The White Tie Affair was a modern synth pop and rock band from Chicago. They've managed to land a single Top 100 entry with "Candle (Sick And Tired)," which peaked at #57 in 2009. It's strange that their only album, "Walk This Way," failed to generate more hits. But that is how this business goes sometimes and the band broke up shortly thereafter. Lead singer Chris Wallace struck out on his own, releasing just one record so far: 2012's "Push Rewind." The single "Remember When (Push Rewind)" bubbled under the chart in 2013. "Take It Home" was the final single released from The White Tie Affair's only album. Crazy that it did not perform better.
The White Strips were an indie rock duo formed in 1997 in Detroit, comprised of the once husband and wife team of Jack and Meg White. The Whites were married from 1996 to 2000, but kept it together as their career started to take off. The White Strips first hit the charts in 2003 when "Seven Nation Army" reached #76. The lo-fi garage rock sound created a buzz as gritty as their guitars, earning the song a Grammy. They'd achieve another Grammy in 2007, when their last song to hit the charts, "Icky Thump," peaked at #26. Jack White moved on to other projects, including a solo career and a new group called The Raconteurs. White scored one minor hit so far as a solo artist, a duet with Alicia Keys called "Another Way To Die" from the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. The song stalled at #81 in 2008. "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)" is a near perfect track incorporating White's classic rock influences.
After departing Deep Purple, British rock vocalist David Coverdale formed a new band called Whitesnake in 1978. Whitesnake gradually built a following and struck success in the UK sooner than they did in the US. Whitesnake first hit the US chart in 1980 when "Fool For Your Loving" from "Ready An' Willing" peaked at #53. They would re-record this song to have it chart again in 1989, at which time it reached #37. Surprisingly, Whitesnake failed to achieve a chart single from one of their finest albums, 1984's "Slide It In." But their next release was a self-titled affair designed for radio airplay. In 1987, Whitesnake became a household name with the smash hit "Here I Go Again," which hit #1 for one week. The song is another recycled tune from their 1982 record, "Saints & Sinners." They almost hit the top spot again with "Is This Love," which lingered at #2 for one week. It would become the last time they'd see the Top 10. The band may be just as famous for its music videos from the 80s, which featured actress Tawny Kitaen, who was married to Coverdale from 1989-1992. Whitesnake has endured one of the most complex personnel rosters in rock history, with Coverdale remaining the only real constant through them all. At one time or other, the band has included members of Jefferson Starship, Quiet Riot, Ratt, and Heart. Former Dio guitarist Vivian Campbell played with Whitesnake from 1987-88, then joined Def Leppard. He was replaced with Steve Vai, recruited from David Lee Roth's band. Whitesnake continues to release new music with yet another lineup. In 2019, this incarnation of the band released the rather excellent "Flesh & Blood." "Give Me More Time" is one of the early songs that should have helped Whitesnake strike at radio sooner than they did.
White Lion was a hard rock band that arrived on the scene during the hairband craze, helping them to score two Top 10 hits in 1988: "Wait" (#7) and "When The Children Cry" (#3). Another terrific single from the same album called "Tell Me" inexplicably stalled at #58. Led by Mike Tramp, White Lion was a band that mixed socially conscious songs about war, poverty, and injustice, with stereotypical cock rock of the era. They struggled to maintain their momentum with their next release, which followed quickly in 1989. The next two singles performed poorly and were their last chart entries: "Little Fighter" stalled at #52 and their cover of "Radar Love" only reached #59. The band plotted a comeback with 1991's "Mane Attraction," which is largely a solid album that deserved better. It probably would have performed better, too, if the musical tide was not ebbing away from melodic rock to grunge. "Love Don't Come Easy" is one of their best songs and in a perfect world would have let White Lion roar once more. The ever prolific Mike Tramp has had a productive solo career and fronted other projects (Freak Of Nature), but hasn't hit the charts in the US since his days in White Lion.
Wham! was an English pop duo that set the 80s on fire with a string of 7 consecutive Top 10 hits, the first three being the #1 smashes "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," "Careless Whisper," and "Everything She Wants." Their success made them the 5th most successful chart artist of the 80s. With George Michael being the major songwriting and vocal talent behind the duo with Andrew Ridgeley, it was perhaps inevitable that he'd soon depart for a solo career by 1986. Their last chart entry as Wham! seemed destined to be "Where Did Your Heart Go?" which peaked at #50 that year. However, their holiday hit "Last Christmas," recorded in 1984, has charted in multiple years and shows no sign of stopping that trend. The highest it climbed to date was #25 in 1997, and it matched this position again in 2018. Michael went on to have a legendary but truncated solo career. He died in 2016 at the age of 53. In 2017, Wham! appeared on the charts again when "Careless Whisper" returned to hit #33. "Heartbeat" goes back to the band's breakthrough album, "Make It Big." It is a great pop tune that was overshadowed by the many hits on this album.
Wet Willie is a versatile band from Mobile, Alabama that got their start in southern rock. Their biggest hit was among their first--the roll-with-the-punches tune, "Keep On Smilin'" went all the way to #10 in 1974. The band stumbled to get back into the Top 40 for years, finally managing to do so after expanding their musical palate to incorporate pop, funk, disco, and whatever else they could squeeze in. Somehow it worked more often than not, testifying to the talent these guys had. "Street Corner Serenade" gave them their second Top 40 hit, peaking at #30 in 1978. They followed this up with "Make You Feel Love Again," which landed at #45. The band returned with a surprise disco hit in 1979 when the terrific party tune "Weekend" reached #29 (it deserved to go much higher than that!). Lead singer Jimmy Hall struck out on a solo career after that, scoring a couple minor hits in the early 80s with "I'm Happy That Love Has Found You" (#27) and "Fool For Your Love" (#77). "Rainman" has nothing to do with the movie that came out a decade later. The tune comes from the band's 1977 album, "Manorisms."
W.E.T. is an AOR supergroup that is an acronym for the various bands its members come from: Robert Sall (Work Of Art), Erik Martensson (Eclipse), and Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman). W.E.T. has released 3 albums to date, but don't expect this genre to hit the charts again anytime soon. But if you're into modern AOR, you can do a lot worse than W.E.T. Tremendous musicianship and well-crafted melodies abound. "Elegantly Wasted" comes from their 2018 effort, "Earthrage."
We The Kings are a pop rock band from Florida that achieved their best chart performance to date when their 2008 single "Check Yes, Juliet" managed to reach #70. The song comes from a strong debut record that is self-titled. They've kept busy releasing plenty more since, but nothing that has captured radio's attention like that again. "Headlines Read Out" is another track from their debut album worth highlighting.
Paul Westerberg started his musical career fronting the 80s alternative rock icons, The Replacements. Upon their break-up in 1991, Westerberg wasted no time getting to work on a solo career, contributing two tracks to the soundtrack for the hit movie Singles. Both should have helped him break onto the charts, but despite appreciable airplay, neither "Dyslexic Heart" or "Waiting For Somebody" took off. His first solo record, "14 Songs," should have introduced the world to Westerberg's songwriting genius, but for some reason it failed to happen. This is one of the best records of the 90s in my book. Ever prolific, Westerberg continued to release records under his name, as well as Grandpaboy, and has appeared on lots of soundtracks and tribute albums. Most notably, some of his best work in years appears on the soundtrack to the 2006 animated film Open Season. In 2015, he teamed up with Juliana Hatfield to release a singe album as The I Don't Cares. While his more recent efforts are low-fi adventures from his basement studio, I rank his work during the late 80s and early 90s with some of finest tunes out there. "World Class Fad," from his 1993 solo debut, should have made Westerberg the household name he deserves to be.
Luke Wesley is an indie singer and songwriter who makes piano rock cool again. He's released two albums, beginning in 2010 with "Because We Never Talk About It." He followed this up in 2013 with "Who Are We Kidding?" Wesley has a soothing voice and knack for infectious melodies that should have made him a star, but that moment has yet to arrive. His lyrics are snarky and a cut above the rest, as you can tell from song titles like "Sorry I'm Not Hotter" and "Here Is Your Ballad." Here's a sample track to check out: "Everything We've Never Wanted."
The Wellingtons are a terrific power pop band from Spain that truly deserve wider acclaim. The band trades male and female lead vocals and offers melodies and harmonies that any lover of music will adore. Their debut, "Keeping Up With The Wellingtons," dropped in 2006, and they are still going strong. Their latest record, "End Of Summer," is from 2017 and finds the band at the top of their game. "Keep Me Holding On" comes from their excellent 2011 release entitled, "In Transit." Check them out!
Mary Wells was a pop and soul singer from Detroit who had an impressive run on the charts in the early 60s. Many of her early hits were written by Smokey Robinson, including "The One Who Really Loves You" (#8), "You Beat Me To The Punch" (#9), and "Two Lovers" (#7), all from 1962. Wells and Robinson would return to the Top 10 with her biggest hit in 1964 when "My Guy" spent two weeks at #1, earning its way into the Grammy and R&R Hall of Fame. Her career suddenly cooled off after that classic topped the chart. 1965's "Use Your Head" peaked at #34 and became her final Top 40 entry. Wells passed away from cancer in 1992 at the age of 49. "Bye Bye Baby" goes back to where it all began. Wells wrote this tune herself and it jumpstarted her career, reaching a modest #45 in 1961. The vocal is amazing and provided a glimpse of the success that would soon follow.
Bob Welch was a guitarist and songwriter who was instrumental in steering early Fleetwood Mac towards a more radio-friendly sound. He was in the band from 1971-1974 (for 5 albums), just before the band exploded with the arrival of his replacements, Linsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Nonetheless, Welch seemed poised to be a superstar on his own as his solo debut "Sentimental Lady" soared to #8 in 1977 (the song features Christine McVie and Buckingham on backing vocals). He followed it up with respectable chart showings for "Ebony Eyes" (#14), "Hot Love, Cold World" (#31), and "Precious Love" (#19). But that was pretty much the end of the road. Aside from the lackluster "Church," which stalled at #73 in 1979, Welch fell off the radar. His early 80s albums sold badly, as did a comeback he attempted in 1999 called "Bob Welch Looks At Bop." Through the 80s he fell into drug and alcohol addiction, partly due to having Guns N' Roses researching out of his garage. Welch sobered up but was dealt another blow by being snubbed from the induction of Fleetwood Mac into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. A final blow arrived in 2012, after Welch realized that he would not recover from recent spinal surgery. He committed suicide at the age of 66. Despite their commercial disappointment, I enjoy Welch's solo work from the 80s. "He's Really Got A Hold On Her" is a selection from his 1983 effort, "Eye Contact."
It's nice that Weezer has had a handful of appearances on the Top 100 but they really deserve tons more. Since forming in 1992, this prolific band has only scored two Top 40 hits: "Buddy Holly," which reached #18 in 1995 and "Beverly Hills," which landed at #10 in 2005. Led by songwriting genius Rivers Cuomo, Weezer consistently cranks out delectable melodies buried under the crunch and fuzz of distorted guitars. One the most tragic absences from the charts is "Photograph" from their masterful 2001 "Green Album." The band experienced a mild resurgence in 2018 with their rocking cover of "Africa" by Toto (it peaked at #51), which spawned an album of similar cover tunes (2019's "Teal Album"). And their fantastic new song for the third Bill & Ted film, "Beginning Of The End," is a sign that Weezer might still strike gold again on the charts.
The Weepies are a husband and wife team of singer/songwriters who share and trade vocal duties as they effortlessly drift from acoustic folk to pure pop bliss. They've been churning out their whimsical brand of music together since their debut 2003 record, "Happiness." "When You Go Away" is one of the highlights from 2010's masterful record, "Be My Thrill." Don't let their name fool you...you'll be all smiles after hearing The Weepies.
The Webstirs are an indie power pop band that released their first album in 1998 called "Rocket To The Moon." Unfortunately, this talented band with a knack for melody and harmony hasn't found its way out of power pop circles. "Wesley Station" is a peppy, mood-lifting track from the band's 2008 release, "So Long."
Pop synth bands were a dime a dozen in the 80s, but it is surprising that Wax, which combined the talents of Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman (10cc), failed to attract much attention in the US. 10cc scored an impressive run of hits in the 70s and early 80s while Gold's biggest hit was "Lonely Boy," which went to #7 in 1977. Gold's other hit, "Thank You For Being A Friend," only reached #25, but became widely known after it was used as the theme song for The Golden Girls. Wax nearly cracked the US Top 40 when "Right Between The Eyes" reached #43 in 1986. It came from their debut album, "Magnetic Heaven," which also contains this hidden gem, "Systematic." Wax would release a couple more records, but Gold passed away in 2011 at the age of 59.
Hailing from Texas, Johnny "Guitar" Watson was a versatile singer and musician who first tasted chart success as a member of The Shields. The Shields had a lone chart hit with their version of "You Cheated," which went to #12 in 1958. As a solo artist, Watson struggled to get back up on the charts. He barely broke into the Top 100 in the 60s when his cover of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" stalled at #96 in 1967. In 1975, "I Don't Want To Be A Lone Ranger" only got to #99. In 1977, Watson had his biggest hit as a solo artist, just missing the Top 40 when "A Real Mother For Ya" reached #41. "Kathaline" is another excellent track from the same album that should have brought Watson more popularity as an innovative blues funk artist. Watson passed away while performing in 1996 at the age of 61.
Chicago native Jody Watley was on fire in the late 80s. The former dancer on Soul Train and vocalist for Shalamar scored a #2 smash hit in 1987 with her first solo single, "Looking For A New Love." Two additional Top 10 hits would follow from her self-titled debut album: "Don't You Want Me" (#6) and "Some Kind Of Lover" (#10). Her sophomore effort, 1989's "Larger Than Life," kept the hits coming with three more reaching the Top 10, including "Real Love" (#2), "Friends" (#9), and "Everything" (#4). Watley's hot streak then came to an abrupt end, save a minor hit in 1992 when "I'm The One You Need" landed at #19. Her debut record yielded plenty of hits, but it is still surprising that "Learn To Say No," which features another superstar, George Michael, isn't more widely known. It is a great team effort by two of the 80s biggest talents that deserves more attention.
Much like he did while in Pink Floyd, English songwriter Roger Waters released concept albums rather than a collection of unconnected songs. More like an experience than a record. The concept album is a lost art, and it is a challenge to include tracks that are radio-friendly without disrupting the flow of the listening experience. This may be part of the reason why Waters never landed a single on the US charts beyond his tenure with Pink Floyd. Not even "Radio Waves," one of the most accessible and enjoyable tracks in his solo catalogue, could drive him into the Top 100. This should not steer you away from diving deep into his work. Other popular highlights include "5:01 AM (The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking)," "What God Wants, Pt I," and "Deja Vu," a cut from his 2017 screed called "Is This The Life We Really Want?"
