Escape

Living up to the moniker originally given them via a San Francisco radio contest, Journey traveled a restless, often less-than-promising arc as a prog-centric quartet during the early '70s. But the addition of Steve Perry's soaring tenor to the mix on 1978's Infinity instantly changed the band's fortunes, which arguably peaked on this 1981 release. While Neal Schon's lyrical guitar work remained a staple, it was Perry's unabashedly mainstream pop ballad sensibilities that carried the album to the top of the charts and multiplatinum sales via its trio of era-defining hit singles, "Who's Crying Now," "Don't Stop Believing," and "Open Arms." --Jerry McCulley