The German hard rock band The Scorpions formed back in the late 60s and slowly rose to fame through the 70s. In the US, their first chart appearance arrived in 1982 when "No One Like You" reached #65. The follow-up single, the now classic "Rock You Like A Hurricane," performed better by reaching #25. Despite getting massive airplay and boasting a bevy of well-known songs, the band rarely saw chart success until their fourth decade of existence. In 1991, their power ballad "Wind Of Change" soared to #4. After one more blip on the chart radar with "Send Me An Angel," which stalled at #44, the band hasn't seen the chart since. As for many hard rock bands, The Scorpions struggled through the 90s, experimenting with new sounds and styles, failing to win new fans and losing some of the old ones. Then out of nowhere in 2007, they dropped their 16th record called "Humanity: Hour 1." Unusual for the band, this was a concept album about a civil war between humans and artificial life. A rather risky turn for the band, but the record gave the band some of the best reviews they've received in years. It is a personal favorite of mine from their extensive catalogue, as it represents a rejuvenating update to their sound and vision. And pulling in hit songwriters like Desmond Child, Eric Bazilian (Hooters), and Marti Frederiksen made every song sound like a single.
Kane Roberts was a sought after studio musician in the 80s working for artists as diverse as Alice Cooper and Rod Stewart. He also tried his hand at making it big as a solo artist. His debut self-titled album went nowhere, but his follow-up LP, "Saints And Sinners," pulled in some heavy hitters like Desmond Child, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Diane Warren. Together, they scored Roberts his one and only charting single, the power ballad "Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore?" which peaked at #38 in 1991. Roberts couldn't sustain this success and quickly faded away. His record was filled with potential rock anthems that were big in the late 80s, so maybe he was a day late and dollar short. "Fighter" was one that stood out to me.
L.A. band Ratt helped launch the rise of hard rock in the 80s, beginning with their smash hit, "Round And Round," which soared to #12 in 1984. Ratt seemed poised to be a mainstay on the charts, but the follow-up single "Wanted Man" stalled at #87. Nothing else charted from their landmark record, "Out Of The Cellar," although cuts like "Back For More" and "Lack Of Communication" are now classics. The band would enjoy only one more top 40 appearance when "Lay It Down" barely made it at #40 in 1985. In 1990, Ratt released their fifth album, "Detonator," which became the last to feature all the founding members. The band retooled in an attempt to ride the wave of hairband rock, sounding more polished and radio-friendly than ever. They brought in big guns like Desmond Child and Diane Warren to help with songwriting, and their bud Bon Jovi to sing backing vocals on "Heads I Win, Tails You Loose." The band even broke down and recorded their first (and only) power ballad, the rather excellent "Givin' Yourself Away." "Detonator" seemed to have all the right ingredients to give the band a badly needed second wind, but the record did not "blow up," so to speak. It is a shame, shame, shame, because songs like "One Step Away" should have easily made the top 10.
Cher has had a remarkable career, scoring top 10 hits across four decades from the 1960-1990s. Her first goes all the way back to 1966, when "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" hit #2. Her first chart-topper arrived in 1971 with "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves". She would top the charts twice more in the 70s with "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady", and one more time in the 90s with the huge comeback hit "Believe". Cher was mostly on hiatus in the 80s, flexing her acting muscles in the movies. But she came back (Cher could be considered the comeback queen) in a big way in the late 80s. While she didn't top the chart in that decade, she racked up several more top 10 hits with "I Found Someone" and "After All" (a duet with former Chicago singer, Peter Cetera) in 1987 and 1989, respectively. Her newfound brand of melodic rock fit in well until grunge arrived. She produced a trio of albums of this variety, which all did very well. The final one, "Love Hurts", suggested the formula was wearing thin, however, only getting to #48 on the album chart and failing to generate a monster hit. The first single, "Love and Understanding", was tepid but managed to get to #17. The more upbeat and energetic song everyone was probably expecting to come first was released second. "Save Up All Your Tears" just barely cracked the top 40, settling at #37 in 1991. Written by Desmond Child and Diane Warren, this tune is a terrific slab of pop rock and deserved much better. Bonnie Tyler and Robin Beck also took a swing at this tune but did no better. The "Love Hurts" album contains other covers as well, including the title track and a most intriguing choice: "A World Without Heroes" by Kiss. Cher went on to duet with Beavis and Butt-head for a rendition of "I Got You Babe", after which she understandably went into hiding until 1998's "Believe" reminded the world who's boss.
