Don't Stop Believing

Don't Stop Believing Journey Escape Supervision Recommended Information Released 1981 Genre Classic Rock Language English Source Downloadable song Playable in Rock Band Rock Band 2 Rock Band 3 Rock Band Blitz Difficulty Band 2 Basic Pro Guitar 3 4 Bass 1 3 Drums 3 3 Keys 0 0 Vocals 2 2

Details Male singer Guitar Solo 3-part Harmonies

Don't Stop Believing (stylized as Don't Stop Believin') is a song by Journey that tells the story of two people leaving their hometown and taking a midnight train to somewhere else. The band's lead singer, Steve Perry, liked the idea of the characters being a girl from a small town and a boy raised in the city.

The song was released in October 1981 as the second single of their seventh studio album, Escape. A mid-tempo rock anthem and power ballad, "Don't Stop Believin'" was a top-10 hit in North America in 1981 and became the group's signature song, which has endured over time. Decades later, in 2012, it became the best-selling digital track of the twentieth century, with more than seven million downloads by 2017. Critics praised its anthemic qualities, and music magazine Rolling Stone named it one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. Perry was unable to attend the recording sessions due to a cold, so the instrumental was recorded without him. The musicians struggled to record the song's tempo and varying sections, particularly Jonathan Cain's and bassist Ross Valory's introduction. Co-producer Mike Stone set up a verbal click track for the group to practice to; after about twenty minutes, they turned off the machine and recorded the song live in one take. Perry rejoined Journey the following week, completing his vocals mostly in one take. Overall, the song and its corresponding album were completed within budget and in about two months. Cain was grateful that Perry gave his ideas equal weight, given his status as a new band member.

The Library of Congress selected the single for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry in 2022 because it is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." In 2009, the cast of the American comedy-drama Glee performed cover versions that outperformed the original on a global scale.