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.
Taking their name from the scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla, this California hard rock band rose to fame in the late 80s. Their first chart appearance was in 1987 when their cover of "Little Suzi" reached #91. The band would score the biggest hit of their career with another cover song, "Signs," which reached #8 in 1991. Tesla certainly could make their own hits, too. Several of their power ballads hit the charts, including "Love Song" (#10), "The Way It Is" (#55), and "What You Give" (#86). The latter ended the band's time on the charts, but it did not signal the end of their prolific music-making career. "I Want Everything" comes from Tesla's latest, their 2019 album entitled "Shock." Listeners might note some similarities to the sounds made famous by the 80s counterparts Def Leppard. That's because Phil Collen helped write and produce the record.
English pop rockers Def Leppard were launched into the stratosphere with the mega-successful "Hysteria", their fourth album and first #1 (1987). The album's singles got off to a lackluster start, with "Women" landing at #80 and "Animal" hitting #19. Then came the title track. The ballad gave the band their first top 10 hit, landing at #10. Riding the momentum, they next scored with the classic "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (#2) and finally their first and only #1, "Love Bites". Remarkably, they had two more charting singles from "Hysteria": "Armageddon It" hit #3 and "Rocket" hit #12. Expectations were high for a follow-up record, but it was a long wait until 1992 and the music scene had changed in a big way. The first single, "Let's Get Rocked" tried to emulate the style of "Pour Some Sugar On Me", and reached an admirable #15. The album, "Adrenalize", would spawn several more charting singles and hit #1, but ultimately played second fiddle to "Hysteria". A terrific pop rocker that got lost in the mix from "Adrenalize" was "Heaven Is". Not sure why this song did not reach the upper echelons of the chart. Def Leppard's last appearance on the singles chart was in 1995 with "When Love & Hate Collide", which hit #58. They've been releasing some terrific material over the years but it only seems to resonate with old fans.
The Connell brothers formed their band back in the mid-80s and quickly became darlings of college radio. While they never attained mainstream success, that moment almost came with a couple of singles from their fifth record, 1993's "Ring". The band had achieved quite a buzz by this point and the catchy single "Slackjawed" got some decent airplay. The band become better known when their ballad "'74-'75" was released. While still failing to chart in the US, the song did very well in Europe and was featured on the soundtrack to the Liv Tyler movie Heavy. Quite surprisingly, their success in Europe landed the band a spot opening for Def Leppard, which is not the most intuitive pairing of bands! "Ring" would become the last Connells album to crack the Billboard Top 200, just barely doing so by hitting #199.
