Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey 1981)
June 12, 2007, 8:00 am
Posted by Cathleen Kaveny
I wasn’t going to do this, but I think it might be necessary. For those of you who haven’t experienced the wonder of the power ballad, here is a hit from the year 1981. The Sopranos finale ended with the words “Don’t Stop.”
An expert in religion and pop culture emailed me off-line to point out that 80′s rock is living, albeit with much irony, in some of the best pop culture today.
That’s right. At the same time, I think there is a little bit of second naivte accessible through this music-especially for those of us who heard it the first time non-ironically (like Tony, and like anyone born before, say, 1968.
The limits of nostaligia are set by the formative memories of those in power. With the passing of Uncle Junior, that’s Tony–for sure. 1981 was the year before Meadow was born. –maybe the year he married Carmela. It was also the year before his first mob hit.
I worked in a record store in the summer of 1981. Our top three sellers:
3. REO Speedwagon, “Hi Infidelity”
2. Styx, “Paradise Theater”
1. Oak Ridge Boys: “Elvira.”
Misognynistic lyrics aside, we may be doing better now.
My mom found this in the blogospere.
“The anthem “Don’t Stop Believin’” became a public rallying cry for the 2004 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox after they fell behind 3 to 0 against the Yankees in the ALCS and again for the 2005 World Series champion Chicago White Sox (Perry was invited to the celebration parade in Chicago, where he sang “Don’t Stop Believin’” with members of the team). On February 6, 2005 “Don’t Stop Believin’” was heard in a FedExKinko’s commercial starring Burt Reynolds that aired during Super Bowl XXXIX. The revitalized song even appeared in the widely-watched 2006 American Idol finale.”