Conversation so far:
Can you provide a little background information on the 1977-1980 musical direction?
Journey's album sales did not improve and Columbia Records requested that they change their musical style and add a frontman.
Was the musical style changed after this suggestion?
The band hired Robert Fleischman and transitioned to a more popular style, akin to that of Foreigner and Boston.
What did Robert do to bring about those changes?
CANNOTANSWER.

Question: What is important about the popular style?
Self-contained rewrite: What is important about the popular style of Journey?