In the 80s, The Smiths brought joy and happiness to brooding teens everywhere. Helmed by the Captain of Melancholy, Morrissey, The Smiths became hugely popular and influential without obtaining a single entry on the US charts. The band was on a steady rise throughout the decade and seemed poised to hit it big with their 1987 album, "Strangeways, Here We Come." But despite the strengths of tunes like "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" and "Girlfriend In A Coma," it just didn't work out and they broke up. After the breakup, Morrissey finally broke through on the American charts as a solo artist with 1994's "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get," which reached #46. It would remain his only charting single. Famed guitarist Johnny Marr also had his taste of chart success in his new band, Electronic, whose "Getting Away With It" hit #38 in 1990.
The Smithereens were a power pop band from New Jersey whose fondness for classic melodies began to attract attention in the mid-80s. By 1988, they had their first taste of chart success when "Only A Memory" reached #92. The spotlight helped their next record, "11," become their most successful. The album yielded their second biggest hit: "A Girl Like You" cracked the Top 40 in 1990, peaking at #38. But their follow-up single, "Blues Before And After" somehow stalled at #94. The album showcased backing vocals from the likes of Belinda Carlisle (who sang on "Blue Period") and Maria Vidal (who sang on "A Girl Like You"). The Smithereens scored their biggest hit from their follow-up record, 1991's "Blow Up" - but not by much. "Too Much Passion" put them back into the Top 40, reaching #37 this time. Then grunge happened and the band dropped off everyone's radar. In addition to original material, The Smithereens also released a ton of covers in their post-chart years, mostly of The Beatles. Sadly, lead singer Pat DiNizio passed away in 2017 at the age of 62. "Yesterday Girl" is another great track from "11," but one that got overlooked.
Today, a song called "Looking For A Wall" sounds like a Trump campaign anthem, but it is an underrated tune from Smash Mouth from their 2003 album, "Get The Picture?" Smash Mouth rose to fame in the late 90s with their unique retro style rock that incorporated horns and organs, as if they were playing a 60s beach party. The formula landed them an instant hit with "Walkin' On The Sun," which peaked at #2 in 1998. They followed it up by scoring a #27 hit with their cover of "Can't Get Enough Of You Baby" (originally done by The Mysterians). It would be one of many covers the band has done, including "I'm A Believer" (The Monkees), which landed at #25 in 2001. It would be their last chart showing. Before that, the band also scored smash hits with "All Star" and "Then The Morning Comes," which reached #4 and #11, respectively.
Sly Stone is a prolific and masterful pop and soul songwriter and producer who put a band together with family members, which is where The Family Stone comes from. The group scored an impressive assortment of hits beginning in 1968 with "Dance To The Music," which went straight to #8. They continued to rack up hit after hit into the 70s, with three monster #1 classics: "Everyday People," "Thank You," and "Family Affair." But by the mid-70s, the group could not hold on to their popularity, and 1975's "I Get High On You," which stalled at #52, would be their final chart appearance of the decade. Sly Stone resurfaced in 1986 with Jesse Johnson (The Time) to score one final hit with "Crazay," which reached #53. "Who In The Funk Do You Think You Are" sounds like it came from the 70s, but was actually on their 1983 record, "Ain't But The One Way." It is fun to listen to in any decade.
Sloan is a Canadian rock band that formed way back in the late 80s, releasing their first record, "Smeared," in 1992. Despite immense popularity and numerous Juno award nominations in their native country, they've yet to break through onto the American charts for reasons unknown. In 2018, Sloan released their twelfth album, simply called "12," and the band just keeps getting better and better. "The Day Will Be Mine" comes from that album.
After the demise of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion, vocalist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum recruited some new players to continue rocking under the moniker of Slaughter. The band was just a little too late to the hairband party, but arrived in 1990 with "Stick It To Ya" - just in time to have a hugely successful debut that spawned three Top 100 hits: "Up All Night" (#27), "Fly To The Angels" (#19 - how was this not Top 10?!), and "Spend My Life" (#39). This rather excellent record contained other great tunes from the era such as "Desperately" and "Gave You My Heart." Their sophomore record was widely anticipated, but musical tastes were rapidly changing. Lead single and title track "The Wild Life" was a flop and the lackluster ballad "Real Love" stalled at #69. Things started to fall apart further with personal injuries and drug problems in the band, complicating the release of their third effort, "Fear No Evil," which finally dropped in 1995 to no fanfare. That's not to say the album doesn't have its moments. Lead single "Searchin'" is pretty groovy and "It'll Be Alright" is a Beatlesque ballad of epic proportions. Sadly, guitarist Tim Kelly died in a car accident in 1998 at the age of 35 following the release of their fourth record, "Revolution." The band carried on for one final record, 1999's "Back To Reality." They still tour from time to time, and Mark Slaughter has done some solo work in the past decade.
Slade was a melodic hard rock band that became one of the hottest acts of the 70s in their native England. Despite their influence, the band never really made a dent on the American charts. Two of their most popular songs made a poor showing on the US charts: "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" stalled at #76 and "Cum On Feel The Noize" at #98. California band Quiet Riot eventually made the latter famous, taking it to #5 in 1983; they also took "Mama" to #51 in 1984. Thanks to Quiet Riot, more Americans became aware of Slade and they finally achieved some Top 40 success in the US. "Run Runaway" reached #20 in 1984 and "My Oh My" peaked at #37. But by 1985 the party fizzled and Slade had their last US chart showing with the excellent "Little Sheila," which stalled at #86. The band's last album, "You Boyz Make Big Noize," dropped in 1987. "Fools Go Crazy" is wrapped in synths, but the attitude and growl of singer Neville "Noddy" Holder is still there in full force.
Skintrade is a hard rock band from Sweden that formed in 1992 and after one album took a long break. In 2014 they regrouped and released "Refueled," a powerful rock record with soul. "Mountain" is one of my favorite cuts. Surprised these guys haven't made their way onto the charts in the US!
Skid Row formed in 1986 in New Jersey and soon found themselves in the Top 10 thanks to a pair of power ballads released in 1989: "18 And Life" hit #4 and "I Remember You" reached #6. Prior to their release, their rocking anthem "Youth Gone Wild" stalled at #99. With their next album, the ambitious "Slave To The Grind," Skid Row took a bold right turn towards harder rock at the expense of the melodic hooks fans came to love. They went from opening for Bon Jovi to touring with Pantera. This reduced their presence at radio, but the band managed to get out one more charting single with another stunning power ballad: "Wasted Time" went to #88 in 1992. For their third record, the band went even further away from melody, grinding and growling their way through "Subhuman Race." By 1996, lead singer Sebastian Bach departed ways with the band over a fight about opening for Kiss. Bach went solo and Skid Row carried on with new lead singers. "Can't Stand The Heartache" is a throwback to their glorious debut album, which stands as classic among the hairband genre.
Nikki Sixx has been rocking since his teens in the 70s, racking up a pile of hits with Motley Crue in the 80s. In his spare time during the last two decades, he's worked with many other artists and helmed numerous side projects, including 58 in 2000 and Brides of Destruction with Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns in 2002. In 2006, he formed yet another side project called Sixx: A.M., which has now released five studio albums and counting. Sixx A.M. is a modern hard rock band that stands strong among their contemporaries, combining Sixx's sense for arena-ready hooks with crushing guitars and thunderous percussion. I honestly have no idea why they haven't stormed up the charts. "You Have Come To The Right Place" is just one highlight of many in their growing catalogue. It comes from their 2016 album, "Prayers For The Damned."
Sixpence None The Richer formed in the early 90s and struck chart gold with the delightfully perky tune "Kiss Me" from 1999. Receiving additional exposure in the movie She's All That, the song shot all the way to #2. The band managed two more chart appearances with cover tunes: their version of "There She Goes," originally by The La's, went to #32 in 1999 and "Don't Dream It's Over," originally by Crowded House, went to #78 in 2003. The latter came from their 2002 record called "Divine Discontent." It is surprising it didn't put the band back in the Top 40 with great cuts like "Waiting On The Sun" and this one, "Tonight."
Sister Sledge were actually a group of sisters from Philadelphia whose songs blended soul, dance, and pop. They scored a pair of big hits in 1979-1980 with "He's The Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family," which went to #9 and #2, respectively. The sisters maintained a chart presence with lesser-known singles until 1985, when "Frankie" became their last, topping out at #75. "Circle Of Love (Caught In The Middle)" is a great tune from their early days, and it starts off their 1975 album of the same name. While this one didn't chart, another tune from this record did: "Love Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me" became their first chart appearance, landing at #92.
"Hazelnuts" are what they call the fans of this folk rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They formed in 1993 and hit the charts by 1997 in a big way with "All For You." The song went to #11 and has become a 90s classic. Strangely, Sister Hazel has not been able to maintain a chart presence since then and are largely considered a one-hit wonder. After "Happy" and "Change Your Mind" reached #73 and #59, respectively, they weren't heard on the radio much again. And that's a damn shame. Sister Hazel has been consistently cranking out solid albums at an impressive pace for over 20 years, with all of the original founding members still on board. "Green (Welcome To The World)" is the closing track to their 2004 album, "Lift." It is a terrific and heart-warming tune about bringing new life into the world. In this case, presumably a new "hazelnut."
Simple Plan is an emo/punk rock band from Canada that know how to surround their whiny, teen-angst ridden lyrics with deletable pop melodies that are hard to resist. They first cracked the US charts in 2003 with a string of singles from their debut record: "I'd Do Anything," which reached #51, "Addicted," which got to #41, and then "Perfect," which got to #24 and remains their biggest chart success to date. It's a rather excellent power ballad that deserved much better. Seeing that this formula worked, they stuck to it for most of their records. Their sophomore album yielded their final Top 40 appearance to date, which came in 2005 when "Welcome To My Life" nabbed #40. "Me Against The World" is another cut from this album that has more punch to it and probably would have performed better.
It's hard to say if Simple Minds would have become a sensation in the 80s if it weren't for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" being featured in the hit movie, The Breakfast Club. The song went all the way to #1 and helped the band score some follow-up hits, most notably "Alive & Kicking" (#3), "Sanctify Yourself" (#14), and the lesser-known "All The Things She Said" (#28) from their masterful 1985 album "Once Upon A Time." Unfortunately, most people did forget about the band despite this massive success. The band's 1989 album "Street Fighting Years" failed to generate a chart hit. They made a brief return to the Top 40 in 1991 with "See The Lights" and had their final chart appearance in 1995 when "She's A River" stalled at #52. "Oh Jungleland" goes back to their classic 1985 record when the band could do no wrong. I think this track would have done even better than "All The Things She Said."
Simon & Garfunkel are one of the most successful folk rock duos of all-time, first breaking onto the charts in a big way by claiming the top spot in 1966 with "The Sound Of Silence." They repeated this feat twice more, when "Mrs. Robinson" spent three weeks at #1 and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" spent six weeks at #1. With all their other hits, these songs helped earn Simon & Garfunkel the rank of #179 among the most successful chart artists of all-time. In addition to their classics, it is worth mining the rest of their impressive catalogue - there, you'll find many other gems like this one: "Keep The Customer Satisfied" from their landmark 1970 album, "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The duo remained active until 1971, but reunited on rare occasions. Consequently, they enjoyed further chart success in 1975 when "My Little Town" reached #9 and again in 1982 when their cover of "Wake Up Little Susie" went to #27. They were inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1990.
The prolific Paul Simon started his musical career back in high school, teaming up with Art Garfunkel to become one of the most successful musical duos of the 60s. Not surprisingly, Simon enjoyed plenty more success as a solo artist, beginning in 1972 when "Mother And Child Reunion" peaked at #4. Simon would nearly top the charts twice, coming in at #2 with "Kodachrome" and "Loves Me Like A Rock." He'd finally claim the top spot in 1976 with "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover." Simon explored a wider musical landscape as his career evolved, and his venture into world music continued to produce chart success into the 80s with his acclaimed album, "Graceland." The big hit everyone remembers is "You Can Call Me Al," which surprisingly only reached #23 in 1987. Simon managed to score one more chart appearance in 1991 with "The Obvious Child," which stalled at #92. Nevertheless, counting his time with Garfunkel, that gives Simon 4 decades of chart appearances. And he continues to make wonderful music. "Father And Daughter" is a beautiful song from his 2006 record, "Surprise." The big surprise is why a song like this doesn't get onto the charts anymore.
It was really difficult to avoid going disco in the late 70s, even if you cut your teeth being a soft rock singer. The prolific Carly Simon scored an impressive array of hits before the advent of disco, including classics like "You're So Vain" (featuring Mick Jagger on backing vocals, #1 for 3 weeks), "Mockingbird" (with James Taylor, her husband from 1972-1983, #5), "Nobody Does It Better" (#2), and "You Belong To Me" (written with Michael McDonald and featuring James Taylor again, #6). She won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1971 and her constant presence at radio made her the #39th most successful chart artist of the 70s. From the same 1978 album that spawned "You Belong To Me" comes a disco song from out of nowhere called "Tranquillo (Melt My Heart)". And it ain't half bad! Actually grows on you pretty quickly. But thankfully, Simon didn't linger in disco long. She returned to her roots and scored a #11 hit in 1980 with "Jessie." The magic began to wear off by 1987, and "Coming Around Again," which peaked at #18, become her last Top 40 appearance.
Silver Convention was a studio disco group from Germany that hit the top spot in the US in 1975 with "Fly, Robin, Fly." After spending 3 weeks at #1, the group followed this up with a #2 smash called "Get Up And Boogie (That's Right)." And then...radio silence. The group continued to make marks around the rest of the globe, but the heat of disco began to fade and so did many groups like this. However, 1977's "Telegram" is a guilty pleasure that is always fun to hear and deserved better. Probably would have been huge if someone like ABBA performed it.
The Silver Seas are an indie pop rock band from Nashville that create some of the catchiest music you've never heard. They formed in the late 90s and every record has 3 or 4 cuts that are truly sublime. Take "The Best Things In Life," for example, which comes from their third record, 2010's "Chateau Revenge!" The reason this one might not have been played on the radio is for fear that people would stop their cars to get out and dance.
