"Hurts Too Much" by The Rubinoos

The Rubinoos are a little-known power pop band that scored a single chart appearance in 1977 when their rendition of "I Think We're Alone Now" topped out at #45. Kids of the 80s might also remember their popular geek anthem, "Revenge Of The Nerds." Unfortunately, this California band could not gain any traction and faded into obscurity, remembered only to a handful of loyal power pop fans.

"Hurts Too Much" had all the makings of a hit to my ears, but it never had the chance. The song was an early 80s demo that didn't find its way to the surface until 1993 on the band's compilation record called "Basement Tapes."

"Souvenir" by Rubber Rodeo

Rubber Rodeo were an unusual 80s new-wave band that distinguished themselves by incorporating a hint of country into their music. The band also featured male and female lead vocalists, Trish Milliken and Bob Holmes, who would become a husband and wife team. They scored a single chart appearance in 1984 when the rather excellent "Anywhere With You" reached #86.

Their 1986 sophomore album, however, failed to deliver any charting singles. The band split up by the end of the decade, as did Milliken and Holmes. "Souvenir" is one of the lost cuts from that sophomore record, aptly titled "Heartbreak Highway."

"In The End" by Rubber

Rubber is essentially the Canadian band Harem Scarem under a temporary different name. They're a band that is notorious for choosing bad names, but at least their brand of hard rock is consistently great. 

In addition to the name change, which began in 1999 and lasted for two albums, their sound was also a bit more oriented toward pop rock than their usual bombastic rock. "In The End" is a standout track from their second and final album under the moniker Rubber, which was called (cringe), "Ultra Feel." Also notable from this record is a cover of the song "Another Nail In My Heart" by Squeeze.

"Don't Lead Me On" by RTZ

RTZ (Return To Zero) was an early 90s band that reunited singer Brad Delp and guitarist Barry Goudreau, who were both key members of Boston (Goudreau has also released solo work and was a member of AOR outfit Orion The Hunter). The debut album saw the group off to a promising start with three charting singles, "Face The Music" (#49), the stellar ballad "Until Your Love Comes Back Around" (#26), and "All You've Got" (#56).

Delp then left RTZ to rejoin Boston in tour, effectively breaking up the band. Enough music had been recorded during the initial sessions that they cobbled together a significantly less exciting sophomore effort called "Lost," which finally saw the light of day in 1998. "Don't Lead Me On" is one of the best tracks from that collection - listen to those harmonies!

The band reunited after Delp's death in 2007 to record a tribute to this vocal legend. The epic 8 minute song is called "Set The Songbird Free."

"Paint" by Roxette

Roxette is a duo hailing from Sweden that achieved international acclaim beginning in the late 80s. Marie Fredrisksson and Per Gessle share vocal duties and have a knack for catchy choruses. In the US, they scored an impressive four #1 and two #2 hits in just a few years time, from 1989-1991. Then they quickly faded away; their last chart appearance was in 1994 when "Sleeping In My Car" stalled at #50. Nevertheless, they rank as the 48th most successful chart artist of the 90s.

"Paint" is an incredible tune that is buried among the big hits on their breakthrough 1988 album, "Look Sharp!" The ABBA-esque chorus is amazing and I'm astonished this song wasn't chosen as a single over "Dressed For Success" (which still did well, mind you, topping out at #14).

"A Lil' Ain't Enough" by David Lee Roth

The charismatic ham, David Lee Roth, joined a band called Mammoth in the early 70s and helped them become one of the most influential rock groups of the modern era (after they changed their name to Van Halen in 1974). We'll save that story for another day, but suffice it to say that tensions arose and Diamond Dave struck out on his own to pursue a solo career by 1985.

Roth recruited some ace players including guitarist Steve Vai (Frank Zappa's band) and bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big), and proved he'd have no trouble scoring hits without the Van Halen brothers...at least for a little while. He had two reach the Top 10, his cover of "California Girls" (originally done by The Beach Boys) reached #3 in 1985 and his original song, "Just Like Paradise," hit #6 in 1988. Other memorable solo hits included his rendition of "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" (#12) and "Yankee Rose" (#16).

Roth's final chart appearance to date came in 1988 when "Stand Up" stalled at #64. His follow-up 1991 effort, "A Little Ain't Enough," was classic Roth, but not what ears hungered for anymore. His schtick had grown tiresome, but his career had a revival in reunions with the Van Halen brothers.

If released in the 80s, I'm sure songs from "A Little Ain't Enough" would have performed magnificently, especially the title track, "A Lil' Ain't Enough."

"Fool For Your Love" by Diana Ross

Diana Ross led the The Supremes to become one of the biggest musical acts of the 60s. Upon going solo, she became the 13th most successful artist of the 70s (and 41st of all-time). She's been able to retool and adapt to the ever-changing music scene, effortlessly floating between pop, dance, soul, ballads, and disco. 

Ross has scored 6 #1 hits as a solo artist, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Touch Me In The Morning," "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)," "Love Hangover," "Upside Down," and "Endless Love," a duet with Lionel Richie that stayed on top for nine weeks in 1981.

By 1986, her remarkable run on the charts spanning three decades came to an end with "Chain Reaction." This song, written and performed with the Bee Gees, was released as two different versions. The original in 1985 went to #95 and the 1986 version went to #66. The song is very catchy, and I'm amazed it didn't do better.

If you play "Fool For Your Love," most people won't guess that it is by Diana Ross. As a hard rock anthem, this song really stands out from the rest of her catalogue. It features Bruce Kulick on guitar, whose previous work was with KISS and W.A.S.P. The song comes from her 1982 record, "Silk Electric," which is better known for its lead-off track, "Muscles," written by Michael Jackson (it went to #10). Ross teamed up with Jackson and the Bee Gees again on "Eaten Alive," a track that stalled at #77 in 1985 despite all its superstar power.

"You Can't Please Everybody" by Rose Royce

Rose Royce is typically considered a one-hit wonder. They dominated the chart for one week in 1976 with their smash hit "Car Wash" from the movie of the same name. However, they scored another lesser-known Top 10 in 1977 when "I Wanna Get Next To You" peaked at #10. 

With exception of a handful of other Top 40 singles, the group was but a memory by 1979 as the disco and funk scene began to fade. "You Can't Please Everybody" is a hot track that deserved some chart action. It comes from their 1977 album, "In Full Bloom."

"I'm Shakin'" by Rooney

Named after the principal from the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, California band Rooney is a power pop outfit that sounds like a cross between Cheap Trick and Weezer (one of their first tours was in fact with Weezer). Founding members included lead singer Robert Schwartzman and a couple of others whom we've highlighted already as solo artists (Ned Brower and Taylor Locke).

The band's closest single to approach the Top 100 was the infectious "When Did Your Heart Go Missing?" from their 2007 sophomore LP, "Calling The World." 

"I'm Shakin'" comes from their 2003 self-titled debut album and should have shaken up the charts.

"I Can't Let Go" by Linda Ronstadt

Rediscovering magnificent songs like this make the work I put into this blog worth every minute. Originally of The Stone Poneys, Linda Ronstadt quickly made a name for herself as a solo artist with a lovable voice. She racked up so many hits in the 70s that she is ranked the 24th most successful artist of the decade. Some highlights of her 70s chart career include the #1 smash "You're No Good" the #2 smash "When Will I Be Loved," the #3 smash "Blue Bayou," and the #5 smash "It's So Easy."

Her hot streak continued in the 80s with big ones such as "How Do I Make You" (#10) and "Hurt So Bad" (#8), and then a couple monster duets with James Ingram that both reached #2: "Somewhere Out There" and "Don't Know Much."

Oh, and her backing band from the early 70s made out pretty well, too...they became The Eagles.

"I Can't Let It Go" comes from her 1980 record, "Mad Love," one that is good from start to finish and always a treat to hear again.

"You Came, You Saw, You Conquered" by The Ronettes

The Ronettes took their name from the featured vocalist, Veronica Bennett, who soon became Ronnie Spector after marrying the famed producer Phil Spector in 1968. She was joined by her sister and cousin to round out the group.

The Ronettes scored their biggest hit right out of the box in 1963 when "Be My Baby" peaked at #2 for three weeks. The classic refrain saw Ronnie Spector being invited to contribute to Eddie Money's comeback hit, "Take Me Home Tonight," which went to #4 in 1986.

The Ronettes never saw that sort of success again, but managed to land several other Top 40 hits through the 60s like "Baby, I Love You" (#24), "(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up" (#39), "Do I Love You?" (#34), and "Walking In The Rain" (#23). 1970 saw Ronnie Spector leaving the group to start a solo career.

"You Came, You Saw, You Conquered" seemed like a hit in the making but it bubbled under the chart in 1969 as the group ran out of gas. The Ronettes would reappear on the chart decades later in 2018 thanks to their rendition of "Sleigh Ride" during the holiday season.

"Already Gone" by Romeo's Daughter

Robert John "Mutt" Lange was behind some of the biggest releases of the 80s and 90s, including legendary albums from Def Leppard, Shania Twain, and Bryan Adams. He was also at the helm of Romeo's Daughter, a rock trio from England fronted by the vocal powerhouse of Leigh Matty. But somehow, even the magic of Lange's production with help from AOR hitmaker John Parr couldn't make this deserving band a household name.

Romeo's Daughter did manage to score one minor chart hit in the US with "Don't Break My Heart," which reached #73 in 1988. While future hits eluded them, several of their songs were made into hits or popular album cuts by others, including Heart, Bonnie Tyler, and Eddie Money. After a 1993 sophomore effort, the band appeared to be done.

After a near 20 year absence, Romeo's Daughter returned to release a pair of excellent studio albums: 2012's "Rapture" and 2015's "Spin," from which "Already Gone" can be found (not an Eagles cover). Let's hope they're not done yet.

"Never Thought It Would Be Like This" by The Romantics

Hailing from Detroit, The Romantics achieved immediate chart success with "What I Like About You," from their raw 1980 debut self-titled album. The single only went to #49 at the time, but has become a classic that no 80s radio program is without.

It also poised the band for slicker production and bigger hits, which came in the form of "Talking In Your Sleep" (#3) and "One In A Million" (#37). The band's final album, "Rhythm Romance" was released in 1985 and yielded one last chart appearance with "Test Of Time," which stalled at #71. An underrated track from that final album was "Never Thought It Would Be Like This." It might have done well had tensions between the band and management didn't get them dropped from their label.

"One Foot Back In Your Door" by Roman Holliday

Roman Holliday was a British swing band who took their name from the 1953 film. They were "swing for the 80s" and managed to score a couple minor hits in the US in 1983 with "Stand By" (#54) and "Don't Try To Stop It" (#68).

But I think their best cut was the single, "One Foot Back In Your Door," which was featured on the Teachers soundtrack in 1985 (it also appeared on their 1984 LP, "Fire Me Up." It is more pop-oriented than most of their stuff, but could only reach #76 on the chart. After that the band faded into obscurity; however, Billy Ocean sampled a portion of this song for his 1988 #1 hit, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car."

"Tearing" by Rollins Band

Henry Garfield, better known as Henry Rollins, got his start fronting the underground 80s punk band Black Flag. By the 90s, he embarked on a new venture under the moniker of Rollins Band. You may also know him from his spoken word shows or appearances in several movies and TV shows (including Sons of Anarchy). 

Rollins Band mostly plays music while Rollins does his spoken word act, and never had a single break onto the charts. "Tearing" is one of their most melodic efforts and comes from their debut 1992 album, "End Of Silence." 

Another notable track that received a lot of airplay was 1994's gripping song, "Liar." It'll burn your soul.

"Biggest Mistake" by The Rolling Stones

Ranked as the 10th most successful chart artist of all-time, the indelible Rolling Stones began their chart career in 1964 with a Buddy Holly cover - "Not Fade Away" landed at #48. Their first Top 10 was not far off: "Time Is On My Side" hit #6 later that year. The Stones would go on to score an astonishing five #1 hits in the 60s and three in the 70s. 

While they haven't hit the top spot since "Miss You" landed there in 1978, the band did land more in the Top 10 and even more in the Top 40. Their last Top 10 hit was in 1989 when "Mixed Emotions" peaked at #5. Their last Top 40 hit was later that year, when "Rock And A Hard Place" peaked at #23. The band continued to scratch the charts through the 90s, despite massive changes in musical trends. That gives them a remarkable string of hits across four decades.

The Stones are still going strong on tour but haven't released a studio record of original material since 2005's "A Bigger Bang," which is where the earnest "Biggest Mistake" is lifted.