Song vs. Song

Living on a prayer because it’s not just the same words over and over and over again

Fantastic idea. The Song vs Songs you've posted are fantastic conversation starters. Love your work

Colin

Im 22 so my fist introduction to Dont stop believing is through that god awful cover in Glee. Really ruined the experience for me. However, Ive always loved Livin on a prayer unironically.

Aisha

overplay has seriously affected me ever really loving these songs again, but my love for Steve Perry overshadows my "yes i'm from jersey, NO i don't like bon jovi" relationship i have with jon bon. slippery when wet was basically all of his good songs, on one frontloaded album that kept him famous for the rest of the 20th century. two songs that are the most iconic from these bands, but certainly not their best. DSB all the way

Dan Barber

I don't have much of a preference, but I think Don't Stop Believing is easier for most people to sing along to. I'd argue that makes it the better pop song. Pop songs have gotta be inclusive, y'know?

It's a classic '70s rock trick which reminds me, incidentally, of Nazareth, who had Steve Perry belt their biggest hit.

I just want to suggest "Sussudio" vs. "Sledgehammer." And I think the Bon Jovi song is more evocative by just being basic and to the point: "We'll give it a shot." It's Springsteen con Queso, but the Journey song doesn't really transport me to the boulevard or make me feel like a streetlight person. They aren't The Blue Nile.

DSB, based solely on the "Northern Kings" cover.

Journey is the better band, but Don't Stop Believing is not their best song so... Jon Bovi gets my vote

My musical analysis: Both of these songs are perfect examples of the mainstream 80s rock (Hair Rock, Butt Rock, whatever you want to call it), but even though I generally enjoy Journey's music much more than Bon Jovi, it's a pretty close match between these two songs. Livin' On A Prayer definitely has more content overall. Don't Stop Believing basically has one chord progression, (the beloved 4 chords of pop; 156-4, even though it switches the 6- for a 3- every other time), and a basic 4 chord turnaround tossed in a couple times. Livin' On A Prayer has three chord progressions and a slightly modified chorus for the guitar solo. The melody of DSB is pretty simple, mostly just toggling between two or three notes, while LOP is a little more complicated running down the majority of the scale throughout the melody and then jumps up a major 6th requiring a slightly wider range of pitch. LOP also gives us the classic minor 3rd modulation at the end of the song which, along with the synth tone, obligatory guitar solo, harmonized "whoas" in the chorus, and third person lyrical content, makes LOP a perfect package for a professor in a contemporary music class in college to demonstrate nearly all of the characteristics of that genre of rock in that decade. My personal opinion: Livin' On A Prayer has one of the Bon Douchiest music videos of all of the 80s. The cutesy preshow stage antics and obviously inauthentic soundcheck through most of the video is sickeningly forced, on the same level as an average OneDirection music video. While the video on mute is enough for me to heavily weigh against the logical analysis in regards to music theory and structure, Bon Jovi's halfway grunted tone of voice that seemed to be the precursor of the Chad Kroegers of the world should be enough to lean me in favor of DSB. But all in all I have to go in favor of LOP. The music should be the focus, and possibly the average 3 to 1 request margin in favor of DSB at cover gigs that I play waring on me a bit may play a role in my decision making.

plusmin

This sounds like a great idea.

Brett

Would love to see Song vs Song as a show! I love the stuff you do

Also Steve Perry can sing. Jon Bon Jovi I wouldn't call anything more than fair.

Joss Strand

Sounds like a great idea!

this is the only argument that made me reconsider my vote for Don't Stop Believin

Ingeborg

Don't Stop Believing is alright, but you can't meme it like you can with Living On A Prayer. - - WOAAAH WE'RE HALFWAY THERE, WOOAAAAAHH EATING TWENTY PEARS

Personal taste: I'm not a fan of Bon Jovi. So for me it's an easy choice, I think Don't Stop Believin' just sounds better?

The weird robot going "Wowowowo" in Living on a Prayer puts it way above Don't Stop Believing. That and the fact that's it's... you know, good beside the intro.

Humanoïde

DSB by the opening alone.

Joss Strand

Not a fan of either song or band, but I’ll go with Livin’ on a Prayer because it has better lyrics by default. The line “some will win, some will lose/some were born to sing the blues” will never not make me cringe, and I still don’t know what the hell “streetlight people” is supposed to mean.

Ethan Michael Thomas

Don't Stop Believing doesn't have that smug "I'm trying to be the pop metal version of Springsteen" air about it so it wins by default.

Jane Altoids

This sounds like it would be a lot of fun! You're talking about an actual podcast, rather than your normal video format, right? I'd give it a listen. Don't Stop Believing is pure cheese, but cheese isn't necessarily bad. I'm not sure how it became the acceptable "cheese" song for parties when I was in college, but the rest of Journey's cheese is also a lot of fun. Marching band groups belting out Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin was always a blast.

Zachary McAnally

Oh my God this is such a hard decision: I absolutely adore both of these songs. I will, however, be going for Living on a Prayer, because it's my favourite Bon Jovi song, whereas Journey have waaaaaaaaay better songs than Don't Stop Believing.

I really am not fond of either, but Livin' on a Prayer/Bon Jovi has always annoyed me on some level and maybe always will? I think I like the message of Don't Stop Believin' a bit better too.

Deanna Banana

honestly Don't Stop Believing is super cheesy and it knows it. it leans into the cheese. it's still enjoyable because both Journey and I are in agreement of how seriously I should take this song. Bon Jovi always sounds like he's really honestly convinced about Tommy's plight and means it seriously (and honestly I know this is sacrilege but the beginning of the song his voice just sounds like chad kroeger to me and ugh). and also for some reason adding "you" to the chorus of living on a prayer makes me feel more talked down to than Don't Stop Believing even though both songs are literally commanding me to do stuff.

Don't Stop Believin' needs to be permanently retired. Aside from its use in the Sopranos finale, it long outlived its relevance a long time ago. Livin' on a Prayer gets a boost from the keyboards, crunchy guitar and repeated use of its chorus.

MPG1989

Livin' On A Prayer's intro is golden, the booming keyboards and talkbox help it above Don't Stop Believing.

Memeafication has killed any enjoyment of DSB, and I still like the misheard lyric on LoaP of "Take my hand, and we'll make a nice sweater." so...

I have to be "in the mood" for either of them these days because they've both been played so much. With that being said, Bon Jovi just edges it for me

Michael Fitzgerald

i love both but Livin on prayer plays the same amount as wanted dead or alive. Don't stop believing so catchy and i love it

Tj Kiszka

Depends what you mean by song. As a composition I prefer 'Prayer.' I prefer 'Believin'' as an individual record because Journey has the conviction pull off their cheese in that record better than Jovi does theirs. Perfected Jovi cheese, to me, is 'Wanted Dead or Alive' over the likes of 'Prayer' or 'You Give Love a Bad Name.' But 'Believin'' is its respective band at its peak form.

Alan Kase

"Prayer" always felt present in my life, but not oppressively so. "Believin'" was nowhere until 10-15 years ago, and then was EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME. Neither is remotely their band's actual best single, but I'll give the edge to "Prayer".

Joe G

While some might hold the four chords of pop against Don't Stop Believin', I think there's a reason it represents them when so many other songs have a claim. Also, Livin' on Prayer is rather depressing for a working class anthem, making Don't Stop Believin' the more fun song to sing.

"Livin' on a Prayer" makes better use of dropping its 'g' than "Don't Stop Believin'" d:

Phoenician

That's a strange way to spell "Separate Ways"--oh, you wrote "popular", not "best". :-)

Joe G

Aside from the sheer joy hearing “born and raised in south Detroit” thunder through stadiums when it’s inevitably played during games, Don’t Stop Believing is superior because it, if only briefly, has the framing through the small town girl and city boy, and it makes it feel more personal to me, and their scenarios are relatively gender neutral.

Mara Weber

Both are great though. That was a hard choice.

Helena

Toddcast.

Kyle B

As irritating and overplayed as Bon Jovi is in general, I still prefer Living on a Prayer because Don't Stop Believing made me hate Journey. ♥

Celery

One is one of the great rock songs, the other was forever ruined by Glee though, wasn't that great a song to begin with. Too pop rock.

J Singh

For me, when looking past "Don't Stop Believin'" being the cheese classic it's become thanks to Glee, it's a just a slog that's cheesy in just a lame way. "Livin' On A Prayer" on the other hand pumps it up, and is all the better for that intensity. (And having the better hook)

Am I the only one who remembers when "Don't Stop Believing" was uncool enough to be played in "The Wedding Singer" as a joke?

Jon Heiman

Good luck with the Podcast Todd! All I can say is most Podcasts I listen to have little substance and it's just 2 people that are good at talking talking to each other. Please don't do that, I will not listen to your podcast if that's what it devolves to. I've always liked your show because it's got meat to it and your production value is fun.

Don't Stop Believin'...because it's the only one of the two available in Klingon. [/dumbest reason ever but I don't care] <a href="https://klingonpopwarrior.com/music" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://klingonpopwarrior.com/music</a>

Taia Hartman

I'm all in on this podcast idea. Personally, I gotta say Livin' on a Prayer. Relistening to both, Don't Stop Believin' is simpler in terms of structure. It's just the standard pop chords with a couple guitar solos thrown in. It's kind of lowest common denominator rock. Livin' on a Prayer isn't something avant garde by any means, but it has them playing around with a talk box, changes keys, and has just enough more complexity to it to make it more interesting to listen to. Plus, JBJ's vocals feel a bit like if Springsteen had the pipes for arena rock. Though honestly, Don't Stop Believin' may just be overplayed.

Don’t Stop Believin’ is the most hackneyed songwriting of all time and at least Livin’ on a Prayer attempts to do something different.

I live in New Jersey so the overplay factor is even more so with Livin’ on a Prayer. With that being said, while it is not ever something I need to hear again, I choose Livin’ on a Prayer easily.

A podcast is great! Sometimes you want to listen to people talk about stuff without looking at a screen, and I like when you talk about stuff! I gotta say Livin' On A Prayer. I think Glee did the other one in for me. (Okay, to be fair, I had somehow not been aware of the song until around that time.)

this is a dope idea. "living on a prayer" is better because it's a genuine banger and i would gladly never listen to "don't stop believing" again

While I’m a huge fan of Steve Perry - Oh Sherrie is my jam and the Separate Ways music video changed my life - Bon Jovi wins this match up for me. In Livin on a Prayer there’s more at stake and you know what they’re praying for. Don’t Stop Believing doesn’t deserve the intensity of the song. Believe in what? Hooking up with strangers on the train?

I don't really care for either song, but I hate "Living on a Prayer" less (and not just because I'm from NJ). Both have the same reliance on awful 80s synths and cheesy lyrics (though the line about "south Detroit" still takes the cake as the overall dumbest), but I think it comes down to the overall feel of the song. "Living on a Prayer" at least sounds like *something* to me - a distinctly 80s hair metal song with a bit of Springsteenian blue collar edge to it (even if that doesn't do much for me personally), while "Don't Stop Believin'" sounds like... nothing. It just feels to me like someone put together a song to either make drunk karaoke singers happy or to put on a sitcom soundtrack, with no soul or verve behind the sound. For all of Bon Jovi's silliness, at least it's got a little more of a substantial feel to it.

Harpo1987

"Livin' On A Prayer" wins because "Don't Stop Believing" is unfairly taking "Any Way You Want It"s rightful place as the most popular Journey song.

I always preferred Livin' On A Prayer, since it doesn't use the generic Four Chords of Pop (1-5-6-4). Whenever a song uses that chord structure, for the most part I tune out. And in the rare exception, it makes me LOATHE a song (Fight Song).

Ridd

Alright, I'm gonna be honest. Both songs are great. BUT Living On A Prayer edges out. Don't Stop Believin' is the one I hear far more often and quite frankly, more annoying because of that. As well, Living On A Prayer is a lot more fun of a song and... that chorus THAT FUCKING CHORUS. DAMN.

Totally agree with you on the Springsteen comparison Livin on a Prayer has always felt to me like a hair metal version of Atlantic City

Don't Stop Believin' has the feeling of accidental greatness to it. The imagery is evocative, but also nonsense. I think it's kind of the perfect big stupid four chords pop song. It's enduring power in undeniable. Living on a Prayer has a similar power, but it also feels like a Bruce Springsteen song with no sincerity. Which kind of elevates it, but also hurts it for me. It feels a little too calculated to me.

Iam3DHomer

Have any of Journey's other songs really endured? I know they had a successful career, but I feel like I rarely hear any of their other stuff, except maybe Open Arms. But then, I live in the UK, so maybe they've got longer legs stateside? Either way, that's why I give it to Livin on a Prayer. The songs are both overplayed for the exact same reasons, and give me virtually the exact same reaction when I hear them, so I pick the one that reminds me of the discography I prefer.

Tim Bates

Livin' on a Prayer has a better story to it, a Springsteen-like attempt to show two people down on their luck trying their best to get through the tough times together. The imagery in Don't Stop Believin' is much more vague and doesn't really try to say anything or create a story. Plus, as catchy as Don't Stop Believin' is, there are few more thrilling choruses than when Jon Bon Jovi kicks his vocals up a notch on the last go-around for the end of Livin' on a Prayer.

I personally find Don't Stop Believin' more optimistic than Livin' on a Prayer.

Robert Griffith

I'll be honest, I've always liked Livin' on a Prayer, but I've never quite loved it, and I'm kinda baffled that it's as big as it is. Maybe that's just an issue of being a 21-year-old loser who's never had a job and has done jack-all with life, but I've yet to be convinced that Tommy and Gina's story actually matters. The song does have a great chorus, but that really shouldn't be enough to have made it so massive. So yeah, for me Don't Stop Believin' really does connect stronger. Somehow, by being broader, less realistic and less serious, it became significantly more powerful and more memorable. It absolutely earned every bit of overplay it got. I guess, to apply a movie metaphor, there's a reason serious Oscar bait dramas get forgotten in five years while Disney fairytales stick with you forever. One of those things just has more universal relevance.

In terms of drunk at a pub/nightclub or karaoke night, Living on a Prayer is a song everybody shouts out, I've lost count of the times on a nightclub floor some friend or stranger has grabbed and screamed "WOOOHOOO LIVING ON A PRAYER" into my face. And I know I've done it a few times. Dont stop believin on the hand is a song drunks sing together, people naturally split the opening verse into a duet and I've been pulled into many drunken huddles for the chorus. So I think Dont Stop is the better song.

Connla Lyons

I hate you so much for making me defend Don’t Stop Believing, but the only thing Living on a Prayer has going for it is a big chorus. Don’t Stop Believing has an intro that grabs you and pulls you into the song (damn those four chords), verses that are memorable (LoaP’s verses aren’t imo), and an overall better management of energy until the final chorus/outro fadeout. On nearly every level, Don’t Stop Believing is much more interesting than Living on a Prayer. (I’m sold on this podcast idea, btw)

Somehow, I prefer Living on a Prayer. Can't quite put my finger on why. If I may make a suggestion for one episode (even though I'm sure that'll be reserved for those paying larger sums of money) - Take That's cover of "How Deep is Your Love" vs Steps' cover of "Tragedy". Which 90s British pop act did the better Bee Gees cover?

Well, since nothing worth anything has ever come out of Jersey this one easily goes to Don't Stop Believing.

Zachery Egan

I have obvious bias towards Livin' On A Prayer, my mother grew up with the 80's hair bands and had a HUGE crush on Bon Jovi and it played in our house, bustin through the windows every Saturday for years on end when it came to do the weekend chores. That being said - I've never once gotten sick of the song, where Journey tends to grate. I'm going to attribute this to my preference of harder rock over 'shinier' or smoother songs like what Journey tends to put out. BUT I also do legitimately believe that Livin' On A Prayer is the stronger STORY, as far as songs go, there's alot of heartache and desperation in ALOT of what the people in the song are actually doing, and you can really feel that. I've feel like I've BEEN there, being on a long term relationship myself that bloomed from a middle school romance and going through the struggles of having to pull everything together for yourself for the first time. It's alot of personal stuff, and the idea of a young couple struggling like this is just more relatable for me, where Livin' On A Prayer sounds more desperate and like you're at the of your rope where Journey's just like 'HEY, EVERYTHIN' WILL BE FINE IF WE DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' and I just can't sink my teeth into it, its a fun song that honestly to me feels a little pandering and overblown. I feel like Don't Stop Believin' is working towards nothing which I dunno if I can in my head really support, where the kids in Livin' On A Prayer just deserve a damn break and my heart goes out to em. And all that said I still do much prefer the specifics and harder more desperate style of Bon Jovi here but I'm fully aware I tend to turn towards more dark/depressing things and ideas as I do feel that just makes for better art and ideas overall.

Living on a prayer has the better chorus, but Don't Stop Believing is more well rounded. Hate to vote against Bon Jovi, but going to have to this time around.

James Anthony

This is a great idea for a podcast and I'd happily listen to it. I'm still going between the two songs, because I love them both. Every time I think I'll pick one, I waver. I'm going to give it some more thought.

percysowner

Don't Stop Believin' has been overplayed to the point where I can't enjoy it anymore. Plus, I have some great memories associated with Livin' On A Prayer so I have to choose that one.

I get the argument that Livin on a Prayer is on some level more specific, more plausibly real, than Don't Stop Believing. But LOAP is still not at all plausible - the verses are pretty forgettable for many of us, and it relies on a memorable chorus (and really one big wailing vocal) to sell itself. DSB is, by contrast, pretty memorable on a lyric level - almost everyone can sing the verses as well as the chorus, and if asked to pick the song's big selling point, there's a much wider array of appealing answers. I get that there's a weakness in that it doesn't really tell us a human story, but let's face it, neither Bon Jovi nor Journey are going to get mistaken for Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. Journey at least evokes in me a little bit of emotion - sort of a pop song equivalent of a "tone poem", where the words don't really deliver the details of a narrative but I feel like I pick it up somehow. Bon Jovi doesn't really accomplish that for me - if you ask me, I know the song is about that couple, but I never really feel like the song connects me to them. Whereas, even though I'm not at all sure who the streetlight people really are, in that moment, I feel sure I know them well. Both of these belong in the Karaoke Hall of Fame, though. Even a bad singer can get you to join in, and I've heard good singers really take them to the next level.

James R.

Had to represent my state here, Bon Jovi easily wins

Nic Pruitt

It's a close call but I have to go with "Believin'." With the one exception of the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme" it is the song that most inspires men of my generation to sing along. It also has the four chords of pop by which all other four chords of pop are judged. The talk box stuff in "Prayer" is still pretty great though...

Jacob Wick

Todd. This is like asking me which child should live while the other one dies. I’m going with Don’t Stop Believing. Buts it’s a close call. Mostly because that song has an iron grip in pop culture to the point where it was your song choice for pop song chords. Living on a prayer is good too but I feel like it dies out after a while. It’s really only the chorus that is steady.

Yvette

It's not that I love Livin on a Prayer so much, it's that Don't Stop Believin was so overplayed at summer camp as a youth that the sound of it makes me ill

Marisa

How can you NOT vote for the ultimate Four Chords pop song? :D

Rhiannon M

My biggest issue with "Don't Stop Believing" is that the basketball coach at my undergrad loved it. Which shouldn't be much of a problem, except as a French horn player in the band, we played it almost every game for two years straight. And the horn part we were given was TERRIBLE. There is nothing more boring than playing DAH DAH DAH DAH DAH DAH DAH DAH over and over and over again for three minutes, with the only thing to look forward to being the key change just to play slightly different DAH DAHs. It was the Pachelbel's Canon in D of band music. (If it weren't for this, I'd like both songs pretty much equally.)

You could make a Patreon tier for a “listener call in” portion. Instead of a written comment patrons of a certain tier and higher can leave a voicemail you can screen then air.

ChristineDraws

What's funny is I had never heard these songs all the way through: up until now I had only heard the choruses and some really mediocre covers (especially in the case of Don't Stop Believin'). What struck me upon hearing these songs for the first time was how great they sound; I'm not as fond of 80s music as other people are, but the instrumentation and production on these songs is just fantastic. I voted Livin' On a Prayer but it's a very close race in my book.

I'm probably biased against Don't Stop Believing because my dad was a huge Journey fan and would play their Greatest Hits endlessly on road trips, so I was already sick of that damn song before its inexplicable late 2000s resurgence. Speaking of that resurgence, what the hell was up with that? Did people not realize that David Chase was playing that corny song at the end of his highly cynical show as a morbid joke? It's a weird misshapen song. Anyone ever notice that it doesn't have a chorus? The part people think is the chorus only actually plays once at the end of the song. It's not a chorus. Livin on a Prayer by contrast has an all time great hook that the band sells perfectly. It also paints a much more vivid picture of what Tommy and Gina are going through that what "small town girl" and "city boy" are escaping. Hell, Journey doesn't even get the georgraphy right, there's no South Detroit, the South of Detroit is Canada. Bon Jovi by contrast seem to have a very clear idea of what the New Jersey they're talking about is like.

MJS

I picked Don't Stop Believing mostly because of the Glee association, which for many is probably a negative but at the time I was a middle/high School choir nerd so I have super fond memories around Glee and nothing gets an a cappella party going like a good old fashioned Glee-style "DAH DAH DAH DAH." Plus I like the extended buildup in DSB more than that of LoaP

Natalie Koppen

It's all about those *bwoah-woah-woah*s. "Livin' On A Prayer" in a walk.

Sykonee

Don't Stop Believing is fine but I think it wears out it's welcome pretty fast. The chorus for Livin on a Prayer just hits so hard that for me it's just instantly more memorable, you just feel the song more than Don't Stop Believing.

Brandon H

Heat of the Moment

I legitimately cannot pick between either song. Both are associated with different memories and different kinds of people I've sung the song with in non-karaoke settings. Music, movies and tv are how I connect myself with others but music is the one that's most engrained in my very being. So picking between these two specific songs feels more like picking between two children. I like Livin On A Prayer's guitar part but the driving beat of Don't Stop Believing is also really good. I don't know Todd, but when you're ready to discuss I'll be listening :)

Toryana Frazier

Livin’ On a Prayer wins just because I prefer the chorus. Plus I was the right age for Glee, and as a Brit whose parents didn’t like that kind of music, that was my first exposure to Don’t Stop Believing... it didn’t hold much of a chance. (I don’t hate it though!)

I'm going with Livin' on a Prayer. Don't Stop Believin' is great, but in the end, I think Jon Bon Jovi has Steve Perry beaten for vocal chops (i.e. I like Bon Jovi's voice better). And I hated the intro to DSB on Rock Band. As for making it a show, I'd be all for it. There have to be a lot of songs you'd like to talk about, but can't, because they're not current, one-hit wonders or part of a trainwreckord.

Timur Hahn

Don't Stop Believin', it's catchy as hell and you can sing the lyrics to Beethoven's 9th IV movement to it.

Matthew Abbott

I'm sorry. I'm from New Jersey, so I'm already coming into this with a clear bias for Bon Jovi. Furthermore, the line "we've got to hold on to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not" is my mantra for 2017 and beyond. There's not much to it. The song makes me feel like I can make it through my problems, and during these Troubling Times, I've got to hold on to what I've got.

Okay, this one is easy for me. Firstly, I actually really like Bon Jovi in all their hair metal glory (maybe because I just have a guilty pleasure towards hair metal in general). "Livin' On A Prayer" definitely isn't their best song (it's no "You Give Love A Bad Name"), but it's an easy listen, what with its delightfully cheesy lyrics and over-the-top guitar solo, and I sing along to it every time (I even have the CD laying around somewhere!). Meanwhile, I absolutely DESPISE "Don't Stop Believing". I just find it so hackneyed and cliche, but not in a fun, dumb way like Bon Jovi, where you can just have a good time. No, in a "we totally think we're being profound" way. I mean, just look at the title, "Don't Stop Believing". It sounds like a plaque your grandma would have on her wall. It's so melodramatic, and bland, and unearned. Like, why should I be taking life advice from Journey? Bon Jovi feel sincere, like they were totally owning being a dumb 80s band, and it's infectious as a result. Journey meanwhile feel like they sat around in a studio trying to write the most "inspirational" song they could to appeal to the widest audience of boring white people possible. It's the worst kind of ballad, designed to appeal to everyone and no-one. "Livin' On A Prayer" is actually about something, a pretty simple something, but it still tells a story that can resonate, e.g. working through tough times by leaning on loved ones. Journey meanwhile, managed to write the most vague song humanly imaginable. It's just so overplayed, and BORING. That opening piano makes me want to swerve my car into a tree, and don't even get me started on Glee. I had to listen to people singing their own crappy covers for MONTHS. It's an earworm in the worst possible way, its motivational message feels fake, and I would never listen to it of my own volition. Livin' On A Prayer has a spot on singalong playlist any day. Don't Stop Believing... well, let's just say, that's a journey I don't wanna take.

Aimee W.M.

When I was a kid my parents had two CDs they kept in the car: Bob Seger's greatest hits and Journey's greatest hits. So I loved "Don't Stop Believin'" by default. My vote would more than likely go to it now if it wasn’t for the fact that it has been painfully overplayed, even compared to a song like “Livin’ on a Prayer.” But it hasn’t just been overplayed, it’s been associated with so much cheese in addition to being a Journey song and therefore cheesy by nature. All the pop culture elements have to align to make a song like “Don’t Stop Believin’” intolerably cheesy and they did. I think most people associate the cringe-worthiness of it with Glee, but let’s not forget that before Glee there was Laguna Beach. Not quite as impactful, but it caused an increased interest in the song amongst teens in 2005 for a hot minute. So around that time I was not about the song being associated with Lauren Conrad and that Stephen kid having some moony-eyed sing along in his car. For me, that was the first blow. When Glee came out and the song was everywhere, that was it. I just couldn’t love the song anymore. It wasn’t just a fun-to-listen-to, older song that reminded me of going on long car rides with my parents. It was That Glee Song. It was the final blow that killed my love. So, honestly, “Livin’ on a Prayer” is just okay in my opinion, but it wins because at least I can listen to that song and it’s just a song with a fun, powerful chorus that you can sing along to with your friends.

Also while reading other comments I just want to address the criticism that DSB doesn't have a narrative or characters. My read has always been that the characters don't really get names or motivation because they are supposed to be a stand in for youth in general, and so everyone can give them whatever motivation they most sympathize with and by that they'll see themselves as the protagonist of the song and they'll wont stop believing which is, again, the whole point of the song: To keep optimism alive!!!

Nir revel

"Don't Stop Believin'" was the song that everyone in my high school was obsessed with, around the time Glee did the cover of it, and I heard that song sung off key by teenagers every day for a year. I like other Journey songs, and it is a song that's put together nicely and everything, but it is also without a doubt the song that I hear being covered off key or repeatedly in a way that makes it hard to listen to it and not remember those situations. "Livin' on a Prayer" also has the over sung problem, but because it utilizes more notes that a wider range of people can sing its less of an off key problem. My marching band in high school also did a cool cover of that as a stand song so I have better memories, and a better ability to sing it without remembering a bad memory. I am probably biased as a singer and because of the personal stories listed. But I actually prefer Journey as a band to Bon Jovi, its just with these two songs I feel that "Livin' on a Prayer" has a better sound.

I actually really like both songs, but Don't Stop Believin' has a lingering association with Glee to me, which is why I voted for Livin' on a Prayer. I think I might've voted for Livin' on a Prayer otherwise - something about it feels more grounded in actual human emotion to me. It's not rootsy, exactly, but 'more real than Livin' on a Prayer' is a low bar to jump over. But it's very close, and I hate Glee's cover of Don't Stop Believin' enough that it makes it harder to listen to the original, so, Livin' on a Prayer it is.

Gordon Stearns

I only ever get to feel a sense of pride as a native New Jersean when I listen to Bon Jovi. Please. Let me have this.

Zero Hutchinson

Both of these nostalgic classics are sing-a-long standards to this very day. They're both absolutely lovely for mostly similar, yet also different reasons. In spite of its POP SONG CHORDS progression, "Don't Stop Believin'" earned a new lease on life after it was featured in The Sopranos and Glee. However, Livin' on a Prayer has endured without the aid of network television because much like Tommy and Gina, Bon Jovi were filled with uncompromising grit, ready to survive anything, and that song expresses that asset of theirs more than anything else they've ever put out, or arguably anybody of their era, really. It was largely because of this timeless strength that Bon Jovi were one of the very few hair metal bands to survive the grunge explosion of the 1990s, remaining commercially relevant as late as the mid-2000s. The uplifting greatness of "Livin' on a Prayer" is so powerful that its main characters got a notable shoutout in "It's My Life", another Bon Jovi party anthem than has really stood the test of time. "Don't Stop Believin'" may be a whimsical journey, no pun intended, but "Livin' on a Prayer" is something that directly champions the underdog, and in the process resonates with just about anybody who sings along to it...so long as they have a bit of a stomach for over-the-top cheese.

Jacqueline Sailer

This would make a really cool podcast! I'm super on team "Livin' on a Prayer" mostly because I hate "Don't Stop Believin'" with a fiery passion. Steve Perry's voice grates on me on that song especially and the bland chord structure does it no favors either. And the lyrics for "Don't Stop Believin'" just bug me with their one-dimensional, unconnected, cheap optimism that feels unearned. While "Livin' on a Prayer" isn't much deeper (and possibly just as naive), it's at least a little more grounded and makes more of an attempt to create a coherent narrative. Plus, the chorus of "Livin' on a Prayer" is more fun to sing along to than "Don't Stop Believin'".

I believe there was a scientific study conducted to determine the catchiest pop songs ever made, mathematically, and "Living on a Prayer" won using their metrics: <a href="https://www.upvenue.com/article/1493-top-10-catchiest-songs-as-proven-by-science.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.upvenue.com/article/1493-top-10-catchiest-songs-as-proven-by-science.html</a> That said, gotta go with Journey, because while both are insanely fun to rock out to in a peak cheesy way, Don't Stop Believing does more with its four minutes musically and emotionally, it never feels like you're retreading ground at any point, whereas Living on a Prayer feels like it builds up, peaks with the chorus, comes back down to where it was, returns to the same chorus, conventional bridge, ends. Don't Stop Believing also has a traditional vcvcbc structure (iirc?), but it disguises it better and feels like a more unique sonic experience, imo.

I cannot stand Don't Stop Believin'. Livin' on a prayer is just...infinitely better. And full of more meme potential.

I don’t really care for either song, but if I have to choose it would be Don’t Stop Believing. It mostly comes down to each songs respective singer. Don’t Stop Believing is a cheesy and cliché song, but Steve Perry sings it with so much conviction and sincerity. I really do believe that Steve Perry does want me to continue to believe. Jon Bon Jovi on the other hand, while I admit does seem to be giving it his all, still reeks of that problem I have with most Bon Jovi songs. They are complete dorks who are trying to cosplay as ROCK GODS. So their message of “Don’t worry we’ll get through this” is constantly getting interjected with “Don’t worry we’ll get through this...because I’m amazing”.

I'm not really a lyrics-oriented listener for the most part, but what's fascinating to me is that the lyrics of Don't Stop Believing really do tip the balance for me. Don't Stop is one of those songs like Bohemian Rhapsody, where the lyrics are memorable enough that strangers can bond over singing them. Ideal karaoke material.

Max Eliaser

Don’t Stop Believin’ is a classic but it’s been ruined by drunken Mum’s screaming it, off key in pubs and bars the world over. Livin’ On a Prayer is pure ass. The drums sound muddy and gross, Jon’s vocals are abysmal and that key change should be charged for crimes against humanity

Don't Stop Believin is overplayed, yes, but it never grated on me. I can't really bring myself to hate it or be tired of it, though I do sometimes wish it was much more substantive. I AM, however, sick of the song being made to end like it did on The Sopranos, but I get *why* people do that, so meh. At the same time, though, I never quite pinned down why Livin on a Prayer would irritate me when it was on the radio. Maybe it was the intro, promising better or a different song. Maybe it was just the sound of the bassline at the beginning. Maybe it was the key change, because I had just heard that people hate that, and of course you can't *quite* shake off the influence of other critics, even anonymous ones. Maybe it was Wanted Dead or Alive, which is another song that drove me up a wall (though I did have the soundtrack that song was from on cassette back in the day, and I liked Miracle, which I really did like, and thus comparatively you can count as a potential other reason). After getting Slippery When Wet (which I was pleasantly surprised by), and thinking about it now, it's probably just me being irrational. I probably can't truly hate it anymore, even if it still annoys me a little. We'll have to see if it still does. One day. And while I grew up more with Bon Jovi than with Journey, that was more with New Jersey, the debut album, Crush, and Bounce than their actual hits (I had Cross Roads too but don't remember listening to it all that much). So I guess I have a better connection to Don't Stop Believin, hence my choice of that. PS can the edit box not constantly scroll off screen and the cursor not scroll away when a new comment shows up thanks

Pietro Gagliardi

There's a reason why Don't Stop Believing is your go to example of four chord repetitiveness. At one point it may have been a great song but the constant airplay even decades later has ruined it for me, not to mention the usage on Family Guy, The Sopranos, Glee, Rock of Ages, etc. All of which hold it up as one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded when it's really just a good song and nothing more. Livin' on a Prayer gets my vote for that key change alone, it still gets me.

I always had an easier time listening to Livin' on a Prayer. Maybe because it's about a couple who depend on each other and their love is what drives them that makes me feel more when I sing along to the chorus.

Okay, so my opinion is that both songs are incredibly melodramatic and campy, but I go with "Don't Stop Believin'" because I think the music tries the hardest to sell the emotion that it's going for. And it succeeds because the song works even though the story is nonsesnse. "Livin' on a Prayer" is a great song, but it doesn't match up because it just doesn't have that same epic energy. And it's not as personal, because Tommy and Gina have names and details, unlike Small-Town Girl and City Boy who could be any of us.

Absolutely Don't Stop Believin' - Livin' On A Prayer is a self conscious anthem made by people who were trying to make an anthem. It's patently artificial - as is everything about Bon Jovi, and, really, hair metal in general. That's not to say it's not fun, but it's completely impossible to enjoy Livin' On A Prayer without a twinge of cynicism about the product and the intentions. Say what you want about Journey (and I'm sure you will Todd), but they were *sincere*. They really, really did not want you to stop believing. Yeas it's silly and naive, but it's childlike by the same token. For me, The Sopranos forever cemented the unironic sincerity at the heart of Don't Stop Believin'. It's a song of hope. Stupid hope, but sincere hope. Livin' On A Prayer is a song about getting people to sing along at concerts. And nothing's inherently wrong with that (We Will Rock You springs to mind), but there's a hollowness at the heart of Bon Jovi that means I cannot enjoy it fully, even when completely smashed. Also Living On A Prayer has a great hook, but it's sonically ugly - those distorted backing vocals, the scrreching guitar tone - Don't Stop Believing feels like Spielberg at his silliest. Livin' On A Prayer is Michael Bay.

ExitPursuedByABear

I absolutely LOATHE Don't Stop Believin'. Those opening piano notes are my signal to change the radio to anything else. The chorus does nothing for me other than get stuck in my head and make me even grumpier. Livin' on a Prayer at least has "ooh weh ooh weh ooh weh ooh ooh" and a nice bombastic chorus and hell, I just like the way the verses sound. It's not my favorite Bon Jovi song by any stretch of the imagination but I like it well enough.

I don't have much insight but i always found it really interesting that as a teenager I always loved Living on a Prayer and hated Don't Stop Believing but now as an adult it pretty much the opposite (I don't hate Living on a Prayer but I can't listen to it anymore). It might be because DSB is about being optimistic while LoaP is more about 'look we are on the right track too what we want' which doesn't feel right with the state of the world at this moment....

Nir revel

Both songs I love, I'll give the edge to Don't Stop due to the intro being _amazing_. Livin' has the better chorus though by far.

Jaszon Alexzander

In my head they're both songs almost nobody can help singing along with if they come on, but I've gone with Livin' on a Prayer because for whatever reason I know every single one of those lyrics whereas for Don't Stop Believin' I can only really think of the chorus. No idea why. Also, Glee's Don't Stop Believin' cover happened and happened inescapably.

Lucy Welch

This is painful. Honestly, taking away how overplayed "Don't Stop" can get, just going by the first time I heard it, it was goddamn magical. While "Prayer" is one of the best 'things will get better' song, I'll take Don't Stop's 'celebration of life' mood any day.

Christie Lewis

I think it was nice of both of them to let us know what's up right from the title. They're both supposed to be inspirational ("believing," "prayer") but the apostrophe lets you know, somehow, that you don't have to worry that it's about anything so you can yell the chorus with a group of drunk people without having to think about it.

Nick Huntington-Klein

Awesome songs, and I didn't even think to pit those two against each other. But I have to pick Livin' On a Prayer. Yes, Don't Stop Believing is a crowd pleaser, but it feels like the story's gonna have a happy ending from the beginning. Livin' On a Prayer actually feels like there's a struggle to overcome. Heck, it keeps talking about how they're "Halfway There" because that's the best they can separate at the moment.

Ultranatic Productions

Pretty much sums it up 👏

I love this podcast idea. For my money, Bon Jovi is a bit overplayed, but somehow Journey never gets old even if it's even MORE overplayed. I think I'm just a sucker for that Neil Schon guitar work.

Patrick Thatcher

This is way too close!

Michael Puckett

I'm a sucker for these kinds of songs, so I'm extremely torn. Bah. Both cheesy 80s power ballads about love. I'm callin' it a draw.

Charles Arthur

This is a great idea for a podcast! I'd definitely tune in. I voted for Livin on a Prayer. No disrespect to Don't Stop Believing, it's great! But Livin on a Prayer is just one of those songs that just doesn't get old for me. It's fun every time. (Especially at karaoke!)

I can understand why people are more sick/less fond of 'Don't Stop Believin', but the difference to me is this: at karaoke, you know and can sing along to all the words to don't stop believin and buy into the hype. That's less likely with 'Livin On A Prayer'. So even tho Livin On A Prayer is more listenable/less overplayed, in the realm of overplayed/popular songs I think Don't Stop Believin' wins, if that makes sense

I like Prayer more because it sounds like an actual struggle. I understand being out of work and surviving on love. I don't really care about the small town girl and the city boy, I'm just drunkenly singing along. Both are fun. Prayer is better.

apocalypsethen

I was familiar with that song way before Glee existed, I heard it on Family Guy, Sopranos, The Losers, etc

LifeIsStrange

Livin' on a Prayer just barely beats Don't Stop Believin'. But only because I've heard it less. I've heard Don't Stop Believin' enough to throw whatever is playing the song far away out of instinct.

Don't Stop Believin' is probably the *better* song, but I'd still rather listen to Livin' on a Prayer. Also, Don't Stop Believin' isn't even a Top 5 Journey song.

Tyler Rosen

Interesting that they were both extremely overplayed songs in their own times and then later became meme songs.

I love this idea!!!

Matt Whitaker

Perhaps my opinion of "Don't Stop Believin'" has been tainted forever by Glee, but it sounds much less authentic than "Livin' On a Prayer," which sounds like it could have been written about two people who actually existed. Furthermore, Jon Bon Jovi isn't exactly a stunner when it comes to his vocals, but Steve Perry's vocals make dogs howl.

Jess Morgan

Living on a Prayer has all of the cheese of Don’t Stop Believing, with none of the accompanying sincere sing along value of Don’t Stop Believing. And DSB has a way better intro; those chords may be overused, but they kill. The LoaP intro is boring. Boring. Boring.

Elizabeth M Hyde

Podcasts are the way of the future

Some Strange Circus

This is a really neat idea!

Dyl

Don't Stop Believin' is generic and basic. Livin' on a Prayer is POWERFUL.

Will Seamon