Tears for Fears is a synth-pop duo from England that took the world by storm with 80s classics like "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" (#1 for two weeks in 1985), "Shout" (#1 for three weeks in 1985," "Head Over Heels" (#3 in 1985), and "Sowing The Seeds Of Love" (#2 in 1989). The band also released "Mad World" in 1983; it failed to chart then but remains a popular favorite covered by many artists--most notably Adam Lambert, a former American Idol runner up who took the song to #19 in 2009. With exception of a brief comeback in 1993 when "Break It Down Again" reached #25, Tears for Fears quietly faded away. But not because they stopped making music. Their 2004 record, "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending," may be one of the most underrated in their catalogue. I'm sure that I'm not the only one surprised when "Call Me Mellow" failed to remind us of their mad skills.
Aldo Nova is a rocker from Canada who had his biggest hit in 1982 when his single, "Fantasy," reached #23. He followed this up with "Foolin' Yourself," which peaked at a disappointing #65. Then he disappeared from the US charts forever. While he wasn't able to climb back onto the US charts as a solo artist, he managed to do so while working with other artists, most notably fellow Canadian superstar Celine Dion. Nova co-wrote, played, and produced several songs for Dion, and took home the 1996 Grammy as a producer. In 2003, Nova co-wrote the hit "This Is The Night" for American Idol star Clay Aiken. He was also in the shadow of Bon Jovi since their early days, playing on their self-titled debut. In addition, Nova was instrumental in helping Jon Bon Jovi with his first solo effort, "Blaze Of Glory." Jon Bon Jovi would repay these favors by helping write, produce, and release Nova's 1991 comeback record, "Blood On The Bricks." It was a commercial flop largely because it was a day late, dollar short in terms of timing. The big melodic choruses and guitar solos went out with the big hair that year with the Seattle band invasion. "Touch Of Madness" is one of the highlights from "Blood" that wasn't released as a single. Who knows? Maybe it would have been a better choice than the title track. By the way, there's another American Idol connection here: Randy Jackson played bass on the "Blood" record.
Michael Lord got his start in the gritty rock band Tattoo Rodeo in the early 90s but released his first (and only) solo record in 2004, entitled "Sway." The record is filled with melodic ballads with sweeping choruses that beg you to sing along. "Smile" was chosen by Apple to be their iTUNES single of the week, but that didn't help put Michael Lord on the charts. Other highlights from this record include "Come To Me," "Spin," and "What Have You Got To Lose." Lord has written songs for American Idol contestants and mostly produces work for other artists these days.
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).
Jimmy Harnen released his one and only album in 1989 entitled, "Can't Fight The Midnight." The story of this record goes back to 1986 with a pop rock outfit from Pennsylvania called Synch. Harnen was their drummer, but decided to sing vocals on one of their ballads, a song called "Where Are You Now?" It became the band's only charting single, hitting #77 in 1986. The song resurfaced in 1989 thanks to heavy repeated airplay by a number of DJs and it shot all the way to #10. Its success scored Harnen a record deal, but as we all know, it flopped. The record, which features Randy Jackson (Journey, American Idol) on bass, Steve Lukather (Toto) on guitar, and a guest spot from Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon), remains an underground favorite in AOR circles. Harnen had more in him than just high school prom themes, and quite a few of these tracks rock a bit. Such is the way with "For All The Wrong Reasons," a song I predict could have been a hit for Twisted Sister.
James Durbin is another American Idol alum who put out a great hard rock record that largely flew under the radar. Durbin was on the tenth season of the hit talent show and finished in fourth place. His debut album, "Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster", appeared in 2011, peaking at an impressive #36 on the album charts. The rousing first single, "Stand Up" climbed to #39 on the Billboard Top 100. Unfortunately, it would mark the first and last appearance on the singles chart for the underrated Durbin. "Love Me Bad" was the second single from his debut album and strikes me as one of the finest rock songs of the year. If you're in the mood for a tear-jerker, check out the song "May".
Lee DeWyze had a smattering of charting cover tunes from his days on the ninth season of American Idol, the biggest one being "Beautiful Day", which hit #24 in 2010. He would go on to win the competition that year, but hasn't had chart success in the post-Idol world. His first album after the show, "Live It Up", didn't produce a hit. It was filled with generic pop and wasn't true to the vision DeWyze had as a artist. He got free of the label's demands and reinvented himself, but still can't seem to make a significant dent on the charts. It shouldn't be this way. DeWyze has a soulful voice and plays real music from the heart. His 2013 album, "Frames", is fantastic folk rock. It has a Lumineers vibe and sounds very contemporary, but only reached #116 on the Billboard Top 200. "Fight" is the lead off track from that record. If you are a fan of Walking Dead, you may know DeWyze better as the artist who sang a song featured on the show, "Blackbird Song".
The amazing voice of Chris Daughtry was brought to the masses thanks to the hit TV show American Idol. In a move that shocked the world, Daughtry was somehow voted off the fifth season. Things turned out very well for the talented singer, though, his self-titled debut album reaching #1in 2006 and spawning top ten hits like "It's Not Over" (#4) and "Home" (#5). "Gone Too Soon" comes from the band's third album, "Break The Spell", which peaked at #8 in 2011. It is a chill-inducing song about loss of life before it even begins. It was dedicated to the victims of the Newton, Connecticut shooting, with proceeds going to the families.
The show often takes some knocks, but American Idol has been successful in discovering some bona fide talent through the years. David Cook was the winner of the show in 2008 and has terrific vocal chops that are custom-built for rock. His album went platinum, producing several charting singles that included "Light On", co-written by Chris Cornell and Brian Howes. "Light On" went to #17. Among the other tracks on his self-titled effort, "Bar-Ba-Sol" is often considered one of the best. The melodic hard rocking tune did not chart, but remains a favorite among many. It is actually a reworked cover song by a band called Injected entitled, "Spun Again".
Graham Colton is a football star turned singer/songwriter from Oklahoma. With their pop sensibilities and lofty choruses, Colton and his band quickly gained popularity in the early 2000s that led to the release of their debut album, "Drive", in 2004. After performing with the likes of Better Than Ezra, John Mayer, Maroon 5, and Counting Crows, Colton pursued a solo career leading to 2007's "Here Right Now". Helped by the single, "Best Days", which was featured on American Idol, the record reached #153 on the Billboard Top 200. The album should have been mined for additional hits. Colton continues to crank out solid pop rock fare that can be heard on many a TV show, and with any luck will one day get the wider recognition he deserves. "Since You Broke It" provides a glimpse into why so many people were excited about Graham Colton and his band.
Daughter of the man who produced the classic Fleetwood Mac albums "Rumors" and "Tusk", Colbie Caillat expanded the family tradition and became a chart sensation throughout the 2000s. In one of the biggest missed opportunities for American Idol, for which she was rejected twice, Colbie's debut album "Coco" soared to #5 on the Billboard Top 200 in 2007. The record spawned "Bubbly", one of the songs she played to audition for American Idol, which also got to #5. "Begin Again" can be found on her 2009 sophomore record, "Breakthrough", which debuted at the #1 position on the album chart. This song was considered as a single, but eventually others were chosen. I think it would have been another hit for her.
