10 Classic Rock Bands That Got Better After Selling Out

10. Journey

Journey are easily one of the most successful bands to come out of the 80's. Regardless of what you think of their music, the impact of songs like "Don't Stop Believin" and "Faithfully" are so undeniable that they feel more or less a part of arena rock's DNA. When the group got the ball rolling though, their sound was far from the radio singles we know them for.

With the original lineup featuring vocalist Gregg Rolie of Santana, the band's first few releases saw them developing a sound that was more jazz fusion than pop. Songs would often have separate movements and contain multiple instrumentals, which while cool, never really found its footing on the charts. This period of the band's work certainly has its fans, but the group's big reach for the gold came when powerhouse Steve Perry joined their ranks.

Instead of having the more complex musical passages, the newer material had a certain sonic sheen to it that made it irresistible every time you listened to it. With ballads and poppy material becoming their new sound, even guitarist Neal Schon wasn't sure what to make of it at the time, but the results ended up becoming the soundtrack to a whole new generation of rock fans.