Written by: Robert Fleischman, Neal Schon & Diane Valory Produced by: Roy Thomas Baker South African record label (unless otherwise stated): CBS
Hit number for artist
1
Peak position
12
Weeks
13
Biggest climber awards
0
Star rater climbs
1
Biggest faller awards
0
Top 20 points
73
Overall Top 20 points ranking
=1344
Top 20 points ranking for the artist
1
Top 30 Points
203
Overall Top 30 points ranking
=1151
Top 30 points ranking for the artist
1
Annual ranking:
1978
63
1979
98
Other chart success:
Canada
45
US
57
The song came from a line in a poem called ‘Wheels In My Mind’ written by the Diane Valory, the wife of Ross Valory, the band’s bassist. It would be the band’s first hit single and also the first with Steve Perry as lead vocalist.
Written by: Jonathan Cain & Steve Perry Produced by: Kevin Elson & Mike Stone South African record label (unless otherwise stated): CBS
Hit number for artist
2
Peak position
17
Weeks
7
Biggest climber awards
0
Star rater climbs
0
Biggest faller awards
1
Top 20 points
9
Overall Top 20 points ranking
=2159
Top 20 points ranking for the artist
2
Top 30 Points
69
Overall Top 30 points ranking
=2024
Top 30 points ranking for the artist
2
Annual ranking:
1983
84
Other chart success:
Australia
93
Canada
11
US
8
SA Radio charts:
Radio 5
2
Radio 702
15
The song would be used in the in the 2010 film ‘Tron: Legacy’ and a remix version would appear in the TV series ‘Stranger Things’. The latter led to the remixed version getting to 95 in the UK and bubbling under the US Hot 100 (peak at 5 on the bubbling under charts).
The band hail from San Francisco and their roots go back to 1973 and a group called The Golden Gate Rhythm Section. They were put together by former Santana manager, Herbie Herbert, and planned to be a back up band for established acts in the area. However, they soon changed their mind, changed their name to Journey and began working as jazz fusion band. Their first 3 albums fared moderately well, peaking at 138, 100 and 85 consecutively but none produced any hit singles. Then Steve Perry joined the band as lead vocalist and their 1978 offering ‘Infinity’ got to 21 and produced 3 Hot 100 hits, although the best peak of those was the 57 ‘Wheel In The Sky’ got to. They reached the top 20 with their next album, ‘Evolution’ which peaked at 20 and a single from the album, ’Lovin, Touchin’ Squeezin’ got to 16. They hit their peak with 1981’s ‘Escape’ which topped the album charts and gave them their best peak on the singles charts of 2 which ‘Open Arms’ managed. They have seen a total of 26 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. They have only managed 5 UK hits where ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ has been their best performer, initially only getting to 6, but at the beginning of 2010 it peaked at 6 after a cover of it featured in the TV show ‘Glee’. Steve Perry would also forge a solo career, scoring 7 Hot 100 hits between 1982 and 1994 and seeing a best peak of 3 with ‘Oh Sherrie’, his only solo UK hit (peak of 89).
Date of entry
Song
Peak (weeks at 1)
Weeks
03-Nov-1978
Wheel in The Sky
12
13
27-May-1983
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
17
7
Total hits
2
Total weeks
20
Biggest climber awards
0
Star rater climbs
1
Biggest fallers
1
Weeks with oldest in the charts
0
Longest run in the charts (weeks)
13
Weeks with more than 1 in the charts
0
Biggest gap between hits (weeks)
225
Top 30 points ranking
=629
Top 20 points ranking
=783
Top 30 points
272
Top 20 points
82
Solo hits by Steve Perry:
Date of entry
Song
Peak (weeks at 1)
Weeks
27-Jul-1984
Oh Sherrie
6
18
Total hits
1
Total weeks
18
Steve Smith, Journey’s drummer, would play on the following track:
Date of entry
Song
Peak (weeks at 1)
Weeks
19-Oct-1985
Heaven
9
14
Total hits
1
Total weeks
14
Total chart involvement by the band and its members:
SA Singles Charts 