Who's Crying Now
{{more citations needed|date=April 2010}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Short description|Single by Journey}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Who's Crying Now
| cover = Who's Crying Now cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Journey
| album = Escape
| B-side = Mother, Father
| released = July 9, 1981 (US){{cite web |title=RIAA Certification |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=journey&ti=crying |website=Recording Industry Association of America |access-date=10 July 2024}}
| recorded = 1981
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Soft rock
| length = 4:24 (single version)
5:01 (album version)
| label = Columbia
| writer = {{hlist|Jonathan Cain|Steve Perry}}
| producer = {{hlist|Kevin Elson|Mike Stone}}
| prev_title = The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)
| prev_year = 1981
| next_title = Don't Stop Believin'
| next_year = 1981
}}
"Who's Crying Now" is a song by the American rock band Journey. It was written by Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry. It was released in 1981 as the first single from Escape and reached No. 4 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. The song charted at No. 46 in the UK Singles Chart, and was the band's highest charting single in the UK until "Don't Stop Believin'" (also released as a single from the Escape album in 1981) incurred a resurgence in UK popularity in 2009.
The song is highlighted by Steve Perry's lyrics (with vocal riffs highly reminiscent of Sam Cooke) and piano playing by Jonathan Cain which segues into a bass riff by Ross Valory, and other guitars.
Background
Singer Steve Perry said the chorus popped into his head while driving to Los Angeles, which he recorded on his personal mini cassette player. Once he arrived in LA, he went straight to keyboardist Jonathan Cain's house to show him the work in progress. Perry had come up with most of the melodies and rhythms, but was stumped on the lyrics. Cain helped write most of the verses.{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/journey-whos-crying-now/|title=How Steve Perry Came Up with Journey's Hit 'Who's Crying Now' |last=Kielty|first=Martin|website= Ultimate Classic Rock|date=April 25, 2020 |accessdate=October 20, 2021}}
At the end of the song, Neal Schon plays a repeating guitar solo that sounds similar to Santana. According to Schon on In the Studio with Redbeard (which devoted an entire episode to the making of Escape), originally he recorded an aggressive, experimental guitar solo which he liked but Perry and Cain did not. He then recorded a second solo, the "simplest thing he could play off the top of his head" as recalled by Perry. That one was appreciated much more by the rest of the band. Steve Smith's drumming is only found in the choruses and towards the end of the song.
Reception
Billboard praised "Who's Crying Now" as "one of Journey's strongest and classiest records," and "one of the most appealing love songs" of 1981.{{cite news|title=Top Single Picks|newspaper=Billboard Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rSQEAAAAMBAJ&q=billboard+july+18%2C+1981&pg=PP1|access-date=2019-11-05|date=July 18, 1981|page=75}} Record World said the song spotlights "haunting vocals" and "icy keyboards."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=July 18, 1981|page=1|accessdate=2023-02-28|title=Hits of the Week|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/80s/81/RW-1981-07-18.pdf}}
Cover version(s)
{{Infobox song
| name = Who's Crying Now
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Randy Crawford
| album = Through the Eyes of Love
| B-side =
| released = 1992
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = R&B
| length = 4:31
| label = Warner Bros.
| writer = {{hlist|Jonathan Cain|Steve Perry}}
| producer = Michael J. Powell
| prev_title = Diamante
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = Ryhthm of Romance
| next_year = 1992
}}
R&B singer Randy Crawford recorded a soulful version on her 1992 album Through the Eyes of Love.{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/through-the-eyes-of-love-rhythm-blues-album |title=The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions |website=Answers.com |date=2016-08-23 |access-date=2016-10-25}} Her cover of this song also features jazz pianist Joe Sample of The Crusaders.
Charts
=Weekly charts=
=Year-end charts=
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Who's Crying Now|artist=Journey|type=single|award=Platinum|access-date=January 26, 2024|number=2|relyear=1981|certyear=2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Journey}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Steve Perry
Category:Songs written by Jonathan Cain
Category:Song recordings produced by Mike Stone (record producer)