Georgia singer and songwriter Tommy Roe, backed by The Roemans, had an impressive chart run through the 60s with smash hits like "Sheila" and "Dizzy," both of which hit #1. In-between he scored additional hits with "Everybody" (#3), "Sweet Pea" (#8), and "Hooray For Hazel" (#6). As the 60s come to a close, Roe geared up to sustain his chart presence into the next decade. Things looked promising with his Top 10 hit from 1970, "Jam Up Jelly Tight," which landed at #8. But it would prove to be his last Top 40 hit with the exception of his version of "Stagger Lee," which peaked at #25 in 1971. "Stir It Up And Serve It" was the follow-up to "Jam Up Jelly Tight." This sexually charged song couldn't climb higher than #50, though. Roe's chart career would end in 1973 when "Working Class Hero" stalled at #97.
Rockpile was an English 80s band that paid homage to the roots of 50s rock and roll. The band featured superstars like Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe, each of whom already earned their own chart hits in the 70s. Despite the boatload of talent, the band scored only a single chart appearance in the US when "Teacher Teacher" landed at #51 in 1981. "Fool Too Long" was the B-side to that single, and it still rocks with all the grit and attitude that made the genre famous in the first place.
Kane Roberts was a sought after studio musician in the 80s working for artists as diverse as Alice Cooper and Rod Stewart. He also tried his hand at making it big as a solo artist. His debut self-titled album went nowhere, but his follow-up LP, "Saints And Sinners," pulled in some heavy hitters like Desmond Child, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Diane Warren. Together, they scored Roberts his one and only charting single, the power ballad "Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore?" which peaked at #38 in 1991. Roberts couldn't sustain this success and quickly faded away. His record was filled with potential rock anthems that were big in the late 80s, so maybe he was a day late and dollar short. "Fighter" was one that stood out to me.
Ripple was a little known band from Michigan that blended funk, soul, and rock. They scored a single chart appearance in 1973 when "I Don't Know What It Is, But It Sure Is Funky" reached #67. You might not remember that song, but you'll probably recognize the "oh la oh la" line from the smash hit "Electric Boogie (Electric Slide)" by Marcia Griffiths, which went to #51 in 1989. "This Ain't No Time To Be Giving Up" was released in 1975 but failed to climb the charts.
The Righteous Brothers consisted of a duo of blue-eyed soul singers: Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They soared to fame with their breakthrough classic, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," which remains one of the biggest selling singles of all-time. It spent two weeks at #1 in 1964 and paved the way for additional hits such as "Just Once In My Life" (#9), "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" (#1 for 3 weeks), and "Ebb Tide" (#5). "Unchained Melody" is unique in that it first peaked at #4 in 1965, but reappeared to reach #13 in 1990 thanks to its use in the hit movie Ghost. Also in 1990, a new version was released that hit #19. Bill Medley left the group in 1968, but returned in 1974 to give the boys a big comeback hit with "Rock And Roll Heaven," which reached #3. They'd have two more Top 40 singles with "Give It To The People" (#20) and "Dream On" (#32) in 1974 before disappearing from the charts until 1990. Medley would also have chart success as a solo artist, most notably with his duet with Jennifer Warnes, "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life." The song was featured in the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing and spent one week at #1. So that makes two Patrick Swayze movies Medley has to thank for lifting his songs on the charts. "On This Side Of Goodbye" seemed to have all the ingredients of another hit. A soaring melody written by Carole King, wonderfully sung, but it only made it to #47 in 1966.
Named after founding member Paul Revere and not the legendary hero of the American Revolution, Paul Revere and the Raiders enjoyed a string of big hits in the late 60s and early 70s that included "Kicks" (#4), "Hungry" (#6), "Good Thing" (#4), and "Him Or Me - What's It Gonna Be?" (#5). The band's chart success cooled down in 1968 but came back in a big way in 1971 when "Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian)" gave them a #1 hit. But history repeated itself and the band quickly faded away again, for good this time. Vocalist Mark Lindsay would enjoy additional chart success as a solo artist, best known for his top 10 hit "Arizona" from 1969. Paul Revere passed away in 2014. In 1970, the band shortened its name to simply "The Raiders" and released an album called "Collage." It produced two modest chart hits with "We Gotta All Get Together" (#50) and "Just Seventeen" (#82). "Gone Movin' On" is one of the songs from that album that fell through the cracks.
One of the greatest sins in the history of the music charts is the virtual absence of a band like The Replacements. Led by the songwriting genius of Paul Westerberg, the band only managed a single chart appearance at the twilight of their career together when "I'll Be You" peaked at #51 in 1989. Many other entities have recognized their hugely influential role in the annals of rock. For example, "Here Comes A Regular" and "I Will Dare" are both in the R&R Hall of Fame. The band formed in Minneapolis in 1979 around brothers Bob and Tommy Stinson (who was a member of Guns N' Roses from 1998-2014, and also side bands Bash & Pop, and Perfect). They released their first album in 1981, a raw thrash record called "Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash." The band's sound quickly evolved as they began to incorporate new genres into their songwriting, and Westerberg was growing into a talented lyricist with a knack for snark and wordplay. He'd soon be tackling issues of addiction, suicide, spousal abuse, politics, and more. The band's 1984 album "Let It Be" is widely considered to be one of the best of the era. The album was not a commercial success at the time, but did get the band signed to the major label Sire. Two more back-to-back masterpieces would follow with "Tim" and "Pleased To Meet Me." In-between those records, the band dismissed Bob Stinson since he showed clear disdain for the less rocking songs and suffered major issues with substance abuse (which took his life in 1995). Slim Dunlop replaced him for the rest of the band's career, which included two more albums, "Don't Tell A Soul" and "All Shook Down." While these two albums are gems in their own way, they were a far cry from The Replacements of old and more like solo efforts from Westerberg. Picking a single song to highlight their brilliance is nearly impossible. They're one of the few bands in which every song they've ever done is worthy of a listen. Nonetheless, I'm going with "The Ledge," a track about solitude and suicide from 1987's "Pleased To Meet Me." This haunting song should have broken the band, but the video was banned from MTV. Not because of the visuals (in true Replacements style, the video just shows the band hanging out on a sofa and chairs), but due to the lyrics alone.
Named after an old fashioned firetruck, REO Speedwagon formed as a jam band in 1967 that couldn't seem to settle on a lead singer. Terry Luttrell was at the helm for the band's self-titled 1971 debut record, then Kevin Cronin took his place for their 1972 sophomore release, "R.E.O./T.W.O." For their third record in 1973, "Ridin' The Storm Out," Mike Murphy sang for the band. Murphy would stay on board for two additional records before Cronin returned as the frontman in 1976 for good. The band's first chart appearance finally arrived in 1977 with Cronin at the helm for a live version of their earlier track, "Ridin' The Storm Out." It only went to #95, but it began a remarkable run of hits for this incarnation of the band that lasted until 1990 when "Love Is A Rock" peaked at #65. With Cronin back on board, the band's sound shifted towards more pop-oriented songs that radio was eager to play. Along the way, the band racked up two #1 hits with "Keep On Loving You" in 1980 and "Can't Fight This Feeling" in 1985. Other notable Top 10 singles included "Take It On The Run" (#5) and "Keep The Fire Burnin'" (#7). "I Don't Want To Lose You" was one of two new tracks featured on the band's 1988 compilation called "The Hits." The album was a huge success for the band, selling over four million copies. While "I Don't Wanna Lose You" didn't chart, the other new tune, "Here With Me," did - it reached #20 and was the band's last visit to the Top 40.
The singer and songwriting duo of Danny Wilde and Phil Solem traces back to the early 80s with their first collaboration in the band Great Buildings. They were denied a chart appearance until they reinvented themselves as The Rembrandts in 1989. They scored their biggest success right out of the gate with the melancholy single, "Just The Way It Is, Baby," which reached #14 in 1991. But wait...weren't these the guys who recorded "I'll Be There For You," which everyone knows from the hit TV show Friends? Yes! However, that song only went to #17 in 1995. It was also their last chart appearance to date. The Rembrandts really deserve to be remembered for more than this. A lack of imagination into their album titles might be one explanation few people remember them. Their debut was self-titled, their sophomore record was literally "Untitled," and their third LP was called...wait for it..."LP". Song for song, "Untitled" remains their best release to my ears. "Hang Onto Forever" is one of many enjoyable tracks on this record, which was probably done in by the poor choice of "Johnny Have You Seen Her?" as a lead single...which stalled at #54.
R.E.M. emerged from Athens, Georgia to become one of the darlings of college radio in the 80s. Many of their early classics barely made it onto the Top 100, but that all changed when "The One I Love" zoomed to #9 in 1987. It would be the first of four top 10 hits for the band, the others being "Stand" (#6), "Losing My Religion" (#4), and "Shiny Happy People" (#10), which was made even shinier with Kate Pierson of the B-52's on backing vocals. The depth of talent in R.E.M. was so great that the band survived the grunge era unscathed, even contributing a staple album to the trend entitled "Monster," which yielded four Top 100 singles. R.E.M. also survived the departure of their drummer in 1997, who left for health reasons. While they never recaptured the chart success of their heyday, R.E.M. continued to release critically acclaimed albums until they decided that 30 years together was enough. I was surprised that many of their well-known songs didn't get what they deserved on the charts - for example, "Fall On Me" only went to #94, "Bittersweet Me" only #46, "Imitation Of Life" only #83, "Supernatural Superserious" only #85 (their last chart appearance in 2008), and even "Man On The Moon" only reached #30. "Man-Sized Wreath" is one of the highlights from the band's underrated 2008 effort, "Accelerate."
Formed in Ohio in the late 90s, Relient K is one of those so-called pop punk bands. They market themselves as Christian punk, which seems blasphemous to both music and religion. The band scored a couple of Top 100 hits off their 2004 album, "Mmhmm." "Be My Escape" reached #82 in 2005 and "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" peaked at #58 the next year. As common with bands of this genre, most of their songs are indistinguishable from one another and they struggled to maintain relevance after the pop punk fad faded. That's not to say that their rather extensive catalogue doesn't contain some shiny nuggets. "Which To Bury; Us Or The Hatchet?" is one of the underrated highlights I enjoy from "Mmhmm."
New York city born and bred singer/songwriter Lou Reed is widely considered to be the father of punk rock. His solo work along with his tenure with the Velvet Underground ran counter to the groovy sounds heard on early 70s radio. Nevertheless, Reed's distinctive spoken word vocals earned him a top 20 hit in 1973 when the classic "Walk On The Wild Side" reached #16. "Wild Side" would remain his only chart appearance, despite a resurgence in 1989 with his comeback record, "New York." Popular cuts like "Dirty Blvd," "Romeo Had Juliette," and "Busload Of Faith" received considerable airplay. One of my favorites from this LP is "There Is No Time," one of the hardest rocking tracks Reed has done, perhaps foreshadowing his ill-fated project "Lulu" with Metallica in 2011. Reed passed away at the age of 71 in 2013, two years shy of being inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame.
Redd Kross emerged from punk roots but by the 1990s evolved into an edgy power pop band that never got its due. Perhaps a little too hard for pop and too pop for hard rock at the time? The band tried to gain momentum through the 90s with the release of two more records, and secured tours with major acts, but never broke through to the mainstream. The band's course was disrupted in 1999 with the death of their guitarist. "Zira (Call Out My Name)" is one of many highlights from their 1990 record, "Third Eye."
Before Canadian rocker Tom Cochrane hit it big with his solo single, "Life Is A HighWay," he was at the helm for the band Red Rider. The band obtained some modest success in the US in the early 80s with "White Hot" and "Young Thing, Wild Dreams (Rock Me)," which went to #48 and #71, respectively. The classic song most people associate with the band, 1981's "Lunatic Fringe," did not chart. "Don't Fight It" is another underrated hit from the group, which kicked off their 1980 album of the same name.
Like most bands that have been going for four decades, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have undergone serious evolution in sound and style...yet you can always identify their tunes. These days, the boys have mellowed out considerably and their innovative funk and garage rock rap are largely a distant memory. But the trade off was hits. The band scored their biggest in 1992 with the ballad, "Under The Bridge," which nearly hit #1 but had to settle for #2. Their two other top 10 hits were also ballads: "Scar Tissue" reached #9 in 1999 and "Dani California" #6 in 2006. Other notable radio-friendly tunes included "Soul To Squeeze" (#22, from the movie Coneheads), "Otherside" (#14), and "Snow (Hey Oh)" (#22). Why the excellent "Tear" from the 2002 album "By The Way" didn't hit the charts is a mystery - it contains one of their greatest choruses. Going back to their early days in the 80s, "Knock Me Down" is the song that turned me onto the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It comes from their breakthrough 1989 record, "Mother's Milk." While it didn't produce a charting single, tunes like "Knock Me Down" and their insanely good cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" got them a lot of airplay and attracted fans like me to their quirky style.
The legendary Otis Redding was a masterful singer and songwriter from Georgia who was taken from us too soon, dying in a plane crash in 1967 at the age of 26. His first chart hit was in 1963 when "These Arms of Mine" peaked at #85. By 1965, the world had caught onto his genius, and his Grammy Hall of Fame hit "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)" reached #21. But his biggest and most widely known smash was recorded just 18 days before his death: "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" spent four weeks at #1. He continued to rack up more top 40 singles, and his final chart appearance was in 1969 when "Love Man" went to #72. His chart accomplishments through the 60s made him the 46th most successful artist of the decade. "Mr. Pitiful" is a wonderful song that nearly became his first Top 40 hit, reaching #41 in 1965.
The Records hailed from England and scored a single minor hit in the US when "Starry Eyes" landed at #56 in 1979. I still think it was their strongest song, but many others deserved a shot at the charts. In 1980, a young Jude Cole joined the band for a year and one album ("Crashes"), replacing the original lead singer, Huw Gower. Cole was originally in the backing band for Moon Martin and, after his stint in The Records, had a successful solo career.
The Ravyns were heroes of the Baltimore rock scene in the mid-80s and "Raised On The Radio" almost made them national stars. The track appeared on their self-titled debut and on the soundtrack to the hit movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The band was led by singer and songwriter Rob Fahey, and also counted Kyf Brewer among their membership. Brewer went on to achieve more near hits with a band called Company of Wolves and as a solo artist.
L.A. band Ratt helped launch the rise of hard rock in the 80s, beginning with their smash hit, "Round And Round," which soared to #12 in 1984. Ratt seemed poised to be a mainstay on the charts, but the follow-up single "Wanted Man" stalled at #87. Nothing else charted from their landmark record, "Out Of The Cellar," although cuts like "Back For More" and "Lack Of Communication" are now classics. The band would enjoy only one more top 40 appearance when "Lay It Down" barely made it at #40 in 1985. In 1990, Ratt released their fifth album, "Detonator," which became the last to feature all the founding members. The band retooled in an attempt to ride the wave of hairband rock, sounding more polished and radio-friendly than ever. They brought in big guns like Desmond Child and Diane Warren to help with songwriting, and their bud Bon Jovi to sing backing vocals on "Heads I Win, Tails You Loose." The band even broke down and recorded their first (and only) power ballad, the rather excellent "Givin' Yourself Away." "Detonator" seemed to have all the right ingredients to give the band a badly needed second wind, but the record did not "blow up," so to speak. It is a shame, shame, shame, because songs like "One Step Away" should have easily made the top 10.
The Raspberries were a pioneering power pop and rock band that rose to popularity in the early 70s thanks to the monster hit "Go All The Way." The song went all the way to #5 and was followed up by other chart hits like "I Wanna Be With You" (#16), "Let's Pretend" (#35), and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" (#18). By 1975, lead singer Eric Carmen embarked on a successful solo career. Other members of the band founded Fotomaker. "Making It Easy" is from the band's third record, "Side 3" from 1973. A perfectly suitable rocker for the era that combines melody and harmony like few other bands could.
The Ramones did not have a lot of chart success, but they were such an influential force in punk and rock (and on horror author Stephen King) that they were inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 2002. Stephen King enlisted the band to do a title song for his 1989 movie Pet Sematary. The appearances they did make on the Top 100 all came in the late 70s with "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" (#81), "Rockaway Beach" (#66), and "Do You Wanna Dance" (#86). Surprised that you don't see their classics "I Wanna Be Sedated", "Rock 'N' Roll High School," and "Blitzkrieg Bop"? Yeah, me too. In 1992, the band released another critique on this crazy world called "Mondo Bizarro," exemplified by the single, "Poison Heart."
Bonnie Raitt has been a mainstay on the charts across three decades, beginning in 1977 when her cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway," which featured Michael McDonald on backing vocals, landed at #57. Another duet, 1995's "Rock Steady" with Bryan Adams, became her final chart appearance. In the intervening years, Raitt scored numerous hits, her biggest being "Something To Talk About," which went to #5 in 1991. Others include "I Can't Make You Love Me" (#18) and "Love Sneakin' Up On You" (#19). Her popular song from 1989, a cover of John Hiatt's "Thing Called Love," which Hiatt sings on, surprisingly did not crack the Top 100. Her successes led to her induction in the R&R Hall of Fame in 2000. There's plenty of other good stuff in Raitt's catalogue to enjoy. Her 1982 effort, "Green Light," kicks off with this pleasant number called "Keep This Heart In Mind."
