ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A band whose 1970s and ’80s power ballad hits made it one of the Top 30 best-selling bands ever in the United States will return to PPL Center, it was announced Thursday.
Journey, perhaps best known for its 1981 hit "Don't Stop Believin'," will perform at 7 p.m. June 11, the event center announced.
Tickets, the prices of which were not immediately released, will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Nov. 14 at the venue website and the box office at 701 Hamilton St., Allentown.PPL Center
Tickets, the prices of which were not immediately released, will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Nov. 14 at the venue website and the box office at 701 Hamilton St., Allentown.
Journey had a popularity revival when its song “Don’t Stop Believin'” was used for the popular TV show “Glee,” making the song the best-selling digital song released in the 21st century.
It sold more than 4 million downloads after its original Top 10 chart success in 1981. The song also was used in the series-ending sequence of the popular HBO drama “The Sopranos.”
It now has sold a total of more than 18 million copies.
Journey had many other hits — 18 Top 40 songs from “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin'” in 1979 to “I’ll be Alright Without You” in 1987. Its other hits include “Any Way You Want It,” “Faithfully,” “Separate Ways” and “Wheel In The Sky.”
In all, the group has sold more than 55 million albums, with 13 discs selling gold or platinum. It has had 15 singles that reached gold or platinum sales.
A long history of success
Journey released its self-titled debut album in 1975, but first had chart success with its fourth album, 1978’s “Infinity,” which broke the Top 25 and sold triple platinum, with the breakthrough hits “Wheel in the Sky” and “Lights.”
Its next album, 1979’s “Evolution,” also went triple-platinum and produced the gold hit “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” and 1980’s “Departure” hit that same sales level while having the Top 25 hit “Any way You Want It.”
But Journey had its greatest commercial success with its 1981 album “Escape,” which hit No. 1, sold 9 million copies and had the gold hits “Who’s Crying Now” and “Open Arms,” and the first release of “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
The follow-up disc, 1983’s “Frontiers,” sold six times platinum and had the No. 1 hit “Separate Ways.”
Journey’s 1988 Greatest Hits album sold 15 million copies.
After the double-platinum album “Raised on Radio” in 1986 produced just one Top 10 song, “Be Good to Yourself,” Journey did not release an album of new material until 1996’s platinum “Trial By Fire,” with its gold hit “When You Love a Woman.”
In 1998, Journey replaced original lead singer Steve Perry and, after a few changes, in 2007 hired Filipino singer Arnel Pineda after seeing him on the Internet site YouTube singing Journey covers.
Its latest disc, "Freedom," released in 2022, peaked at No. 88 on Billboard's Albums chart. It was the group's first new album in 11 years, after 2011's "Eclipse," which peaked at No. 13.
Journey last played the Lehigh Valley at Wind Creek Event Center, then called Sands Bethlehem Event Center, in 2019.
Journey also played PPL Center in 2016 with Santana, and played Allentown Fair with Foreigner in 2011 and solo in 2002.
