DS Forums

 
 

Why has Don't Stop Believing become so popular?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 23-03-2010, 09:27
big mac
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Gateshead
Posts: 4,353

I can't turn the radio on without hearing Journey's Don't Stop Believing being played these past couple of months. I'm not complaining really, it's a decent song, but what has triggered it's sudden popularity some twenty-odd years after it was first released? Is it all to do with Joe McElderry singing it in X-Factor or the fact that Glee has done an (awful) cover version of it, a bit of both, or something different altogether?
big mac is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 23-03-2010, 09:28
humphryb
 
Posts: n/a
Family Guy done a version a while back as well.
  Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:29
Star_Bright
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,758
I think it's because of Glee.
Star_Bright is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:33
iain
Guest
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 62,990
mostly because of Glee's brilliant cover.

Iain
iain is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:35
nitpick
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,491
I blame reality TV shows that foster the (mainly) fantasy idea that you can become anything, or achieve anything, just by "beliving" in it.
nitpick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:35
Lizzy11268
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 23,867
Its Glee's fault!
Lizzy11268 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:41
big mac
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Gateshead
Posts: 4,353
Journey probably can't thank Glee enough for that, then. The royalties they must be getting for the airplay will be like nothing they've ever seen before! I suppose it's similar to Peter Kay reviving Tony Christie's career, is it not?
big mac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:42
Moany Liza
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 8,802
It also features in the excellent stage musical Rock of Ages which will be coming to Britain this year, I understand.

I saw the show on Broadway last year and it was excellent. "Don't stop believin'" is their big finale number.

I think Rock of Ages will go down a storm here so expect to hear the song lots more!!!
Moany Liza is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:43
feline666
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Edinburgh ♀
Posts: 687
It's been my favorite song for years, long before it gained it's recent popularity!
feline666 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:43
kimindex
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Cornwall (ex-London)
Posts: 65,312
I don't know but I wish it would stop. Suddenly, some people are claiming it's a work of genius. I guess it must be, since it's so popular.
kimindex is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:53
Anachrony
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Posts: 2,678
Is it all to do with Joe McElderry singing it in X-Factor or the fact that Glee has done an (awful) cover version of it, a bit of both, or something different altogether?
Glee may have premiered in the UK after it was sung in X-Factor, but the song was already on the charts in the US due to Glee well before it was chosen for X-Factor. The success of the Glee version in the US likely had something to do with X-Factor using it.
Anachrony is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 09:54
Sparklyblue171
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,407
I'm sure it's the influence of Glee, and maybe a bit of the x factor appearance too, but I think mainly Glee. Love both versions!
Sparklyblue171 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 10:29
tangsman
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,597
I don't know, it's shit.
tangsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 11:05
MavisConsuela
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: North East
Posts: 1,302
I thought it was just a popular song, its always played at student nights when I go to them.
MavisConsuela is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 11:12
yakutz
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,224
It's been one of my favourite songs for years, but now it's becoming too popular with the masses. I know, it's music snobbery, but it still irritates me when the herd suddenly start liking a song purely based on a reality show/musical show. Grr.
yakutz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 11:21
BumbleSquat
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Ireland
Posts: 6,522
It's been played in clubs and pubs here for years. Sadly though the recent surge in popularity over the past few months has meant it's constantly played everywhere you go and people are now sick of it. You'd probably hear at least once on a night out, now you're likely to hear it 3 or 4 times!
BumbleSquat is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 11:29
Blue Aardvark
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,222
Don't Stop Believing features prominently in the notorious final scene of The Sopranos.

That's the root of the song's resurgence.

It's hard to overstate how influential The Sopranos is to many professionals working in the arts.

That scene really brought the song to those people's attention, and I guess some of them had a platform to appropriate it for their own commercial purposes.

And people liked it. It's a great song. It hasn't suddenly come from nowhere. It's always been good.
Blue Aardvark is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 11:38
Squealer_Mahony
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,286
I was asking this exact same question a few years back, before Glee.
The song just seemed to come out of nowhere and everyone loved it.
I was fairly into 80s music when I was a teenager (in the late 90s ) and I'd never heard it before.

It was in a few TV shows, Family Guy, Scrubs and it just seems to have popularity with the young people who feel ways about stuff!

I do like the song, and saw Journey perform it live last year, although most of the audience didn't seem to know many of their other songs
Squealer_Mahony is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 12:12
Ryan S
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 237
I thought it was just a popular song, its always played at student nights when I go to them.
Yep, Don't Stop Believing has been a student night regular for as long as I can remember (and I graduated 9 years ago)

I am pretty sure I have heard it and Summer of '69 on every night out for the last 10+ years.
Ryan S is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 12:17
Krypton_Kal
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 460
Simon chose Joe to sing it on the show due to the success of Glee's version in the US. Everyone downloaded the original because of Joe, then Glee came to the UK, and everyone bought their version.

I'm sure Joe will pop up with his own version, then Mr. Blobby, then the knitted characters from the K Factor on TV Burp.
Krypton_Kal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 12:20
jenilou88
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Doncaster
Posts: 3,892
It was probably kind of high in the charts because of the X Factor and around Christmas I did notice some Facebook groups wanting it to be number one instead of Rage Against the Machine so that may have lead to a surge in downloads. Then Glee's [Ifantastic[/i] cover is released and even more people downloaded.

It's supposedly been in the charts since early 2009 though - not sure why that is.
jenilou88 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 12:32
rachelgata
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 828
Well I grew up in the 80s and followed music closely and had a fairly wide musical taste but I swear I had never heard this song before X Factor Joe did it on the show last year

It is the most overrated soft-rock song ever IMO. Give me a bit of John Farnham anyday .
rachelgata is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 12:47
Arsene wenger
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ALLENATION
Posts: 4,601
I love Glee and Journey but I want both versions to piss off out of the charts.
Arsene wenger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 13:05
lala
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 20,184
Actually didn't it all really start with the Sopranos finale in 2007, where it featured at the end?
lala is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2010, 13:22
Unigal07
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Up North.
Posts: 21,867
Definitely Glee - Joe sang it on X Factor after the trailers for Glee with the song on had been on for weeks.
Unigal07 is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 16:20.