 2024 GRAMMYs

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

The country singer had a self-proclaimed "cool full-circle moment" with the original "Fast Car" star at the 66th GRAMMY Awards.

Luke Combs took the 2024 GRAMMYs stage to perform his GRAMMY-nominated rendition of " Fast Car " — with a little help from none other than Tracy Chapman .

As the song's indelible melody kicked in, the camera panned out to reveal Chapman elegantly strumming her guitar as she traded stanzas with the country singer. "You got a fast car/ Is it fast enough so we can fly away?/ We gotta make a decision/ Leave tonight or live and die this way," Combs crooned before launching into the chorus, which Taylor Swift sang adoringly along to in the audience. 

Combs' cover of Chapman's single from her 1988 debut became a surprise hit after he released it as the second single off his 2023 studio album, Gettin' Old . While the original version became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for Chapman at the start of her career, Combs' countrified take peaked even higher at No. 2 and also reached the top of the Country Airplay chart.

"Fast Car" earned Chapman her own GRAMMY in 1989, when she took home the trophy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The song was also nominated for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year at the ceremony. 

Nearly 35 years later, Combs' cover was also nominated — this time for Best Country Solo Performance. (At the Premiere Ceremony, Chris Stapleton 's "White Horse" won the golden gramophone in the Category.)

"It was my favorite song before I even knew what a 'favorite song' was," Combs said of "Fast Car" in the video introducing his performance, later adding, " It can be felt and related to by all kinds of people around the world. Tracy is such an icon and, I mean, one of the best songwriters that I think any of us will ever be around to see. It's just such a cool full-circle moment for me, just to be associated with her, in any way, is super humbling for me."

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

• 1 Tracing Luke Combs' Journey To 'Fathers & Sons' In 10 Songs, From "Be Careful What You Wish For" To "The Man He Sees In Me"
• 2 Meet Charles Wesley Godwin, The Rising Country Singer Who's Turning "A Very Human Story" Into Stardom
• 3 Remembering Toby Keith: 5 Essential Songs From The Patriotic Cowboy And Country Music Icon
• 4 Watch All The Performances From The 2024 GRAMMYs: Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo & More
• 5 2024 GRAMMYs: Luke Combs & Tracy Chapman Team Up For A Surprise Duet Version Of "Fast Car"

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Explore america’s music on the giant screen, america’s musical journey follows singer/songwriter aloe blacc as he traces the roots of american music and explores the great musical cities—places like new orleans, chicago, nashville, miami, new york city and more—where such electrifying art forms as jazz, the blues, country, soul and rock and roll were born., explore the places where america’s music was born..

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Taylor swift's surprise songs from night 1 in liverpool for her 100th eras tour show, and still no reputation (taylor's version), share this article.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour continued its international journey on Thursday night in England (afternoon in the United States) with the first of three shows in Liverpool. The now 14-time Grammy winner will be touring almost non-stop for the entire year, and at each show she adds two “surprise songs” to her 44-song, three hour plus set list.

MORE:  7 adorable ways Scotland has embraced Taylor Swift and the Eras Tour before her Edinburgh shows

For the first night in Liverpool, which was also her 100th performance of the Eras Tour, Swift chose a mashup of “I Can See You” with “Mine” from from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) to play on guitar. On piano, she performed “Cornelia Street” from  Lover mixed with “Maroon” from  Midnights.

🚨| Tonight's surprise songs are "I Can See You & Mine" and "Cornelia Street & Maroon" #LiverpoolTStheErasTour pic.twitter.com/kOcoCt2qIM — The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) June 13, 2024

Despite a lot of murmuring and hypothesizing from fans , Swift yet again did not announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version) .

Next up, Swift plays two more shows in Liverpool before a show in Cardiff, Wales.

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Terre Haute janitor Richard Goodall on journey to his stunning America's Got Talent audition

Before Richard Goodall took the America’s Got Talent stage , there was one judge he told producers he just did not want to talk to: Simon Cowell.

So, naturally, the notoriously biting former “American Idol” judge was picked to introduce Goodall to a packed Los Angeles theater on March 28. Goodall had taken the first plane trip of his life to make it to the audition, and he was staying in Pasadena on a shoestring budget. As he stood before judges Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel, the 54-year-old school janitor from Terre Haute was visibly anxious.  

“You a bit nervous?” Cowell asked.

Goodall nodded: “This has been a long time coming.”

“We’re here, we’re rooting for you, Richard. Good luck,” Cowell said before turning to his fellow judges and adding, “I hope he’s good."

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If you’ve watched the viral moment that aired on Tuesday night, you know what happens from there. Goodall, affectionately known as Mr. Richard to the kids in the Vigo County school district where he’s worked for the last 23 years, brings the crowd to their feet with a blazing performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

Klum gave him a Golden Buzzer, which passes him straight to the live shows, starting in August, where viewers will decide his fate. Based on the thousands of messages he says he's received from fans around the world, he seems to be an early favorite.

His audition aired two months to the day after it was taped. On Thursday, Goodall was cleaning lockers at West Vigo Middle School.

"You can take so much love," he told IndyStar. "My gosh, how do you give it all back other than just singing and doing what you do?"

Richard Goodall's lifelong love of music

Goodall said he used to sit at home with his RadioShack stereo, belting along so loudly his mom would tap the ceiling downstairs with a broom to try and quiet him down.

"I love all kinds of music," he said. In fact, the first song he ever felt he nailed wasn't from the Journey catalog — it was Barry Manilow's " I Write the Songs ."

"I love those songs that are smooth at the beginning and have a slow build and then at the end you're just belting it out," he said.

Goodall started performing at karaoke nights in the 1990s, he said, and eventually on the contest circuit with local radio stations, primarily singing country and gospel. He stuck with the latter for several years, performing as part of two gospel trios, until the COVID-19 pandemic put everything on pause. Then, in June 2021, his wife, Patty, died of cancer .

"When you're married for so long and they pass away and you've got that void there, your biggest concern is figuring out who you are without them," he said. "And music was the bridge again."

Goodall's viral 2022 TikTok got Steve Perry's attention — and AGT's

This isn’t the first time Goodall has gone viral for his performance of the 1981 rock classic.

A clip of him performing at a school talent show was posted to TikTok in 2022 and has since amassed more than 3 million views. Journey shared the clip on their official TikTok account and the video Goodall posted to his personal account received a supportive comment from former frontman Steve Perry himself.

That performance first caught the eye of America's Got Talent producers more than a year ago, Goodall told IndyStar, but for whatever reason, his first opportunity to join the show for Season 18, which ran from May to September of last year, didn't pan out. So, he deleted the producer's number and moved on with his life.

Then, Mandel reposted the video last September with the caption "Needs to be on agt."

Goodall wouldn't let himself get excited about it this time, he said, until the flight was booked and he had tickets in hand. Even then, it didn't seem real. The audition lined up perfectly with the school district's spring break, so he didn't have to miss work, and a friend offered to drive him to the Indianapolis airport and care for his three chihuahuas during his five-day trip.

Once Goodall landed in LA, the experience was surreal.

"I was more than a fish out of water," he said. "I was an amoeba out of a fish out of water."

Production paid for his flight and accommodations and a $25 per diem for food. The first night, he walked half a mile to a nearby Whole Foods and bought a pound of lunch meat, a loaf of bread, two cartons of cottage cheese, some bottled water and mayo and mustard. Sightseeing wasn't an option, since cabs and attractions were too expensive. So, to pass the time, he walked around the area."They take so good care of their old buildings," he said. "City Hall is absolutely gorgeous, their post office — the leaded glass is beautiful."

And on his free Wednesday evening, he used his per diem to treat himself to a spaghetti dinner.

"I had all these fancy people — Gucci purses and Hilfiger, you could tell these people had money — and here I am, sitting like a king on this sidewalk with my wonderful spaghetti and meatballs and garlic shrimp. ... I was on top of the world."

A GoFundMe has been created to help offset the cost of his anticipated 10-day trip to Los Angeles to compete in the live shows — and to allow his fiancée, Angie, to travel with him.

'I'm going to give it my all' on America's Got Talent

On Thursday, after cleaning out lockers at the middle school, Goodall was headed to his second job, cleaning the office of a local fence company. Whatever happens next with America's Got Talent, he said, he's already had an amazing experience.

"I don't have any expectations of winning the show," he said. "I'm going to give it my all and I'm going to try to be the best competitor that I can be."

If he does win, he plans on continuing to live as normal a life as possible. He says he'd use the $1 million prize to buy a double-wide trailer in a senior living community in Florida and enjoy retirement — with the occasional pasta and seafood dinner. "I'm not a fancy person," he said.

With all the negativity in the world today, he's glad to be of inspiration to the people who have connected with his story of capturing the Golden Buzzer.

"I think people just need something — anything — just something to realize that not everything's bad," he said. "I have my bad days just like everybody else, but we're still here, we're still fighting, we're still kicking."

America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC and can be streamed the following day on Peacock.

GoFundMe to support Richard Goodall

To give to the GoFundMe created to support Goodall during his trip to compete in America's Got Talent, visit bit.ly/4c08uj3 .

Contact IndyStar pop culture reporter Holly Hays at [email protected]. Follow her on X/Twitter: @hollyvhays.

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Joni Mitchell biography 'Traveling' tracks a journey that changed popular music

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Joni Mitchell — an only child born on the Canadian prairies — reinvented herself for more than six decades, aptly singing “I’m on a lonely road, and I am traveling, traveling, traveling, looking for something, what can it be?”

NPR music critic and author Ann Powers ’ new biography, “ Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell ” follows her wanderings and delves deep into the influences — the people, trends and circumstances — that paved Mitchell’s longer than 60-year journey.

Mitchell struggled with polio-induced paralysis, then didn't stop moving once she could. Now 80, slowed by a rare disease and a brain aneurysm, she embodies a mother role for many woman artists.

Mitchell made her way in a man's world. While she worked the coffee houses in Canada, a Toronto music critic wrote about her high cheekbones, lustrous blonde hair, full lips and brilliant smile. “But don't let just the looks of this girl dazzle you. Listen to her,” he remarked.

“It sums up something about music writing that's kind of embarrassing to me, a lifelong music writer, which is that even when a male music writer was trying to tell people to go beyond this woman's looks, he was still salivating over her,” Powers says. “At the same time, the fact that he felt the need to say, ‘Don't just look at her, listen to her,’ she was remarkable and people recognized her as such.”

In Los Angeles’ Laurel Canyon, Mitchell lived among artists like Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, Cass Elliot and Jackson Brown. Mitchell figured out how to become “one of the boys,” Powers says. The singer code-switched between masculine and feminine roles in both her life and music to form alliances with male musicians.

“Sometimes they were romantic, but oftentimes they were just as crucially creative,” Powers says. “It was that total devotion to music making and creativity and art making that drove her and caused her to carve out this space.”

Critics often hyper-focused on Mitchell’s relationships. When Rolling Stone published a chart of artists at the height of the Laurel Canyon music scene, Mitchell's name was surrounded by a lipstick mark representing her romantic partners.

“She was a studio rat. This was who she was making music with, and those musical connections are the truly important aspect of her life story,” Powers says. “And that's really what I wanted to illuminate.”

Fearing danger and reasoning that an appearance on "The Dick Cavett Show" would provide her more exposure, Mitchell’s manager didn’t want her to appear at Woodstock in 1969. Yet she wrote the song “Woodstock” — an example of Mitchell getting revenge, Powers says — after watching the iconic music festival on TV.

In 1971, Mitchell released her fourth studio album, “Blue.” In “A Case of You,” Mitchell “expresses her desire and her sensuality, not just her heartbreak,” Powers says.

“River” became “the great alternative Christmas carol” for people who feel isolated during the holidays, Powers says.

“‘River’ is an important song for me, thinking about Joni over her long career,” Powers says, “because such a huge part of Joni's story is this impulse to move on, to escape, reach a place of solitude that would be an antidote, that impulse to skate away.”

In the mid-1970s, Mitchell turned to jazz with collaborators including Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius and Charles Mingus.

During this time, Mitchell dressed in what she described as a “sleazy suit” and an afro wig, painting her face brown to portray an alter ego she called Claude, then Art Nouveau. She went to a party dressed as a Black man, which many people gave her a pass for over many years.

It was a transgressive act of appropriation, Powers says. Mitchell said many times she believed “the spirit of a Black man lives within her” and she had a right to perform it, the author says.

“It was a time when a lot of white musicians thought they had a right to adopt Black inflection in their singing styles, to align themselves with nonwhite artists and cultures without recognizing their own privilege. So she was hardly alone in that,” Powers says. “But at the same time, that can't be a reason for us to move on without confronting the reality that it happened.”

In the 1990s, Mitchell released two orchestral albums, “Both Sides Now” and “Travelogue.” She worked on the albums with her ex-husband Larry Klein.

“It is one of the most ingenious examples of an artist whose voice has changed over time, finding a new setting and a new way to present this more mature, more weathered voice,” Powers says. “She is the torch singer now. She is that woman in the dark cafe or the bar with Richard that we met in her song ‘Last Time I Saw Richard.’ She is that person now.”

In 2015, Mitchell survived a brain aneurysm. It took years for her to recover. But in the mid-2020s, she forged a friendship with singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, who inspired her to get back on stage.

Mitchell always appreciated her admirers, but also pushed back against the construct of fame and what she called “the star maker machinery.”

“She is in a period in her life of gratitude and of receptiveness,” Powers says. “I always sense a gleam in Joni's eye though that she's laughing a little bit about it too.”

Karyn Miller-Medzon  produced and edited this interview for broadcast with  Mark Navin .  Allison Hagan  adapted it for the web.

Book excerpt: 'Traveling: On The Path of Joni Mitchell'

By Ann Powers

Throughout my time winding along Joni Mitchell’s path, her songs infiltrated my brain. They directed my emotions, faded and changed to others. “Nothing Can Be Done” is the one that stuck as I turned toward the later phases of her life. I consider it a blues, maybe not musically—the music, written by [Larry] Klein, is a minor key variation of the soft-rock “Boys of Summer”—but in the way that genre designed to carry ancient pain encompasses both complaint and a certain hard acceptance. In the song, Joni confronts her lover, who’s just grabbed his keys to head out toward something or someone she can’t be.

But she also faces her aging self as she questions her impossible longing to keep things as they were. The song captures the feeling of being on the threshold, wavering, unbalanced, knowing there’s no choice but to accept gravity’s pull. Those words: I am not old, I’m told, but I am not young. Mitchell delivers them in clipped syllables. She’s not yet sure how to settle this argument with herself. Middle age equals ambiguity, and for women it can hit at any point after fertile young adulthood wanes, graying the days before the onset of whatever illness or other calamity finally fells you. Joni Mitchell must have thought about this as she stared down solitude again at fifty.

Nothing can be done but grow older, more damaged and wiser, more accepting of life’s cruelties, Joni sings. Then she asks: must I surrender with grace the things I loved when I was younger? She’s talking about sex, at least the ridiculous fire of it, the way it dominates and opens doors and burns down houses. She also might mean her own ego—that fiery “I” that has so much power over people, making them think they can thrive dependent only on themselves. Nothing can be done, Joni murmurs, besides opening up a little to the idea of compromise, to the possibility that others might know something that you don’t immediately understand about the way the world operates, or even about how you operate, how your life and work fit into a picture bigger than yourself. To surrender with grace is to open your arms. Share access to the life you’ve made with people who care about you, and trust that what you’ve done will live beyond the border of your fierce protectiveness. Let others reinterpret what you once insisted only you could say.

This is the work of making a legacy, and Mitchell turned toward it after Turbulent Indigo won its unexpected Grammy for Best Pop Album in a category that included younger and hotter stars like Madonna and Mariah Carey. That album had already signaled a new phase, away from the ebullient experimentation of her prime Klein years and toward a more contained reckoning with imperfection in the world and her own life. She still staged protests, in songs like “Sex Kills,” about AIDS and objectification, and “Borderline,” which bemoans the racial and gender divisions afflicting America. If, as Klein and Mitchell have both said, Turbulent Indigo is about the dissolution of their marriage, she processed her pain in lyrics that reached out toward others: the abandoned mothers in “The Magdalene Laundries”; the battered women of “Not to Blame.” As for her own predicament, this was still Joni: she identified with the most fabled sufferers, the biblical Job and Vincent van Gogh, in whose image she crafted a self-portrait for the album cover. All my little landscapes and all my yellow afternoons stack up around this vacancy, she sang in the title track, dedicated to him, identifying loneliness as a source of madness, or at least its main companion.

How to move on? She still had herself, the Joni Mitchell she had created within music over more than a quarter century. The future felt uncertain, but the past was right there. And the market was hungry for it. Before turning fifty, Mitchell had stayed away from retrospectives, though Reprise issued a limited-edition one in 1971; she didn’t want to look back. But now she started to think about how to witness her life in full.

As the 1990s turned toward the new century, Mitchell continued to create, though at nowhere near her previous pace. She did start releasing compilations, her way. The autumnal decades of her life would require patience and perspective. One thing about reaching maturity is that you realize that even as the future becomes ever more unclear, you cannot really be alone as you head there: there are the people who’ve forged this road, the ones who still walk with you even if you tried to walk away from them, and the ones who follow, to whom you owe your light, that legacy. Joni recognized this as she became the matriarch she’d never exactly planned to be.

Excerpted from “Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell.” © 2024 by Ann Powers. Reprinted by permission of Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

This segment aired on June 11, 2024.

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Karyn Miller-Medzon Senior Producer, Here & Now Karyn Miller-Medzon is a senior producer for Here & Now.

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Dolly Parton plans for a musical on her life using her songs to land on Broadway in 2026

Dolly Parton is seen during CMA Fest on Thursday June 6, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

FILE - Dolly Parton poses at the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Ceremony in New York on Oct. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — Broadway has had great success with “Hello, Dolly.” Now get ready for “Hello, I’m Dolly.”

Dolly Parton is writing new songs to go along with some of her past hits and co-writing a stage story inspired by her life for a stage musical that she hopes to land on Broadway in 2026.

“I’ve written many original songs for the show and included all your favorites in it as well. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll clap, you’ll stomp, it truly is a Grand Ol’ Opera. Pun and fun intended,” she said in a statement.

Parton will team up with Maria S. Schlatte on the story. Schlatte won an Emmy for producing Netflix’s “Christmas on the Square,” which starred Christine Baranski.

“Hello, I’m Dolly” is the name of Parton’s debut album released in 1967, which had the songs ″Dumb Blonde″ and ”Something Fishy.″

Parton went on to become a national treasure, starring in movies, writing books, earning Grammys, becoming the first country artist to be named MusiCares Person of the Year and donating $1 million for coronavirus research.

With 52 Grammy nominations and 11 wins, she is the second-most nominated woman in Grammy history, only behind Beyoncé, who has 79 nods and 24 wins. The country icon earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award a decade ago.

Parton will have plenty of past hits to choose from, including her three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — “9 to 5,” “Here You Come Again” and “Islands in the Stream.” She also has 25 No. 1 Hot Country songs like “Yellow Roses,” “Think About Love,” “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “Jolene.”

This won’t be the first time Parton’s music will be heard on Broadway. A stage version of “9 to 5” landed in 2009 starring Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty and Allison Janney, and the 1993 Christmas special “Candles, Snow & Mistletoe” contained her song “With Bells On.”

Parton’s show will be the latest musician bio on Broadway using their songs, joining such recent artists as Neil Diamond, Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson, Carole King and Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

She will join such pop and rock luminaries as Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, The Go-Gos, Sting, Alanis Morissette, Dave Stewart, Edie Brickell, Trey Anastasio, David Byrne and Fatboy Slim and Bono and The Edge with Broadway scores.

“Hello, I’m Dolly” will be produced by Parton, Adam Speers for ATG Productions and Danny Nozell for CTK Enterprises.

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits