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Don't Stop Believin': the power ballad that refused to die

"Just a small town girl …"

When was the last time you heard Don't Stop Believin'? Was it on the radio or in the pub? At a festival or a wedding? Was it sung by Journey themselves, the cast of Glee , a fan on YouTube, a choir of schoolchildren or a drunk friend on a karaoke machine? Boxfresh pop songs such as Tinie Tempah's Pass Out might have a decent claim on being the sound of Britain in 2010 but nothing has wriggled its way into every corner of the culture quite like a slow-burning power ballad that's about to celebrate its 30th birthday.

Let's take some figures. The year began with the curious sight of Journey's song at No 6, with the Glee version at No 5, and it has barely left the top 75 since. In the US, download sales have passed 4m, making it by far the biggest-selling 20th-century catalogue track. Americans have had longer to live with it. It was a hit there back in 1981, and it's had so many phases that even its comebacks have had comebacks. But over here it stalled at No 62 on its first release in February 1982 and didn't begin to register in the pop psyche until relatively recently. Its path from obscurity to ubiquity mirrors its unorthodox structure: the slow build towards the last-minute eruption.

"A singer in a smoky room …"

It was a song inspired by failure. Journey started life as a jazz-rock band in San Francisco in 1973, but they were floundering and hitless when, four years later, they recruited singer Steve Perry, who was having little luck himself. Their fortunes drastically improved, but the sentiments of Don't Stop Believin' harked back to the lean years. Before keyboardist Jonathan Cain joined in 1980, he was also struggling while living on LA's Sunset Boulevard. Each time he called home in despair, his dad would tell him: "Don't stop believing or you're done, dude."

The song was written backwards. Cain had nothing but the climactic chorus when he brought the stub of a song to Perry and guitarist Neal Schon, and they worked together on how to get to that moment. They all liked the concept of two lovers fleeing their hometowns by train (a reverse homage to Gladys Knight's Midnight Train to Georgia), and Cain told Perry about his time in LA, hence the "strangers waiting up and down the boulevard" line. "I [saw] that every night in Hollywood," Cain told The Mix magazine. "People coming to LA looking for their dream. We felt that every young person has a dream and sometimes where you grow up isn't where you're destined to be."

"Some will win, some will lose …"

In Britain, Don't Stop Believin' flopped, despite being Kerrang!'s single of the year for 1982. In the US, however, it was a substantial hit, the first of many from 1981's multi-platinum Escape album. "Everyone in an American high school in the early 80s probably had a Journey cassette," says Brian Raftery, author of Don't Stop Believin': How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life. "But then in the early 90s all the cheesy 80s music got rejected and it basically disappeared. Journey were seen as the kind of overblown arena act that grunge and hip-hop were meant to obliterate."

The band weren't best-placed to argue otherwise. Perry left in 1987, and then again after a brief reunion in the mid-90s, confirming the sense that Journey were yesterday's men. But a few years ago, Raftery started noticing younger people singing Don't Stop Believin' at karaoke. "It amazed me," he says. "First of all, how did they hear this song? And secondly, why? I think that younger people aren't aware of the stigma. They just think it's another awesomely cheesy anthem."

Cain dates the song's resurgence back to its tongue-in-cheek cameo in the 1998 Adam Sandler comedy The Wedding Singer. After that, other soundtrack co-ordinators turned to Journey for a song that was both humorously retro and genuinely stirring. It appeared in a pivotal montage in Scrubs (2003) and a karaoke scene in Family Guy (2005). And then, in 2007, came The Sopranos.

Series creator David Chase has never explained why he wanted Don't Stop Believin' for the last-ever episode, but it was a song that would have resonated with every member of the Soprano clan – for Tony and Carmella it was the sound of their youth, for Meadow and AJ a new discovery at college or high school. But when Chase first sought permission from the songwriters, Perry demurred because, he later explained, "I was not excited about the Soprano family being whacked to Don't Stop Believin'". He withheld consent until three days before the episode aired, when Chase agreed to tell him (three-year-old spoiler alert!) that the ending was ambiguous. And so 12 million viewers were left hanging with Journey ringing in their ears.

That's how a song that was already slowly re-entering the culture reached the tipping point. Kanye West sang along to it, in a kind of gauche superstar karaoke, on his 2008 tour. The Broadway musical Rock of Ages climaxed with a massed rendition. The LA Dodgers adopted it as their theme song. Just when it could hardly get more popular, it appeared, cleverly rearranged, in the pilot episode of Glee and wooed an even younger generation. "I think that helped stymie Don't Stop Believin' fatigue," says Raftery. "They managed to make a song that was very easy to sing along to even more accessible." In Britain, Joe McElderry's version on The X-Factor provided the final shove.

But this cultural carpet-bombing can only explain why people have heard it, not why they love it. What exactly is the unrelenting appeal of Don't Stop Believin'?

"It goes on and on and on and on …"

Raftery has a suggestion: "It's the kind of song you can wink at, but at the same time it's very emotional. You can have it both ways." Like Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer, Don't Stop Believin' is inspirational kitsch, taking the borderline corny, ordinary-Joe heroism of Springsteen circa Born to Run and pushing it way over the top. But whereas Springsteen is more likely to focus on the smalltown world being left behind, Perry and Cain are all about where their heroes are going. The characters' self-image is shaped by rock music and cinema: "Oh, the movie never ends …"

The lyric is just specific enough not to be woolly but vague enough to apply to any situation in which not stopping believin' is important. If you're a sports fan, it says you may still get to the finals. If you're an aspiring musician, on Sunset Boulevard in the 70s or on The X Factor today, it says you may yet see your name in lights. And if you're just young and think you could do better, well then it's a song for you as well. No wonder its self-mythologising resonates at a time when nothing is more important than "following your dreams". "This song has helped me personally to not give up, and I'm finding that goes for a lot of people out there," Perry told Planet Rock radio in February.

"As cheesy as it is, it's pretty convincing," says Raftery. "Here are these kids, they've gone through some hard times, but you know what? You gotta keep pushing through it. Which is the story, for better or worse, of America: don't look back, don't let your past drag you down, just keep pushing forward."

And that's what the song does on a structural level – it pushes forward. It is that midnight train, steadily gathering speed, and as a listener you want to stay on until it reaches its destination. "It's like a wave about to happen," Cain told the LA Times. "The anticipation of something happening, a change in your life."

According to Will Byers, a music teacher and former host of the Guardian's School of Rock blog, the structure is the key. Yes, Cain's opening piano chords are potent – as Australian comedy trio Axis of Awesome have demonstrated in a much-watched clip , it's the same chord sequence (I, V, vi, IV) that appears in Take On Me, Under the Bridge, You're Beautiful and Let It Be, the minor vi adding just a touch of yearning. And yes, as Byers points out, each new guitar chord appears on the last quaver of the bar, giving the song an extra push. But these are common strategies. It's the slow burn that makes Don't Stop Believin' so unusually compelling.

"Over time, we learn to appreciate these songs that don't offload all they've got in the first minute – Elton John's Tiny Dancer being another one," says Byers. "You invest some emotion in bothering to listen all the way through."

You have to wait a full 80 seconds before the drums come in properly, and the chorus only arrives less than a minute before the end. It generates not just momentum but, as Chase recognised, suspense. It contains the possibility of failure ("Some will win, some will lose") until the last surge of indomitable optimism. The opposing vision of Midnight Train to Georgia, about someone who leaves LA after discovering that "dreams don't always come true", lurks in the shadows. It's no lyrical masterpiece, but it is a hugely effective bit of storytelling.

"It's the sense of theatre," says Byers, who has coached several students to sing it in the past year. "You can get away with a song building in a musical. In a way, it lends itself more to being placed in a narrative than it does to being a radio hit."

"Hold on to the feelin' …"

Glee dissolves the wall between star and fan, between professional performance and karaoke, making it an ideal vehicle to promote Don't Stop Believin' as a song for anyone to perform. "It's one of the most perfect karaoke songs ever," says Raftery. "I doubt anyone who works in a karaoke bar goes three hours without hearing it."

The song gives you license to overact, especially if you don't have a voice half as supple and precise as Perry's and you need to compensate with sheer gusto. In that context, it's both heroic and daft, narcissistic and communal. It's appropriate that Journey's current frontman, Arnel Pineda, was recruited after the band saw him performing Don't Stop Believin' on YouTube with his previous band. Perry made it great, but the song has now eclipsed the singer.

So first it was a normal song, then a forgotten one, then an ironic reference, then a genuine comeback, then a phenomenon, and now it's just there, like the sun or gravity or Hey Jude.

"I used to love that song and I'm so sick of it now," says Raftery. "The minute that piano starts I'm like, 'oh my God.' It won't go away. I feel like in a year and a half you guys will be where we are – please don't put on Don't Stop Believin'! But," he sighs, "it is fun. You can't deny how fun it is."

Don't Stop Believin' is out now and until the end of time on iTunes.

• Pop and rock
• The Sopranos
• Adam Sandler
• US television

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The Cast of Glee Reunited to Sing Journey One Last Time. Watch the Blockbuster Performance

By Jessica Radloff

Cry it out, you guys. Just cry it out. The next few weeks will bring lots of trips down memory lane for the cast of Glee , but the mini concert they held over the weekend might have been the most powerful.

Lea Michele, Chord Overstreet, Alex Newell, Darren Criss, Jenna Ushkowitz, Harry Shum Jr., and Becca Tobin brought the attendees of the Family Equality Council's Los Angeles Awards Dinner to their feet with Abba's "Dancing Queen" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." The latter was especially moving as it was the song that put the show on the map in the 2009 premiere episode and one that showcased Cory Monteith and Lea Michele as the show's signature couple.

Before I show you guys their signature finale, check out the cast (led by the uber-talented Alex Newell) singing "Dancing Queen."

I, for one, will be curious if the cast's last performance on the series is Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." Just a warning: This video will give you the chills. Classic Glee .

The event (which raised over $618,000) honored Ryan Murphy (as well as Modern Family 's Steve Levitan) for outstanding effort in portraying LGBTQ relationships and families. I've included a portion of Murphy's speech, which was so warmly received for both its importance and humor.

"A couple weeks ago the other producers and writers and I got together to write the final episode of > Glee . We struggled for days with the title, and finally we just settled on the truth. And the series finale is called "There's No One Left to Come Out." Seriously. [> Laughs ] Seven years ago, > Glee was going to be a lot of things...I wanted to do something personal on that show. I wanted to write about creating your own family, no matter where you are or where you've lived. I have always believed in the ideology of one of my idols, Norman Lear, that the way to acceptance is understanding. You have to see it and experience it in your own house and life to empathize. I think the success of > Glee and > Modern Family brought gay kids and gay families to millions of people who think they didn't know those kinds of people, and then suddenly, literally in the course of one month, they did. To me, that is the great legacy of those shows, and it's why public opinion, I think, of what makes an American family has changed so radically and quickly. I had been told that seven years, before > Glee and > Modern Family and > Transparent and > Orange Is the New Black , one poll showed that only 18 percent of Americans believed that a gay or nontraditional family was entitled to equal rights. Today, that number has grown to 52 percent. That is a great change, and it's a great victory in such a short amount of time, but there is more work to be done. I started writing television in 1998, and I still have the network executive notes of my first show in my office. They said the following: 'Could you please not have the cheerleader wear a fur coat?' Code for too gay. 'Could you please not have the gay characters holding hands?' Code for same. I'm happy to say I no longer get notes like this, and I'm happy to say that the executives who gave me those notes are no longer employed. Show creators like Steve [Levitan] and myself get a lot of credit for moving the bar when it comes to the depiction of gay characters and gay families, but the truth of the matter is, a lot of the credit really needs to go to [the] new leaders and executives in our town. These are the people who are on the right side of history and fought the good fight even when they were starting out. Do it, write it, don't change it, be bold, and that's the only way things are going to change. On > Glee , we really did try to entertain, and we tried to make it easier on the next generation by paving the way for them. So I want to think the Family Equality Council for this honor. And so, without further ado, until we reboot the show three years from now on Netflix, here is the cast of > Glee !"

By Elizabeth Logan

By Kathleen Walsh

By Nuala Phillips

Dot Marie Jones (Coach Shannon/Sheldon Beiste), who attended with her beautiful wife and stepdaughter, recalled that Coach Beiste's domestic abuse story line and transgender transformation were not the most powerful because of what they showed but of what they fought against. "What's inspired me is to be careful because words are so powerful. I'm so proud of the way we've presented [so many] story lines."

Jones said the last week (since the show wrapped on February 21) has been quite emotional, but she has a remedy for that. "I think Jane [Lynch] and I should do a spin-off. A half-hour comedy!" I would totally watch that.

Although Alex Newell didn't join the series until halfway through its run as Wade "Unique" Adams, the insanely talented performer has made just as much of a mark on the show as original cast members. "A parent came up to me and said I helped them understand what their child was going through," recalled Newell. "So many parents grew up in a different era, and we're growing up in a different one. My mother is my biggest supporter. The most amazing thing she said to me when I came out was, 'You're my child, and I'm going to love you regardless of what you choose, what you do in life. I love you, and you're the only thing I have in this life that I was promised to,' and I've carried that with me."

New Girl 's Max Greenfield presented the awards to Murphy and Levitan. On a separate note, I was just on the set of The Mindy Project last week, and you guys won't want to miss Greenfield's special guest appearance in the finale. It's pretty darn amazing.

Sarah Paulson (pictured here with Lea Michele) used her time at the podium to not only raise funds for the Family Equality Council but also to proposition Murphy for a role on American Horror Story: Hotel . We'll just have to see if she was successful at that.

Eric Christian Olsen ( NCIS: Los Angeles ) and wife Sarah Wright Olsen ( Marry Me ) joined honorary event cochair Dan Bucatinsky ( Marry Me ) during the gala, which also honored the Houston's Annise Parker, who is the city's first LGBTQ mayor. Parker was most recently named the top mayor in the U.S. by the City Mayors Foundation.

For more information on the work that the Family Equality Council is doing, visit its website here .

By Sam Reed

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Glee Soundtrack [ 2009 ]

Episode 22 • journey.

Don't Stop Believin'

 Will scans the radio in his car and ends on this.

New Directions (originally by Journey)

 The final song by New Directions in their medley.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Vocal Adrenaline (originally by Queen)

 Vocal Adrenaline performs their piece.

Any Way You Want It / Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'

New Directions (originally by Journey)

 The second song (or second <em>and</em> third) at the competition.

To Sir, With Love

New Directions (originally by Lulu)

 The group thanks Will with a song.

 Finn and Rachel sing in the competition.

Over The Rainbow

Will & Puck (originally by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)

Will and Puck sing for the glee club.

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Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

Songfacts®:

• Journey's most enduring song, this track has a unique structure, which helps it stick in your mind. Where most songs have a chorus that's repeated several times, "Don't Stop Believin'" brings in its chorus (and title) only at the end - about 3:20 into the song. The structure goes: instrumental, first verse, instrumental, second verse, first pre-chorus, instrumental, third verse, second pre-chorus, instrumental, and then finally the chorus until fade-out. It was not their biggest chart hit (that would be " Open Arms "), but is by far Journey's most famous song, thanks to a resurgence in the '00s.
• The line, "Strangers waiting, up and down the Boulevard" is a reference to Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, where dreams are made. Keyboard player Jonathan Cain got the idea for the song when he went there to pursue his career. In his Songfacts interview , Cain said: "The song began with the chorus. My father had coached me. I was in Hollywood, struggling with my career, kind of lost. I was asking him, 'Should I come back to Chicago and just give up on this dream?' And he said, 'No, son. Stay the course. We have a vision. It's gonna happen. Don't stop believin'.'" Cain's dream came true when he joined a group called The Babys with John Waite. In 1980, he joined Journey in San Francisco, and this song took shape. He told Steve Perry about his idea for placing the song in Sunset Boulevard, and Perry had him describe it. "I described the menagerie of people who would show up on a Friday night," Cain said. "All the dreamers that had dreams to become actors. Producers, artists, lawyers, anything... they were all there on a Friday night."
• Journey lead singer Steve Perry, keyboard player Jonathan Cain and guitarist Neal Schon are the credited songwriters on this one, but the entire band contributed. In the Time3 compilation, the genesis of this song is explained: "At the band's Oakland warehouse, this song bubbled out of a rehearsal. Schon developed the bass riff, the chugging guitar line and the sweeping chords on the chorus. Steve Smith built the song around a pattern featuring a lot of tom-toms, anchoring the number to a rich drum figure. Perry and Cain drew from their experiences with the Sunset Strip street scene for the lyrics, 'streetlight people.'"
• Speaking with New York Magazine , Perry explained that the song originated during a series of gigs in Detroit when he found himself in a hotel room unable to sleep, staring out of the window: Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard Their shadows searching in the night Streetlight people, living just to find emotion Hiding, somewhere in the night "I was digging the idea of how the lights were facing down, so that you couldn't see anything," he recalled. "All of a sudden I'd see people walking out of the dark, and into the light. And the term 'streetlight people' came to me. So Detroit was very much in my consciousness when we started writing."
• The popular resurgence of this song can be traced to its use in the 2003 movie Monster , which was based on the true story of the female serial killer Aileen Wuornos. The film was not widely seen but drew critical raves and a Best Actress Oscar for Charlize Theron, who portrayed Wuornos. In the movie, the song comes on when Wuornos and Selby Wall (played by Christina Ricci) are skating to it in a roller rink. They mention how they love the song, and as it builds, so does their passion, and they end up kissing outside the rink. The use of "Don't Stop Believin'" in this critically adored scene got the attention of the Hollywood community, who saw the emotion the song could bring out and no longer thought of it as a nostalgia track. Requests started pouring in to use the song in a variety of movies and TV shows, and soon another generation was familiar with the song. So how did it get in Monster in the first place? The film's director Patty Jenkins used it when they shot the scene and knew it fit perfectly. She sent the band members viewing copies of the film and asked permission to use it on a short budget. Perry called her back and not only gave approval, but helped her select music for the rest of the film; he's credited as a music consultant.
• The song was written to give the audience a connection with the band, a goal it achieved. Jonathan Cain told Songfacts: "It was the first attempt to bring an audience into the band's world. We're singing for you. We're singing about your world now. So, it was a departure from what they had been doing before. What I wanted to do was get a little Bruce Springsteen going on. Bruce was the master of that, bringing his audience into his songs. I was a huge fan of Bruce's."
• Speaking with the British radio station Planet Rock in 2010, Steve Perry said of this song: "Personally, it's something that means a lot to me. Everybody has emotional issues and problems, and the song has helped me personally to not give up, and I'm finding a lot of people feel that."
• This is the first track on Journey's seventh album, Escape . It was chosen to lead the album because, according to Cain, "With that piano line, it just sounds like a book opening up."
• The song got a boost when it was used as the closing number in Rock of Ages , a jukebox musical featuring hits of the '80s. The show ran on Broadway from 2009-2015, and in 2012 was made into a movie starring Tom Cruise. It's an appropriate choice, as Rock of Ages takes place on Sunset Boulevard, which is also the primary setting for the song.
• In the last ever episode of the TV show The Sopranos , which aired June 10, 2007, Tony Soprano plays this song on a jukebox during the final scene. The episode abruptly ends with the lyrics "Don't Stop" as the scene cuts to black. Steve Perry said in People magazine June 13, 2007: "I needed to know how this song was going to be used. I didn't want the song to be part of a blood-bath, if that was going to be the closing moment. In order for me to feel good about approving the song use, they had to tell me what happened. And they made me swear that I would not tell anybody."
• This was featured in an episode of the TV show Scrubs called "My Journey." Other television series and films to use "Don't Stop Believin'" include South Park , The Wedding Singer , Shrek the Halls , Bedtime Stories , Yes Dear , King of the Hill , The Comebacks , View from the Top , Cold Case , CSI: Crime Scene Investigation , My Name Is Earl , Just Shoot Me and Laguna Beach .
• In November 2008 it was announced that this track had become the first song available in the pre-digital era to sell more than 2 million downloads through iTunes. The track's popularity increased significantly after its appearance in the final episode of The Sopranos . It also became one of the most popular karaoke songs in America in the late '00s.
• In May 2009 a remake by the cast of the Fox TV musical comedy Glee debuted at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, five places higher than Journey's version ever reached. It was performed in the season pilot and became part of the soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 1 . By the end of 2009, the digital download had earned 500,000 digital sales. The Glee version was performed on Sesame Street with monsters portraying the cast. The bit featured the letter G, so the lyrics were adapted to "Don't stop G-ing."
• Believing in yourself and following your passion are ideals Steve Perry holds dear. When Randy Jackson, who used to play bass with Journey, was a judge on the singing competition American Idol , he asked Perry to come on as a guest judge. Perry turned him down, saying, "I don't feel good about sitting in judgment of anyone's honest passion to perform or their talent. If someone has a passion to perform, they should do it no matter what anyone says." Perry added: "I was passed on in the music business many, many times before Herbie [Journey manager Walter Herbert] heard my demo and believed in me. That was the moment that changed my life and I'm still forever grateful to him for believing in me. The hardest part is to keep believing in what you love when others tell you that you are not good at it."
• MTV went on the air shortly before this song was released. The band made a Spartan performance video for it in an empty arena, apparently at a soundcheck. They made a better one with footage from a Houston stop on their Escape tour, which became the official video that shows up on their VEVO account. Neither video got much love on MTV, which preferred concept videos.
• In the UK, this song peaked at #62 when it was first released. In November 2009, it was rereleased after Joe McEldry sang it on the TV show X-Factor , and this time, it climbed to #19. Joe McElderry won the competition, and franchise boss Simon Cowell wanted to release his version of the song as the single in the aftermath of the teenage singer's victory. However, Journey declined and Cowell instead arranged for McElderry to cover Miley Cyrus' track " The Climb ." Guitarist Neal Schon explained to The Sun : "We knew about Joe's version because Simon had contacted our management. He wanted to re-do the song with a different arrangement. We listened to it. We declined. There was nothing wrong with the original version - if it's not busted, let's not fix it." Schon added that Journey were aware they were possibly passing up a UK #1 hit. "Randy Jackson, who was on American Idol with Simon, was stressing that we should let him do it because it would probably go to #1. But we stuck to our decision."
• In the UK, the Glee Cast version debuted at #5 on the UK singles chart dated January 17, 2010, one place above Journey's original recording. It was the first instance of two versions of the same song sitting at back to back positions on the chart since December 2008 when Alexandra Burke's take on " Hallelujah " was at #1 with Jeff Buckley's version one place behind.
• The song starts with Perry singing about a young couple from two different backgrounds: Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world She took the midnight train goin' anywhere Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit He took the midnight train goin' anywhere But hang on a sec, any good Motor City citizen will tell you, there is no location called South Detroit; Detroit, Michigan, distinguishes only between an East Side and a West Side. If you go south in Detroit ("down-river"), you end up in Canada. Perry admitted to New York Magazine that he wasn't overly concerned with being geographically accurate. "I ran the phonetics of east, west, and north, but nothing sounded as good or emotionally true to me as South Detroit," he said. "The syntax just sounded right. I fell in love with the line. It's only been in the last few years that I've learned that there is no South Detroit. But it doesn't matter."
• This was used in the 1982 Atari video game Journey Escape . The song played in the background while you controlled various band members, helping them find the space ship while avoiding groupies and evil promoters. Computer graphics were pretty bad back then, so the groupies were represented as hearts with legs, and the promoters were floating heads. In fact, the very game was created to be based on the band Journey and the album Escape .
• This was one of the first Journey songs on which keyboard player Jonathan Cain played. He replaced Gregg Rolle for the Escape album.
• Lady Gaga, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Blondie and Shirley Bassey performed this at the finale of a Rainforest Fund benefit at Carnegie Hall in May 2010.
• This song was used in a 2005 episode of animated TV series Family Guy where Peter, Joe, Cleveland, and Quagmire did a drunken karaoke rendition of the song. ITunes was catching on at this point, and after this episode aired there was a spike in download sales of the song. >> Suggestion credit : Bert - Pueblo, NM
• Journey toured to support this album, but they interrupted their tour to open for The Rolling Stones in Philadelphia on September 25, 1981. It was The Stones first show on their North American tour.
• This became the anthem of the Chicago White Sox during their 2005 season in which they won the World Series. Steve Perry attended the last game of the Series and sang the song at their victory parade. Perry's allegiance though, is to his hometown team the San Francisco Giants. He was often seen supporting the team when they won World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Perry would sometimes lead the crowd in singing along to "Don't Stop Believin'" when it was played between innings at games.
• Steve Perry severed ties with Journey in 1998 when he needed hip replacement surgery and couldn't give his bandmates a return date. Anxious to tour, they replaced him with the similar sounding Steve Augeri, and later with Arnel Pineda. For Journey fans, a dream scenario finds Perry reuniting with the band, triumphantly taking the helm on "Don't Stop Believin'" in an affirmation of unity and faith. But every year, they scenario seems less likely. In 2017 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Perry attended but didn't perform with the band, which did three songs (including this one) with Pineda. When Perry emerged with a solo album, Traces , in 2018, he offered some insight into his split with the band and his absence. "My love for music had suddenly left me," he said. "If music was ever to return to my heart, then and only then I would figure out what to do. If not... so be it, for I had already lived the dream of dreams." Journey first fractured in 1987 after touring for their Raised On Radio album. This was Perry's doing, as he was burned out and worried about keeping his voice healthy. But it was Perry who initiated their return, calling Cain in 1995 to talk about getting back together. This resulted in the 1996 album Trial by Fire ; Perry's hip condition emerged after it was finished.
• "Don't Stop Believin'" powered Journey's 1988 Greatest Hits album to a whopping 15 million in US sales ( Escape sold 9 million), making it one of the best-selling compilation albums in history. In 2001, they released another compilation, The Essential Journey , which sold another 2 million.
• During the 2020 pandemic, some hospitals used the song as a rallying call for patients recovering from COVID-19 and those treating them. The New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, for instance, played "Don't Stop Believin'" throughout the building each time they discharged a coronavirus patient.
• In 2020, Ladbaby, a UK duo comprising YouTuber Mark Hoyle and his wife Roxanne, released a playful twist on this song titled " Don't Stop Me Eatin' ." Recorded to raise money for foodbank charity The Trussell Trust, Ladbaby's single was the UK's Official Christmas #1 that year.
• "Don't Stop Believin'" was honored by the Library of Congress, which added it to the National Recording Registry in 2022. Steve Perry said: "That song, over the years, has become something that has a life of its own. It's about the people who've embraced it and found the lyrics to be something they can relate to and hold onto and sing."
• On January 26, 2024, the RIAA certified "Don't Stop Believin'" at 18x Platinum, a jump from 5x Platinum in 2013. The new certification reflects streaming, and signals that the song is immensely popular across generations. Other songs to reach that milestone are all far more recent, like " Sunflower " by Post Malone. Based on these figures, it's safe to say that "Don't Stop Believin'" is the most widely popular song of all-time in America. You can play it to anyone and they'll certainly recognize the song and probably like it. The next-closest song from the pre-streaming era is Mariah Carey's " All I Want For Christmas Is You ," with a 14x Platinum certification in 2024.
• More songs from Journey
• More songs about perseverance
• More songs used in TV shows
• More songs used in movies
• More popular Karaoke songs
• More songs that were hits for more than one artist
• More songs covered by the Glee cast
• More songs that are discussed in movies
• More songs popular during the coronavirus pandemic
• More motivational songs
• More songs from 1981
• Lyrics to Don't Stop Believin'
• Journey Artistfacts

Comments: 119

• Chad Eicher from Apple Creek, Ohio This song has got to be one of the greatest hit songs that I knew the words to. The cast of the Fox television show "Glee" did their version of that hit song. It just blew me away.
• Rw Cain, at a songwriters festival in 2014, explained some parts of the song. The girl and guy story is like a version of Jack And Diane; they may not be real people. The trains moving at midnight is inspired by the song Midnight Train To Georgia. Live versions of the song, depending on the main vocalist, may change South Detroit to whatever city the band is playing in at that moment.
• Soulsoldseparately from Buffalo, Ny Does "city boy born and raised in South Detroit" refer to an actual person?
• Seventh Mist from 7th Heaven My daughter's favorite song. She often used it as inspiration once she was on her own and (seemingly) facing a new challenge every day. She never stopped believing.
• Susan from Illinois Question-asker from A Train Going Anywhere, I think the lyric means ourselves. The movie is our lives. I believe our lives on this planet will end, but our souls will live on and on in another place.
• Ronsha from New Jersey OMG. This song is so dang famous! People everywhere know this song. I swear to God it's even growing on the younger generations, including me. I used to hate it and think it's overrated, but deep down I always thought, oh darn, this song's catchy, who am I kidding? I'm 13 now and Don't Stop Believin' is one of the most uplifting songs I've ever heard. Not only the sound, but also the lyrics are beautiful. Good song to make you feel strong, nostalgic... it could make you cry too.
• Brett from Mason Whether we choose to hear Streetlight People for street lights, people Steve Perry came right out and said after a concert in Detroit he is looking out from his hotel room down on the street and there we're people just wandering around the street. Not necessarily prostitutes or any other specific type of people. More or less aimlessly wandering around Under The Lights doing nothing. Mendez for the South Detroit I don't think he was intending to give a geography lesson. He was making a song sound the best it could possibly be
• Mckinzie from United States This is my all time favorite song, I say that this is my song because I could relate to this song so much.
• Nick from Ohio This is the most played classic hit of all time. Who would have thought that a song that peaked at #9 would become the undisputed biggest song in history.
• Badintense from Erie Pa This song has crossed all generations and ethnicities as a beloved song. Last summer (2019) in my neighborhood a group of young black teens were hauling their giant boom box down the street blaring this song and singing the words perfectly as if they were in an adult karaoke bar. It actually brought a tear to my eye since I was a teen when this song first came out in 1981. Journey's music has really brought people together into a common bond no matter what the media tries to push on people.
• Question-asker from A Train Going Anywhere what does the lyric "Oh, the movie never ends It goes on and on, and on, and on" mean in this song?
• Seventhmist from 7th Heaven I recently took a long trip and played a Journey collection in my car, downloaded from a phone app. It contained a live version of this song, performed in Houston, that I hadn’t heard before. When Perry reached line about the boy, he sang, “Just a city boy, born and raised right here in Houston!” That definitely caught me by surprise.
• Jodie from Xx I'm pretty sure he's saying "streetlights, people". Not "streetlight people".
• Steve from Albany, Ny And the nonsense about Windsor being "considered" south Detroit continues to stick to the Wiki page like doodoo. LOL It's been said by many that you should never rely on Wiki as a source of reliable / accurate information. Very true.
• Charles from Charlotte The stuff about lowlife killer Eileen Wuernos kissing her female lover just sullies the discussion of a great American pop song. Wish Perry & Co, had said NO!! to that.
• Leonardo from Connecticut I would argue that the Sopranos season finale repopularized the song, not Monster...
• Tony from San Diego Steve Smith plays an amazing drum pattern during the choruses.
• Steve from Albany, Ny The info on the Wikipedia page for this song is inaccurate. And some moderator is allowing it to be there. I guess the following from John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band's song C-I-T-Y was actually referring to Windsor too: "On the South side of Detroit city I'm working all night on the line" Yep, definitely referring to Windsor, Ontario because everyone knows Windsor, Ontario is "considered" south Detroit. Right. LOL
• Steve from Albany, Ny Regarding "south Detroit", I'm simply going to paste in what I just got done explaining to a mod at Wiki who is apparently bent on leaving misinformation on the Wiki page for this song. Sorry but this is pretty simple stuff and anyone who doesn't get it is an imbecile. ........................ I'm guessing / just realizing that you're a type of moderator here. If you in fact have control over what info is on the page in question, it would be a HUGE wrong to leave in the very misleading entry you've re-submitted. Windsor, Ontario is south _OF_ Detroit, Michigan. Detroit, Michigan is the city that NUMEROUS bands would make reference to in their songs. Especially rock bands and especially during the 70s into the 80s. Not Windsor and not any other suburbs of Detroit that also lie south of Detroit (or "downriver"). The song simply makes reference to the south SIDE of Detroit. The quote by Perry makes it clear that the word south was only added because... well, try singing it without south and just a long INNNN in it's place. As the quote makes clear, the song would not have sounded right without south (or something) before the word Detroit. Not that it's is needed for most to understand that the song is referencing Detroit and only Detroit but there is also a quote by Perry in which he stated that Detroit was very much in their (the writers) minds as they wrote the song. Windsor is not a part of Detroit. The song makes reference to the south side of Detroit. If the entry about Windsor is left on the page, so be it, but it is completely misleading and wrong.
• John from Chino, Ca This song is played during the final minutes of Detroit Red Wings home games where it seems evident that the team will win. Played over the PA system, the song is muted so the crowd can sing the verse, "Born and raised in South Detroit."
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On December 13th 1981 "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey peaked at #9 (for 3 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on October 25th and spent 9 weeks on the Top 100... It reached #2 in Canada and #6 in the U.K. Was one of four tracks from the group's 1981 album 'Escape' to make the Top 100 (the others were "Who's Crying Now" (4), "Still They Ride" (#19) and "Open Arms" (#2)... And on September 12th, 1981 the album peaked at #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.
• Steve from Albany, Ny Some of the comments here regarding this song and it's mentioning of south Detroit are ridiculous. Saying there is no south Detroit is funny enough (there is a south side of any city and I was born and raised in SW Detroit myself) but I especially get a kick out of the people who say the song is referring to Windsor. If the following Steve Perry quote is accurate, "All of a sudden I'd see people walking out of the dark, and into the light. And the term 'streetlight people' came to me. So Detroit was very much in my consciousness when we started writing.", then the ONLY city being referenced in the song is Detroit. If by chance the lyrics were written as "South Detroit" as opposed to "south Detroit", I suppose that could indicate that Perry/ the writers were thinking of some area of Detroit or evena separate town with that name but it's not likely and that capital S is the only error here. There's nothing complicated here, the song simply refers to the south side of Detroit.
• Jay from Centereach, Long Island, Ny I am surprised that the "South Detroit" line is so controversial. As a New Yorker, and not wholly familiar with the local geography or the neighborhood names of Detroit, I always thought South Detroit simply meant the southern part of Detroit, much like the South Bronx is the southern part of the Bronx. But who cares? This is a great song; no one should be concerned about a geographic error.
• Deethewriter from Saint Petersburg, Russia Federation Neal Schon told RAW RAWK RU NEWS 2011-10-24 that the recent resurgence of "Don't Stop Believin'" after appearing on The Sopranos and Glee -- as well as becoming the first iTunes song to reach two million downloads -- is beyond his comprehension: "When the record came out, there were other songs that were actually bigger than that off it on radio. Y'know, to have it this many years later just come out and be bombastic (laughs) like never before, just like all over the place and just keep on . . . It just keeps on going. Y'know, it's just pretty amazing."
• Terry from Grafon, Wi This song should be the national anthem of the United States.
• Willie from Scottsdale, Az Bwaaahahaha! Now Michelle "White House Crasher" Salahi is shacking up with Neal Schon. Priceless.
• Ken from San Mateo, Ca Since last year's World Series victory, I will always associate this song to the Giants and the Bay Area. Absolutely one of the best songs!!!!
• Hannah from Gustavus, Oh I'm graduating this coming Sunday (May 29, 2011) and I couldn't be more thrilled that this was voted in as our class song. When they announced it at school you could hear people cheering. I think the reason it's such an enduring song for graduation is that unlike most of the class themes that get picked ("Good Riddance," "Here's to the Night," etc.) it's not about looking back and being sad it's over, but rather looking forward and realizing there is indeed life afterward. It's about living life to the fullest (the first verse) and how even though life is difficult ("some are born to sing the blues"), the important thing is to at least take chances and try ("roll the dice just one more time") - and of course, to not give up no matter what may happen, because everything will turn out just fine in the end.
• Michael from Cincinnati, Oh Journey's 1982 album "Eascape was made into a video game titled "Escape".It was produced by Atari for the 2600 model.It was made by Data Age in San Jose,Cal.The Object of the game was to help the band members "Escape" the fans chasing them around.Pretty cool game at the time.
• Steppy from Detroit, Mi *South Detroit Debate* I'm from metro Detroit (as well as a giant Journey fan) and had always wondered about the reference to South Detroit. I heard and interview a year or so ago with Steve Perry, where he addressed the issue. I listened to it online, maybe Youtube?, so the interview may have been old. At any rate, he said that after a concert in Detroit, he was sitting in his hotel room, very late, working on this song. The room was on a high floor and he was watching the people standing under the lights and pondering their lives ("streetlight people"). While he realized that South Detroit didn't really exist, he used a bit of artistic license, because it flowed better than East Detroit.
• Megan from Stevenson, Al Tell me why this is AMAZING?! lol This song is on a totally different level. Awesome.
• Jim from Long Beach, Ca Great song. South Detroit=Winsor,Ontario,Canada.....
• Jay from St Paul, Mn I listened to a few interviews Steve has given. He said he used South Detroit because it sounded better than North, East or West. He said he didn't realize there was no South Detroit. He jokingly said he found out South Detroit was actually Windsor. As far as streetlight people, he said it's something that he noticed when he looked out of a hotel window. If you Youtube it, you can find the interviews. Very worth while.
• Ken from San Mateo, Ca What a song...Like the Chisox, this also became a tribute song for the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants! And Journey is from this area, so it makes better sense.
• Bobby from Belleville, Nj While Journey's version is a classic, back in 2008 before it was used in Sopranos, freestyle artist George LaMond remade the song into a pop/dance version. And a very good one, I might add.
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny Five years before Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" Olivia Newton-John had a completely different record with the same title, it peaked at No. 33...
• Bd from Vienna, Va Probably worth noting in the brouhaha about Journey turning down a cover of this song is that Randy Jackson was in the band for a while in the mid-80s before their first breakup.
• Rob from Fredericton, Nb One of the many anthems most prominiately found in the 80s hall of great music. For every song played on the radio, this one song sticks out the most when I use to go to a carnival in my hometown. With the smell of fries, hotdogs and other foods lingering in the air, you could always hear a Journey tune blaring in the background while everyone enjoyed riding the many rides at this carnival. So when you take an experience, like a carnival, and feature all of it's pleasantries you soon inaugurate any song from the 80s, namely a Journey tune, and the picture is complete. Such a great band and such a great song.
• Sara from Detroit, Mi And for those of you that want to split hairs, Look on the map of Detroit. Melvindale, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Ecorse, Delray, Allen Park, Southgate, Taylor, River Rouge, Wyandotte. These are all blue collar or very poor areas, and most people worked for the Big 3 auto companies. This area is called "Downriver" as it is south of Detroit. Detroit itself is a pretty small city. What most people think is Detroit is any one of the suburbs that lies within or outside of Detroit's city limits. Oak Park, Hazel Park, Highland Park, and Hamtramck, are all INSIDE the City Limits. Where as Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Southfield, Eastpointe, are OUTSIDE of Detroit's City Limits...yet most people consider it part of the greater metro area. When the word METRO is used by itself all over the country it means DETROIT METRO. We were the first place to use the term "Metro" as a colloquial term for a specific large area, as Detroit was the first city in the country to spread out that fast with that large of a population. The city of Detroit itself, is small.
• Sara from Detroit, Mi You are all VERY WRONG about the South Detroit explanation. To those of us who are FROM Detroit and GREW UP THERE....SOUTH DETROIT IS ANYTHING SOUTH OF I-96...a.k.a "Downriver" ....There has NEVER been a place CALLED South Detroit. It's like being in any big city, the term is more loosely used, than say "South Philly", "South-Central L.A." "Southside Of Chicago". Yes Eastpointe was East Detroit but that has absolutely NOTHING to do with this, you don't see a "West Detroit" on the map do you? As for the lyrics it IS in fact "Streetlights, People". It's amazing how many Americans struggle with their own native language!
• Carrie from Roanoke, Va Petra Haden does a cover version of this song.
• Karen from Manchester, Nh I have loved this song for years...until I heard that it was the closing song on the piece of filth that is titled "The Sopranos".
• Jose from Brisbane, Australia Please tour Australia! I know it's hard because for some reason, Australia never really got into Journey... sad lot we are.
• Nikki from Yamba, Australia greta song... love that it has on family guy.. scrubs... the sapranos... the wedding singer and love when LC and stephen sing it on the second series of laguna beach!
• Ellen from Chicago, Il A great song. See Wikipedia's article (search the song title) for additional details as to what exactly is meant by "South Detroit" - in the section called "Sports".
• Rahul from Chennai, India absolutely beautiful song....
• Stu from Philly, Pa They've been quoted as saying "it's streetlight people, we're talking about prostitutes." At any rate, check the lyrics book that came with the album. One of the greatest songs of all time, it was a real treat to see the cast of Glee perform it on that new TV show. One of the best non-Journey renditions of it. My band Raised On Radio usually starts our sets with this song.
• Mike from Brighton, Ma To answer the age old question, "South Detroit" actually refers Southfield, Michigan. (Southfield, ironcally is north of Detroit.) In the 1980s, Journey played many charity soft ball games with WRIF-FM (The Riff).
• Brendan from Cape Town, South Africa The line after "streetlights, people" sounds like "heaven just a fun emotion" Any other suggestions?
• Allen from Knoxville, Tn On the University Of Tennessee campus, somebody has spray painted on the stop signs "dont STOP believin'" Great song, even 27 years after it was released!
• Katie from St. Paul, Mn The lyrics say "Streetlights, people...", not "Streetlight people".
• Josh from Indianapolis, In Journey Rocks Big Time!!!!!!!!!!!!! thers not a song by them i dont like> Rock on!
• Bob from Dumbsville, Belarus Wow this song is beautiful! Everytime I'm down, I listen to it and it gets me back on my feet again. This song just defines 80s music. Journey will just never be the same without Steve Perry leading their crusade.
• Morten from Sydney, Australia I'm an 80's music tragic but suprisingly had never heard of this song! Thanks to Family Guy for introducing me to this gem! -Morten, Sydney, Australia
• Dean from Windsor, On I would just like to inform all those people who say this song isn't about Windsor. When "South Detroit" is mentioned the city of Windsor is what they are talking about. Windsor is actually SOUTH of Detroit. If your ever around my town and stand at the river your compass will point north. Enjoy!
• Julie from Taylor, Tx When this song comes on...me and best friend victoria go crazy! it's their best song. Classic 80's!
• Melanie from Seattle, Wa Scott from Boston - what a cool story! Haha I want to go write that on a stop sign now! :D This song is sooo good. Journey's best IMO. Steve's voice is amazing.
• Neil from Ottawa, Canada This song was sung by the football team in the 2007 film "The Comebacks". One of the players starts singing it in the change-room, and it turns in to a full-stage concert. It mocks the sports movie cliche of teams turning it around with an uplifting theme song, and also references the Chicago White Sox World Series.
• Liquid Len from Ottawa, Canada What a great song! The only song Journey did in the 80s that wasn't horrid!
• Fredrik from Stockholm, Sweden This song was also featured in the South Park episode "tsst" when Cartman is plugging in his X-Box. He sings the lines "Don't stop believing, hold on to your feelings"
• Krista from Elyria, Oh I love Journey! And I love it when ametuers sing the lyrics! But I HATE baseball cards...
• Scott from Boston, Ma During cross country last year there was a stop sign we always ran by during practice and it said "don't" above it and "believing" below it. It became our team's song and we often sang it very out of tune during runs. Also, that Family Guy episode is awesome (as most are). "Oh my god, that is Journey!"
• Michael from San Diego, Ca One of the most beautiful songs of all time...if this song doesn't get to you, then you may need to check your pulse!
• Richie from Sedalia, Mo Edgar, Kings Park, NY Better luck next time!!
• Edgar from Kings Park, Ny This song reminds me of my failed suicide attempt. Well... there's always next time.
• Brian from Portage, Mi Yes, Detroit is an East/West city, but no matter where an area is, there is still four cardinal directions.
• Brian from Detroit, Mi Anyone from Detroit will know what i am saying, but "south detroit" refers tothe area south of Outer Drive, Detroiters refer to the area as "downriver." i Just want to clear the confusion. It ISINT canada, it ISINT eastpointe, NOR groose pointe.
• Eamon from Motherwell, Scotland THis inspirational song was played every night in a juke by me when I was teaching summer camp in up state New York back in 1980. Being from Scotland, I loved the American rock scene and this classic just typifyies it. 27 years later, I play the Journey live DVD while I work out every other night and never tire of hearing it, it is in my blood. I had the pleasure of seeing Journey in Glasgow earlier this year and it was a real highlight. One question - I have heard different lyrics for this some say "Heaven is a funky mouse?" Any comments guys and girls? Eamon.Motherwell. Scotland.
• Sergio from Miami, Fl I have been listening to this song for a long time now. I grew up listening to it and I admit, its my all time favorite. It is so cool now to see a new generation fall in love with it thanks to Family Guy, Scrubs and Sopranos. I dont think it matters if South Detroit is correct or not cause whenever they performed it live with Steve Perry he always replaced Detroit with the city they were in at the moment. I always thought that was a nice touch and he always got a cheap pop for it. I know I will always love this song and just dont get sick or hearing it. Journey was a fantastic band with some great musicians.
• Mary from Canyon, Tx This song was my junior class song way back when in ancient times, not too long after it was first released. EVen I know Windsor, ON is south of Detroit! (Southeast to be exact.)
• Mark from Glassboro, Nj This song was used in the very end of The Soprano's Final Episode. The song is cut short and the screen goes to blank.
• Missy from Ann Arbor, Mi You may not belive this but 'Don't stop Belivin' was my senior class song...I love it and so did my class...we were a pretty small class and we were all ubsessed with soft and classic rock...the good stuff...Whenever I hear those first few piano keys play, I will alway go back to my high school gym, on a hot june day, walking to the stage to graduate...Good Times, Great Memories and GREAT SONG!!!
• Mike from Hueytown , Al I love the 80's on VH1 ripped this song apart.
• Mark from Des Moines, Ia I can't help but think of the CHICAGO WHITE SOX and their magical run to the World Series title in 2005. What a great season!!! What a great song!!!
• Maria from Houston , Tx I agree with most, his voice is awesome!!!!
• Kara from Cadillac, Mi Artists magic is what happens when you take a group of extraordinarily talented people and put them together, allowing them each to do what they do best. Journey is what happens when it all fits together and creates something wonderful. They're not just a band- they're an era. Neal Schon is with out a doubt one of the most gifted guitarists ever. His knowledge and presentation of his craft are nothing short of brilliant. Steve Perry's vocals are masterful. They, along with Schon's guitar work, gave Journey a distintive sound. Jonathan Cain - a perfect fit, though I admit I've always liked Greg Rolle too. I have a Journey album that was made prior to Steve Perry's joining and listening to that makes me know that Journey would have been great no matter what because they had the talent to be great. I know there were changes in the lineup, but Ross Valory's bass playing was also part of what made Journey what it is to me. I loved Steve Smith on the drums, but as with Rolle, I was sad to see Aynsley Dunbar go. Journey was a concept, a feeling, a part of life, an important accent to memories in my life and continues to contribute to important events in the lives of my kids. Two of my sons play guitar and are greatly influenced by Neal Schon. One of them is currently overseas serving in the millitary- he will marry his high school sweetheart when he returns and their wedding song will be "Open Arms". The two sons that I have at home have recently been getting into Journey - "Generations" and I have found that I love their music now as much as I ever did. It never mattered to me that Steve Perry said "South Detroit" - I lived in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti for many years and I never could keep the suburbs or other offspring areas of Detroit straight anyway. I lived in San Francisco too and always knew that "Lights" was about that city - even if it was written in (or partially in) L.A. - Who cares? Does anybody ever question why "Still They Ride" has traffic lights in it? No. Why? Because it's a truly amazing song about times changing before people are ready for them to with an outstanding guitar lead and excellent vocals. Get over the details. This is legendary music by exceptional musicians. Just enjoy it.
• J from Boston, Ma and I mean (in the last comment) in the chorus part at the end.
• J from Boston, Ma About the streetlight line, I think the first time the line is done, it sort of sounds like streetlight with a little extra sound on it. However, the second time the line is sung, he definetly says streetlights. As the song fades out, I think he says streetlight.
• Jack from London, England Coming from England I had never heard this song on the radio before I heard it on Family Guy. I then heard the song during an episode of Scrubs Season 3 called "My Journey" and decided I had to download it. JOURNEY KICK ASS
• Nathan from From The Country Of, Canada I always heard this song on the radio, but it wasn't until its appearance on Family Guy's kareokee episode that i realized how good the song actually is.
• Peter from Detroit, Mi No matter what, at least once a month I hear this song at the bar. My friends and I are from Dearborn Heights, MI and I like to replace south detroit with "dearborn heights" while belting the lyrics to the annoyance of my girlfriend...she thinks I'm cute so it's cool. Rock on Journey!
• Tom from Vashon, Wa This is an amazing song. It is so sweet. I love it. I think that it has a great message that we can all relate to. Wether we are living on the streets or we are just having problems with our closest friend. You can never stop believing.
• Dave from Beamsville, Canada If you listen closely, you will hear a rendition of this song during the first wedding ceremony on 'The Wedding Singer' when Adam Sandler gets stood up at the alter.
• Allan from Calgary, Canada At The Den (the on-campus bar at the University of Calgary) this song has been the last song every weekend night for the last 10 years. All the regulars drop their pants and do the "no pants dance" Quite a good time and a great way to end the night at a great bar.
• Zeke from Washington, Dc All the lyrics say that the line is "Streetlight, people..." but if you listen to the song it DEFINITELY sings "Streetlights, people." Which do you think it is?
• Kevin from Grosse Pointe, Mi Yeah, but who calls Windsor "South Detroit"? Nobody. I love this song, but that line always bugs me. Why not say "Just a city boy, born and raised in East Detroit" East Detroit is the former name of Easpointe, Michigan. Also, East Detroit is just considered the East side of Metro Detriot, so he could be from the eastern part of the city of Detroit or from any one of the suburbs that is considered East Detroit (Harper Woods, Roseville, Clinton Township, St. Clair Shores)
• Emma from Palm Beach, Australia This song was performed in episode 403 of "The Family Guy" entitled "Don't Make Me Over" (original air date 06/05/05) by Peter, Cleveland, Quagmire and Joe. It's an enjoyable rendition, with pall bearers even dropping a coffin in order to hit "The Drunken Clam" to check out the performance.
• Matt from Haddon Hieghts, Nj This song is great and i got my whole family to love this song its Steve Perrys voice thats just awesome and its one of my fav
• Cindi from Vancouver, Canada OMG WHO care weather it is North, South. East or West it is a great song.....I can think about better things to debate than which way is up, down or left or right....I agree with who ever said there is N,S, E or West every where just get a compass and stand outside this isn't rocket science it's a Rock song.
• Zeke from Washington, Dc Actually, Canada IS south of Detroit. The southern part of Ontario is actually south of Detroit. Check your map Jon from Regina.
• Justin from Monson, Ma I think Journey's song "Don't stop Believin" is the greatest song in the world. I love it so much. Each time it comes on the radio, I turn it up loud. By the way, why does anyone care about how the city of Detroit is used in the song. The song's great!!!!!!!! -Justin Dubois,Monson,MA
• Matthew from East Brunswick, Nj Great song, Journey is a godsend of the 80's!
• Anwiya from Sterling Heights, Mi Hey John from Canada, you know nothing. A portion of Canada (city name: WINDSOR) is south of Detroit.
• Sara Mackenzie from Middle Of Nowhere, Fl white sox have used it for their theme song, omg!! at least it kept them going on to believe that they could win, and they did, so this song is like, an inspiration.
• Christa from Aurora, Il This was the song the white sox used for inspiration to win the world series 2005!
• Jeff from Sothington, Ct this is an inspirational song that has a good guitar part in it...the family guy episode was funny and the fact that i knew this girl that would sing this song and now everytime i hear it i see her singing it..but i still see myslef playing guitar...nice solo though
• David from Yosemite, Ca I heard this song sung a few weeks ago in San Francisco's North Beach--I was trying to sleep in the GreenTortoise hostel in the room above the lounge--and a chorus of girls was singing it. It must have been Kerioki night, but it was lovely. I couldn't recall the group (Journey), but heard a bit on the radio, and googled the lyrics. I've been googling lyrics all weekend--Napster's having free downloads, which brought me here--nice site.. I wish I could have recorded the girls singing. David Yosemite Sept. 4, 2005
• Chase from Pasadena, Ca Most of the memories posted on this website are by a girl named "Stephanie."
• Stephanie from Ellicott City, Md this song brings back some great memories .... reminds me of being just over the edge of 17, vacationing in Florida with my family. we were staying at this resort, and i was hanging out in the game room. i had been pretty bored, and i met this guy about 2 years younger than me. he was from a small town in Maine, while i was from the big city in Maryland. i was grateful to find someone close to my age, and we played airhockey, with us deciding to make a friendly bet, the terms to be determined after the game. he let me win, and the term of the bet was decided to be a kiss. we ended up making out for awhile, and when we parted for the night, we shared no pretense that we'd ever meet again. the next night, i heard this song, and it made me think of him - although it was reversed, he was the small town boy and i was the city girl, for a smile we shared the night, and the memories go on and on. i had been feeling pretty low about myself at this time, and feeling undesirable, and he made me feel like, hey, maybe there is something desirable about me after all. so, Matt from Maine, thank you.
• Ryan from Windsor, Canada Amazing song, one of the best from the 80's. oh and Jon from Regina, check your map bro. I'm from Windsor, Ontario Canada and to go to Detroit I'd have to travel North, not South (one of those "tricky" geography catches).
• Jev from Marietta, Ga Well does anyone know where I can get a good ringtone of this song period.
• Patrick from Charlotte, Nc no.
• Jev from Marietta, Ga Does anybody know where I can get a Don't Stop Believin ringtone that is reliable?
• Jon from Regina, Canada This is a great song. By the way, who really cares if they say South Detroit? It's not the end of the world. And John from Scottsdale, I thought most people knew this, but Canada is NORTH of Detroit, not south.
• Matthew from Marquette, Mi Ok... I don't know how many of you really know Geography, but there is a North, South, East and West of EVERYTHING! There is South America, Southern US, Southern California, South Detroit, my dorm room even has a southern part. While you may not find South Detroit on a map, there is in fact a South Detroit. The guy probably grew up near Michigan Avenue. As for the song... GREAT EFFIN' SONG!
• Tatem from San Diego, Ca No matter the radio station I'm listening to, you can always tell that distinctive Journey-Steve Perry sound and instantly know a Journey song regardless of your knowledge of their song list. Steve Perry gave Journey their uniqueness. I had heard about the Monster movie thing, never saw the movie though. It's hard to believe how old these guys are now. Steve Perry was a hottie. Aging happens to the best of us!!
• Perviz from Cochin, India Words can't describe the kind of feeling you get on hearing this song. Truly a masterpiece!!
• Perviz from Cochin, India This is truly a super duper song. Thanx a million Journey.
• Kevin from Grosse Pointe, Mi Yeah the whole South Detroit thing always bugged me too. Detroit is an East Side/West Side city, not a North Side/South Side city like Chicago. If the lyrics had said "East Detroit" it would have made more sense.
• Ryan from Lansing, Mi There is no East Detroit however as everyone should know, they changed there name to Eastpointe. But yeah he should really have said southren Detroit.
• John from Scottsdale, Az When I ever hear this song, I have to say "you've got it wrong, Steve, and sing "There ain't no such place as South Detroit." I grew up in Detroit. There's an east side and a west side. The dividing line is Woodward Avenue. South Detroit is..uh... Canada. Stand on the plaza in downtown Detroit, and look south. Oh, Canada. Otherwise, I like the song, but Steve and his buddies should hvae stuck to San Francisco or looked at a map
• Tom from Alma, Ga Ack! Another cookie-cutter corporate rock band. Being a child of the 80's, however, they did have some good stuff.
• Dawn from Highlands Ranch, Co Well, Neal Schon, Steve Perry and Jon Cain I think all take credit for the genesis of this song, which probably explains part of why they're not together anymore. But actress Charlize Theron really wanted this song for a scene in her movie Monster, so she and director/writer Patty Jenkins wrote a letter to Steve Perry begging him to allow them to use the song. He saw the scene they wanted it for, said it was perfect, through Sony contacts asked Jon and Neal if they were ok with it, they said yes, and Steve became musical consultant for the film, as well as the song being in the film. Steve is still traveling around the US and Canada with Patty helping her promote the movie and accepting awards for it.
• Mooler from Detroit, Mi Nora hit the nail right on the head. South Detroit is just referring to the southern part of the city just as south west detroit or west side or east side or northeast detroit...etc etc. I should know...im from north east detroit. 7 and gratiot.
• Paul from Greenwood, Sc Just a couple tidbits...in live shows, Journey frontman Steve Perry would insert the name of whatever city that would be hosting them, evidenced by the NFL films documentary of them from the late 80's where they are playing in Philly..."Born and raised in Phil-a-del-phia!"...also the guitar break between the first and second verse spotlights Schon at what he did best. Neil Schon was discovered by Carlos Santana and was playing on stage at the age of 15. He is incredibly fast and it shows on this classic.
• Larry from Artesia, Ca Streetlight people, living just to find emotion Hiding, somewhere in the night
• Angela from Santa Fe, Tx Does anyone know the lyrics to this song? I know most of them, however, there is one line in there where I can't seem to catch all the words. It is right after the line in the chorus "Streetlife people". Can anyone help me? Thanks.
• Nora from Richfield, Mn The lyrics didn't say 'south OF Detroit', it said South Detroit. Big difference

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'Glee' propels Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" to go on and on and on and on

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” hasn’t just taken on another life, it’s going to outlive us all. What started as a top-10 power ballad back in 1981(it peaked at no. 9 on the pop charts) has become the song with more lives than nine cats. The most notable return to the pop culture zeitgeist came, of course, with the Sopranos series finale , but it’s also turned up in the current Broadway show Rock of Ages , as well as Laguna Beach (which landed the song on to iTunes Top 10 back in 2005) — even the memorable roller-rink scene in 2003’s Charlize Theron Oscar bait Monster .

And just when we’d thought we’d escaped the grasp of Steve Perry’s epic plea to “hold on to that fee-eee-ee-lin'” Fox’s Glee came along and put the ultimate earwormback in its rightful place: the number-one spot on iTunes. Of course, it sounds slightly different in this Freaks and Geeks meets High School Musical pilot, but it’s a good kind of different. Even if you aren’t one for show choirs (which, is quite frankly, shocking), it’s pretty damn hard to resist. What do you think, Music Mixers? Are you loving Glee ‘s take on “Don’t Stop Believin’,” or are you ready to ship it back on the midnight train goin’ an-y-where?

More Glee: ‘Glee’: Share your favorite show choir memories. We know you have them. ‘Glee premiere tonight: The music is available already! Woot! ‘Glee’: Please watch tomorrow…or else we can no longer be friends!

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The moment the New Directions have been waiting for has finally arrived: it's time for Regionals . When Sue pulls a fast one on Will and the Glee Clubbers, becoming one of the judges, their chances at the title could be compromised. Meanwhile, Quinn 's life changes forever and Finn  and  Rachel  begin to rebuild their relationship.

The episode was written and directed by Brad Falchuk .

• 2.1 Unreleased Songs
• 2.2 Background Songs
• 3.1 Special Guest Stars
• 3.2 Guest Stars
• 3.3 Special Appearance
• 3.4 Absent Cast Member

When Sue announces to Will that she will be one of the judges at Regionals, along with Josh Groban , Olivia Newton-John and local news anchor Rod Remington , it is much to Will's dismay. The Glee Club members worry that New Directions will soon be disbanded. Principal Figgins stands by his condition that Glee Club must place at Regionals to continue, despite Will's protestation that Sue is attempting to sabotage them. Will turns to Emma , who reveals that she has begun dating her dentist, Carl . Later at Will's house, during what Will calls a Regionals set list nomination party, the Glee Club breaks down, especially after Rachel appears to have given up. Rachel kisses Finn when he encourages her to be more optimistic and Will announces that the club will be doing a Journey medley for Regionals.

Rachel and Finn kiss in the hallway

At Regionals,  Aural Intensity is first to perform, singing a mash-up of Magic by Olivia Newton-John and You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban, suggesting that, in Puck 's words, "Someone tipped them off about the judges." Will gives the New Directions a pep talk, and Finn professes his love for Rachel just before going on stage. The club pays tribute to Journey, performing Faithfully , a mash-up of Any Way You Want It/Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' , and Don't Stop Believin' .

Quinn's mother, Judy Fabray , comes to watch Quinn perform. She tells Quinn that she kicked her father out of the house after she found out he was having an affair with a "tattooed freak" and invites Quinn to come back home, stating she has prepared the house for the new baby. Just in this moment Quinn announces that her water has broken, and is rushed to the hospital. As she is about to be brought with the wheelchair into the delivery room, Quinn holds onto Mercedes and asks her to come along. Mercedes, who is scared by the situation, but still wants to be there for her friend, accepts. Synchronised with Vocal Adrenaline 's performance of Bohemian Rhapsody , Quinn goes through labour. Mercedes, Puck and her mom are in the delivery room with her until she finally gives birth to her daughter. Beth is being laid on Quinn's chest, who breaks into a smile. While the rest of the New Directions wait for Quinn in the hospital, Rachel stays at the competition.

Jesse leads Bohemian Rhapsody

Rachel tells Shelby  to teach at McKinley High, but Shelby refuses, expressing her desire to settle down and start a family. As Rachel leaves the room, Shelby asks how Quinn's baby is and Rachel answers it's a pretty, healthy girl.

Puck and Quinn are seen standing in front of their daughter, who is sleeping. Puck gently asks her if she wants to keep the baby and Quinn declines. Quinn asks him then if he loved her and he answers "yes, especially now." They smile at each-other, but are interrupted as Shelby approaches them and asks them what the baby's name is. Quinn answers she doesn't have a name yet. Puck, after a pause, says her name is Beth .

During the pre-vote discussion, the other celebrity judges belittle Sue for her lack of fame. Aural Intensity is named runner-up, and Vocal Adrenaline wins, with New Directions coming in third and last. Consequently, the club will be disbanded due to lack of funding. Emma argues with Figgins about the club's future, but he remains intent on disbanding it. Will professes his love for Emma and kisses her.

Sue overhears New Directions' performance of To Sir, With Love in appreciation of all that Will has done to help them grow and is touched. 

She blackmails Principal Figgins into giving New Directions one more year. She explains to Will that while she may not like him, she respects his work with the students and she couldn't stand a world without Glee Club; it wouldn't be right. In a flashback, it is revealed to the audience that Sue voted New Directions for first place on her ballot, after realizing the similarities between herself and the students due to being the least prestigious of the other three judges.

Will tells the club of its extension, and performs Over the Rainbow with Puck in celebration. It's revealed that Shelby has adopted Beth. Rachel is shown holding hands with Finn, leaning on his shoulder, showing that they have begun a new relationship.

Unreleased Songs [ ]

• Magic/You Raise Me Up by Olivia Newton-John/Josh Groban sung by Aural Intensity .

Background Songs [ ]

• Don't Stop Believin' by Journey - Background music when Will was driving and he turned on the radio.
• Looking Back by Kerry Muzzey - Background music during the Will and Emma's scene.

Guest Cast [ ]

Special guest stars [ ].

• Josh Groban as Himself
• Jonathan Groff as Jesse St. James
• Idina Menzel as Shelby Corcoran

Guest Stars [ ]

• Iqbal Theba as Principal Figgins
• Charlotte Ross as Judy Fabray
• Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez
• Bill A. Jones as Rod Remington
• Heather Morris as Brittany Pierce
• Harry Shum Jr. as Mike Chang
• Dijon Talton as Matt Rutherford

Special Appearance [ ]

• Olivia Newton-John as Herself

Absent Cast Member [ ]

• Jessalyn Gilsig  as  Terri Schuester
• This episode marks the final time the original 12 New Directions appeared together.
• This is the last time Matt competes in a competition.
• This episode was watched by 10.92 million viewers.
• In the scene where Finn called Rachel while going down the stairs, the actor who portrays a member of Dalton Academy's Warblers ( Trent ) appeared as a McKinley High Student.
• Matt says his second out of three lines of the series in this episode.
• Originally, New Directions were going to win at Regionals because Ryan Murphy believed Glee wouldn't be renewed; however, Fox renewed Glee for a second season and thus Murphy decided that New Directions would lose so that in Season Two there would be more effort, and they would be more willing to win Regionals .
• The original airdate is credited as Beth Corcoran 's birthday, because she was born in this episode, and no specific date was stated in the episode.
• Sue's invocation of "racist animated Disney characters," while insulting Will's hairstyle, is a reference to Song of the South , one of the oldest of Walt Disney's feature films. It could also be a reference to The Princess and the Frog , the most recent Disney film at the time of the episode's airing.
• Judy Fabray mentions she kicked her husband out of the house after he had an affair with a tattooed freak. This is a reference to Sandra Bullock's ex-husband Jesse James' scandalous affair with Michelle "Bombshell" McGee.
• During the scene of Quinn giving birth , you can see her mother telling her "get it out."
• This episode marks the first time a song takes up a whole scene in isolation - that being Bohemian Rhapsody .
• When Rachel asks Shelby to come teach at McKinley she denies the offer. Ironically, in the Season Three episode, I Am Unicorn , Shelby comes to teach.
• Sue sarcastically comments "the not at all stupidly named Aural Intensity ". Ironically, she becomes the coach of Aural Intensity later in Season Two .
• The kiss between Will and Emma was unscripted, Brad Falchuk told Matthew Morrison to do it before the scene was shot to get a genuine reaction from Jayma .
• This is the only season finale to not feature at least one scene set in New York.
• This is the last episode to credit Heather Morris and Naya Rivera as guest stars. From the next episode through All Or Nothing and The Untitled Rachel Berry Project they become series regulars.
• This is the last episode to credit Mike O'Malley as a guest star. In Season Two he becomes a series regular.
• This episode has been re-titled to "Journey to Regionals" since it's release on streaming platforms, beginning with its addition to Netflix, and true still as of its current home on Disney+.

Mistakes [ ]

• When the announcer introduces Sue as one of the Regionals judges, he says she's fresh off her fifth national cheerleading title. In the episode immediately preceding this one, she wins number six.
• During the judge's panel, Olivia Newton-John tells Sue she isn't a celebrity because she "tries hard" and lives in Ohio. Rod Remington is a local Ohio celebrity, yet, no one had said anything about him not being from L.A. Sue, however, is an internationally ranked cheerleading coach who was also named TIME Magazine's "Woman of the Decade." It would be immensely hard for people not to know who she was.
• Many of the dummies used for the Regionals audience could be seen if you looked closely enough while Will entered the theater and the judges were introduced, especially when Rod is introduced. 
• Puck is there when they announce the winners, but at the next scene he is at the hospital.
• Will tells the club to 'have a good summer,' although in subsequent seasons, it is established that Regionals is in late February/early March, at least two months before the end of the school semester. Similarly, Quinn found out she was pregnant at the start of the school year (most likely September) which would make her only five/six months pregnant by Regionals.  
• While it is unclear how long after Regionals the Glee club appear at school, we can assume it is likely not more than a few days. Quinn is present, though, realistically, it is likely she would still be in hospital.  

Gallery [ ]

Behind The Glee Journey To Regionals

• 1 Rachel Berry
• 2 Quinn Fabray
• 3 Santana Lopez

• Share full article

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Is New York Improv Back? I Went on a One-Week Binge to Find Out.

The pandemic dealt a major blow to the once-thriving comedy form, but a new energy can be seen in performances throughout the city.

By Jason Zinoman

Improv comedy became so influential in the first two decades of this century that you could make an argument it mattered more to popular culture than stand-up.

Lines regularly ran down the block outside Upright Citizens Brigade. Students who once would have studied Method acting took classes in “ Yes, and. ” The author Sam Wasson described it as “America’s most popular art ,” and its major theaters were training grounds for stars like Tina Fey, Jordan Peele and Stephen Colbert.

Then, all of a sudden, the boom went bust. The pandemic hurt every live art, but arguably none more than improv. Not only did struggles force the sale of three of its biggest institutions (Second City, iO and U.C.B.), but the prestige surrounding the form faded as criticism mounted over business models built on free labor and racist treatment of artists. The title of the new book “Winging it: Improv’s Power and Peril in the Time of Trump” captures its new mixed reputation.

But with a flurry of improv theaters opening or moving into new homes in this city, one of the major questions hovering over comedy today is: Can improv make a comeback?

“Second City” began as a New Yorker’s insult , then became a Chicago institution, so its arrival in Brooklyn is a return home of sorts. Not only is its vast Williamsburg complex fancier than any other improv house in town — the Manhattan Theater Club to everyone else’s La MaMa — but its first revue represents an aesthetic shift and possibly a changing of the guard.

“Ruthless Acts of Kindness,” a frenetically entertaining, talent-rich showcase, directed by Jen Ellison with an emphasis on speed and gusto, introduces Second City-style sketch into the cultural diet. There’s improv, some inspired by audience participation, often used in call backs. But it’s overshadowed by punchy, tightly scripted sketch work, dominated by broad comic characters like finance bros singing about doing cocaine and murdering interns, or suicidal society ladies.

Integrating dance, song, juggling, mime and the kitchen sink, it’s a hustling, desperate-to-please entertainment. Among its highlights is a scene where a polite encounter between a coffee shop customer (Ben Rameaka) and a barista (Jacklyn Uweh) escalates into competitive gratitude, each trying to one-up the other in pleasantries. There are some satirical shots at Mayor Eric Adams’s policy of boosting security in the subways, including a double act of blustery police officers (Yazmin Ramos and Uweh) who are obsessed with arresting someone for the minor offense of jumping the turnstiles.

But this show is less about coherent social commentary than jokes. Some scenes are very short, like one where all the cast members pat each other on the butt in celebration like football players, then all but one leave, and she smells her fingers with shameful glee. The longest, a spoof on the British detective genre that’s heavy on goofy accents, leans on crowd work.

The performances stand out more than the material. I could see how these revues could become a target for bookers from “Saturday Night Live.” Ashley Blair, a whirligig of comic energy, is one of those actors whose oddball physicality and spit-second intensity make every scene funnier. Drew Reilly, who plays everything from a football coach to a bitchy gay dancer, hints at Jim Carrey ambitions. Jordan Savusa is a glue guy of the group, providing some much-needed stability and deadpan amid the organized chaos.

There’s a certain anxious energy in this show, an impatience with character development or subtle laughs. Most sketches end in shouting. It’s why one quieter, finely delivered torch song by Uweh, about the exhaustion of a newcomer to the city, comes as a relief.

SECOND CITY’S CO-FOUNDER Bernie Sahlins argued that improv was not an end in itself but a tool to build work. The guru Del Close, who (along with Charna Halpern) helped start a competing Chicago theater, iO, disagreed. Close’s spirit long animated New York improv, especially the Upright Citizens Brigade, which named its annual festival after him. In the most dramatic loss for the art form in New York, U.C.B. closed during the pandemic . It reopened this week in a new space on 14th Street (in what it’s calling previews) and is part of a reshuffling of the scene.

To get a full sense of this reshuffling, I embarked on a one-week binge of improv shows at intimate, unpretentious theaters around the city. Many U.C.B. members have moved to the Lower East Side theater Caveat, where some weekly long-form improv shows like “Raatscraps,” a Sunday night staple, and “And Scene,” which matches actors with improvisers, are inspired by old U.C.B. hits. The Pit moved out of its longtime home and has been replaced by Asylum NYC. The most inventive show I saw was at the Magnet: “The Armando Diaz Experience,” which bills itself as “the longest-running improv show ever,” dating back to the mid-1990s.

The “Armando,” performed every Saturday , always begins with a monologue, and at a recent show it was about a connection made on the internet that led a decade later to a real-life relationship. The team of improvisers built patient scenes off this moving story, which made daring shifts in perspective, from the real world to secret worlds, inside and outside of bodies. There was a playfulness to the creativity, bold choices that verged on reckless that wouldn’t make the transition to a script.

My weeklong journey included a couple of shows in Brooklyn, where the improv scene has grown since the pandemic. After seeing the revue at Second City, I took a 10-minute ride across Williamsburg to the Brooklyn Comedy Collective. Its artistic director, Philip Markle, who founded it in 2018, has done creative work building an audience around a dizzying array of shows. He recently announced a “sister theater” partnership between B.C.C. and iO in Chicago which includes exchanges of shows and classes. This means that in one neighborhood in Brooklyn you can now find traces of the longtime Chicago rivalry of Second City and iO.

The Brooklyn Comedy Collective’s 10 p.m. show, “Demon Time,” was the right mix of scrappy and chaotic. The venue was packed and the audience members were decades younger than the crowd at Second City. The concept of the show was that cast members brought a premise to work with scene partners, who would improvise the rest. That was enough to incorporate a few wigs and props, but the heart of these scenes was a crowded stage of comedians listening closely to one another, feeling out scenes slowly. Occasionally an idea would emerge — like a basketball player who was deeply upset by her mistake when she was called for a foul — that provided grist for some good jokes. It went on a little long, but as you watched, the crowd began getting invested not just in the joke but how it would build.

That spirit was the common thread throughout the week of performances. All the shows I saw were either sold out or close to it. Crowds roared at even flat comedy. I can’t say I saw a new golden age, but what was there was a hunger for live comedy generated on the spot. Improv comedy is by its nature going to be less funny and consistent than scripted work, but its appeal is also different. You suspend your disbelief in a great play, but in engaging improv, you find yourself imagining the mind of the performer, thinking along with them. How will they raise the stakes? How will they make sense of this?

The core of its appeal is the opportunity to see the start of the creative act, the birth of a new idea. There’s an irreplaceable excitement in that. It’s why, I suspect, there’s so much activity now. The improv bust opened up opportunities not just for artists and theaters, but also for audiences. If improv booms again, wouldn’t you want to be there when it happens?

An earlier version of this article misstated which day of the week “The Armando Diaz Experience” is performed at the Magnet Theater. The show is every Saturday, not every Friday.

How we handle corrections

Jason Zinoman is a critic at large for the Culture section of The Times and writes a column about comedy. More about Jason Zinoman

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