Steve Perry Suing Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain Over Journey Trademarks
Steve Perry has filed a petition against former Journey bandmates Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain over trademark registrations of 20 popular Journey songs.
According to the paperwork filed with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the trademark registrations of the 20 Journey songs were for the use of creating clothing merchandise. Some of the merchandise types listed include t-shirts, hats, jackets, hoodies, socks and more. Some of Journeyâs most popular songs were part of these trademark registrations including âOpen Arms,â âSeparate Ways,â âAnyway You Want It,â âWheel In The Skyâ and more.
Perryâs petition claims Schon and Cain did not consult him about these trademark registrations. Perry claims he should have been notified of the registrations per a previous legal agreement they had relating to various Journey compositions that were created when Perry was still in the band. (It should be noted that all 20 songs submitted for trademark registrations are from the era when Perry fronted Journey. A number of those songs were either written or co-written by Perry.)
RELATED: Neal Schon Still Has Hope of Steve Perry Appearing with Journey Again
Furthermore, Perry asserts in his petition that since Schon and Cain both transferred their various interests in Journey to a third party under a joint LLC, they relinquished certain rights, thus, making their trademark filings illegal. Perry, meanwhile, noted in the petition that he has not transferred his interests in Journey and is still the sole owner of them. Additionally, Schon and Cain sold their Journey song ownership rights to Hipgnosis in recent years. Perry has not.
Perry hopes to cancel the trademark registrations with his petition. As of publishing, Schon and Cain have yet to comment on Perryâs actions and his claims in his petition.
50 Best Power Ballads of All Time
49. âThe Ballad of Jayneâ - L.A. Guns
While the history of L.A. Guns is intertwined with Guns Nâ Roses due to Axl Roseâs brief stint in the band in 1984, L.A. Guns only managed one hit with 1989âs âThe Ballad of Jayne,â but they sure did make it count. And no, the song isnât an ode to late actress Jayne Mansfield. Singer Phil Lewis said in a 2011 interview, âItâs not about [Jayne Mansfield] at all. Itâs about a fictitious character, but I based it on so many of these young girls who leave their small towns and go out to LA to become a star.â
48. âNothingâs Gonna Stop Us Nowâ - Starship
All due respect to Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall, but âNothingâs Gonna Stop Us Nowâ was the best thing about the 1987 film Mannequin. The track features Mickey Thomas sharing vocal duties with Grace Slick, who just two decades prior was wailing âFeed Your Head!â on âWhite Rabbit.â (Honestly, thatâs still jarring years later.) Penned by songwriting giants Diane Warren and Albert Hammond, âNothingâs Gonna Stop Us Nowâ would go on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
47. âBlack Velvetâ - Alannah Myles
An ode to Elvis Presley, Alannah Mylesâ âBlack Velvetâ was included on the three-track demo that eventually led to her being signed by Atlantic Records. The track, oozing with swagger and that giant chorus, would top the Billboard Hot 100 charts for two weeks and would earn Myles the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1991.
46. âI Miss Youâ - blink-182
45. âHigh Enoughâ - Damn Yankees
When the world was introduced to Ted Nugent, the last thing anyone thought â and this likely includes Uncle Ted, himself â was that a massive power ballad was in his future. But thatâs what happened when the Motor City Mad Man joined forces with Styxâs Tommy Shaw, Night Rangerâs Jack Blades and future Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Michael Cartellone to form Damn Yankees. The bandâs self-titled 1990 debut would go on to sell two million copies, and it was thanks to this massive power ballad, which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 3.
44. âWhen I See You Smileâ - Bad English
Yet another song written by Diane Warren! (BTW: She pops up another time later in this list.) Bad English â the supergroup made up of The Babysâ John Waite and Ricky Phillips and Journeyâs Neal Schon, Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain, who was in The Babys and Journey â was only around for two albums. âWhen I See You Smileâ was the second single released from their self-tited 1989 debut, and it was their biggest hit topping the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1989.
43. âSilent Lucidityâ - Queensryche
âItâs a place where you will learn/To face your fears, retrace the years/And ride the whims of your mind/Commanding in another world/Suddenly you hear and see/This magic new dimension.â This power ballad is as tender as it is beautifully haunting. We have Geoff Tatesâ stunning vocals and guitarist Chris DeGarmoâs songwriting to thank for that.
42. âIt Must Have Been Loveâ - Roxette
Fun fact: This Roxette hit was first released in 1987 as âIt Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken Hearted).â (Yeah, it was originally a Christmas song!) It was only released in the duoâs native Sweden but would be edited and re-released internationally in 1990 as part of the soundtrack for the hit film Pretty Woman. Singer Marie Fredriksson would die in December 2019 from a brain tumor, but songs like âIt Must Have Been Loveâ will live on forever as examples of her dynamic voice.
41. âFly To The Angelsâ - Slaughter
By the time Slaughter released their 1990 debut Stick It to Ya, there was already a popular formula in place for many rock bands releasing a new LP: First single is the rocker, and the second single is the power ballad. While the formula was successful, you still need quality songs for it to work. Slaughter definitely had them, especially with their second single âFly To The Angels.â Just thinking about the notes Mark Slaughter hits during the chorus makes my throat hurt.
40. âHeavenâ - Bryan Adams
âHeavenâ was a massive hit for Bryan Adams and was his first number-one single in the U.S. If you think the song is reminiscent of Journeyâs âFaithfully,â youâre not wrong; Adams toured with Journey while they supported their Frontiers LP, and then-Journey drummer Steve Smith plays on âHeaven.â The song is so dreamy, it lent itself to a particularly swoon-worthy scene from Magic Mike XXL.
39. âWe Donât Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)â - Tina Turner
After Tina Turnerâs smash comeback album Private Dancer, many were likely wondering what her next move was. It turns out it was starring alongside Mel Gibson in 1985âs Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and singing the filmâs theme âWe Donât Need Another Hero (Thunderdome).â And by singing, we mean absolutely belting the hell out of it. Itâs one of Turnerâs best songs, which is saying something considering her incredible catalog of work.
38. âIrisâ - Goo Goo Dolls
A number of songs on this list are featured on soundtracks. It makes sense due to the bombastic, dramatic nature of power ballads. In the case of Goo Goo Dollsâ âIris,â it was written for the 1998 film City of Angels starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. It went on to become a massive crossover international hit. And that booming chorusâŚwow! It still blows us away to this day.
37. âClose My Eyes Foreverâ - Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne
A number of the songs on this power ballad ranking have something interesting in common: Theyâre often the artistâs biggest hits in their entire catalog. This duet of Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne is no exception. The third single from Fordâs self-titled 1988 studio album, âClose My Eyes Foreverâ who peak on the Billboard Hot 100 at #8.
36. âDonât Know What You Got (Til Itâs Gone)' - Cinderella
âI canât tell ya baby what went wrongâŚâThereâs something very poetic about this power ballad from Cinderella. Who hasnât been in a relationship â romantic or not â that went sour, and you just couldnât figure out why? It might be one of the most realistic and relatable songs on this entire list.
35. âEternal Flameâ - The Bangles
âEternal Flameâ may have burned bright for The Bangles, but it ended up being the bandâs last huge hit before their breakup in 1989. They would reunite about a decade later, but if a band is going to break up, thereâs nothing like going out with a number one hit song. Talk about sun shining through the rain, right?
34. âFall To Piecesâ - Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver was one of a number of supergroups to emerge in the early aughts. They were together for only six years, but that time produced some great tunes, including this power ballad from their 2004 debut LP Contraband. Scott Weilandâs unique vocals truly open up on the songâs sing-a-long chorus, and the track serves as yet another example of how a Slash guitar solo can take a song to another level.
33. âTo Be With Youâ - Mr. Big
When youâre waiting on a line just to be the next to be with someone, you got it bad. Turns out Mr. Bigâs frontman Eric Martin did have it bad for someone he knew years before the song became a hit. Martin would say in an interview in 2011, âThis girl had a lot of boyfriends who treated her like sh-t. I wanted to be the knight in shining armor, wanted to be with her. She wasnât having it. It never came to play.â Itâs too bad for her because Martin clearly had strong feelings for this woman. At least a great tune came out of it.
32. âMore Than Wordsâ - Extreme
Brilliantly described by Max (Adam Pally) on the cult sitcom Happy Endings as âtwo men playing acoustic guitar at each other,â âMore Than Wordsâ sounded nothing like any of Extremeâs metal music. Regardless, the tender tune featuring the beautiful harmony vocals of Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt would go on to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
31. âWhy Canât This Be Loveâ - Van Halen
30. âThe Flameâ - Cheap Trick
âYou were the first, youâll be the last.â SWOON!
Before âThe Flame,â Cheap Trick hadnât had a top 40 hit since 1979. At the request of Epic Records, they had their choice of two songs the label was certain were going to be number one hits. Cheap Trick chose âThe Flame,â and as predicted, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100. (For what itâs worth: The other songs was âLook Away,â which was released by Chicago in September 1988, and it also topped the charts.)29. âWind of Changeâ - Scorpions
Not every power ballad is about romantic love; sometimes, theyâre an agent of peace. Such was the case of âWind of Changeâ from Scorpions. Klaus Meine was inspired to write the song after Scorpions took part in the Moscow Music Peace Festival in August 1989. Shortly there after, Meine would write this epic tune that, to this day, is historically tied to the end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union. Of course, thereâs also the conspiracy theory that the CIA actually wrote âWind of Change,â but weâll let you dive into that on your own via the podcast of the same name.
28. âFree Birdâ - Lynyrd Skynyrd
âFree Birdâ isnât typically in the power ballad conversation, but when you examine the classic tune per the aforementioned definition from the Cambridge University Press, it totally is! âConstant escalation and an expressive formula that combines the euphoric uplift created by rousing music with sentimental themes and ploysâ? Um, yeahâŚâFree Birdâ has that and then some! The guitar work from Allen Collins and Gary Rossington alone should be enough.
27. âAgainst All Oddsâ - Phil Collins
Ever have a drunk cry to this Phil Collins classic after a brutal breakup? No? Just me? Oh, wellâŚitâs quite therapeutic, as is belting out the anthemic chorus. Collins wrote the tune for the 1984 film of the same name that starred Rachel Ward, Jeff Bridges and James Woods. The film wasnât a big hit, but the song sure was! It was even nominated for Best Original Song at the 1985 Academy Awards. It lost out to Stevie Wonderâs âI Just Called to Say I Love Youâ from The Woman in Red, which is really one of Wonderâs most pedestrian tunes, but thatâs a rant for another day.
26. âItâs All Coming Back To Me Nowâ - Celine Dion
OkayâŚnow at this point, some of you might be mad to see Celine Dion on this list, but do yourself a favor and just revisit this epic from the singerâs 1996 hit album Falling into You. BTW: If youâre thinking that âItâs All Coming Back To Me Nowâ sounds a lot like a Meat Loaf song, itâs because it was written by composer Jim Steinman. Heâs best known for writing Meat Loafâs Bat Out of Hell and Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell.
25. âBringinâ on the Heartbreakâ - Def Leppard
Many people were introduced to Def Leppardâs trademark group vocal via âBringinâ on the Heartbreakâ from their 1981 LP High ânâ Dry. A number of power ballads from Def Leppard couldâve made this list, but thereâs something special about how this track builds into the chorus while also giving Joe Elliott plenty of time to shine on his own.
24. âKeep On Loving Youâ - REO Speedwagon
The lead single from REO Speedwagonâs ninth studio album Hi Infidelity, âKeep On Loving Youâ was a massive power ballad that helped the Illinois-based band achieve a new level of stardom. Hi Infidelity would go on to be the biggest-selling album of 1981. This power ballad definitely helped make that happen.
23. âShadows of the Night - Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar could be (and still is) an utter badass, but she also has a number of hits that showed off her sensitive side. âShadows of the Nightâ finds Benatar walking the line between toughness and sweetness, and she walks that line brilliantly. (âYou can cry, tough baby, itâs alright/You can let me down easy, but not tonight.â) Her powerful vocals certainly donât hurt matters either.
22. âBlaze of Gloryâ - Jon Bon Jovi
âBlaze of Gloryâ was Jon Bon Joviâs first solo single, and out the gate, the track topped the Billboard Hot 100. Written for the 1990 film Young Guns II, the song came to be after Emilio Estevez wanted Bon Joviâs âWanted Dead or Aliveâ for his movie. JBJ declined and ended up writing this song and a whole soundtrack. (Jon even makes an uncredited cameo in the film, which was his first appearance in any film.) While there are theme similarities between âBlaze of Gloryâ and âWanted Dead or Alive,â the former was certainly a better fit for a film about Billy the Kid and truly evokes that spirit of the Wild West.
21. âHeavenâ - Warrant
If you ever questioned what a great power ballad could do for a band, look no further than Warrant. The second single from their 1989 debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, âHeavenâ would help propel the album to being certified double platinum and would peak on the Billboard Hot 100 at number two. The song that prevented Warrant from topping the chart? Milli Vanilliâs âGirl Iâm Gonna Miss You.â
20. âSister Christianâ - Night Ranger
Fine, letâs just say it: Who knew such a sweet song about a younger sister growing up would end up soundtracking such a bizarre film scene like in 1997âs Boogie Nights? That movie moment aside, âSister Christianâ remains one of the most memorable power ballads thanks in small part to that ridiculously catchy âMotoring!â chorus.
19. âMama Iâm Coming Homeâ - Ozzy Osbourne
Inspired by wife/manager, Sharon, âMama Iâm Coming Homeâ somehow increases in wholesomeness when you learn Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister wrote the lyrics to this beautiful power ballad. Sure, that doesnât make sense in theory, but after just one listen, it just sort of clicks. Listen below if youâre still having doubts!
18. âLadyâ - Styx
If you werenât sold by the wholesomeness of the previous song, get ready for this. Originally released in 1973, Dennis DeYoung wrote âLadyâ for his wife, Suzanne. They were married in 1970 and are still married to this day! This was also Styxâs first top-ten hit, too. How wonderful is that?!
17. âI Found Someoneâ - Cher
When Cher released âI Found Someone,â it was her first new piece of music in five years. (Cher opted to focus on her acting career for most of the mid-80s.) This time around, Cher embraced more rock elements, and it certainly paid off with the track becoming Cherâs first top-ten hit in nine years.
Fun fact: âI Found Someoneâ was written by Michael Bolton and Mark Mangold and originally recorded and released by Laura Branigan about a year-and-a half before Cher released her version. Bolton would serve as producer on Cherâs version, as well.
16. âIs This Loveâ - Whitesnake
âIs This Loveâ was a monster hit for Whitesnake, but it almost wasnât their song. In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, David Coverdale said, ââIs This Loveâ was for Tina Turner originally. EMI had asked me, and then David Geffen said, âYouâre fâinâ keeping it!â And thankfully so! Arrogantly, I scream at the beginning of it, âThis is a chorus that will take over the worldâ â and it fâing did! I am at least a man of my word.â
15. âTotal Eclipse of the Heartâ - Bonnie Tyler
The late Jim Steinman will be best remembered for his work with Meat Loaf, but he also contributed some incredible tunes to other artists, as evident from number 26 on this list and âTotal Eclipse of the Heart.â Bonnie Tyler absolutely belted the hell out of this ballad. The album version of this track was nearly seven minutes long, because Jim is gonna Steinman. The single version would be edited down to 4:30 soâŚyou knowâŚit would get played on the radio. (Note: One more composition from Steinman will appear on this list.)
14. âI Remember Youâ - Skid Row
Believe it or not, Rachel Bolan and Snake Sabo â who wrote âI Remember You,â it should be noted â lobbied to keep the obvious hit off Skid Rowâs 1989 self-titled debut album. Why? As Bolan put it in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, âWe donât want to be a chick band â We want to be a hard-rock band.â Clearly, Bolan and Sabo changed their minds, and thankfully they did. Who else but Sebastian Bach can you imagine hitting those high notes? Exactly.
13. âKiss From A Roseâ - Seal
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is lovely and all, and itâs done wonders for classic rock with the soundtracks for Iron Man 2 and the Guardians of the Galaxy films, but whenâs the last time it helped spawn a hit like this? While âKiss From A Roseâ was originally released as a single in July 1994, its inclusion in 1995âs Batman Forever and its subsequent soundtrack made Seal a star. The track also cleaned up at the 1996 Grammy Awards winning Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
12. âThe Show Must Go Onâ - Queen
âInside my heart is breaking/My makeup may be flaking/But my smile, still, stays on.â Without question, âThe Show Must Go Onâ is the most devastating song on this list but one of the most beautiful. The track was released as a single just six weeks before Freddie Mercury died from complications related to HIV/AIDS. Brian May was the lead writer on the track, but itâs almost as if the entire group banded together in order to give their dear friend a grand, dramatic send-off fit for royalty.
11. âI Want to Know What Love Isâ - Foreigner
Most power ballads have big, booming choruses, but few of them make you scream-sing them in your car quite like Foreignerâs âI Want to Know What Love Is.â Foreigner had plenty of hits before âI Want to Know What Love Is,â but this one managed to top all of them, literally. It went to number one in the United States and ten other countries and remains Foreignerâs most successful single in their catalog.
10. âAlwaysâ - Bon Jovi
If power ballads are an art, then Bon Jovi is Picasso or Van Gogh or whichever *really* famous artist you prefer. Bon Jovi is one of the reasons why this list limited artists to one entry, because Bon Jovi could easily dominate this entire list. One of two new songs on their 1994 greatest hits LP Cross Road, âAlwaysâ was a smash hit all around the world. How could it not with dreamy lyrics like, âWhen he holds you close, when he pulls you near/When he says the words youâve been needing to hear/Iâll wish I was him âcause those words are mine/To say to you âtill the end of time/Yeah, I will love you, baby, always/And Iâll be there forever and a day, always.â The song is so over-the-top delightful, it allows you to forgive the band for its weird music video with the plotline that makes no sense!
9. âEvery Rose Has Its Thornâ - Poison
Itâs a tale as old as time: Bret Michaels phones his girlfriend at the time while out on tour, and when she answered, he heard some other guy in the background. Thus, an iconic power ballad thatâs a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll ballad was born! Oh, and like many other songs on this list, âEvery Rose Has Its Thornâ would become Poisonâs lone number-one hit.
8. âNothing Else Mattersâ - Metallica
âNothing Else Mattersâ is at a particular status now where itâs almost like a standard. Itâs hard to imagine a time when it could have been deemed controversial. (Unless youâre the type of metalhead that absolutely hates âThe Black Album,â and if so, frankly, itâs baffling youâre reading this list in the first place.)
Anyway, James Hetfield said in an interview in June 2012 with The Village Voice, âIt was a song for myself in my room on tour when I was bumming out about being away from home. Itâs quite amazing, itâs a true testament to honesty and exposing yourself, putting your real self out there, and taking the risk, taking a gamble that someoneâs either going to step on your heart with spikes on or theyâre going to put their heart right next to it, and you never know until you try. That solidified, I think, that we were doing the right thing, writing from the heart about what we felt, and you canât go wrong that way.â
7. âNovember Rainâ - Guns Nâ Roses
âNovember Rainâ is both a sonic and visual epic. Axl and his piano and Slash and his two massive guitar solos are the stars of this nearly nine-minute power ballad. Of course, even when listening to âNovember Rain,â you canât help but think of its decadent music video. From Slash walking out of the church to Stephanie Seymourâs mullet wedding dress, some of the scenes are the most-memorable in music video history.
Fun fact: âNovember Rainâ was the first music video released before the invention of YouTube to reach 1 billion views.
6. âHome Sweet Homeâ - Motley Crue
In the realm of power ballads, âHome Sweet Homeâ is among the most quintessential. Even when listening to it in your car, youâre almost tempted to lift up your lighter or phone and just sway. Tommy Leeâs piano intro is instantly recognizable, and his little drum fill at the end of the track is the perfect cherry atop one epic tune. Add Mick Marsâ guitar solo and the way Vince Neil wails âTonight, tonight!â during the chorus, itâs no wonder this tune penned by Nikki Sixx made our top ten.
5. âAloneâ - Heart
Written and recorded originally by songwriting duo Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, Heart would take âAloneâ to new heights when they covered the tune for their 1987 album Bad Animals. If at this point you werenât sold on Ann Wilson being one of rockâs strongest voices, just listen to âAloneâ a few times on repeat. And, once again, this stunning power ballad would go on to be Heartâs biggest hit of their career topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in July 1987.
4. âIâd Do Anything For Love (But I Wonât Do That)â - Meat Loaf
This delightfully over-the-top classic resurfaced following the untimely death of Meat Loaf, which sadly happened just nine months after the death of songwriter Jim Steinman. If the deaths of Meat Loaf and Steinman brought anything to the forefront itâs the importance of theatrics in rock and roll and how theyâre incredibly missed.
âIâd Do Anything For Loveâ would resurrect Meat Loafâs career, give him a number one hit in nearly 30 countries and net him a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo.
Oh, and the thing he wonât do for love is cheat on his partner. He says so at the very end of the epic tune, in case this was somehow a mystery to anyone reading this.
3. âOpen Armsâ - Journey
âOpen Armsâ truly took power ballads to a new level upon its release on Escape in 1981. The entire â80s decade saw a massive boom in the release of power ballads, and one could argue that Journey had a lot to do with that considering the success of âOpen Arms.â Journey had plenty of other power ballads they would later introduce, but âOpen Armsâ was their best and grandest thanks to the sweet, sincere and soaring vocals of Steve Perry.
2. âPurple Rainâ - Prince
Similar to Lynyrd Skynyrdâs âFree Bird,â Princeâs âPurple Rainâ isnât typically in the power ballad conversation, because the idea of a power ballad is traditionally reserved for metal bands. However, Prince was never one for musical boundaries or limitations.
Upon the briefest of examinations, it totally is a power ballad. Prince once said of the meaning behind the classic track, âWhen thereâs blood in the sky â red and blue = purpleâŚâPurple Rainâ pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/God guide you through the purple rain.â Itâs truly appropriate that a heavy song has such a heavy meaning.
1. âI Donât Want To Miss A Thingâ - Aerosmith
Power ballads are traditionally based around grandness. With that considered, being the theme to 1998âs Armageddon â a film about an asteroid threatening to destroy Earth â is about as over-the-top as it gets. âI Donât Want To Miss A Thingâ wasnât Aerosmithâs first power ballad, but itâs the bandâs biggest both sonically and commercially. Written by Diane Warren, the track boasts a string section and one of Steven Tylerâs greatest screams ever recorded.
In 1998, there was truly no escaping this song. âI Donât Want To Miss A Thingâ was seemingly everywhere. It would top the Billboard Hot 100 chart for four weeks and is Aerosmithâs lone number-one hit in the United States. As if that werenât enough, the song was a number-one song in nine other countries. And if the Bad Boys from Boston care about superlatives, âI Donât Want To Miss A Thingâ tops this Best Power Ballads list. While assembling this entire list was very difficult, putting this blockbuster at number one was the easiest part of the process.
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