The Motels were are new wave band that formed in California and had a good run in the early 80s. Led by singer and songwriter Martha Davis, the band scored two top 10 hits in their heyday, both reaching #9: "Only The Lonely" from 1982 and "Suddenly Last Summer" from 1983. Other popular top 40 hits followed with "Remember The Nights" peaking at #36 and "Shame" topping off at #21. The excellent song "Shock" stalled at #84 in 1985, marking their last chart appearance. While working on their follow-up record, Davis decided to go solo instead. "Bonjour Baby" is a pop gem that comes from their underrated 1980 effort, "Careful." Puzzling why this track was never released as a single. It is so obscure, I can't find it on Spotify or YouTube, except as a live track.
Steven Morrissey, who simply goes my his surname, got his start as the lead singer and songwriter for The Smiths. The Smiths were favorites at college radio in the 80s and introduced the world to Morrissey's soothing baritone and cerebral lyrics. Infighting between Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr led to the band's breakup in 1987, and the beginning of Morrissey's prolific solo career. Between 1988 and 1997, Morrissey released six records to critical acclaim, although he's had little commercial success in the US. His only brush with the American charts came in 1994 when the stalker's anthem, "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get," reached #46. Unfortunately, the US did ignore Morrissey and he got no closer to mainstream success. Bet I'm betting he prefers it that way. The Master of Mope took an extended hiatus from recording, then released a marvelous comeback record in 2004 called "You Are The Quarry." Among the many terrific songs on this record, some of the most mature and thoughtful of his career, is "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores." Has anyone better articulated the struggle thoughtful people must endure having to dwell among people who fail to nurture their intellect?
Irish musician, singer, and songwriter Van Morrison got his start as the leader of the 60s garage band, Them. He wrote their classic, "Gloria," giving Morrison his first taste of chart success. It wouldn't be long before he tasted success again, this time as a solo artist. A couple of his first singles went top 10: "Brown Eyed Girl" hit #10 in 1967 and "Domino" hit #9 in 1970. While Morrison flirted with the charts off and on again through the years, he'd never achieve these high positions again. Readers may be surprised to learn that some of his best known tunes did not perform too well when released, including "Wild Night" (#28), "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile" (#61), and "Moondance" (#92). "Crazy Love," "Into The Mystic," and "Have I Told You Lately" didn't even chart. "Bright Side Of The Road" is one of Morrison's signature pick-me-up songs, bursting with joy. It bubbled under in 1979 but is not to be missed.
90s superstar Alanis Morissette got her start in entertainment as a 12-year-old actress on the Nickelodeon series You Can't Do That On Television. She gravitated to music and released two dance pop albums that performed very well in her native Canada, but were virtually unheard anywhere else in the world. Not to be written off as a teen pop star who once opened up for Vanilla Ice, she reinvented herself for her third album, "Jagged Little Pill." With help from producer and songwriter Glen Ballard, Morissette became a darling of the 90s and the signature voice of a woman scorned. Her blistering rock track, "You Oughta Know," catapulted her to international fame and won the Grammy for Rock Song/Rock Female Vocal in 1995. On the charts, it only hit #13, but set the stage for other hits like "Hand In My Pocket" (#15), "Ironic" (#4), "You Learn" (#6), and "Head Over Feet" (#3 for 6 weeks). She won another Grammy for "Uninvited," a song recorded for the City of Angels soundtrack that went to #4 in 1998. The wind quickly blew out of her sails, though. Her follow-up record, 1998's "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" sold well, but only generated a single top 10 hit ("Thank U," which went all the way to #2, her best performance on the chart yet). The other singles from this tepid record fizzled. Nevertheless, her impressive string of hits made her the 27th most successful artist of the decade. Morissette was hard-pressed to even come close to the huge success of "Pill," but I think her 2004 album, "So-Called Chaos," was the rock record that fans wanted. Day late, dollar short I suppose. The lead off track, "Eight Easy Steps" manages to capture some of the magical energy that made her hit songs special, but it didn't chart. Another single from this record, a gorgeous ballad called "Everything," was Morissette's final chart appearance, landing at #76.
Michael Morales was a singer and songwriter with a sound as big as his native state of Texas. He rose to one-hit wonder status in 1989 when "Who Do Give Your Love To?" peaked at #15. His follow-up single, a cover of "What I Like About You" (which The Romantics, whose version everyone knows, only took to #49 in 1980) reached #28. These were the first two singles from his debut self-titled album. The next single, "I Don't Know," stalled at #81. "I Only Want To Look In Your Eyes" is another mid-tempo track from his debut LP, and I think it would have performed better and gave Morales more staying power. His 1991 record, "Thump" landed with a dull thud, although this could be attributed to the shift in musical tastes. Morales would release a third and final record in 1999: "That's The Way." It sounded like a Def Leppard album and probably would've been huge had it arrived a decade earlier. Morales became a notable producer, earning four Grammys for works he laid his fingers on.
When people spoke about Mandy Moore in the 2000s they mostly thought about her as a young pop princess. She had a successful recording career with popular songs like "Candy" (#41) and "I Wanna Be With You" (#24). Today, most people think of Moore's acting career, most famously the hit show This Is Us. She still gets to impress with her vocal chops during the show as a part-time singer in a bar band. During her transition from music to acting, her 2009 album, "Amanda Leigh," is often overlooked. It is not the typical album of pop fluff one might expect, but a well-crafted pop album in which powerpop mastermind Mike Viola had a heavy hand. "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of The Week" was the first single, and while it failed to chart, remains one of the finest tunes in Moore's catalogue.
Irish guitarist and singer Gary Moore left behind an extensive catalogue of music in addition to his work as a member of Thin Lizzy. Moore was perhaps best known for his turn to blues, which began in earnest with "Still Got The Blues." That tune became his only charting single in the US, reaching #97 in 1991. In the 80s, he embraced the popular hard rock sound. "Speak For Yourself" features some of his most blistering guitar work ever. If you need an anthem to get you going, or inspire you to make it through a rough patch, this is the song. Gary Moore passed away in 2011 at 58 years from a heart attack brought on by excessive drinking.
Mississippi singer Dorothy Moore got her start in a 60s group known as The Poppies before going solo in the 70s. Best known for her ballads, especially the smash hit "Misty Blue" (which went to #3 in 1976), Moore also sounded great on funky disco tunes. "Ain't That A Mother's Luck" is one that came from the same album as "Misty Blue." It was the B-side to her follow-up single written by Willie Nelson, "Funny How Time Slips Away." It only went to #58, but Moore would see the top 40 once more in 1977 with her version of a song written by The Addrisi Brothers, "I Believe You" (#27).
The Moody Blues were an art rock band that didn't specialize in radio friendly singles, but they managed to crossover to the pop charts every now and then through their thirty year career. They've scored a single top 10 hit in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The band's first chart hit was "Go Now!" which hit #10 in 1965. In 1972 they had their biggest success with the epic ballad "Nights In White Satin." "Nights" spent 2 weeks at #2 and became an instant classic; it even earned a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Then in 1986 they had a surprise comeback when "Your Wildest Dreams" went all the way to #9. "Sitting At The Wheel" is a single that did fairly well in 1983, making it to #27. Still, this upbeat and catchy tune isn't the song most people think of when they hear "Moody Blues".
The Monroes were a little-known pop rock band from the early 80s. They formed in California and had an upbeat new wave sound that should have found its way onto the airwaves more than it did. The Monroes managed to score a single minor hit with "What Do All The People Know" in 1982. The song somehow only reached #59.
The Monkees were a pop group formed in 1965 whose members were handpicked from youngsters applying to be on a new television show. Led by Davy Jones (who died in 2012), the band would be hugely successful performing covers of songs written by the likes of Neil Diamond ("I'm A Believer," which was #1 for 7 weeks and "A Little Bit Of Me, A Little Bit Of You," which went to #2), Carole King ("Pleasant Valley Sunday," which went to #3 and "Porpoise Song," which went to #62), and John Stewart ("Daydream Believer," which was #1 for 4 weeks). They were ranked as the most successful artist on the charts in 1967. By 1970, however, no one was going ape for The Monkees anymore so they disbanded. The Monkees staged a comeback in 1986 when "That Was Then, This Is Now" hit #20. Their final chart appearance was one year later when "Heart And Soul" stalled at #87. "Randy Scouse Git" goes back to that magical year of 1967 when everything the band touched turned to gold. It was not a chart hit, but one of the edgier pieces this pop band would perform.
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Edward Mahoney left the police force to pursue a recording career as Eddie Money. Turns out to have been a wise decision. He nearly broke into the top 10 with his chart debut in 1978 when "Baby Hold On" soared to #11. Money would manage to creep into the top 10 twice in his career with "Take Me Home Tonight" (which featured Ronnie Spector of The Ronettes singing the signature line, "Be My Baby") and "Walk On Water." These songs hit #4 and #9, respectively. Some of Money's other "hits" that everyone knows might not have done as well on the charts as you might expect. "Two Tickets To Paradise" only reached #22 and "Shakin'" topped out at #63. One of his lesser known songs, 1989's "Peace In Our Time" almost put Money in the top 10 again, but it halted at #11. Money was starting to write checks his songs couldn't cash by the early 90s, his last chart appearance being "Fall In Love Again" in 1992 (the song went to #54). "Maureen" is a gem buried on Money's 1978 record, "Life For The Taking." The tune has a Bruce Springsteen vibe and just puts you in a good mood.
Australian rockers landed a single chart appearance in the US in 1987 with their song "Primitive Love Rites." The tune went to #71, but it didn't ignite great interest in the band or their extensive back catalogue. "Cool World" goes back to the band's earlier days. Released in 1981, this is the tune that should have started a fan base for Mondo Rock in the US.
Monaco was a synth pop duo formed by Peter Hook (New Order) and David Potts. Their lone album was released in 1997, entitled "Music For Pleasure." "What Do You Want From Me?" was the lead single. It is catchy and engaging, and a vicious guitar solo comes out of nowhere and shreds. The song made it to #61, but deserved much better.
Not so modern anymore, the English synth pop band called Modern English are best known for their song, "I Melt With You." it charted twice in the US: it reached #78 when first released in 1983 and then resurfaced in 1990 (re-recorded) and made it to #76. Who knows? With global warming, maybe it will chart again. Aside from "I Melt With You," the band only scored one other charting single. "Hands Across The Sea" barely made it on the board, reaching #91 in 1984. "Ink And Paper" is a song from their 1986 album, "Stop Start." This song is a bit of a clone of "I Melt With You," but I was surprised that it didn't give the band an elusive top 40 appearance.
