#AtoZ 1981 Songs to Remember - "D" is for "Don't Stop Believin'"
I chose 1981 music as my theme this year. My newest novel The Summer of Princess Diana is set in the summer of 1981, and oh! the music! Let’s take a look back at a pivotal time in the music industry.
Released in October of 1981, this is Journey's biggest hit, and recognizable instantly from its keyboard intro. It was a Top 10 worldwide hit in 1981, and became the best-selling digital track of the 20th century, with over seven million downloads.
The song has endured for decades, even making it onto the hit TV show "Glee" as its own anthem. And fans of "The Sopranos" will remember it being played during that iconic final scene. It's frequently played during Detroit Red Wings hockey games and other Detroit-based sporting events. You'll hear "Don't Stop Believin'" played during the eighth inning of every San Francisco Giants home game, because Steve Perry is a season ticket holder. And it was used as a closing number in the musical Rock of Ages.
Trivia: There is no actual "South Detroit," at least no actual place known as South Detroit, but co-songwriter Steve Perry liked the way it sounded, and it stuck.