Stop Believin' Already!

In 1981, Journey released their album Escape and, from it, unleashed a power ballad that was a 25-year ticking time bomb planted firmly in the world's ear drum. "Don't Stop Believin'" is great song, no doubt, but it's high-time we put a strict moratorium on it. Its overuse at parties, television and sporting events has made it irritating and clichéd.   Nice going, popular culture.  You ruined it forever!

Stop making these guys money!

I'll admit that I probably had a hand in wearing the song out for myself between the time of its initial release and its relatively recent resurgence in popularity. Escape (or "E5C4P3" if you will) is a fun album as a whole but often, the needle wouldn't proceed further than side one, track one before being lifted and placed back at beginning for an umpteenth replay. Being that there were other fish in the musical ocean, the song would eventually be given a back seat. As time progressed, "Don't Stop Believin'" would occasional pop-up in movies and on television. With it came the soul-warming soup of recognizable nostalgia. The instrumental rendition used in The Wedding Singer was clever and the scene in "Family Guy" when they're singing the song in Karaoke was mildly hilarious. But then it was used in the final [anti] climactic scene of "The Sopranos" and that's when the tidal wave that Steve Perry surfed in on crashed down onto the sandy shores of our play lists.

If only Tony had chosen Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" instead...

Before too long, "Don't Stop Believin'" suddenly became an anthem for people who need a corporate rock song to stir up the momentum they need to finish filing their tax returns or climb the final three steps to their second-floor apartment. Then the disc jockeys said, "this song will play great in bars, weddings and block parties". These events were attended by radio programmers who then decided that it's the perfect song to supplement two hours a day otherwise littered with generic pop songs by performers with more looks than talent. Add this all up, carry the one and you end up hearing the song fifty times in any given month (depending on your social calendar) without once breaking out a Journey record.

Additionally, I'm a little put-off by how little Journey's popular anthem influenced little else in modern music. I am glad a classic song is being discovered by a new generation of listeners who lack the ability or willingness to discover good music on their own without intervention from Top 40 radio and MTV VH1 Ryan Seacrest. But once the chorus kicks-in and fades out, it's immediately back to sampled beats and Auto Tune. Congratulations! You've learned nothing!

Forget about that last paragraph - this whimsical rant is not about objective musical education. It's about a song we're playing to death. Disc Jockeys, I beg you - please exercise a modicum of restraint. You may not fill-up the dance floors as easily, but dancing is stupid anyway.  It's high time to raid the graveyard of rock and resurrect something fresh.   Anything!

Well anything but "Tom Sawyer" by Rush.