Steve Perry has appeared on 12 original studio albums, both as a solo artist and with Journey. At first, they arrived with clock-like regularity.

He released seven LPs over the seven years between 1978 and 1984, including his solo debut. But then everything suddenly slowed down – and by a lot. There have only been five original albums since.

Perry was part of just one more Journey LP in the '80s, then only released two albums in all of the '90s – one solo and one with Journey. No original albums followed in the 2000s, then just one in the 2010s. Since then, Perry's only other original projects have been remixes and expanded reissues.

READ MORE: The Best Song From Every Journey Album

Still, ranking every Steve Perry album isn't so easy. Every project he appeared on went multi-platinum for a solid decade after he joined Journey. His final LP with Journey solid a million, and Perry had another gold-selling solo project, too. His 2010s-era comeback album soared into the Top 10.

There weren't many, but these LPs were clearly beloved.

As with the countdown of Steve Perry's songs with Journey, the following list aims to rank these LPs by how well they showcase Perry as a writer, singer, arranger and producer. So, very successful albums recorded early in his tenure with Journey might not rank as highly in this instance since they were more collaborative and even included other singers. We also left aside a greatest hits project and his holiday-themed album.

Nick DeRiso is author of the Amazon best-selling rock band bio 'Journey: Worlds Apart,' available now at all major bookseller websites.

Ranking Every Steve Perry Album

Which albums best showcase Steve Perry as a writer, singer, arranger and producer? 

Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso

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