Can you name a rock and roll vocalist with more range and who has ever sung with more human emotion than Steve Perry? There have been many incredibly gifted rock and roll singers with great range and emotion. Names like Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Ann Wilson of Heart, Roger Daltrey of The Who and Freddie Mercury of Queen have all recorded amazing vocal performances. Yet Steve Perry seemed to have that extra gear that maybe only Freddie Mercury could have reached in range. Nonetheless, no one has ever sounded like Steve Perry. No one ever will.
The only disappointment we have ever had with Steve Perry was his disappearance from the music business for over twenty years. It’s none of our business why he left, and it’s not the topic of this article. However, we just wanted to say that we really missed Steve Perry and we wish we had more Steve Perry solo material to listen to. This article, the Top 10 Steve Perry Songs from his solo albums will look at just that. We will not be covering the great work he did with Journey. We have already covered those songs. This Top 10 Steve Perry songs list will take a look at the three solo albums Steve Perry has released along with the material form his unreleased album that was eventually issued on his Greatest Hits package.
We hope you enjoy this article. We had an amazing time putting it together because it was so enjoyable to listen to all of these incredible vocal performances from the great Steve Perry.
# 10 – No More Cryin’
One of the best rock and roll news stories of 2018 was the return of Steve Perry. We open our Top 10 Steve Perry songs list with a track from his comeback album entitled Traces
. “No More Crying,” was the second single released from the album.
# 9 – She’s Mine
On ClassicRockHistory.com we constantly write about the year 1984. It was such an incredible years for rock music with some of the most legendary albums in history released. Can anyone say Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The U.S.A
or Prince’s Purple Rain.
Nonetheless, our favorite album released that year was undoubtedly Steve Perry’s first solo album entitled Street Talk.
We could have filled this entire Top 10 Steve Perry songs list with tracks from that great album. However, we have to choose wisely. The first song to appear on this list form that album is the heartbreaking song “She’s Mine.” This one sent shivers through anyone who has ever dealt with the issues of someone trying to steal your lover away. The emotional anguish that Steve Perry displayed in his performance was just further proof of his brilliance as an artist and his genuine spirit as a human being.
# 8 – Missing You
This beautiful song “Missing You,” was released on the album For The Love of Strange Medicine.
The song was written by Steve Perry and Tim Mine. This is probably as haunting as Steve Perry ever got on record.
# 7 – Captured By The Moment
What is so magical about this incredible song is the low register that Steve Perry sings in during the verse. It’s probably the lowest Steve Perry has ever sung in record and it is mesmerizing as he shifts vocal registers from the verse to the pre-chorus and onward into the chorus. On just about every song Steve Perry sings we want to scream it’s his best vocal performance ever. The talent is so extraordinary.
# 6 – Against The Wall
The song Against The Wall was released on the greatest hits album entitled Greatest Hits + Five Unreleased
. The + Five Unreleased part of that titled stemmed from five tracks that were originally recorded for the follow up album to Street Talk
which was tentatively titled Against The Wall. The album was shelved and the songs later appeared on the greatest hits package and as bonus tracks on For The Love Of Strange Medicine
album.
# 5 – No Erasin’
“No Erasin’ was the first single released from Steve Perry’s comeback album entitled Traces. The song was actually released a few weeks ahead of the album. As soon as we found out about the release, we did a story on it while we could not stop playing this incredible song.
# 4 – I Believe
The bass line, the drums, and the groove on this one was addicting as you could get. That Motown feel juxtaposed against Steve Perry’s killer vocal gave birth to a song to die for, if you know what I mean. “I Believe,” was released on the Street Talk
Album. The song was written by Steve Perry, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf and Duane Hitchings.
# 3 – You Better Wait
It took Steve Perry ten years to follow up his first solo album with another solo effort. For The Love of Strange Medicine
was released in 1994. The music scene had changed dramatically in ten years from 1984 to 1994. You can sense the change in the production on the album. Nonetheless, Steve Perry’s voice was still as strong and magical as it was on Street Talk.
Our favorite track from the album For The Love of Strange Medicine
was the album’s first single “You Better Wait.” The song was written by Steve Perry, Paul Taylor, Lincoln Brewster, Moyes Lucas, George Hawkins and John Pierce
# 2 – Foolish Heart
If we ever want to define the term for groove ballad, we could just play this amazing track. Steve Perry’s “Foolish Heart,” was released on the Street Talk
album. The song was issued as the fourth single from the record. It was a huge hit for Steve Perry as it became a top 20 single. We also always loved the one shot video of this song.
# 1 – Oh Sherrie
There are times when you hear a new song on the radio for the first time and you are just frozen until the second the song ends. That is what it was like when most people heard the opening notes to this incredible piece of music. Hands down, this is one of the greatest songs to come out of the 1980s. The success of this song fueled many rumors that Steve Perry would leave Journey. That turned out to be not true for the moment as Steve Perry continued with Journey for another 12 years even after the success of this amazing single and solo album.
![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
