(CNN) – In , I was working as an arts writer for a newspaper when my editor sent me to review a Journey/Def Leppard concert at an outdoor amphitheater in suburban Salt Lake City. Thanks to the internet, I recently dug up my review.
“If this had been a battle of the bands, the British pop-glam-metal rockers would have blown Journey off the stage,” I wrote, calling Journey “a guilty-pleasure nostalgia act.” In five years, I predicted, “we may see these guys playing the state fair.”
Almost 18 years later, Journey is one of the most beloved classic rock acts in the world. The band is currently wrapping up a triumphant 50th anniversary tour, then playing some dates in Europe before returning to the US for a series of summer stadium shows with … Def Leppard. They may be more popular than ever.
My reasoning back then was defensible. The San Francisco band, which formed in the ‘70s, hadn’t had a top-10 hit in more than 20 years and was struggling to find a true frontman after the departure of lead singer Steve Perry, known for his luminous voice.
But my timing was terrible. I was so wrong. And it’s all because of David Chase, some TV executives and one enduring song.
Journey’s surprising second act
Ten months later, in , millions of viewers were glued to the series finale of “The Sopranos” when Tony Soprano dropped some coins into a restaurant booth jukebox and dialed up Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The song played out, almost in its entirety, for four tense minutes as Carmela and Anthony Jr. İncele
