"I Believe" by Steve Perry

Taking Journey to new heights in the 80s, the majestic voice of Steve Perry helped define the decade. He released his first solo record, "Street Talk," in 1984, two years after hitting #17 in a duet with Kenny Loggins, "Don't Fight It."

"Street Talk" gave Perry his only top 10 hit as a solo artist: "Oh Sherrie" reached #3. Follow-up singles also did well, including "She's Mine" (#21), "Strung Out" (#40), and "Foolish Heart" (#18). After leaving Journey in 1987, Perry waited until 1994 to release his second solo effort, "For The Love of Strange Medicine." It produced his final top 40 appearance when "You Better Wait" peaked at #29. Perry's slick AOR sound no longer seemed suited to radio at the time.

Perry then took a long break from music but made a surprising return in 2018 with a new album, "Traces." None of the singles charted, but "Traces" gave Perry his first top 10 record, reaching #6.

"I Believe" is a cool throwback to the Motown sound that is often overlooked on "Street Talk."

"How About Now" by Kenny Loggins

Kenny Loggins is best known as king of 80s film soundtracks. They helped earn him a #1 hit for 3 weeks in 1984 with "Footloose," but also gave him "I'm Alright" (#7, theme from Caddyshack), "I'm Free" (#22, another one from Footloose), "Danger Zone" (#2) and "Playing With The Boys" (#60, both from Top Gun), "Double Or Nothing" (a duet with Gladys Knight from Rocky IV), "Meet Me Half Way" (#11, from Over The Top), and "Nobody's Fool" (#8, from Caddyshack II). Loggins would have one more soundtrack hit in 1997 from the movie One Fine Day with "For The First Time," which reached #60, was nominated for an Oscar, and became his last chart appearance to date.

But films are not the only reason why Loggins is ranked the 30th most successful artist of the 80s. Loggins has an amazing voice with stunning range. He is a diverse singer/songwriter, writing songs for Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (including "House At Pooh Corner," #53 in 1971) and earning more chart achievements as Loggins and Messina in the early 70s. Through the years, Loggins has done everything from rock, pop, adult contemporary, blue-eyed soul, country, children's music, holiday music, and more. Several of his songs were written for his children.

After going solo, he made a habit of working with lots of different people. His first big solo hit was actually a duet with Stevie Nicks: "Whenever I Call You Friend," co-written with Melissa Manchester, hit #5 in 1978. His longtime collaborator, Michael McDonald, co-wrote the song "This Is It," which went to #11 and earned Loggins a Grammy for Pop Male Vocal. Eddie Money contributed backing vocals on "I'm Alright" and Mickey Thomas did so for his 1988 ballad, "I'm Gonna Miss You," which stalled at #82. Richard Marx and Glen Phillips (Toad The Wet Sprocket) co-wrote and sang tunes on his 2003 release, "It's About Time." Finally, there is the famous anthem "Don't Fight It," his 1982 duet with Journey's Steve Perry, which hit #17.

With his 13th album in 2007, Loggins seemed poised for a comeback. The title track to this excellent record, "How About Now" should have restored his presence on the charts, but it fell on deaf ears. Maybe if it were featured on a soundtrack...

"Stone In Love" by Journey

The legendary melodic rock band from San Francisco, Journey, began as an experimental outfit. Their first three records in the 70s contain overly long jams that sound like an entirely different band. The band didn't see chart success until the magical voice and melodic sensibilities of Steve Perry joined in 1978.

With Steve Perry onboard and scoring their first chart hit, "Wheel In The Sky" (#57), Journey began their trek to superstardom. They racked up so many hits in the 80s, they became the 20th most successful artist of the decade. Despite being known all over the world, they've never had a #1 hit. "Open Arms" is the closest they've come, sitting at #2 for six weeks in 1982.

Guitarist Neal Schon is the only founding member still in the band today (longtime member and keyboardist Jonathan Cain, who played in The Babys before Journey, came onboard in 1981). Schon and Cain were also involved in the side band Bad English in the late 80s. Another fun fact: American Idol judge Randy Jackson was in the band from 1986-1987.

"Stone In Love" is a well-known tune from their 1981 album, "Escape," but it never charted. "Escape" was a game changer for the band, yielding not only "Open Arms," but also "Who's Crying Now" (#4, and their first top ten hit), "Don't Stop Believin'" (#9, and saw a huge resurgence thanks to its use in the finale of The Sopranos), and "Still They Ride" (#19).