"Yesterday Girl" by The Smithereens

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.