"Call It Poison" by The Escape Club

The London pop rock band, The Escape Club, stormed onto the scene with their smash #1 hit, "Wild Wild West" in 1988. The band attempted to repeat this success with a strong follow-up single in 1991, "Call It Poison". In my opinion, the tune had the goods, but for some reason it stalled out at #44. Astute listeners may be able to pick out the sample of Deep Purple's "Strange Kind Of Woman" in this song.

The band's second single from that album, "Dollars & Sex", did much better. The tear-jerker of a song about dying called "I'll Be There" reached #8, and it strangely proved to be the epitaph for the band's chart career.

"Heart Of Stone" by Erasure

1988 was the magical year for the English pop duo called Erasure. The boys had their first chart appearance with "Chains of Love" going to #12 and "A Little Respect" going to #14. They would never be able to best these performances, the closest being "Always", which hit #20 in 1994.

The vocal half of Erasure is Andy Bell and the instruments are performed by Vince Clarke. If you are reminded of the less gloomier side of Depeche Mode when you hear Erasure, that's because Clarke used to be in Depeche Mode. He also did time in another famous duo act of the 80s called Yaz.

"Heart of Stone" is an underrated gem from Erasure's breakthrough 1988 album, "The Innocents".

"These Days" by Enuff Z'Nuff

How in the world Enuff Z'Nuff failed to inherit the power pop and rock banner from Cheap Trick is one of music's biggest mysteries. I am not the only one to sing this band's praises...plenty of music critics and even Howard Stern have championed these guys since day one, but they've only made two brief chart appearances back in 1989. "New Thing" went to #67 and "Fly High Michelle" flew to #47. To this day, I don't understand why they both weren't top 10 hits.

This prolific Chicago band has been cranking out some of catchiest crunch ever since. More so than with other bands, it is extremely difficult to choose one song that I like the best. Nevertheless, I'm going with "These Days", a tribute to youth that is tucked away on their fantastic third record, "Animals With Human Intelligence".

"Broken Hearted" by Bobby Emmett

Sometime in the late 2000s a CD entitled "Learning Love" by an indie artist named Bobby Emmett came into my possession. What a blast to rediscover this one! "Learning Love" is packed with numerous power pop gems that I can't stop listening to. There's plenty more where "Broken Hearted" came from...try to track this one down if you can. Additional highlights include "Queen of Hearts", "Love Is Real", and the sweeping ballad, "November".

"Hey Hey" by The Elms

One of the near-misses of the 2000s was a little indie band from Indiana called The Elms. The band scored a major label debut in 2006 with "The Chess Hotel". But despite critical acclaim and opening slots with bands like Cracker and Goo Goo Dolls, they struggled to get significant traction.

"The Chess Hotel" was actually their third full-length release. Two fantastic albums were released earlier in the decade (and a fourth and final record was released in 2009). Their first full-length record has a special charm about it that will always make it my favorite of the four. Hardly a bad track in the bunch, the lead off song "Hey Hey" is just one of many highlights. It may be over now for The Elms, but do yourself a favor and mine their entire underrated catalogue.

"There'll Never Be Another For Me" by England Dan & John Ford Coley

England Dan & John Ford Coley had a string of successful singles in the late 70s, starting big with their #2 smash, "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" in 1976. Some other highlights from their career include "Nights Are Forever Without You" (#10), "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again" (#9), and "Love Is The Answer" (#10, written by Todd Rundgren).

"There'll Never Be Another For Me" is an underrated gem from this pop duo's 1976 record, "Nights Are Forever".

"The Puzzle Song (A Puzzle In Song)" by Shirley Ellis

New York singing sensation Shirley Ellis is best known for her big dance numbers, such as "The Nitty Gritty" (#8 in 1963), "The Name Game" (#3 in 1964), and "The Clapping Song" (#8 in 1965). It seemed each year produced another R&B hit for her.

But a lesser known number only found its way to #78 in 1965 - "The Puzzle Song (A Puzzle In Song)". This is a great tune that deserved better. Ellis would make her final appearance on the charts in 1967 with "Soul Time" going to #67. She passed away in 2005 at the age of 76.

"Open Book" by Elizabeth and the Catapult

Elizabeth and the Catapult crafts some gorgeous soft pop music, as evidenced by this stunning song, "Open Book". This piano ballad comes from their 2010 album, "The Other Side Of Zero". One of the best love songs that has come along in quite some time.

"On The Run" by Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) had a great run in the 70s with a string of their trademark "orchestral rock" and pop songs. Their accomplishments on the charts earned them a ranking of #35 in the best artists of the 70s. The captain of ELO was the prolific Jeff Lynne, who also had a successful turns as a solo artist, a member of The Traveling Wilburys, and a songwriter or producer for other acts.

ELO got their start on the charts in 1973 with "Roll Over Beethoven", which reached #42. Their first big hit came the next year with #9's "Can't Get It Out Of My Head", which was quickly followed up with the #10 smash "Evil Woman".

ELO had plenty of top 40 hits, but never managed to hit #1. The closest they came was in 1979 with "Don't Bring Me Down" (#4). The band's last chart appearance was in 1986 when "Calling America" peaked at #18.

The band also never scored a #1 album, but had a strong run of top 10 records through the 70s. Many a fan favorite is "Discovery", which went to #5 in 1979 and spawned their biggest hit mentioned above and then some. "On The Run" is another terrific cut from this masterpiece of a record, although it didn't chart.

"Head Above Water" by Electric Angels

Electric Angels is a little known band that seemed ripe to take advantage of the thriving hard rock and hair band scene of the late 80s. They released a self-titled debut in 1990 that pretty much fell on deaf ears but has now become a sought-after classic from the day. 

There are plenty of rocking tracks and power ballads, so if you missed this one back then, be sure to check it out now. "Rattlesnake Kisses" was the single they released, but "Head Above Water" is my favorite cut. The band also had a spirited sense of humor - check out "The Drinking Song" to hear what I mean.

"Rock Hard Times" by The Eels

We covered the brilliant 1992 album by the man called "E" (Mark Everett) not long ago, and here we are again with his group called The Eels. The prolific Everett has built up quite an extensive discography since the band's formation in 1996. 

The Eels were successful right out of the gate, giving Everett a much-deserved appearance on the charts. "Novocaine For The Soul" shot to #39, but the band hasn't seen the chart since. It's puzzling, with songs like "Rock Hard Times" and many more. Everett's a quirky songwriter, but his diversity in sound and exceptional lyrics and melodies are the reason why the band has so many devoted fans. 

"All About You" by Eugene Edwards

The fuzz in this song will leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside! Eugene Edwards released a criminally ignored pop rock record called "My Favorite Revolution" back in 2005. It contains some of the best melodies of the decade, enveloped in a sound that blends Cheap Trick with Superdrag. Truly awesome work. Check out "All About You" to start, but the whole album is worth your time.

Eugene Edwards also goes by the alias Gene Jaramillo and plays guitar for country star Dwight Yoakam.  

"High School Nights" by Dave Edmunds

Dave Edmunds is a singer/songwriter from Wales who first hit the chart back in 1970 with "I Hear You Knocking", which went all the way to #4. He only hit the top 40 one other time as a solo artist with "Slipping Away", which went to #39 in 1983. In addition to his solo work, he formed the band Rockpile.

There has always been a hint of rockabilly and a lot of fun in his songs, but one that got overlooked was "High School Nights". This catchy tune that looks back on the carefree days of youth was featured in the movie Porky's Revenge in 1985. It would end up being the last time Edmunds cracked the US top 100, settling at #91.

"Unbreakable" by Eclipse

Eclipse is a modern AOR band that is like a heavy metal version of Survivor or Journey. Killer riffs abound in their sound, leading up to big arena-ready choruses. "Unbreakable" is just a taste of what this Swedish band is capable of - check them out if you long for more.

"Chemical" by Echo Jet

Denny and Kenny Scott are brothers who really know how to write a terrific pop rock song. They had some moderate success with their band Swirl 360 in 1998, but with proper support from their record label they could've been huge. Most of the reps who championed the band were laid off in record label mergers and the brothers fell through the cracks. 

Fast forward to 2008, the Scott brothers named themselves Echo Jet and released another album filled with catchy pop rock songs, any of which could have been a hit. Unfortunately, their self-titled record didn't gain any of the traction it deserved. Aside from moderate airplay for the song "Wave", no one has probably heard of them. You might know their songwriting, though, from artists like Click Five, O-Town, and Howard Jones.

"Over You" by Echo & The Bunnymen

The band hated it, several critics hated it, and early fans of the band hated it. We're taking about the self-titled, fifth album by melancholy alt rockers Echo & The Bunnymen. Despite the haters, this 1987 album proved to be the band's biggest commercial success, peaking at #51 on the Billboard Top 200 and producing some of their most memorable songs, such as "The Game", "Lips Like Sugar", and "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo".

I actually love this record. It is a very strong set of songs, among the band's most melodic. "Over You" was not released as a single, but I thought it was one of the more radio-friendly tunes in the pack. The band almost sounds like they are happy!

"Tomorrow Today" by Danny Echo

"Let's not talk about tomorrow today"...words of wisdom from the indie band Danny Echo. This tuneful track originally appears on their self-titled 2009 release and again on 2011's "Rock Bottoms Up". Check out more from the band if you like Brit Pop and pure rock and roll.

"So Far So Good" by Sheena Easton

Sheena Easton woke up the 80s with her housewife anthem, "Morning Train (Nine To Five)". The song chugged right to #1 in early 1981. Her charting career lasted a solid decade, ending in 1991 with "What Comes Naturally" hitting #19.

Easton nearly hit the top twice more in 1987 and 1988. She had two consecutive #2 hits, her duet with Prince ("U Got The Look") and the Babyface penned "The Lover In Me".

Two songs that I think should have been bigger hits for Easton include her take on the Martha Reeves & the Vandellas song "Jimmy Mack" and this one, "So Far So Good". "So Far So Good" is a quintessential 80s tune that Easton contributed to the soundtrack of the 1986 film About Last Night. 
  

"Come Out Fighting" by Easterhouse

Easterhouse is a little known rock duo of brothers from Manchester, England. They were known for their politically charged lyrics and released two albums in the 80s.

The boys wrote a terrific anthem to pump you up called "Come Out Fighting", which only managed to punch its way to #82 in 1989. It comes from their second album, "Waiting For The Redbird".

"Nightingale" by The Eagles

The legendary rock band known as The Eagles ruled the 70s, achieving 5 #1 hits and many other charting singles. However, you may be surprised to learn that many of their classic "hits" did not even chart. This includes "Desperado", "The Sad Cafe", "After The Thrill Is Gone", and "Victim Of Love". The Eagles rank at #20 among the best artists of the 70s and #126 of all-time. Their first greatest hits record is second only to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in selling more copies than any other album (29 million and counting).

The Eagles first landed on the chart in 1972 with "Take It Easy" going to #12. In late 1974, they would score their first #1 hit with "Best Of My Love".

The band's wings grew weary by 1980 as inner turmoil in the band had members itching to go solo. "Seven Bridges Road" would prove to be the band's last top 40 hit (peaking at #21 in 1980) until their surprise reunion in 1994. Their comeback hits, "Get Over It" and "Love Will Keep Us Alive", reached #31 and #22, respectively.

Going all the way back to their debut self-titled album from 1972 (which peaked at #22) is a little known gem I'd like to highlight here called "Nightingale".