"These Are Days" by 10,000 Maniacs

It must be bittersweet to finally obtain a big hit that wasn't written by you or your group. Such is the case for 10,000 Maniacs. They were darlings of college radio through the late 80s, coming close to breaking into the mainstream with songs such as "Like The Weather" (#68), "Trouble Me" (#44), and "What's The Matter Here?" (#80).

But it took a cover of the Bruce Springsteen song "Because The Night" to put 10,000 Maniacs on the map: their rendition reached #11 in 1994. It was followed up by yet another cover song years later, Bryan Ferry's "More Than This," which reached #25 in 1997, and becoming the group's final chart appearance.

If there were ever a song that should have broken the band, it was "These Are Days." This wonderful, feel-good tune stalled at #66 in 1992. Lead singer and songwriter Natalie Merchant had greater chart success when she stepped aside for solo efforts, landing four songs in the Top 40 between 1995 and 1998, including the Top 10 hit, "Carnival."