Started in San Francisco in 1973, Journey dominated the late seventies and the eighties with their music. Since then, the band has continued to create music and tour throughout the world. Sixteen studio albums, three live albums, and one of the best-selling greatest hits albums of all time helped them secure a place in music history. Now, Journey has received a well-deserved nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
While many fans would expect Journey to be included in this prestigious group, it is important to understand how the inductee process works. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts a group of artists every year. Once the list of potential inductees is compiled, ballots are sent out to historians, members of the music industry, and artists for voting (rockhall.com). In 2012, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame added fan voting to the process. After voting is finished, the fan votes are compared against the submitted ballots. The top five artists with the most votes are then inducted into the hall of fame.
Before the voting process begins, selection into the hall of fame has some requirements:
- Must be a composer, performer, musician, or music industry professional
- Must be at least 25 years since their first album release
- Must have unquestionable music talent and excellence
- Must have made a significant impact on rock-n-roll
Journey not only fits all of the above requirements, they exceed them. The band, along with performers ELO, Joan Baez, Pearl Jam, Tupak Shakur, and Yes will be inducted into the hall of fame on Friday, April 7, 2017 (rockhall.com). The 32nd annual ceremony will be shown on HBO for those unable to attend it in person.
A career spanning 44 years brought Journey multiple hit albums, super stardom, and now, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. The band continues to write music and tour throughout the world. Without a doubt, Journey has secured a firm place in music history that will not be forgotten.
Writer’s Note: While the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame indicates only five artists gain entry into the hall of fame each year after voting, the hall of fame does give some leeway each year. A range of 5-7 artists is their goal, hence the six performers being inducted for 2017. Additionally, Journey was the fan vote favorite this year with 250,758 votes out of 1.8 million.
-Jenna Jakes, WOGB
Related Links:
Arnel Pineda’s Journey Chronicled In Documentary
Journey Conquers The Video Game World
Journey Teams Up With NFL Films
From The Golden Gate Rhythm Section To Super Stardom, Journey Proves Successful, Part 2
AOTM: From Golden Gate Rhythm Section to Super Stardom, Journey Proves Successful, Part 1
