#7: "Raised on Radio" by Journey

#7—Nothing performed on "Glee"

Favorite song: Girl Can't Help It
Notable tracks: Positive Touch, Suzanne, Be Good To Yourself, Once You Love Somebody, Raised on Radio, I'll Be Alright Without You
Released: 1986
Chart peak: #4 (U.S. Billboard 200)
Popularity: Double Platinum

(Note: this will be a quickie: It's late on Christmas night, and I've only had about four hours sleep since yesterday—back to more verbosity tomorrow!)

Everyone knows Journey's big hits, like "Don't Stop Believing," "Open Arms," "Faithfully," and many more, but not everyone knows about this album, my favorite Journey LP and #7 in my collection. This album bridges the year between graduating high school and starting college, a time where I felt mostly alone and isolated.

I moved away from my home town four days after graduation, spent the summer in Springfield, Mo., where I didn't know a single person, then started college at Mizzou that fall. So for me, this was one of those albums that just became really personal for me, especially at college, where I listened to it the most.

Critics have downplayed this album as too heavily influenced by Steve Perry, who also produced the album along with Jim Gaines. It also turned out to be the last significant album of new material with Perry as the lead singer of the band.

In addition to "Girl Can't Help It," (not just my favorite song on the album but one of my top 25 favorite singles of all time, this album is also memorable for "I'll Be Alright Without You." I've included the video for a live performance of "Girl Can't Help It."