"Leaving Town" by August Christopher

August Christopher is an indie bar band that has been cranking out catchy rock and roll since the dawn of the new millennium. The band has a charming honesty about them that shines through in every song. This is no-nonsense rock without the bells and whistles - the songs stand so well on their own they simply don't need them.

They released a "best of" compilation in 2010 that is just killer from beginning to end. One of the many highlights is "Leaving Town".

"Fuel" by The Choirboys

The Choirboys are an Australian rock band that were quite successful in their native country in the 80s and even had a minor hit in the states with 1989's "Run To Paradise" (which got to #80). The album from which that song came, "Big Bad Noise", remains one of my favorites to this day.

The band continued to make several more records into the 90s and 2000s that have unjustly flown under the radar. Their songs are always melodic, well-sung, and expertly performed. "Fuel" is the lead-off track for "Evolver", their 2004 record. It is one of my favorite songs of all-time.

There is also an acoustic version from the band's "unplugged" release, "Big Bad and Acoustic" from 2006.

"Knock Me Out" by Child's Play

Hard rocking melodic bands with big hair and big choruses were a dime a dozen in the late 80s, but Baltimore's Child's Play stood a cut above the rest and deserved much wider recognition. Fueled by the powerhouse yet soulful vocals of Brian Jack, their major label debut, "Rat Race", failed to poke its head out above the crowd in 1990.

A few years later, the band broke up and drummer/singer John Allen joined the alternative band SR-71. Allen would pair up with Child's Play's guitarist Nicky Kay once more to form modern rock band Charm City Devils in 2007. Sadly, Brian Jack passed away in 2012.

"Knock Me Out" is just one of many examples why I think this record should have done much better. If you like this kind of music, be sure to also check out "When Hell Freezes Over", the title track, and the excellent acoustic ballad, "Wind". 

"Heart In Pieces" by Chicago

Chicago has become one of the most successful groups of all-time. Despite numerous line up changes that included the departure of the distinctive voice of Peter Cetera in 1985, the band has carried on, adapting its sound to fit the times.

They had their first charting single with "Questions 67 And 68" in 1969, which first hit #71, then put them on the map at #24 when reissued in 1971. They sustained a strong top 10 presence through the 70s and 80s, hitting the #1 spot several times with "If You Leave Me Now" (1976), "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" (1982), and "Look Away" (1988). The latter came from the band's "19" album, their last to yield big hits. 

Despite a bevy of hits, "19" only went to #37. The album was mined for multiple singles - in addition to "Look Away", "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" went to #3, "You're Not Alone" went to #10, and "We Can Last Forever" went to #55. "What Kind Of Man Would I Be?", which went to #5 in 1989, was also on "19" but technically released from their hugely successful "Greatest Hits 1982-1989" compilation.

"19" begins with another potential ready-friendly single, but "Heart In Pieces" was not released. To me, it helps build the case that "19" was one of the most perfect albums to capture the grandiose AOR 80s sound.

"Fly At Night" by Chilliwack

Chilliwack is a Canadian band (named after the city in British Columbia) best known for a handful of modest hits in the early 80s. Their most successful track in the states was "My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)", which hit #22 in 1981. This was followed up by their second best, "I Believe", which got to #33 in 1982.

While the band didn't score any other top 40 hits in the US, their mix of pop and rock fared well in their native country. The epic ode to touring as a band, "Fly At Night", soared into the top 10 on the Canadian charts, but only reached #75 in the US in 1977. The song reminds me a bit of the Eagles, so I'm puzzled why it didn't do better in the US.

"We Are Neighbors" by Chi-Lites

"If everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking at each other", the Chi-Lites belt out on their anthem for unity, "We Are Neighbors". Best known for their breakthrough hits, "Have You Seen Her" (which went to #3 in 1971) and "Oh Girl" (which went to #1 in 1972), the Chicago-based group was no stranger to AM radio in the early 70s.

"We Are Neighbors" was released in 1971 and peaked at #70. It deserved to be neighbors with the songs in the top 10 at the time!

"Son Of My Father" by Chicory Tip

English pop band Chicory Tip, whose name was shortened to simply Chicory in the US, had a huge hit in their native country with their rendition of "Son Of My Father". Their version of the song went to #1 in the UK but only got to #91 in the US in March of 1972.

Italian musician Giorgio Moroder, who co-wrote the song, released his version about the same time. Giorgio failed to make it a hit in the UK, but took the song to #46 in the US, also in March of 1972. It marks one of the rare times the same song was on the chart by two different artists. Moroder went on to produce a ton of hits and was recently mentioned in this article about "Danger Zone" (Kenny Loggins).

In either case, I don't think the bubble-gum pop song got its due. The lyrics have a hint of angst or victory depending on how you look at them. I find the contrast intriguing and the Moog synthesizer on the Chicory Tip version makes it even more memorable.

"Different Devil" by Chickenfoot

The Sammy Hagar-fronted band Chickenfoot is a supergroup formed in 2008, pulling in the talents of Joe Satriani on guitar, ex-Van Halen partner Michael Anthony on bass and harmony vocals, and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on drums. Their hotly anticipated self-titled debut peaked at an impressive #4 on the Billboard Top 200, but failed to win over many critics and didn't generate a charting single on the Billboard Top 100. 

But the buzz about the band helped maintain their success on the album chart, with their second record (called "Chickenfoot III") reaching #9 in 2011. In my opinion, the band's chemistry is better and more confident on the follow-up, and the stronger set of songs helped too. "Different Devil" is a great mid-tempo pop rocker with perfect harmony vocals from Anthony, making us nostalgic for those "Van-Hagar" days.

"Charlotte B" by Cherry Twister

Indie power pop band Cherry Twister released a pretty magnificent record in 1999 simply called, "At Home With Cherry Twister".  Among the 16 tracks, "Charlotte B" is a clear standout that always gets stuck in my head. Each section of this song is catchy in its own way. The brand broke up shortly after the record's release and members either went solo or got involved with other bands, most notably Parallax Project.

"Save Up All Your Tears" by Cher

Cher has had a remarkable career, scoring top 10 hits across four decades from the 1960-1990s. Her first goes all the way back to 1966, when "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" hit #2. Her first chart-topper arrived in 1971 with "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves". She would top the charts twice more in the 70s with "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady", and one more time in the 90s with the huge comeback hit "Believe".

Cher was mostly on hiatus in the 80s, flexing her acting muscles in the movies. But she came back (Cher could be considered the comeback queen) in a big way in the late 80s. While she didn't top the chart in that decade, she racked up several more top 10 hits with "I Found Someone" and "After All" (a duet with former Chicago singer, Peter Cetera) in 1987 and 1989, respectively.

Her newfound brand of melodic rock fit in well until grunge arrived. She produced a trio of albums of this variety, which all did very well. The final one, "Love Hurts", suggested the formula was wearing thin, however, only getting to #48 on the album chart and failing to generate a monster hit. The first single, "Love and Understanding", was tepid but managed to get to #17. 

The more upbeat and energetic song everyone was probably expecting to come first was released second. "Save Up All Your Tears" just barely cracked the top 40, settling at #37 in 1991. Written by Desmond Child and Diane Warren, this tune is a terrific slab of pop rock and deserved much better. Bonnie Tyler and Robin Beck also took a swing at this tune but did no better. The "Love Hurts" album contains other covers as well, including the title track and a most intriguing choice:  "A World Without Heroes" by Kiss.

Cher went on to duet with Beavis and Butt-head for a rendition of "I Got You Babe", after which she understandably went into hiding until 1998's "Believe" reminded the world who's boss.

"Let Go" by Cheap Trick

It is extremely difficult to select just one track from the prolific Cheap Trick, a melodic rock band that has been cranking out hits since the 70s - and still going strong, with their new album, "Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello", released just this year. 

The band's first charting single was "Surrender", which surprisingly only went to #62 in 1978. Given the familiarity with this now classic song, you'd think it went top 10 back in the day. But the band's first major score was "I Want You To Want Me", which soared to #6 the following year.

Cheap Trick belted out a bunch of great tunes but didn't see the top 10 again until 1988 with their monster ballad, "The Flame". To satisfy label demands, the band brought in additional songwriters for "Lap of Luxury" and "The Flame", along with their cover of "Don't Be Cruel" (which went to #4), were the positive results. On the strength of these singles, the album became their second highest charting release, topping out at #16. 

"Let Go" is the lead-off track and helps set the tone for this outstanding record. Written by Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen and collaborator Todd Cerney, the "Rock Doctor", this song was released as the fourth single (the third was another ballad, "Ghost Town", co-written with Diane Warren, which went to #33). "Let Go" is one of my favorite Cheap Trick anthems, but it didn't chart. The fifth and final single, "Never Had A Lot To Lose", did chart however, reaching #75 in 1989.

As another fun piece of "Lap of Luxury" trivia, Gregg Giuffria (Angel, Giuffria, House of Lords) co-wrote "All We Need Is A Dream".

"She's The One" by The Chartbusters

"She's The One" would prove to be the only top 40 hit for the garage rock band from Washington DC called The Chartbusters. This terrific tune reached #33 in 1964, but the sophomore single, "Why (Doncha Be My Girl)" only got to #92. The band stopped busting the chart after that.

"Mess Around" by Ray Charles

Ray Charles (aka The Genius) was one of the biggest superstars of the 60s, ranking at #3 for the decade according to Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles. The same book also ranked him as the 18th most successful artist of all-time.

Before his career kicked into high gear with the #6 smash in 1959, "What'd I Say", Ray Charles did a rousing version of "Mess Around" in 1953. It didn't chart, but has become a classic nonetheless. The tune was also famously featured in a memorable scene from the 80s movie, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.  

"Born To Fight" by Tracy Chapman

Singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman is best known for her contemplative blues and ballads, as evidenced by her biggest hits, "Fast Car" (which went to #6 in 1988) and "Give Me One Reason" (which went to #3 in 1996). She brought a refreshing authenticity to the synth-laden pop of the 80s, propelling her debut album to the top of the chart.

Her follow-up record, "Crossroads", performed well, reaching #9 in 1989. It featured guest stars like Neil Young and Marc Cohn. However, the lead single and title track only got to #90. "Born To Fight" is an upbeat track from the record that might have performed better - one of my favorite tunes from this remarkable artist.

"Halfway To Heaven" by Champion

Champion is an obscure AOR band that fell through the cracks in the late 80s. This Cleveland-based outfit released their one and only record, "Halfway To Heaven" in 1988. The music fit pretty comfortably among the likes of Toto, Survivor, and The Outfield, but somehow went overlooked.

The title track is a wonderful mid-tempo rocker that should have easily reigned on the charts back in 1988. If you dig it, be sure to check out "Wait 'til Tomorrow" and "Just Another Day", too.