"Take Me Anywhere" by Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara are identical twin sisters from Alberta, Canada, who are best known in the US for their infectious earworm from The Lego Movie, "Everything is AWESOME!!!", which peaked at #57 in 2014. The duo achieved only one other chart appearance just before that when "Closer" reached #90 in 2013.

Tegan and Sara began as an alternative folk rock duo but have gravitated towards more pop. "Take Me Anywhere" takes us back to those earlier days...to their 2004 album "So Jealous."

"What You Do To Me" by Teenage Fanclub

A buzz as loud as their guitars surrounded Teenage Fanclub in the early 90s, a Scottish band that kind of merged power pop with grunge. Their 1991 album "Bandwagonesque" beat out the likes of Nirvana and R.E.M. to win Spin's poll for album of the year.

But at least in the US, the hype never amounted to much and Teenage Fanclub remains obscure and uncharted. Not sure why. The songs were catchy, the harmonies delectable, and the guitar tones matched the era. 

"What You Do To Me" is a simple pop song from "Bandwagonesque" but I can't resist wanting to hear it over and over again. Other highlights from this excellent record worth checking out include "The Concept," "December," and "Alcoholiday."

"Call Me Mellow" by Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears is a synth-pop duo from England that took the world by storm with 80s classics like "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" (#1 for two weeks in 1985), "Shout" (#1 for three weeks in 1985," "Head Over Heels" (#3 in 1985), and "Sowing The Seeds Of Love" (#2 in 1989). 

The band also released "Mad World" in 1983; it failed to chart then but remains a popular favorite covered by many artists--most notably Adam Lambert, a former American Idol runner up who took the song to #19 in 2009.

With exception of a brief comeback in 1993 when "Break It Down Again" reached #25, Tears for Fears quietly faded away. But not because they stopped making music. Their 2004 record, "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending," may be one of the most underrated in their catalogue. I'm sure that I'm not the only one surprised when "Call Me Mellow" failed to remind us of their mad skills.

"There's A Ghost In My House" by R. Dean Taylor

R. Dean Taylor is a Canadian singer and songwriter known as a one-hit wonder in the US thanks to "Indiana Wants Me," a tune that reached #5 in 1970. He managed a handful of additional chart appearances in the US, but nothing else that cracked the Top 40. 

While not racking up many of his own hits, he was a force behind some classics from other groups, including "Love Child" by The Supremes and "All I Need" by The Temptations.

"There's a Ghost In My House" did well in the UK, but did not chart in the US for some reason.

"Blossom" by James Taylor

James Taylor is an acclaimed singer/songwriter from Boston who ranks as the 32nd most successful chart artist of the 70s. He maintained a chart presence across three decades, until 1997's "Little More Time With You" stalled at #70.

Taylor had two brothers (Alex and Livingston) and a sister (Kate), all of whom were musically inclined, with some also tasting chart success. Kate Taylor scored a minor hit with her cover of "It's In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)," which reached #49 in 1977. Livingston Taylor pulled out two Top 40 hits: "I Will Be In Love With You" reached #30 in 1979 and "First Time Love" reached #38 in 1980.

But no one could match the impressive roster of chart hit James managed to collect, beginning in 1970 when the classic "Fire and Rain" soared to #3. He topped the chart once in 1971 with the Carole King song, "You've Got A Friend." Taylor also scored hits with Carly Simon, his wife from 1972-1983, most memorably "Mockingbird," which hit #5 in 1974.

"Blossom" is a sweet, yet overlooked, song from his masterful 1970 record, "Sweet Baby James."

"Life Goes On" by Andy Taylor

Best known for his role as guitarist in Duran Duran and Power Station, Andy Taylor released a couple of solo albums in the late 80s, "Thunder" and "Dangerous." However, no songs from those albums hit the US charts. Prior to their release, Taylor scored two minor hits in 1986 from film: "Take It Easy" from American Anthem went to #24 and "When The Rain Comes Down" from Miami Vice reached #73. 

"Life Goes On" is a highlight from his 1987 record, "Thunder," that deserved greater attention.

"Creepin' Up Slowly" by Taxiride

Taxiride is an Australian band that formed in 1997. While popular down under, they never got a foothold in the US, which is puzzling because their harmonious rock and pop sound seemed to be a great fit for radio at the time.

"Creepin' Up Slowly" is from their second record, "Garage Mahal."

"I Do" by Ty Tabor

We've highlighted the work of Ty Tabor a number of times before, as a member of King's X and his one-off side project, Jughead. In addition to these ventures, Tabor has released some solo albums that fans of his work are sure to appreciate. "I Do" (not a wedding song) comes from his 1998 album, "Moonflower Lane."

It is truly mind-boggling how such a tremendous musical talent has so little to show for it on the official music charts. But that is why we're here...

"Metal Guru" by T. Rex

A band as mighty as the dinosaur, T. Rex were pioneers of glam rock. Despite much wider popularity in their native England, the band only enjoyed a single hit in the US when "Bang A Gong (Get It On)" flew to #10 in 1972. The song went on to be inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame. "Bang A Gong" also resurfaced in a big way in 1985 when Robert Palmer, while in the band Power Station, took to it #9.

The band could not leverage this success for another hit. "Telegram Sam" stalled at #67 in 1972 and became their last chart appearance. Frontman Marc Bolan then left to pursue a solo career, but never returned to the US charts.

"Metal Guru" is a well-known song from 1972, although it never saw any chart action in the US. In my opinion, one of T. Rex's finest moments.

"You Bring The Sunshine (Back Into My Life)" by The Sylvers

The Sylvers were a family vocal group from Memphis that scored a handful of hits in the 70s blending funk, pop, dance, and disco. They first cracked the chart in 1972 when "Fool's Paradise" managed to hit #94.

Bigger hits would follow by 1976, including the #1 smash "Boogie Fever." While the next single, "Cotton Candy," crapped out at #59, they came back with "Hot Line," which reached #5. After "High School Dance" performed well at #17, the group saw their final chart appearance with the infectious "Any Way You Want Me," which stalled at #72.

"You Bring The Sunshine (Back Into My Life)" is a bright and charming song typical of the era, but bringing in a distinct Motown vibe. It can be found on their 1977 album, "New Horizons."

"Burn Out Bright" by Switchfoot

Switchfoot is a rock and pop band from San Diego led by brothers Joe (vocals and guitar) and Tim Foreman (bass). After developing a cult following, the band scored two back-to-back Top 20 hits in 2004 when "Meant To Live" and "Dare You To Move" reached #18 and #17, respectively. Both of these were from their excellent breakthrough record, "The Beautiful Letdown."

Unfortunately, this talented band quickly lost the wind in their sails. Their follow-up record, "Nothing Is Sound," yielded their final chart appearance with "Stars," which stalled at a disappointing #68 in 2005. "Stars," and many of their other singles since then, deserved much wider recognition.

"Burn Out Bright" is a peppy inspirational anthem from the band's 2006 record called "Oh! Gravity."

"Stick Around" by Swirl 360

Led by twin brothers Denny and Kenny Scott, Swirl 360 had a brief day in the sun in 1998 when their single "Hey Now Now" topped out at #47. Surprisingly, nothing more from their radio-friendly album "Ask Anybody" made a dent on the chart.

It seems like a no-brainer for a song like "Stick Around" to have been a hit in the late 90s. If it had been, maybe Swirl 360 would have stuck around.

The brothers resurfaced under a new moniker called Echo Jet in 2008, but lightening didn't strike twice. It is another under-appreciated pop rock effort in the same vein as Swirl 360.

"The Best Day" by Taylor Swift

Hailing from Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift rapidly rose to fame as a country artist who crossed over to the pop charts. Her first entry on the chart came in 2006 when "Tim McGraw" went to #40. She quickly scored hit after hit, topping the charts numerous times with hits like "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "Shake It Off," "Blank Space," "Bad Blood," and "Look What You Made Me Do."

Swift ranked as the 35th most successful artist of the 2000s and the 2nd most successful in the 2010s. And she is still going strong...

"The Best Day" is a sweet acoustic song from 2008 about her father.

"Two Hearts Full Of Love" by Rachel Sweet

Rachel Sweet had a budding music career as the 70s turned into the 80s. Her only appearance in the Top 40 arrived in 1981: a cover of "Everlasting Love," a duet with Rex Smith, reached #32. She had a single follow-up chart appearance in 1983 when "Voo Doo" went to #72 and then she dropped off the music map.

But not the entertainment map. Sweet went on to become an actress and very successful producer and writer for some of America's favorite sit-coms.

"Two Hearts Full Of Love" comes from Sweet's 1981 album called "...And Then He Kissed Me."

"Write Your Own Song" by Matthew Sweet

Lincoln, Nebraska is not known as a hotbed for power pop musical talent, but Matthew Sweet defied the odds. While in Athens for college, Sweet started making inroads with the music scene, and by the late 80s had two solid albums under his belt that went nowhere.

For the 90s, he ditched the dated 80s sounds and retooled his music to jive more with the times. He kept his trademark harmonies and welcoming lyrics and started getting lots of airplay with "Girlfriend," the title track to his 1991 breakthrough album. The song didn't crack the Top 100, nor did the excellent "I've Been Waiting," but it started making people notice.

Unfortunately, his follow-up album didn't do so well, and outside of "Time Capsule," many people won't remember it. Then came his masterpiece, "100% Fun," propelled by the awesome "Sick Of Myself." This is the song that finally put Sweet on the charts, clocking in at #58 in 1995. Strangely, the equally excellent "We're The Same" bubbled under the chart, leaving Sweet to be a one-hit wonder.

Sweet has quietly cranked out a ton of material since, both as a solo artist and as a member of The Thorns. He's also done a popular series of duet covers with Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles).

"Write Your Own Song" is a deep cut from his overlooked 1999 album called "In Reverse."

"Teenage Rampage" by Sweet

Sweet was a hugely influential English rock and pop band during the 70s that landed some major hits in the US such as "Little Willy" (#3 in 1973), "Ballroom Blitz" (#5 in 1975), "Fox On The Run" (#5 in 1976), and "Love Is Like Oxygen" (#8 in 1978). 

Led by lead singer Brian Connolly, the band's playful lyrics and performances paved the way for the glam band sound. The band's last chart appearance stateside was later in 1978 when "California Nights" stalled at #76. This coincides with the departure of Connolly, whose struggles with alcoholism were creating significant strife in the band. Connolly passed away in 1997 at the age of 51.

"Teenage Rampage" is a cut that didn't make it onto the US charts but is just as representative of their trademark sound as anything else.

"Chevy Nights" by Survivor

It is interesting to think what sort of career Survivor might have had if they never received a fateful call from Sylvester Stallone to use their music in his upcoming movie, Rocky III. Stallone got turned onto Survivor after hearing their first Top 40 hit, "Poor Man's Son," which reached #33 in 1981. Co-founder Jim Peterik, who already tasted chart success leading Ides Of March, penned the iconic "Eye Of The Tiger" with his bandmate Frankie Sullivan and the rest is history. 

"Eye Of The Tiger" spent six weeks at #1 in 1982 and won a Grammy for Rock Vocal Group. The single was included as the title track to their third album, which spawned two additional chart appearances: "American Heartbeat" reached #17 and "The One That Really Matters" stalled at #74. Astonishingly, an amazing ballad, "Ever Since The World Began," was not released as a single (Tommy Shaw would have a minor hit with it, taking the song to #75 in 1988).

Hopes were high that the band could maintain this success with the release of their next album, "Caught In The Game," but the title track fizzled at #77 and the album flopped (which is a shame because there are some incredible songs on this album). Then lead singer Dave Bickler developed throat problems, which led to his replacement by vocalist Jimi Jamison.

Jamison gave fresh life to the struggling band, putting them back on the chart with "Moment Of Truth" (#63) from The Karate Kid, and landing them 10 more Top 100 entries until he left in 1989 to pursue a solo career. Some of Jamison's biggest moments included "High On You" (#8), "The Search Is Over" (#4), "Is This Love" (#9), and "Burning Heart" (#2) from Rocky IV. After Jamison's departure, the band brought Bickler back into the fold for a bit, then underwent a dizzying series of personnel changes and lawsuits. Peterik washed his hands of the mess, resuming his solo career and work with Ides Of March, and starting many new projects and collaborations. Jamison returned to Survivor off and on until his death in 2014.

"Chevy Nights" goes back to Survivor's pre-glory days. From their aptly named 1981 record, "Premonition," this song hinted at the band's energetic chemistry and gift for blending pop and rock.

"Everything Is Good About You" by The Supremes

Led by the charismatic vocals of Diana Ross until she left in 1969 to pursue a successful solo career, The Supremes were one of the hottest groups of the 60s. They scored an unbelievable twelve #1 hits in that decade and plenty more that landed in the Top 40. Their biggest include "Baby Love" (#1 for 4 weeks), "Love Child" (#1 for 2 weeks), and "Come See About Me" (#1 for 2 weeks).

An astonishing four of their #1 hits are in the Grammy Hall of Fame: "Where Did Our Love Go," "Stop! In The Name Of Love," "You Can't Hurry Love," and "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Their track record earned them a #5 ranking as the most successful artist of the 60s, and #26 of all-time.

With the departure of Ross, replaced by Jean Terrell, the group also had a departure of #1 hits. But they still scored big with songs like "Up The Ladder To The Roof" (#10), "Stoned Love" (#7), and "Floy Joy" (#16). In 1976, The Supremes saw their last chart appearance when "You're My Driving Wheel" stalled at #85.

"Everything Is Good About You" takes us back to their hey day in 1966, when they were cranking out so many great tunes that there wasn't enough room on the chart for them all. 

"Lord Is It Mine" by Supertramp

Formed in 1969 in England, Supertramp took their name from a 1938 book by W.H. Davies called "The Autobiography Of A Supertramp." The band found themselves on the US charts by 1975 with "Bloody Well Right," which went to #35. A string of even bigger hits was to follow, most notably "Give A Little Bit" (#15), "The Logical Song" (#6), "Take The Long Way Home" (#10), and "It's Raining Again" (#11).

One of the lead vocalists and guitarist Roger Hodgson left in 1983 to pursue a solo career--he managed to score a single chart appearance in the US when "Had A Dream (Sleeping With The Enemy)" reached #48 in 1984. Supertramp only obtained one more chart hit post-Hodgson with "Cannonball," which shot to #28 in 1985.

Widely considered to be their masterpiece, and one of the greatest albums of the 70s, "Breakfast In America" spawned several of their big hits. But there's a few gems like "Lord Is It Mine" tucked away on that record that also deserve attention.

"Goin' Out" by Superdrag

"Look at me, I can write a melody, but I can't expect a soul to care."

That is why this blog exists. We're trying to get people to care about songs or bands that didn't get the day in the sun that they deserved.

It's a line from the one and only chart appearance by the hugely underrated power pop band from Tennessee called Superdrag. The song: "Sucked Out," which peaked at #72 in 1996. It should have done much better and Superdrag should be a household name. 

Superdrag's second and third records were even better than the debut, but somehow their gift for melody and hooks evaded wide exposure. "Goin' Out" is a standout from their 2001 effort, "In The Valley Of Dying Stars."

"Here's Where The Story Ends" by The Sundays

The Sundays were an acoustic-based soft rock band from London, graced by the angelic voice of Harriet Wheeler. They scored a single minor chart hit in the US off their third record when "Summertime" rose to #50 in 1997.

I'm surprised to see that their debut single "Here's Where The Story Ends" from the band's 1990 effort, "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic," didn't make it onto the US charts. I remember hearing it a lot back in the day. It still holds up today after all these years - a timeless gem.