"Long Goodbye" by The Meadows

The Meadows, fronted by singer/songwriter Todd Herfindal, released two terrific albums in the 2000s: their self-titled debut arrived in 2005 and their sophomore release, "First Nervous Breakdown," arrived in 2008. Both are filled with a bevy of tracks that shine with pop rock goodness along the lines of The Rembrandts or Tom Petty.

"Long Goodbye" is just a taste of what The Meadows had to offer. If their two albums aren't enough for you, be sure to check out Herfindal's solo efforts.

"Good Guys Only Win In The Movies" by Mel and Tim

Pop and soul duo Mel and Tim (Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson) had a handful of minor hits in the early 70s, beginning with their most famous, "Backfield In Motion," which went to #10. Their version of "Starting All Over Again" went to #19 in 1972. 

"Good Guys Only Win In The Movies" (written by Gene Chandler) was their only other chart appearance, reaching #45 in 1970. I've always loved their version and was surprised it didn't set radio on fire.

"Girl On The Roof" by David Mead

Although he is adored by many music critics, pop singer and songwriter David Mead has not been able to find mainstream success. He's been steadily cranking out pop perfection since 1998 when he released his major label debut, "The Luxury Of Time." His output ground to a halt with the release of the excellent "Dudes" in 2011, but I hope we get to hear more from him soon.

Every song Mead does is very good, but there are two or three tracks on each album that are just stunning. "Girl On The Roof" comes from his 2001 record, "Mine And Yours," and should have been the song that made Mead a household name. Other favorites spanning his career include "Chatterbox," "Indiana," "Ordinary Life," and "King Of The Crosswords."

"Keeping Secrets" by Christine McVie

Christine McVie has been the keyboardist and one of the hit-making voices in Fleetwood Mac since 1970. While most of the other members of the band have released multiple solo albums, Christie McVie has only indulged in two, not counting her pre-Fleetwood Mac effort from 1970 released under her maiden name, Christine Perfect, or her more recent duo effort with Lindsey Buckingham.

McVie's biggest solo effort came in 1984, following the monstrous success of Fleetwood Mac in the 1970s and early 1980s. It was self-titled record and yielded her only two chart hits: "Got A Hold On Me" (#10) and "Love Will Show Us How" (#30). She would soon regroup with Fleetwood Mac for their hugely successful comeback album, "Tango In The Night."

While most of the tracks are pretty nondescript, "Keeping Secrets" strikes me as an underrated gem. It has a catchy chorus with ear-pleasing harmonies that make it worthwhile. 

"Industry" by Jon McLaughlin

Jon McLaughlin is a singer/songwriter who loves his home state so much that he named one of his albums after it: Indiana. Released in 2007, "Indiana" marked his major label debut and remains one of his finest pieces of work. By the next year, McLaughlin changed his piano-based sound to something more slick and commercial. It attracted a bigger fan base, but made others - like me - lose interest.

"Industry" is the track that stopped me in my tracks and made me pay attention to this truly gifted piano player. 

"Stupid" by Sarah McLachlan

The 90s were great for women in music, culminating in the founding of the Lilith Fair tour in 1997, which featured only female artists. Canadian singer and songwriter Sarah McLachlan was the woman behind this popular tour.

McLachlan began to grace the radio airwaves with her angelic voice in 1994 with minor hits like "Possession" (#73) and "Good Enough" (#77). But her mainstream success arrived in 1997 with the release of her third album, "Surfacing," which spawned top ten hits "Adia" (#3) and "Angel" (#4). McLachlan racked up two Grammys for Female Pop Vocal in the 90s as well, one for "Building A Mystery" (which went to #13 in 1997) and another for "I Will Remember You" (which reached #14 in 1999). "I Will Remember You" also hit #65 in 1995, but re-charted thanks to the popularity of her live version of the song.

McLachlan scored a few more minor hits in the new millennium, but her last chart appearance was in 2006 when "River" struggled to reach #71. There's no good reason why she shouldn't still be gracing the airwaves.

"Stupid" is probably one of her more aggressive tunes, and it is remarkable that it did not perform better. Despite her delicate tone, her angst is palpable and the song succeeds on many levels. I wish she would have done more like this.

"Suddenly Blue" by Roger McGuinn

If Tom Petty was ever inspired by The Byrds, things came full circle in 1990 with the release of "Back From Rio," a long-awaited record from founding member Roger McGuinn. McGuinn hadn't seen any chart action since 1979 when "Don't You Write Her Off" reached #33. That song was done by remnants of The Byrds who simply called themselves McGuinn, Clark & Sullivan.

But Tom Petty's influence is all over the tunes on "Back To Rio," most notably on their duet called "King Of The Hill." Nothing from this record helped get McGuinn back on the charts, but it is a pleasant affair that reminds the listener of the classic 12-string guitars and harmonies that The Byrds made famous. 

"Suddenly Blue" is one of the best off the record. The song was co-written with Scott Cutler, who would later score a smash hit when Natalie Imbruglia covered his song "Torn" in 1997.

"Promise To You Girl" by Paul McCartney

How do you top being a member of one of the greatest bands in history? You don't. But you can come real close. Paul McCartney has had a phenomenal run after his time in The Beatles, and with a new record out this month, he doesn't show signs of stopping even at the age of 76. (By the way, his new single "Come On To Me" proves he still has the magic.)

The Beatles were the #1 artist of the 60s, and McCartney came close to being the #1 artist of the 70s (he landed at #2 since Elton John claimed #1). McCartney currently ranks as the 18th most successful artist of all-time, and this does not include his time with The Beatles.

McCartney came out of The Beatles strong, with the #5 hit "Another Day" quickly followed by the #1 smash, "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." He'd hit the #1 spot five more times in the 70s and three times in the 80s. Some of his biggest hits of the 80s included duets: "Ebony and Ivory" with Stevie Wonder was #1 for 7 weeks in 1982, and he scored two hits with Michael Jackson: "The Girl Is Mine" hit #2 and "Say, Say, Say" was #1 for 6 weeks.

McCartney fever began to fade in the 90s as silly love songs and catchy pop riffs fell out of fashion, but his 2005 record, "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" was widely acclaimed to be a significant comeback album. "Promise To You Girl" is just one of the many fine tracks gracing this record. Nothing from this terrific record charted, nor has any of his subsequent work. However, an unlikely hit sung with Rihanna and Kayne West surfaced in 2015 that took McCartney back to #4 on the charts (his first top 10 hit in 30 years, since "Spies Like Us" reached #7 in 1985).

"Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield

The former leader of The Impressions throughout the 50s and 60s, Curtis Mayfield embarked on a solo career through the 70s. While his early tunes failed to get much attention, he broke big time with songs from the movie Superfly. "Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly")" hit #4 in 1972 followed by "Superfly," which hit #8. Mayfield would see the top 40 twice more with "Future Shock" (#39) and "Kung Fu" (#40).

"Move On Up" is one of his early classics that never charted, but should have.

Mayfield maintained a presence on the R&B charts, even after being paralyzed from the chest down after a stage accident in 1990. He passed away in 1999 at the age of 57.

"Only Heart" by John Mayer

John Mayer is a singer/songwriter who rose to fame in the 2000s with his distinctive vocals and extraordinary prowess on the guitar. It may surprise you that this well-known artist has yet to break into the top 10, although he's come close with favorites like "No Such Thing" (#13), "Your Body Is A Wonderland" (#18), "Daughters" (#19), "Waiting On The World To Change" (#14), and "Say" (#12).

But who needs the top 10 when you have Grammys? Mayer has no less than 6 of them to date:
"Your Body Is A Wonderland" won Grammy for Pop Male Vocal
"Daughters" won a Grammy for Song of the Year and a Grammy for Pop Male Vocal
"Waiting On The World To Change" won a Grammy for - guess - Pop Male Vocal
"Gravity" won a Grammy for Rock Solo Vocal
"Say" won a Grammy for Pop Male Vocal (Yet again! Can't any other guys sing today?)

"Only Heart" is one of his more upbeat and groovy tracks, lifted from his sophomore release from 2003, "Heavier Things." While it hasn't received the attention of his hits, this one ranks among one of my favorites from Mayer.

"Why I Am" by Dave Matthews Band

You ever look over a recipe and think, "Gee, this is going to taste awesome!" But then you cook it up and it's not as awesome as you thought it would be. That's how I feel about the Dave Matthews Band. They have all the ingredients that I normally love about a musical group, but for some reason what they cook up just doesn't appeal to me all that much. I have no logical explanation why this is the case.

The band burst onto the music scene in 1995 with "What Would You Say" (which hit #22), providing a much needed reprieve from the dank dungeon of grunge. Other popular hits the band had over the years included "Ants Marching" (#21), "Crash Into Me" (#19), and "The Space Between" (#22). Their best chart performance to date occurred in 2005 when "American Baby" reached #16.

I find the band's 2009 effort, "Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King," to be among their most accessible albums. "Why I Am" is driven by an infectious guitar riff that brings me back time and time again.

"Next Big Thing" by Material Issue

One of the greatest bands to never crossover into the mainstream was Material Issue. This rocking trio from Chicago quickly made a lot of fans with the release of "International Pop Overthrow" in 1991. Filled with powerpop gems, many named after girls, all eyes were on them to break big with their sophomore effort, 1992's "Destination Universe."

Needless to say, "Destination Universe" flopped, despite wonderful radio-friendly cuts like "What Girls Want," "Who Needs Love," "Don't You Think I Know," and the earnest acoustic ballad, "Everything." I guess their brand of melody and harmony was no match for trendy grunge and slacker rock. "Destination Universe" remains one of my favorite records from the decade - it's an oasis among the dark and gloomy releases comprising the musical landscape at the time.

The group returned in 1994 to release a solid follow-up, "Freak City Soundtrack," but it didn't help get the band noticed. After being dropped from their record label the following year, lead singer and songwriter Jim Ellison committed suicide. The band released some songs they were working on before he took his life on 1997's "Telecommando Americano." A tragic end to a most talented and underrated songwriter.

"All I Need" by Matchbox Twenty

Led by the vocal powerhouse Rob Thomas, Matchbox Twenty rose to the top of the post-grunge bands in the late 90s with their monstrous 1996 debut, "Yourself Or Someone Like You," which spawned three top 10 hits ("Push" hit #5, "3 AM" hit #3, and "Real World" hit #9) and a fourth single that topped out at #24 ("Back 2 Good"). 

Still, their biggest hit arrived with their rather tepid sophomore record. "Bent" gave the band their only #1 to date, followed by another top 5 hit with "If You're Gone." The most worthy song of the charts from their "Mad Season" record in my opinion was "Last Beautiful Girl," but as a fourth single it flopped.

The Florida band delivered a back-to-basics record with "More Than You Think You Are" in 2002. To me, it is their best effort. It returned the band to the top 5 ("Unwell," one of the band's greatest pop tunes, landed at #5). Other chart appearances from this underrated record were "Disease" (#29) and "Bright Lights" (#23). "All I Need" also comes from this record and should have easily gone top 10 in a perfect musical world.

The band released some new tunes as part of a greatest hits package in 2007. Everyone knows Rob Thomas has enjoyed a successful solo career, but lesser known is that drummer Paul Doucette fronts his own side band, The Break and Repair Method. Matchbox Twenty still works together, though. Their last effort was "North" in 2012, which gave them their last top 40 hit to date when "She's So Mean" went to #40.

"Let It Go, Let It Flow" by Dave Mason

Dave Mason is a singer and songwriter from England originally known for his work in the band Traffic. He struck out on a moderately successful solo career in the 70s. His best known hit was "We Just Disagree," which peaked at #12 in 1977. Mason's only other appearance in the top 40 arrived in 1978 when his version of the Carole King hit "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" peaked at #39.

While reaching a respectable #45 in 1978, I always thought "Let It Go, Let It Flow" was a winner that deserved better.

Mason resurfaced in 1993 as a short-lived member of Fleetwood Mac.

"Heaven's Waiting" by Richard Marx

Singer and songwriter Richard Marx is well-known for his string of monster hits in the late 80s and early 90s (the first solo artist ever to have his first 7 singles land in the top 5). But he'd been long working in the music business before his debut hit "Don't Mean Nothing" reached #3 in 1987 and after his final chart appearance in 1997 (when "At The Beginning," a duet with Donna Lewis featured in the movie Anastasia, topped out at #45).

Marx had been singing commercial jingles since the age of 5 and then found himself singing backup vocals for the likes of Lionel Richie. Richie got a demo tape of some of Marx's original songs to Kenny Rogers, who ended up recording some ("Crazy" and "What About Me?"). After a few more years of hustling, Marx finally got a record deal of his own and recruited musicians from The Tubes (Fee Waybill) and Eagles (Joe Walsh, Randy Meisner) to play on his self-titled debut, which would sell nearly 4 million copies. If you're looking for a lost gem from this record, check out "Lonely Heart."

His sophomore record, "Repeat Offender," did not prove to be a jinx, yielding five more top 15 singles for Marx. Underrated tunes from this effort include "Nothin' You Can Do About It" and "Waiting For The Sunrise." While it performed well, his third effort ("Rush Street") met with mixed reviews. Shuffling music styles like a deck of cards, this record contains the trademark rock and pop fans grew to love, but mixed in some blue-eyed soul and sultry tunes that foreshadowed his transformation into an adult contemporary balladeer. I'm not a big fan of this record, but "Take This Heart" (which landed at #20) and "Big Boy Now" are worth a spin.

Marx's fourth record, "Paid Vacation," is one of my favorites and possibly his most underrated. It felt like a strong return to form, although its lead single was yet another ballad. But what a beautiful ballad it was: "Now And Forever" had gorgeous acoustic guitar, a heartfelt vocal, and sweeping orchestration that remind me of Bread. The song reached #7 in 1994 (remarkable since grunge was in full swing) and marked Marx's final showing in the top 10. "Heaven's Waiting" is a more upbeat acoustic-based rocker from this terrific record.

Marx continues to release records every now and then and has obtained huge success as a songwriter for other artists - everyone from NSYNC to Kenny Loggins to Luther Vandross ("Dance With My Father" won Marx a songwriting Grammy).

"Indie Queen" by Marvelous 3

Marvelous 3 released a trilogy of records in the late 90s that contain some of the greatest modern rock of the era. Mixing pop smarts with wit and delectable harmonies, Marvelous 3 should have been huge, but most people don't even remember the one song that got a lot of airplay in 1999: "Freak Of The Week."

After the demise of glam band SouthGang, the multitalented guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Butch Walker formed Marvelous 3 with a couple of his old bandmates. For reasons science will never understand, the band didn't take off, and Walker walked to try a solo career (which we will get to eventually...be patient). Walker has found bigger success as a songwriter and producer for other notable acts.

"Indie Queen" comes from what I feel is their best record, "Hey! Album," from 1998. Simply gorgeous and arguably the most persistent ear worm of the decade.

"Fear Of Flying" by Martin's Dam

Martin's Dam emerged after the demise of the little known 80s AOR outfit called Bricklin. The brothers Bricklin (Scott and Brian) regrouped and shifted their style of music towards more of a singer/songwriter vibe, not far removed from the likes of Toad The Wet Sprocket or Counting Crows.

The band released two albums in the 90s, "The Healing" and "Sky Above," the latter containing a few re-recorded favorites from the former along with a handful of new songs. It is a shame these records didn't put the boys on the charts, as I would have loved to have heard more from them and their fantastic harmonies. Scott Bricklin would move on to a solo career and joined another band called US Rails.

"Fear Of Flying" is one of their best, and I can only find a live version on the net. These guys aren't even on Spotify at the time of this writing. Other favorites include "Mercy Blue," "Come See Julia," and "It Ain't Me."

"No Dice" by Moon Martin

Moon Martin is a singer songwriter who scored a minor hit in 1979 with "Rolene," which peaked at #30. He had one other charting single after that: "No Chance" landed at #50. Despite some airplay with favorites like "Love Gone Bad," "Bad News," and "XRay Vision," he couldn't gain any traction.

However, his song "Bad Case Of Lovin' You (Doctor, Doctor)" was made famous by Robert Palmer, who took the tune to #14 in 1979.

Moon's real name is John, but he started going by "Moon" after fans commented on his proclivity to mention the moon in his song lyrics. "No Dice" is a perky rock number with a hint of rockabilly that he should have gambled on.

"I'm Goin' Sane" by Eric Martin

Most folks are familiar with New York singer and songwriter Eric Martin thanks to his work in the supergroup, Mr. Big (we'll get to them shortly). Before his tenure in Mr. Big, and during their downtime, Martin makes solo records. The first arrived in 1983 in the form of The Eric Martin Band and was called "Sucker For A Pretty Face." It contains some underrated gems like the title track, "Young At Heart," and "Just Another Pretty Boy."

With his sophomore release, Martin scored his one and only charting single as a solo artist. "Information" peaked at #87 in 1985. He released a third record, "I'm Only Fooling Myself" in 1987, but if failed to generate a hit. No worries, because he'd soon join Mr. Big and score a #1 smash.

In 2002, Martin released another solo record with this as a title track: "I'm Goin' Sane." It had an updated sound, catchy chorus, and relatable lyrics that should have breathed new life into this talented vocalist's chart career. Should have, but didn't.

"Daddy Rollin' Stone" by Derek Martin

Hailing from Detroit, Derek Martin worked feverishly in multiple groups to get a major hit in the 50s and 60s but never quite reached the mark. His lone chart appearance came in 1965 when "You Better Go" reached #78.

"Daddy Rollin' Stone" is a masterful cover of the 1953 version by Otis Blackwell. Martin's rendition came out in 1963 and marked his first solo effort - it didn't chart, but it started getting him the attention he deserved. Too bad it didn't translate into a sustained chart career.

"I Gotta Let You Go" by Martha & The Vandellas

Few groups got off to such a successful start as Martha & The Vandellas. The Vandellas, fronted by the great Martha Reeves, sang backup on several tunes by Marvin Gaye. When they teamed up with the songwriting powerhouse Eddie Holland, magic happened and they became the 50th most successful act of the 60s.

In 1963, they scored their first hit with "Come And Get These Memories," which went to #29. The rest is history with a string of impressive hits like "Heat Wave" (#4), "Quicksand" (#8), "Dancing In The Street" (#2), "Nowhere To Run" (#8), "I'm Ready For Love" (#9), "Jimmy Mack" (#10), and "Honey Chile" (#11).

As the 60s turned into the 70s, the music scene was a-changing, and their malt shop style was losing fashion. Released in 1970, "I Gotta Let You Go" only reached #93 - it probably would have gone top 10 if released a decade earlier. The group scored one final chart hit when "Bless You" reached #53 in 1971. Martha Reeves then left to pursue a solo career, which didn't pan out.

"My Kickass Life" by Adam Marsland

Indie singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist, (and probably some other -ists I don't know about), Adam Marsland is one of those acts you hear in some dive bar and say, "Man, what are you doing here?"

In 2004, Marsland released what some consider to be his best record, one that should have attracted the attention of major record labels. It was entitled, "You Don't Know Me," but unfortunately he stayed that way...largely unknown except for his flock of loyal fans.

"My Kickass Life" is just one highlight from that record, but be sure to check out "Have A Nice Day" and the title track, too. And if you want to feel your heart get ripped out, spin "Stranger On The Street," a song about the pain of giving up your baby girl for adoption.

"I Know What It's Like" by Craig Marshall

Craig Marshall is an independent singer and songwriter based in Texas who has been cranking out quality records since "Popular Crimes" in 2002. He does a mix of rock and pop, and recently dived into the country market.

"I Know What It's Like" is an extraordinarily catchy ear worm that should have given Marshall an easy hit. It comes from his 2008 record, "Point Of View." What a sublime chorus!