"Big Wide Wonderful World' by Chris Isaak

A bit of a departure for the rockabilly crooner known as Chris Isaak. The brassy and bold "Big Wide Wonderful World" closes out Isaak's 2014 record called "Mr. Lucky." It is a good shot of optimism when you need it.

Isaak first hit the charts in a big wide way in 1990 with the runaway smash, "Wicked Game," no doubt thanks to its being featured in the movie Wild at Heart. The song shot to #6 and made Isaak a star, drawing comparisons to the great Roy Orbison. Unfortunately, he was never able to land another top 40 hit, although 1995's terrific "Somebody's Crying" came close, peaking at #45.

"Timebomb" by David Isaacs

David Isaacs is an undiscovered singer/songwriter who released an indie CD called "Timebomb" in 2000. Filled with a bounty of melodic tunes that remind me of Jude Cole, this is an artist that major labels should have been fighting over. The title track is just a small taste of many solid cuts.

Other highlights include "All We Are," "Waterfall," and "Just A Little More Time." His vocal chops shine through the most on the final chorus of the closer, "Paper Doll."

If anyone knows what happened to this guy, or if he released additional stuff, let me know!

"Wasted Years" by Iron Maiden

English heavy metal band Iron Maiden are known for their fierce guitars and over the top solos, not for melody. Nonetheless, some of their songs have a downright catchy chorus that sticks in your head. Take a listen to "Wasted Years" for proof. If that's not enough, go check out "Can I Play With Madness."

Despite their worldwide fame, Iron Maiden has never managed a charting hit on the US Top 100. But they are probably proud of this.

"Try A Little Harder" by Ironhorse

Ironhorse is the band that Randy Bachman built after his tenure in the hugely successful Guess Who. While Ironhorse would not become a household name like his previous band, it is not for want of quality rock and pop songs.

The band did manage to squeeze out two charting hits, the first in 1979. "Sweet Lui-Louise" reached #36 and then "What's Your Hurry Darlin'" got to #89 in 1980.

"Try A Little Harder" comes from the band's second and final album, "Everything Is Grey," a gorgeous album worth tracking down. How this one fell through the cracks is beyond me.

"Sweet Merilee" by Donnie Iris

It's hard to find a person who knows one song by Pennsylvania rocker Donnie Iris. Even harder to find someone who knows two songs by him. Most people recognize his first charting single, "Ah! Leah!" which hit #29 in 1980.

However, this was not his only chart hit, nor his biggest. The 50s-inspired "My Girl" shot to #25 in 1982. Another forgotten top 40 hit from Iris is the gritty "Love Is Like A Rock," which reached #37 in 1981.

"Sweet Merilee" sounds like it was intended to be a sequel to "Ah! Leah!" and was the first single from his underrated 1981 record, "King Cool." However, it stalled at #80 for some reason. Iris would vanish from the charts after 1985's "Injured In The Game Of Love" topped out at #91.

"Heaven Sent" by INXS

Hailing from Sydney, Australia, INXS slowly but surely crept their way into the US charts in the early 80s with now-classics like "The One Thing" (#30), "Don't Change" (#80), "Original Sin" (#58 - little known fact: Daryl Hall sang backup vocals on this track), and "This Time" (#81).

Everything changed in 1986 when the band broke through in a big way with the smash hit, "What You Need," which sailed to #5. The track comes from arguably one of the best records INXS ever made: "Listen Like Thieves." This record, along with their follow-up, "Kick," are two that I can listen the whole way through without wanting to skip any tracks.

While "Listen Like Thieves" should have produced more hit singles for the band, that moment had to wait until "Kick" came out in 1987. "Kick" produced a remarkable occurrence: the first single, "Need You Tonight" went to #1, the second single, "Devil Inside," went to #2, and the third single, "New Sensation," went to #3. The pattern ended there when the great "Never Tear Us Apart" went to #7. 

Despite yielding two more top 10 hits, the band's next record, "X," was a big disappointment. Admittedly, "Kick" was going to be nearly impossible to follow, but I think the paucity of radio-friendly hits alienated many fans.

I had high hopes that would change in 1992 with the release of "Heaven Sent." What a terrific rocking song! But it did not make an appearance on the Top 100. The band fizzled with a handful of other modest singles before the tragic suicide of sultry vocalist Michael Hutchence in 1997. 

"Saturn 5" by Inspiral Carpets

You might be familiar with this English alternative rock band if you stayed awake for MTV's 120 Minutes in the 80s and 90s. One of their distinctive features is the prominent organ riffs jumping out from the grinding guitars.

The band was most active from 1983 to 1995, but broke through in the UK with four successful albums in the 90s. The band reunited for another in 2014. Despite a strong buzz, the band never cracked the US Top 100 chart.

"Ghost On The Beach" by Insiders

Insiders are a little-known band from Chicago that fell through the cracks in 1987. With its catchy chorus and lush harmonies, the title track from their record, "Ghost On The Beach," should have been huge. 

The album is rather rare, but worth tracking down if you enjoyed 80s rock from bands like Glass Tiger and The Outfield. "Price Of Love" and "Love Like Candy" are additional highlights. They also did a cover of "Gimme Some Lovin'" that appears on the soundtrack to the film Iron Eagle II.

"So Much In Love" by The Inmates

The Inmates were a garage rock band from England with a sound that reminds me of Tom Petty fronting The Rolling Stones. They had one minor hit in the US as the 70s turned into the 80s when "Dirty Water" topped out at #51.

"So Much In Love" is an infectious little ditty that I've always counted among their best.

"Will I Ever Make It Home" by Ingram Hill

Ingram Hill is a pop rock band from Memphis that formed in the early 2000s and began their career with an indie release called "Until Now" in 2002. Some of the songs were produced by Emerson Hart, the lead singer and songwriter of the 90s band Tonic. 

Ingram Hill released their major label debut, "June's Picture Show," in 2004. Despite a batch of strong, radio-friendly tunes like "Will I Ever Make It Home," the record didn't make too many waves. They've released a few follow-ups since then, all of which have some nice highlights that have yet to catch the attention of the masses. Welcome to this well-kept secret about another band that didn't get its due.

"Tomorrow" by Information Society

Information Society is a techno-pop group that gained fame in the late 80s with their breakout hit, "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)," which zoomed to #3. It is the only top 10 song I'm aware of that features voice clips from Star Trek.

The group followed this up with another hit when "Walking Away" strut to #9. They released a ballad after this, "Repetition," which flopped at #76. Finally, they released their take on the ABBA classic, "Lay All Your Love On Me," which peaked at #83. 

Four charting singles from a debut album (self-titled) ain't too shabby, but the group's follow-up record, 1990's "Hack," was a flop, it's lead off single the only one to chart at #28. More of a concept record with heavy experimentation, it lacked the radio-friendly hooks that made the previous record such a classic of the era. The group has kept at it over the years but no one seems to care.

Another gem from their debut is "Tomorrow," which I thought would have made a better single than "Repetition."

"Least Complicated" by Indigo Girls

Who doesn't love the angelic harmonies of Amy Ray and Emily Sailers, aka the Indigo Girls. Everyone knows the sound of this Grammy-winning folk rock duo, yet they've never had a top 40 hit. Their debut single on the charts was 1989's brilliant "Closer To Fine," which stalled at #52. "Galileo" only reached #89 in 1992. The Indigo Girls had their best charting single in 1997 with "Shame On You," which got to #42. Shame on all of us for not giving these two many well-deserved top 10 hits, which could have included "Land of Canaan," "Love's Recovery," and "Power of Two."

"Least Complicated" comes from their 1994 album, "Swamp Ophelia." I always thought of it as a sequel to "Closer To Fine."

"You've Been Cheatin'" by The Impressions

Chicago-based R&B outfit The Impressions scored their first hit in 1958 when "For Your Precious Love" hit #11. The group was billed as Jerry Butler and the Impressions at the time, but he quickly left for a solo career, leaving Curtis Mayfield (the band's lead songwriter), Sam Gooden, and the Brooks brothers to carry on without him.

A string of big hits in the 60s have earned this group the 34th best chart performers for that decade, a sampling of which includes "It's All Right" (#4), "Keep On Pushing" (#10), and "Amen" (#7). Another classic, "People Get Ready" reached #14 and won a Grammy.

"You've Been Cheatin'" managed to reach #33 in 1965, but probably would've done much better a few years prior. Energized by a 50s Motown beat, this is one of the peppiest songs you'll hear about suspected infidelity.

"Welcome Home" by IKE

We've seen quite a bit of John Faye in our time here, through his work in The Caulfields and as a solo artist, but today we're highlighting his other band, IKE. Based in Philadelphia, IKE has released several records since their formation in 2003. If you are a fan of power pop in the vein of Cheap Trick, be sure to check out more of IKE.

"Welcome Home" is a terrific tune about welcoming a newborn into your life, and home. Great lyrics, great music, nicely sung. You just can't ask for more. The song comes from the band's debut record, "Parallel Universe."

"World Comin' Down" by Billy Idol

Billy Idol (aka William Broad) cranked out a number of classics from the 80s, beginning with "Hot In The City," which landed at #23 in 1982. His biggest hit was the #1 smash and cover of the Tommy James song "Mony Mony," followed by the #2 hit "Cradle Of Love" in 1990.

Some of Idol's best known hits may not have performed as well as you think. "Rebel Yell" barely reached #46 and "White Wedding" had to be released twice just to get to #36. "Dancing With Myself" never even broke the top 100.

Idol faded into obscurity during the 90s but released a terrific album called "Devil's Playground" in 2005. The record sounds more energetic and fierce than most of his 80s work. "World Comin' Down" is the obvious standout, but be sure not to miss "Super Overdrive," "Sherri," and "Yellin' At The Xmas Tree" (just for fun).

"You're All Forgiven" by The Idle Wilds

A little-known Philly band that truly deserved widespread fortune and glory was a power pop outfit known as The Idle Wilds. Their album "Dumb, Gifted & Beautiful" is stacked with potential hits that never got their due. Definitely worth tracking down, this record remains one of my all-time favorites. "You're All Forgiven" is just a small sample of the lost gems from this talented band.

"You Wouldn't Listen" by The Ides of March

We've reached one of the many projects and bands masterminded by Jim Peterik. The Ides of March was Peterik's first taste of chart success, with much more to follow in the 80s after he co-founded Survivor.

The Ides of March are best known for their sassy and brassy number, "Vehicle," which soared to #2 in 1970. The band sounds a lot like Blood, Sweat & Tears, and a lot different than Peterik's later projects.

Considered a one-hit wonder, most folks forget about the catchy tune "You Wouldn't Listen," which only hit #42 in 1966. This ear-worm of a song showcases the melodic songwriting talents Peterik would continue to leverage throughout his remarkable career.

The Ides made three additional appearances in the Top 100. "Roller Coaster" climbed to #92 in 1966, "Superman" flew to #64 in 1970, and "L.A. Goodbye" waved to us at #73 in 1971.

"My Obsession" by Icehouse

Icehouse is Australian slang for an insane asylum, but also the name of a little known 80s band led by Iva Davies. Their big hit in the US was 1988's "Electric Blue," which went all the way to #7 (little known fact: this song was co-written with John Oates). A song more appropriate for the band's name, "Crazy," also fared well, reaching #14 before "Electric Blue" was released. 

Both of those singles came from the band's landmark album, "Man of Colours," which I believe to be the band's masterpiece. Barely a bad track on the record. The third single was "My Obsession," and to me it had hit written all over it. However, it stalled at #88 and killed momentum for this talented band. Too bad because I think "Nothing Too Serious" had chart potential, too.

Their follow-up record, "Great Southern Land," was a compilation with a couple new songs including "Touch The Fire," which deserved better. It became the band's last top 100 appearance, only reaching #84.

"Honor Them All" by Janis Ian

Native to New York City, Janis Fink changed her name to Janis Ian (good move) before launching a critically acclaimed career as a folk singer/songwriter. She's won two Grammys and released twenty-two studio albums.

Her career began way back when she was only 14 with the stunning song, "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)," which went to #14 in 1967. A song about interracial dating, it was way ahead of its time and just hinted at the genius that was to follow Ian's catalogue through the years. With exception of a comeback hit in 1975, the remarkable "At Seventeen," which went to #3, Ian has not enjoyed widespread commercial success.

"Honor Them All" is from her 1997 album, "Hunger." A sweet song about cherishing those dear to you. Another terrific cut from this record is "Getting Over You." Surprising this one didn't mark a second comeback for Ian, as the record fit nicely with the rise of female singer/songwriters in the 90s.