I'll never forget the feeling I got back in the early eighties when I first fell in love with the band Journey. The musical scene was frantically bouncing all over the place and we as avid music listeners were even beginning to welcome the sense of sight to the party with the widespread acceptance of MTV. This was a great time to be a music lover and even though most of the music was fun and energetic, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn't exactly overflowing with too many representatives from that era.

I believe that a vote for Journey would do an awful lot to correct the situation. Are there more important rock bands out there? Yes. Were there groups that were more influential in the visual realm of music videos? Yes. Are there at least ten to twelve Journey songs on your iPod? Yes.

That's the point. The aptly named Journey is routinely overlooked and rarely gets the recognition they deserve for pioneering so many avenues of what make the entire experience of listening to and enjoying music so . . . enjoyable. Other than KISS, there weren't too many rock bands out there that were as equally adept at drawing you in with their impressive visuals while keeping you rocking with all those big, bold songs. This isn't forgettable music either. Journey's songs are as viable today as they were back in my youth. "Don't Stop Believin'" feels equally at home in the vivid memories of my childhood spent hitting the arcades and going to skating rinks as it does wafting out over the closing credits of the final episode of The Sopranos.

In the eternal scheme of things, what does it really matter whether or not Journey is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? We're still going to try our hardest not to be seen strumming our air guitars with abandon as the opening riff of "Stone in Love" cues up in those tiny little earbuds on the subway. We're still going to see that blue helmeted space cadet in our dreams as "Chain Reaction"'s onslaught of drums and vocals drift off into the distance for the thousandth time. And yes, we're still going to be instantly transported back to that first dance whenever "Open Arms" starts playing over the loudspeaker in the checkout line at Walmart. I think the most important element here is simply the recognition that this band matters. They were, are and hopefully will be a major part of that ongoing experience we know as music. The truth is that the journey never really ends.

Learn more about this author, Ben O'Neal.
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