Tony, arriving at a New Jersey diner to meet his family for dinner, plunks a quarter into the tableside juke box and flips through the titles, settling on Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which seems made to order for the show’s controversial sendoff.

David Chase, creator of “The Sopranos,” reportedly decided early on that he wanted to license the song for the final scene, but was kept waiting for permission from its songwriters – Journey’s Neil Schon, Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry – until the final weeks before its air date.

Perry told MTV News that he refused to give the go-ahead unless Chase told him how “The Sopranos” would end – one of the best-kept secrets in television history – lest his song be playing as Tony, Carmela, A.J. and Meadow get slaughtered on screen.

Apparently, he was satisfied with the answer, though fans weren’t. But Perry and his former bandmates couldn’t be happier about the newfound attention Journey’s work received with such a prominent song placement.

“It was better than anything I would have ever hoped for,” Cain said of the finale, which he watched with his wife and family.

It could also spell a new life for Journey, or at least the band’s catalog. Within two days of the “Sopranos” broadcast, “Don’t Stop Believin'” had rocketed to become the 19th-most downloaded song in the iTunes store, according to Forbes. The song also saw a 153 percent spike in U.S. radio play compared to the prior week according to the magazine, citing Nielsen BDS.

What it means for the future of Journey, the band, is about as clear as “The Sopranos” ambiguous ending.

Two days after the broadcast, the band announced it had “parted ways” with its latest lead singer, Jeff Scott Soto, who had been “filling in” for previous frontman Steve Augeri.

Soto replaced Augeri, who left the band in June 2006, shortly after a tour launch. Augeri famously replaced Perry, who has been portrayed as something of a recluse but has emerged with the “Sopranos” tie-in.

Could a reunion be in the offing? Fan speculation of a Perry/Journey reunion is rampant, but nobody’s talking. It’s a safe bet, though, the fans won’t stop believin’.