"Stay In Time" by Off Broadway

Hailing from the Chicago area, Off Broadway is a little known pop rock band that formed in the 70s and scored their lone chart appearance in 1980 when "Stay In Time" topped out at #51. 

Unfortunately, the band could not manage another hit and broke up by 1983. If you like what you hear, odds are you'll enjoy the entire album from which it came, called "ON."

"Never" by Moving Pictures

Hailing from down under, Moving Pictures is known as a one-hit wonder in the US thanks to their ballad, "What About Me." The song charted twice, reaching #29 in 1982 and #46 in 1989.

You may recognize "Never" as the song Kevin Bacon danced to in the barn in the hit movie Footloose. It was also used in a 2007 movie called Hot Rod. This excellent slice of AOR should have seen some chart action. After they broke up, guitarist Garry Frost went on to form another terrific yet underrated band called 1927.

"Bonjour Baby" by The Motels

The Motels were are new wave band that formed in California and had a good run in the early 80s. Led by singer and songwriter Martha Davis, the band scored two top 10 hits in their heyday, both reaching #9: "Only The Lonely" from 1982 and "Suddenly Last Summer" from 1983. 

Other popular top 40 hits followed with "Remember The Nights" peaking at #36 and "Shame" topping off at #21. The excellent song "Shock" stalled at #84 in 1985, marking their last chart appearance. While working on their follow-up record, Davis decided to go solo instead.

"Bonjour Baby" is a pop gem that comes from their underrated 1980 effort, "Careful." Puzzling why this track was never released as a single. It is so obscure, I can't find it on Spotify or YouTube, except as a live track.

"What Do All The People Know" by The Monroes

The Monroes were a little-known pop rock band from the early 80s. They formed in California and had an upbeat new wave sound that should have found its way onto the airwaves more than it did. The Monroes managed to score a single minor hit with "What Do All The People Know" in 1982. The song somehow only reached #59.

"Go For Soda" by Kim Mitchell

Canadian rocker Kim Mitchell had one minor hit in the US in 1985, released from his album, "Akimbo Alogo." Most people don't remember this tune, but end up loving it after they hear it. "Go For Soda" only bubbled up to #86 on the US charts.

Prior to his solo career, he was in the hard rock band Max Webster. Mitchell continued to release solo records and maintained a presence on the Canadian music charts well into the 90s. One of his more contemporary songs that I liked is "Love Overtime" from 2007.

"No Dice" by Moon Martin

Moon Martin is a singer songwriter who scored a minor hit in 1979 with "Rolene," which peaked at #30. He had one other charting single after that: "No Chance" landed at #50. Despite some airplay with favorites like "Love Gone Bad," "Bad News," and "XRay Vision," he couldn't gain any traction.

However, his song "Bad Case Of Lovin' You (Doctor, Doctor)" was made famous by Robert Palmer, who took the tune to #14 in 1979.

Moon's real name is John, but he started going by "Moon" after fans commented on his proclivity to mention the moon in his song lyrics. "No Dice" is a perky rock number with a hint of rockabilly that he should have gambled on.

"Hold Me Down" by Benny Mardones

Singer and songwriter Benny Mardones was a one-hit wonder in the 80s, but his best known song actually charted twice. "Into The Night" hit #11 in 1980 and then returned to the chart in 1989 and reached #20.

His hit song came from the 1980 record, "Never Run Never Hide," which should have spawned additional hits like "Hometown Girls" and this jamming rocker one, "Hold Me Down." But the album remains an underrated gem known only to AOR collectors.

Mardones would continue to flex his powerhouse vocals throughout the decade and beyond, but never got another single onto the charts. He could have been as big as Michael Bolton, but one Michael Bolton was enough.

"Heart Of Steel" by Barry Manilow

Brooklyn native Barry Alan Pincus (aka Manilow) was a student of the prestigious Julliard School and his talents were quickly put to use. He got his start as the accompanist for the great Bette Midler and was a sought after composer of commercial jingles (he gets the praise or blame for McDonald's long-running "You deserve a break today" ad).

Manilow's first chart hit arrived in 1974 when "Mandy" soared to #1 - not a bad way to start your career. He would reach the top twice more with "I Write The Songs" and "Looks Like We Made It." Manilow did so well in the 70s with his grandiose pop and syrupy ballads that he became the 23rd most successful artist of the decade.

The 80s were not as kind. With changing musical trends, Manilow struggled to stay contemporary. He adapted his sound to incorporate more synths and even dabbled in jazz. His last top 40 hit was in 1983 when "Read 'Em And Weep" reached #18.

"Here Comes The Night" was Manilow's 1982 album that spawned the hits "Memory" (#39) and "Some Kind Of Friend" (#26). He was running on fumes at this point, but "Heart of Steel" seemed to have all the ingredients to put some zest back in Manilow's step, but it fell through the cracks.

"No New Tale To Tell" by Love and Rockets

The eclectic English band Love and Rockets was a mainstay on 120 Minutes in the 80s and early 90s. Daniel Ash (formerly of Bauhaus) and David J would trade lead vocal duties, and their music ran from straight rock and pop to weird techno and semi-industrial.

Before they crossed over into the mainstream in 1989 with their sexually charged smash, "So Alive," which went to #3, Love and Rockets were racking up fans with classic cuts like "Ball Of Confusion" and this one, "No New Tale To Tell." There is a world of lyrical difference between these tunes. We go from "You cannot go against nature because if you do, going against nature is part of nature, too" to "I feel I'm on top again baby, that's got everything to do with you...oo oo."

Be careful if you watch the video as these guys look like they are recruiting for a cult.

"Shelter" by Lone Justice

Lone Justice was a rock act from California with enough of a country vibe that you might have guessed they were from the Midwest. Led by the striking vocalist Maria McKee, the band almost scored a top 40 hit with "Shelter," which stalled at #47 in 1987. Many thought (hoped) this radio-friendly song would break the band -- in a sense, it did.

Prior to "Shelter," the band landed two additional chart appearances in 1985: "Ways To Be Wicked" hit #71 and "Sweet, Sweet Baby (I'm Falling)" hit #73. The band split up in 1986 and McKee pursued a solo career.

"Victory Line" by Limited Warranty

Limited Warranty is a lousy name for a band, but they did release a good song that deserved better than the #79 position it earned in 1986. This techno pop band from Minneapolis never scored another chart appearance, so I guess they were limited.

"Running In The Family" by Level 42

Level 42 was a quintessential synth-pop 80s band best known for their monster hit "Something About You," which soared all the way to #7 in 1986. They'd nearly breach the top 10 again in 1987 with "Lessons In Love," which reached #12.

Follow-up single, "Running In The Family," however, stalled at #83 and would become this London band's final US chart appearance. Sounding very much like Howard Jones, this is a solid tune from the era and deserved better.

"Every Word Means No" by Let's Active

Despite lots of critical acclaim, the North Carolina power pop band Let's Active were never active on the charts. They released a trio of records and an EP during the 80s that never caved to trends. In addition to fronting Let's Active, singer and songwriter Mitch Easter produced several of R.E.M.'s early records.

"Every Word Means No" comes from their debut 1983 EP called "Afoot." There's hints of genius here, but the band never rose above cult status.

"Saltwater" by Julian Lennon

Julian Lennon was born to Cynthia and John Lennon in 1963, the first child to be born to any of The Beatles. As a child, Julian provided the inspiration behind the massive Beatles hit, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," Lucy being a nursery school friend featured in one of his paintings.

Following in his father's footsteps, Julian had immediate success on the charts with his 1984 debut album, "Valotte." In addition to the title track, which hit #9, the album yielded the #5 smash, "Too Late For Goodbyes," and the lesser-known but excellent #21 hit "Say You're Wrong." But the flame died out quickly, with Julian's only other top 40 appearance coming in 1986 when "Stick Around" topped out at #32.

In 1991, Julian Lennon released an underrated effort called "Help Yourself," a snarky rebuttal to his father's band's mantra, "Help!" Despite Julian's well-documented beefs with his father, the single "Saltwater" proves he is John Lennon's son. "Saltwater" extends the message his father championed and would have made John proud. Despite achieving success in other countries, the single was a flop in the US.

"Insecurious" by Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper was a Queen of the 80s music charts, beginning with her huge breakout hit, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" in 1983. The song is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but it is not her biggest chart hit as it peaked at #2. Lauper racked up two #1 singles during the 80s with the ballads "Time After Time" from 1984 and "True Colors" from 1986.

The massive success of her 1984 album, "She's So Unusual," earned Lauper the Grammy for Best New Artist of that Year. After a string of additional hits, the momentum was wearing out by the end of the decade. Lauper did land a final top ten hit in 1989 when "I Drove All Night" peaked at #6, but that song remains her final top 40 appearance. Nevertheless, her chart achievements in the 80s makes her the 33rd most successful artist of the decade.

"I Drove All Night" comes from Lauper's third album, "A Night To Remember," an underrated effort in her catalogue. Shedding most of the dated 80s sound, Lauper had more rock on this record, but it didn't translate into sustaining hits. "Insecurious" is one of those tracks that I thought deserved better.

Lauper maintains an active recording career, dabbling in holiday music, the blues, and even country.

"Never Enough" by L.A. Guns

L.A. Guns has a confusing origins story that began in 1983 with guitarist Tracii Guns. In the shifting membership, his band merged with Hollywood Rose, which would evolve into Guns N' Roses. But Guns had a falling out with Axl Rose and bailed (he was replaced with Slash).

L.A. Guns didn't achieve any mainstream success until a new singer, Philip Lewis, took to the mic. With Lewis on board, the group finally scored a charting single with "The Ballad Of Jayne."

"The Ballad of Jayne," which hit #33 in 1990, was an acoustic-driven power ballad -- the kind of tune that many a hairband turned to in order to score a hit and expand their audience. This great song gave the band a modest hit, but it still failed to attract more fans to their gritty rock and roll. Which is a shame, because Lewis and Guns were a solid songwriting team. Songs like "Never Enough," "Kiss My Love Goodbye," and "It's Over Now" (which peaked at #62 in 1992, the band's only other chart appearance) were better than most of what the competition played.

"Take It To The Top" by Kool & The Gang

Kool & The Gang is best known for their #1 anthem from 1980, "Celebration," still played at sporting events and parties everywhere. The song was their only chart topper, but the band enjoyed so many other hits in the 80s that they are ranked the 11th most successful group of that decade (and 83rd of all-time).

Kool & The Gang first hit the charts way back in 1969 when their song, "Kool & The Gang" hit #59. Their funky and brassy sound scored bigger successes in 1973 with "Jungle Boogie" (#4) and "Hollywood Swinging" (#6). But who would've thought a disco-embracing band with songs like "Slick Superchick" and "Spirit Of The Boogie" could reinvent their sound to become one of the hottest acts after disco died?

Kool & The Gang scored nine top 10 hits in the 80s, with two of them reaching #2 ("Joanna" and "Cherish"). They also belted out some rockers like "Misled" (#10) and the wonderful "Tonight" (#13). The band's chart run ended in 1987 when "Special Way" stalled at #72.

"Take It To The Top" comes from their knockout 1980 record, "Celebrate!" An inspiring rocker with a Doobie Brothers-like riff that got lost in their avalanche of hits.

"Love Is All There Is" by The Knack

How do you top a debut single that stays at #1 for six weeks? Well, if you're The Knack, you don't. Led by the feisty Doug Fieger, this Los Angeles band rocked everybody's world in 1979 with their classic, "My Sharona." The song re-entered the charts 15 years later in 1994; "My Sharona" went to #91 after being featured in the hit film Reality Bites.

Still, the band could not capitalize on the renewed interest. In 1998, they released a terrific pop rock album called "Zoom," but it failed to mark a comeback for the band. With great tunes like "Love Is All There Is," it is hard to figure out why.

In the band's short-lived heyday in the early 80s, they managed to score two additional top 40 hits: "Good Girls Don't" went to #11 and "Baby Talks Dirty" to #38. The band called it quits at the end of 1981, but reunited several times to make new records (starting with 1990's excellent "Serious Fun," which also failed to give the band a well-deserved comeback).

The Knack should be known for more than just "My Sharona," but sadly that won't happen on the charts. Fieger passed away from cancer in 2010.

"Cold Blood" by Kix

Kix is a hard rock band from Maryland led by screaming Steve Whiteman. While hugely popular on the east coast, the band never got its due on the charts. Maybe because they share a name with a bland breakfast cereal.

Kix is best known for their power ballad about suicide, "Don't Close Your Eyes," which made an impressive showing at #11 in 1989. This is an unusual song for the band, which normally just writes songs about sex and partying.

Kix formed early in the 80s and worked hard to build a strong following. Songs like "Cool Kids," "For Shame," and "Midnight Dynamite" received considerable airplay but nothing caught on like "Don't Close Your Eyes."

Their big hit came from the fourth record, "Blow My Fuse." I'm not sure why other strong cuts from this record, like "Cold Blood," didn't help sustain the band's success. Their follow-up record, "Hot Wire," arrived as grunge took over the scene, and was pretty much DOA. After a long hiatus, Kix released a solid comeback (throwback?) record in 2014 called "Rock Your Face Off."

"Right To The Top" by The Kings

The Kings were a Canadian rock band that should have performed better in the US. Their one and only chart appearance came in 1980 when their terrific double-A side single, which contained "This Beat Goes On" and "Switchin' To Glide," hit #43. No other singles from the album "The Kings Are Here" found chart success, despite the band scoring slots touring with the likes of Bob Seger and Eric Clapton.

"Right To The Top" is a tune that should have been the hit that earned The Kings their rightful place on the throne.