Songs with the Same Title – Journey Edition

We’re back with another edition of the Songs with the Same Title series and this time we’re covering the American rock band Journey. I previously covered the new wave of British heavy metal legends, Saxon, so if you haven’t already, feel free to check out that post here! There are six rounds total, and in each round, I’ll compare two songs (one by the respective artist and one by a different artist) and I’ll pick my favorite of the two. After the last round, I’ll tally up the score and pick the overall winner of the battle. With all that said, let’s get on with the music!

“Here We Are” (1977) by Journey

“Here We Are” (1989) by Gloria Estefan

I did an American Idol marathon of season three this past winter break and I remembered this song called “Here We Are” by Gloria Estefan because the chorus is recognizable, and Jasmine Trias sang it and I couldn’t stand her (how the heck did she make it all the way to the top three?). However, I didn’t listen to the original version until I looked it up for this post. I love the Latin sound and acoustics in the background, and clearly Estefan is a better singer than Trias. I was getting Selena references because both singers blended Spanish into their music and were both hispanic; “Here We Are” also reminded me of Selena’s “I Could Fall in Love.” Journey’s song was a long instrumental with a few lyrics; Next (1977) was the last Journey album to feature Gregg Rolie on vocals, which was a good thing because I did not like his vocals. Therefore, Estefan takes the win for round one.

“Lady Luck” (1979) by Journey

“Lady Luck” (1995) by Rod Stewart

Goodbye Gregg Rolie, hello Steve Perry! I know there are Journey fans out there that say, “it’s only Journey with Steve Perry,” and to be honest, I’m not one of those people. But Perry’s vocals on “Lady Luck” are incredible and I love the flavorful guitar work in this track. Rod Stewart’s track is something you’d hear in a cheesy romantic comedy where the couple is diving off into the sunset. No offense to Mr. Stewart, but he sounds like he has laryngitis. Knowing my musical tastes, I’d play Journey’s track more, so Journey wins round two.

“She’s a Mystery” (2000) by Bon Jovi

“She’s a Mystery” (2011) by Journey

“She’s a Mystery” is slow-paced and it drags on forever. It’s the worst song on the Crush (2000) album, and not surprisingly, Richie Sambora had nothing to do with it! But even the worst Bon Jovi track is better than Journey’s “She’s a Mystery” because it took freaking five minutes to get to the drums and rocking guitar playing. Like Bon Jovi’s track, it was so slow and it felt like the song was going nowhere. The song was so boring that the band decided to add a headbanging part towards the end to make it less boring. Technically, I have more history with Bon Jovi’s “She’s a Mystery” because I like the Crush album, so they take the win for round three.

“Better Together” (2005) by Journey

“Better Together” (2012) by Ross Lynch

For some odd reason, Generations (2005), Journey’s last album with Steve Augeri on vocals, isn’t released on Spotify, which sucks because it is a rocking track! It’s got a good beat, a heavy guitar riff, and excellent vocals from Augeri. Though, I have a history with Ross Lynch’s “Better Together,” it’s not my favorite track off of that Austin and Ally (2012) album, instead, I prefer tracks like “A Billion Hits,” “The Way That You Do,” and “Heart Beat.” Therefore, Journey takes the win for round four.

“Lay It Down” (1981) by Journey

“Lay It Down” (1985) by Ratt

Journey’s “Lay It Down” is from the Escape (1981) album, along with “Open Arms” and the overplayed “Don’t Stop Believin.’” The high notes on “Lay It Down” are insane; now I know why people love Perry so much. I thought this band was lame because of “Don’t Stop Believin’” and the other Journey songs American Idol contestants attempted to do. The guitar playing is top notch and I love the backing vocals too. Ratt’s “Lay It Down” doesn’t have a gravitating chorus and the singer’s voice doesn’t compare to Perry’s powerful pipes. Of course, Journey takes the win for round five.

“When I Think of You” (1986) by Janet Jackson

“When I Think of You” (1996) by Journey

Unfortunately, for the final round in the battle, I think both songs suck. I wasn’t really expecting much because the title was lame and lovey-dovey. I don’t hate love songs, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t care for Journey’s ballads. The highlight of Janet Jackson’s “When I Think of You” was the bass riff, other than that, I hated it; her voice is too sweet for my taste. Because Journey’s “When I Think of You” was more bearable, Journey takes the win for the final round.

Journey won four of the six rounds, so they are the winner of the overall battle. Let me know in the comments below what your favorite song was from each round!

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana