All terminally mediocre bands, but Foreigner had Ian MacDonald and more good singles.
I’ll go with Journey on top with the others close behind. The first three Journey albums were great, but after Steve Perry joined…meh.
Of those, I have to go with Journey. Styx had no album comparable in quality to Escape or Evolution or even Infinity, I’d argue. Not even close for me.
My list would probably go (although my knowledge of the work is not exactly in-depth): Journey, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Styx.
You mean they are different bands? 
Never much liked the arena rock style, but if I have to choose I took Journey because they did that completely out of place song over the closing credits of Tron, Disney apparently believing that nobody but geeks would buy a Wendy Carlos soundtrack.
Agreed. King Crimson alumni add coolness points automatically, and Foreigner had quite a few decent singles.
Man, I can’t choose a favorite. They each produced individually four of my favorite songs from the early 80’s.
I picked Styx, but Journey would be my very close second.
Really? Paradise Theater and Escape are pretty comparable in a lot of ways.
I remember buying Escape for my brother for Christmas for $7.
Not sure why I would want to do this, but perhaps I should load up the iPod with some Paradise Theatre and Escape and compare them side-by-side in a fair manner, many, many years later. It’s been at least 15 years since I’ve heard those albums in their entirety–I just don’t remember any Styx really resonating with me. (Well, actually, as a keyboardist, I did like the “Blue Collar Man” organ riff.)
If you can and are interested, load up REO’s Hi Infidelity and Foreigner 4 – two more hit-laden releases from '80/'81.
Yeah, those two all are on par with the Journey records I mentioned, in my opinion. Perhaps even better.
**Junior Walker’s **sax solo in **Foreigner **4’s song **Urgent **is the best thing across all of those albums.
Not sure what else to say.
I absolutely loved Foreigner’s first album. I never got into any of the other bands much, so I picked them.
I voted for Styx, just based on the number of albums I bought. (I only have Escape by Journey.)
But man, does Lords Of The Ring sound corny now!
Journey got my vote but REO is pretty close. I like Foreigner & Styx too… this is my kinda music!
REO wins by virtue of the greatest pick-me-off-the-floor songs ever:
Of the four, only Foreigner and Journey have ever really interested me. REO Speedwagon’s only impression on me is “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, and Styx - well, Styx just always sounded like well-intentioned schmaltz to me, though that impression is probably colored by over-exposure to “Lady” and “Come Sail Away”. In my mind, they’re in the same boat as Kansas; listenable at times but ultimately boring.
Now, when I got around to loading up the iPod with the soundtracks of my youth, I made sure I had Journey’s “Greatest Hits” - but I also made sure I had all of Foreigner’s first four albums. Foreigner is my choice.
Journey is the worst of the four because “Don’t Stop Believin” has been used EVERYWHERE in recent years - and that song sucks!
Foreigner is the most consistent of the four. No real horrors or great songs.
REO Speedwagon loses points for “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, but gets those points right back for “Ridin’ The Storm Out”, the best song by any of the four bands.
Styx had the highest aspirations. It’s too bad they weren’t good enough to reach them.
A slight hijack that I have been meaning to ask: What started this song’s comeback? Even some of the young people I have run into know this song. Was it in a movie? A cover?
I see you’re from Illinois, so maybe this applies, but around the Chicagoland area, that song is very much identified with the 2005 White Sox World Series run.
Also, it was used in the final scene of the Sopranos.
Interestingly, Jonathan Caine of Journey thinks the White Sox are the main instigator of the song’s renaissance.