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.
What is important about the popular style?
set Journey on a new path with a more mainstream sound to make their highest chart success to date.

Question: Did they succeed in doing so?
Self-contained rewrite: Did Journey succeed in adapting a more mainstream sound?