Early 90s radio wasn't just for grunge; adult contemporary artists like Richard Marx, Celine Dion, and Michael Bolton were still very popular. Joshua Kadison, a pianist and vocalist from Los Angeles, enjoyed a few moments in this sun. His debut album, "Painted Desert Serenade," was released in 1993 and spawned three charting singles. The airy and pleasant "Jessie" went to #26. A staple of many weddings, "Beautiful In My Eyes," reached #19. The third single, "Picture Postcards From L.A.," managed to climb to #84. Despite this promising debut, his follow-up efforts have never seen chart action. Sad for such a talented artist. "Mama's Arms" is a heartfelt song about the loss of the family matriarch. The song is dedicated to Kadison's mother, Gloria Castillo, who was an actress who appeared in many sci-fi B-movies in the 50s.
July For Kings, also known as JFK to fans, is an Ohio-based hard rock outfit that should have hit the big time in the early 2000s with their fantastic album, "Swim." Led by the throaty vocals of Joe Hedges, the band has a powerful sound and memorable choruses. In addition to "Normal Life," check out "Girlfriend," "Champagne," and "Meteor Flower." "Normal Life" is a simple song about craving the simple life, but it simply works. The band has released a few other albums since; their most recent has been 2015's "Middletown."
Jughead was a short-lived side project by Ty Tabor, who is better known as a key member of the rock band King's X. Jughead included musicians from Dream Theater and David Lee Roth's band. Jughead released a single self-titled LP back in 2002 that was filled with catchy little gems like this one.
The Judybats were an alternative rock band from Tennessee that released a string of records in the early 90s. Their blend of folk rock and quirky, smart lyrics provided relief from noise the grunge bands were using to demolish the hairbands. The band nearly broke through in a big way with their wonderful 1993 album, "Pain Makes You Beautiful." "Being Simple" is a gorgeous song that received considerable airplay, but not enough to make it onto the Top 100 chart. Other highlights from the record include "All Day Afternoon," "La Dulcinea," and the title track. When the band's 1994 follow-up record "Full-Empty" tanked, they called it quits. Vocalist Jeff Heiskell has released several records since as a solo artist.
Pioneering heavy metal band Judas Priest has being going strong since their heyday in the early 80s. Rob Halford and the gang managed to score a single chart appearance in the US in 1982 when their classic anthem, "You've Got Another Thing Coming" reached #67. Surprisingly, a number of their other well-known songs like "Breaking The Law" or "Hell Bent For Leather" did not scratch the chart's surface. "United" is another terrific anthem and concert favorite, lifted from their breakthrough 1980 record "British Steel."
The legendary melodic rock band from San Francisco, Journey, began as an experimental outfit. Their first three records in the 70s contain overly long jams that sound like an entirely different band. The band didn't see chart success until the magical voice and melodic sensibilities of Steve Perry joined in 1978. With Steve Perry onboard and scoring their first chart hit, "Wheel In The Sky" (#57), Journey began their trek to superstardom. They racked up so many hits in the 80s, they became the 20th most successful artist of the decade. Despite being known all over the world, they've never had a #1 hit. "Open Arms" is the closest they've come, sitting at #2 for six weeks in 1982. Guitarist Neal Schon is the only founding member still in the band today (longtime member and keyboardist Jonathan Cain, who played in The Babys before Journey, came onboard in 1981). Schon and Cain were also involved in the side band Bad English in the late 80s. Another fun fact: American Idoljudge Randy Jackson was in the band from 1986-1987. "Stone In Love" is a well-known tune from their 1981 album, "Escape," but it never charted. "Escape" was a game changer for the band, yielding not only "Open Arms," but also "Who's Crying Now" (#4, and their first top ten hit), "Don't Stop Believin'" (#9, and saw a huge resurgence thanks to its use in the finale of The Sopranos), and "Still They Ride" (#19).
Not sure why the stars never aligned for rock singer Sass Jordon. She was born in England and raised in Montreal, Canada, where she earned a loyal following (and later served as a judge on Canadian Idol). With music very much in the style of Melissa Etheridge, Jordon seemed to have all the ingredients to make a similar splash on the US charts in the 90s. However, this never happened. Jordon managed to score one lone chart appearance in 1994 with the melancholy "Sun's Gonna Rise," which only rose to #86. I enjoy this song a lot, but if you check out more of her catalogue you'll find plenty of upbeat rockers.
