Don't Stop Believin'
Encyclopedia
"Don't Stop Believin' is a popular song
by the American
rock band Journey
, originally released as a single
from their 1981 album Escape
, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart
in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital downloads and use in numerous television shows, reaching a new peak of #6. Along with Frontiers, which was a top ten hit on the UK Albums Chart
in 1983, it is the band's only significant chart success in that country.
Allmusic has described "Don't Stop Believin' as "an anthem for the young who wanted to feel free and unrestricted", featuring "one of the best opening keyboard riff
s in rock."In 2011 it was voted Best Power Ballad On Earth on Btoe the review site founded by music writer Colin Larkin
, author of the Encyclopedia of Popular Music
. As of November 2011, it is the top-selling catalog track in iTunes
history.
s Mainstream Rock chart, and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song was released in the United Kingdom in December 1981 and peaked only at number 62. However, the song, never re-released in the UK, retained a cult following and re-entered the UK Singles Chart
in February 2009 at number 94, due to digital downloads. On December 22, 2009, it reached number 9 in the Christmas chart, and remained in the top 10 well into 2010, hitting a peak of number 6. It has now achieved 63 weeks on the official UK Top 75, making it the 9th longest runner of all time, and 89 weeks on the Top 100.
It topped downloads in the iTunes Music Store amongst songs not released in the 21st century, and was also the 72nd most downloaded song of 2008, and 84th most downloaded song of 2009 in the store, over 27 years after its release. On 31 August 2009 the song topped the 3 million mark in paid downloads, and has sold 4,771,000 digital units in the US by October 2011. It was placed just outside of the top twenty best selling digital songs of all time on September 2010.
The song is one of the most popular rock tracks in Ireland
and continues to remain in the top ten most downloaded songs.
* 13 chart runs in 47 weeks 2009 — 2011.
.
On June 6, 2005, Family Guy
featured this in the episode "Don't Make Me Over".
In 2007, the song gained press coverage for its use in the final scene of HBO's The Sopranos
from the series finale
"Made in America
". Steve Perry
was initially hesitant in allowing the song to be used in The Sopranos but later agreed. The Sopranos ending was later parodied by The Daily Show
, ESPN
, WCBS-FM
(when flipped from Jack FM
back to Oldies), Celebrity Apprentice
, a campaign video for Hillary Clinton and for the final episode of Tony Martin
's Get This
radio show.
It also has been used in Scrubs
, quoted as J.D.'s (Zach Braff
) favorite song.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered this song for their 2008 album Undeniable
.
Also was a huge hit to many younger children through its use in Disney's Tron: Legacy bringing it back to popularity even through its digital release.
The song was released as downloadable content for the music video game series Rock Band
on March 31, 2009. Unlike the album version which slowly fades to quiet, the Rock Band version ends with "Don't Stop", which is the same way it ended in the final episode of The Sopranos and in the pilot episode of Glee as well as how Journey ends the song live.
The song is also the closing number for the Broadway show Rock of Ages
.
In the 2008 film Bedtime Stories
, the song is played in one of the bedtime stories, when Sir Fix-a-Lot gets a chance to prove he is worthy. Everyone starts dancing to the song while gumballs rain from the ceiling. The song also has an appearance in the 2010 film The Losers
. Jensen alias Chris Evans
starts singing the song when breaking into an office building.
Part of the song can be heard in the 2010 film adaptation of Hanna-Barbara's Yogi Bear, during Mayor's Brown's press conference.
in their successful run to the 2005 playoffs, when catcher A. J. Pierzynski
and teammates heard the song being sung in a bar in Baltimore. The song was played at critical points during the stretch run of the pennant race, a season which culminated in the team's first World Series championship in over 80 years. The White Sox invited Journey lead singer Steve Perry to the team's celebration rally, where he sang the song along with several members of the team. In 2008, in a tight battle for first place with the Arizona Diamondbacks
in the National League West
, the Los Angeles Dodgers
began to play "Don't Stop Believin in the middle of the 8th inning at all of their home games. Subsequently, the song was played at Dodger home games throughout the 2009 season, much to the chagrin of Steve Perry, a self-proclaimed San Francisco Giants
fan (the band itself formed in San Francisco).
The song also became the unofficial anthem for the Giants' 2010 postseason, especially after local musician Ashkon created a parody version of the song following their winning the 2010 National League West Division
. The song was used during the end montage following the Fox network's coverage of the 2010 World Series
, which was won by the Giants. Steve Perry appeared in the Giants' subsequent victory parade, and the song was played at the start of the Giants' victory rally.
Perhaps most notably in sports, the song has for years been commonly played at Detroit Red Wings
hockey games; at Red Wings home games (especially during the last minutes of playoff victories), the recording is turned down during the line "born and raised in south Detroit", which the crowd then sings loudly. It is also used at numerous Detroit sporting events.
The song is played in the key of E Major
at a tempo of 120bpm. The vocal range is E3-C#5. The opening chords, which are played by the piano in the introduction and continued through most of the song, form a I
-V
-vi
-IV
pop-punk progression.
covers the song on their album Reborn
.
version of "Don't Stop Believin'" by Petra Haden
(member of That Dog and daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden
) recorded via multiple vocal overdubs.
. It is the first single released from the soundtrack of the series, Glee: The Music, Volume 1 and was performed on the first episode of the season, "Pilot
". A portion of the song was covered again in the episode "The Rhodes Not Taken
". A second version was covered by the cast in the season finale
episode "Journey to Regionals" for their Regionals competition, was also released as a single, and is included in the EP
soundtrack, Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
. The Glee arrangement was adapted from Petra Haden
's version.
Released as a digital download on June 2, 2009, the song performed well in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia, where it charted within the top five of their national charts. The cast performance of "Don't Stop Believin'" was certified gold in the US
in October 2009 and platinum in March 2011, achieving over 1,000,000 digital sales, and platinum in Australia, with sales of over 70,000.
"Don't Stop Believin'" was put on the BBC Radio 1
and BBC Radio 2
playlists in the UK in January 2010.
critically praised the song stating "Fox's
Glee
put the ultimate earworm
back in its rightful place." She then continued saying "even if you aren’t one for show choirs (which, is quite frankly, shocking), it’s pretty damn hard to resist." Semigan also compared it to the original version stating "it sounds slightly different in this Freaks and Geeks
meets High School Musical
pilot, but it's a good kind of different."
:
From the EP Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
:
recorded a version of the song, coached by Andrew Stone of Pineapple Dance Studios
, in July 2010. Stone also choreographed and shot a video of the performance. According to Digital Spy
, the video "almost out-Glees Glee" Steve and Rachel sang the lead vocals.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
, originally released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from their 1981 album Escape
Escape (Journey album)
-Personnel:*Steve Perry - Lead Vocals*Neal Schon - Guitar, Vocals*Ross Valory - Bass, Vocals*Steve Smith - Drums, Percussion*Jonathan Cain - Keyboards, Piano, Guitar, Vocals-Additional personnel:*Wally Buck - Engineer, Assistant Engineer...
, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital downloads and use in numerous television shows, reaching a new peak of #6. Along with Frontiers, which was a top ten hit on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
in 1983, it is the band's only significant chart success in that country.
Allmusic has described "Don't Stop Believin' as "an anthem for the young who wanted to feel free and unrestricted", featuring "one of the best opening keyboard riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s in rock."In 2011 it was voted Best Power Ballad On Earth on Btoe the review site founded by music writer Colin Larkin
Colin Larkin
Colin Larkin is an Irish professional footballer, who plays primarily as a forward. He currently plays for Hartlepool United.-Playing career:...
, author of the Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music was created in 1989 by Colin Larkin. It is the 'modern man's' equivalent of the Grove Dictionary of Music which Larkin describes in less than flattering terms.-History of the encyclopedia:...
. As of November 2011, it is the top-selling catalog track in iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
history.
Popularity
The song reached number eight on BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Mainstream Rock chart, and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song was released in the United Kingdom in December 1981 and peaked only at number 62. However, the song, never re-released in the UK, retained a cult following and re-entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in February 2009 at number 94, due to digital downloads. On December 22, 2009, it reached number 9 in the Christmas chart, and remained in the top 10 well into 2010, hitting a peak of number 6. It has now achieved 63 weeks on the official UK Top 75, making it the 9th longest runner of all time, and 89 weeks on the Top 100.
It topped downloads in the iTunes Music Store amongst songs not released in the 21st century, and was also the 72nd most downloaded song of 2008, and 84th most downloaded song of 2009 in the store, over 27 years after its release. On 31 August 2009 the song topped the 3 million mark in paid downloads, and has sold 4,771,000 digital units in the US by October 2011. It was placed just outside of the top twenty best selling digital songs of all time on September 2010.
The song is one of the most popular rock tracks in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and continues to remain in the top ten most downloaded songs.
Weekly charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
2 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
50 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 43 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
62 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
9 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
4 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 25* |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
65 |
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles | 67 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 24 |
All-time charts
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Download Chart | 12 |
In popular culture
A string acoustic version of the song was used during the Robbie's wedding in the 1998 film The Wedding SingerThe Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler as a wedding singer in the 1980s and Drew Barrymore as a waitress with whom he falls in love....
.
On June 6, 2005, Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
featured this in the episode "Don't Make Me Over".
In 2007, the song gained press coverage for its use in the final scene of HBO's The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
from the series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
"Made in America
Made in America (The Sopranos)
"Made in America" is the twenty-first episode of the sixth season of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos and the series finale. It is the eighty-sixth overall episode of the series and the ninth episode of the second part of the sixth season, which was broadcast in two batches with a break...
". Steve Perry
Steve Perry (musician)
Stephen Ray "Steve" Perry is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Journey from 1977–1987 and 1995–1998. Perry had a successful solo career throughout the late 1980s and early '90s.Perry's voice has garnered acclaim from musical peers and music...
was initially hesitant in allowing the song to be used in The Sopranos but later agreed. The Sopranos ending was later parodied by The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM is a CBS-owned radio station in New York City. The station's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in Manhattan, and its transmitter is located on the Empire State Building....
(when flipped from Jack FM
Jack FM
JACK FM is the alternative name and on-air brand of 60 radio stations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Jack stations play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s hits with some current hot adult contemporary singles. Jack's slogan "playing what we want" can also be...
back to Oldies), Celebrity Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. Season 7)
The Celebrity Apprentice is the seventh installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. This season features celebrity candidates vying for the title of Donald Trump's, "Best Business Brain," as a way to revitalize the series, with the winner donating...
, a campaign video for Hillary Clinton and for the final episode of Tony Martin
Tony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
's Get This
Get This
Get This was an Australian radio comedy show which aired on Triple M and was hosted by Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee, with contributions from panel operator, the late Richard Marsland...
radio show.
It also has been used in Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
, quoted as J.D.'s (Zach Braff
Zach Braff
Zachary Israel "Zach" Braff is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, comedian, and director. Braff first became known in 2001 for his role as Dr. John Dorian on the television series Scrubs, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.In 2004, Braff made his...
) favorite song.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered this song for their 2008 album Undeniable
Undeniable (Chipmunks album)
Undeniable is a 2008 album by The Chipmunks. Its release was connected to the version of the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise from the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks, but contains no music from the film...
.
Also was a huge hit to many younger children through its use in Disney's Tron: Legacy bringing it back to popularity even through its digital release.
The song was released as downloadable content for the music video game series Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
on March 31, 2009. Unlike the album version which slowly fades to quiet, the Rock Band version ends with "Don't Stop", which is the same way it ended in the final episode of The Sopranos and in the pilot episode of Glee as well as how Journey ends the song live.
The song is also the closing number for the Broadway show Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages (musical)
Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Asia, among...
.
In the 2008 film Bedtime Stories
Bedtime Stories (film)
Bedtime Stories is a 2008 American family-fantasy-comedy film directed by Adam Shankman that stars Adam Sandler in his first appearance in a family-oriented film...
, the song is played in one of the bedtime stories, when Sir Fix-a-Lot gets a chance to prove he is worthy. Everyone starts dancing to the song while gumballs rain from the ceiling. The song also has an appearance in the 2010 film The Losers
The Losers (film)
The Losers is a 2010 American action based on the adaptation of the Vertigo comic book series of the same name by Andy Diggle. Directed by Sylvain White, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans....
. Jensen alias Chris Evans
Chris Evans
Christopher James "Chris" Evans is an English broadcaster, businessman and producer for radio & television.-Early life:Evans was born in 1966, in Warrington, Cheshire, England, the youngest child of bookmaker...
starts singing the song when breaking into an office building.
Part of the song can be heard in the 2010 film adaptation of Hanna-Barbara's Yogi Bear, during Mayor's Brown's press conference.
In sports
The song became a rallying cry for the Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in their successful run to the 2005 playoffs, when catcher A. J. Pierzynski
A. J. Pierzynski
Anthony John "A. J." Pierzynski is an American Major League Baseball catcher who is currently with the Chicago White Sox. Pierzynski previously played with the Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants . Pierzynski was also a wrestler for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.-Early life:Anthony John...
and teammates heard the song being sung in a bar in Baltimore. The song was played at critical points during the stretch run of the pennant race, a season which culminated in the team's first World Series championship in over 80 years. The White Sox invited Journey lead singer Steve Perry to the team's celebration rally, where he sang the song along with several members of the team. In 2008, in a tight battle for first place with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
, the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
began to play "Don't Stop Believin in the middle of the 8th inning at all of their home games. Subsequently, the song was played at Dodger home games throughout the 2009 season, much to the chagrin of Steve Perry, a self-proclaimed San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
fan (the band itself formed in San Francisco).
The song also became the unofficial anthem for the Giants' 2010 postseason, especially after local musician Ashkon created a parody version of the song following their winning the 2010 National League West Division
2010 National League Division Series
The 2010 National League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—a "Wild Card"—played in two series from October 6 to 11...
. The song was used during the end montage following the Fox network's coverage of the 2010 World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
, which was won by the Giants. Steve Perry appeared in the Giants' subsequent victory parade, and the song was played at the start of the Giants' victory rally.
Perhaps most notably in sports, the song has for years been commonly played at Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
hockey games; at Red Wings home games (especially during the last minutes of playoff victories), the recording is turned down during the line "born and raised in south Detroit", which the crowd then sings loudly. It is also used at numerous Detroit sporting events.
Song structure and references
While most popular songs have a refrain that is repeated several times throughout the song, the true chorus to "Don't Stop Believin (as well as first mention of its title) is not heard until the end of the song with only 0:50 left. The song's writers designated the musically similar sections before the chorus as the "pre-chorus." The song's structure is:- IntroductionIntroduction (music)In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
(instrumental) (0:00-0:17) - Verse 1 (0:17-0:49)
- Instrumental (0:49-1:05)
- Verse 2 (half-length) (1:05-1:20)
- Pre-Chorus 1 (1:20-1:54)
- Instrumental (1:54-2:01)
- Verse 3 (2:01-2:33)
- Pre-Chorus 2 (2:33-3:05)
- Instrumental (Chorus) (3:05-3:21)
- ChorusRefrainA refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
until fade (3:21-4:11)
The song is played in the key of E Major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
at a tempo of 120bpm. The vocal range is E3-C#5. The opening chords, which are played by the piano in the introduction and continued through most of the song, form a I
Tonic
Tonic may refer to:*Tonic water, a drink traditionally containing quinine*Soft drink, a carbonated beverage*Tonic , the response of a muscle fiber or nerve ending typified by slow, continuous action...
-V
Dominant (music)
In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree of the diatonic scale, called "dominant" because it is next in importance to the tonic,and a dominant chord is any chord built upon that pitch, using the notes of the same diatonic scale...
-vi
Submediant
In music, the submediant is the sixth scale degree of the diatonic scale, the 'lower mediant' halfway between the tonic and the subdominant or 'lower dominant'...
-IV
Subdominant
In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance "below" the tonic as the dominant is above the tonic - in other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdominant. It is also the note immediately...
pop-punk progression.
Personnel (Escape)
- Steve PerrySteve Perry (musician)Stephen Ray "Steve" Perry is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Journey from 1977–1987 and 1995–1998. Perry had a successful solo career throughout the late 1980s and early '90s.Perry's voice has garnered acclaim from musical peers and music...
- lead vocals - Ross ValoryRoss ValoryRoss Lamont Valory is Journey's noted bass player. He and Neal Schon are the only original members of the band still performing with the group. Aside from his termination from the group during the Raised on Radio album sessions in 1986, Ross has played on all of Journey's albums...
- bass guitar, background vocals - Jonathan CainJonathan CainJonathan Cain is an American musician, best known for his work with The Babys, Journey and Bad English.-Early life:...
- piano, keyboards, background vocals - Neal SchonNeal SchonNeal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
- lead and rhythm guitars, background vocals - Steve SmithSteve Smith (musician)Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...
- drums and percussion
Personnel (Revelation)
- Arnel PinedaArnel PinedaArnel Pineda is a Filipino singer-songwriter who has served as the lead singer of the American rock band Journey since 2007. Pineda has had a successful musical career in the Philippines for the last 25 years.- Biography :...
- lead vocals - Ross ValoryRoss ValoryRoss Lamont Valory is Journey's noted bass player. He and Neal Schon are the only original members of the band still performing with the group. Aside from his termination from the group during the Raised on Radio album sessions in 1986, Ross has played on all of Journey's albums...
- bass guitar, background vocals - Jonathan CainJonathan CainJonathan Cain is an American musician, best known for his work with The Babys, Journey and Bad English.-Early life:...
- piano, keyboards, background vocals - Neal SchonNeal SchonNeal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
- lead and rhythm guitars, background vocals - Deen CastronovoDeen CastronovoDeen Castronovo is an Italian American drummer who has played in various bands, including Kandles at Nine, Cacophony, Bad English, Journey, The Enemy, Wild Dogs, Dr. Mastermind, Hardline, Planet Us, Soul Sirkus, Social Distortion, and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler's G/Z/R, as well as in...
- drums and percussion, background vocals
Northern Kings cover
The Finnish band Northern KingsNorthern Kings
Northern Kings is a Finnish symphonic metal cover supergroup, made up of four musicians who have already become well known in their existing bands: Jarkko Ahola from Teräsbetoni, ex-Dreamtale, Marco Hietala from Nightwish and Tarot, Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica and Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto from...
covers the song on their album Reborn
Reborn (Northern Kings album)
-Northern Kings:*Marco Hietala - vocals*Tony Kakko - vocals*Jarkko Ahola - vocals*Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto - vocals-Musicians:*Two Finger Choir: Backing Vocals*Vili Ollila: Piano, Keyboards, Programming*Erkka Korhonen: Lead & Rhythm Guitars...
.
Petra Haden cover
The 2007 "covers" album Guilt by Association Vol. 1 contains an a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version of "Don't Stop Believin'" by Petra Haden
Petra Haden
Petra Haden is an American violinist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers, Beck, Mike Watt, Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age,...
(member of That Dog and daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden
Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden is an American jazz musician. He is a double bassist, probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman...
) recorded via multiple vocal overdubs.
Glee cover
"Don't Stop Believin'" was recorded by the cast of American television series, GleeGlee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. It is the first single released from the soundtrack of the series, Glee: The Music, Volume 1 and was performed on the first episode of the season, "Pilot
Pilot (Glee)
"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the television series Glee, which premiered on the Fox network on May 19, 2009. An extended director's cut version aired on September 2, 2009. The show focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High...
". A portion of the song was covered again in the episode "The Rhodes Not Taken
The Rhodes Not Taken
"The Rhodes Not Taken" is the fifth episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on September 30, 2009 and was written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by John Scott...
". A second version was covered by the cast in the season finale
Glee (season 1)
The first season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired on Fox in the United States. The pilot episode was broadcast as an advanced preview of the series on May 19, 2009, with the remainder of the season airing between September 9, 2009 and June 8, 2010...
episode "Journey to Regionals" for their Regionals competition, was also released as a single, and is included in the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
soundtrack, Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals is the second extended play by the cast of musical television series Glee. Containing six songs from the season one finale "Journey to Regionals", it was released on June 8, 2010, the same day the episode aired. Half of the tracks are cover versions of...
. The Glee arrangement was adapted from Petra Haden
Petra Haden
Petra Haden is an American violinist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers, Beck, Mike Watt, Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age,...
's version.
Released as a digital download on June 2, 2009, the song performed well in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia, where it charted within the top five of their national charts. The cast performance of "Don't Stop Believin'" was certified gold in the US
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
in October 2009 and platinum in March 2011, achieving over 1,000,000 digital sales, and platinum in Australia, with sales of over 70,000.
"Don't Stop Believin'" was put on the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
and BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
playlists in the UK in January 2010.
Critical reception
Aly Semigan of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
critically praised the song stating "Fox's
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
put the ultimate earworm
Earworm
Earworm, a loan translation of the German Ohrwurm, is a portion of a song or other music that repeats compulsively within one's mind, put colloquially as "music being stuck in one's head."...
back in its rightful place." She then continued saying "even if you aren’t one for show choirs (which, is quite frankly, shocking), it’s pretty damn hard to resist." Semigan also compared it to the original version stating "it sounds slightly different in this Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks is an American teen comedy-drama television series, created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season...
meets High School Musical
High School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
pilot, but it's a good kind of different."
Track listings
-
- Digital download
- "Don't Stop Believin'" – 3:50
-
- German CD single
- "Don't Stop Believin'" – 3:52
- "Rehab" – 3:26
Cover versions
The Almighty Glee Glub did their remix version including a radio edit, club mix, dub mix and instrumental. Pop-Punk band All Time Low preformed a cover of this during several live concerts, and was featured once in a special of their Straight To DVD concert video.Chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
18 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| France (SNEP) | 48 |
Certifications
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles | 82 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 22 |
Personnel
From the album Glee: The Music, Volume 1Glee: The Music, Volume 1
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 is the debut soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which airs on Fox in the United States. It features cover versions from the first nine episodes of the first season and was released on November 2, 2009 by Columbia Records and 20th...
:
- Chris ColferChris ColferChristopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
- Kevin McHale
- Lea MicheleLea MicheleLea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
- Cory MonteithCory MonteithCory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
- Amber RileyAmber RileyAmber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
- Jenna Ushkowitz
From the EP Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals is the second extended play by the cast of musical television series Glee. Containing six songs from the season one finale "Journey to Regionals", it was released on June 8, 2010, the same day the episode aired. Half of the tracks are cover versions of...
:
- Dianna AgronDianna AgronDianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
- Chris Colfer
- Kevin McHale
- Lea Michele
- Cory Monteith
- Amber Riley
- Naya RiveraNaya RiveraNaya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
- Mark Salling
- Jenna Ushkowitz
Big Brother 2010
The housemates of Big Brother 2010Big Brother 2010 (UK)
Big Brother 2010 was the eleventh regular series of the British reality television series, Big Brother and the final series to be broadcast on Channel 4. The series was launched on Wednesday 9 June 2010, and was aired on Channel 4 and E4 for 77 days with the finale on 24 August 2010, where Josie...
recorded a version of the song, coached by Andrew Stone of Pineapple Dance Studios
Pineapple Dance Studios
Pineapple Dance Studios is a dance studio complex based in the Covent Garden area of central London, England. It was founded by the English model and businesswoman Debbie Moore in 1979. The studio is used for castings and rehearsals by dance companies, record labels, television networks, film...
, in July 2010. Stone also choreographed and shot a video of the performance. According to Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, the video "almost out-Glees Glee" Steve and Rachel sang the lead vocals.