Donald Fagen and Walter Becker scored a string of popular hits through the 70s and early 80s as Steely Dan. Blending soft rock, jazz, and salsa music, they teamed with ace studio musicians to create genre-bending music that sometimes had irresistible pop hooks. One of their early incarnations including comedian Chevy Chase on drums. Their first score was "Do It Again" in 1973, which sailed to #6. Their follow-up single, "Reeling In The Years," nearly broke the Top 10 again, peaking at #11. The two scored big again when "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" peaked at #4 in 1974, becoming their biggest hit. Another single from 1978, "Peg," stopped at #11 (Michael McDonald sang backing vocals on this crowd favorite). Steely Dan would get back to the Top 10 one more time in 1981 when "Hey Nineteen" reached #10. The follow-up single, "Time Out Of Mind," got to #22 and became their last chart appearance. The group broke up after that and Fagen pursued a solo career through the 80s. His best known song as a solo artist was 1982's "I.G.Y. (What A Beautiful World)," which went to #26. Steely Dan resumed working together in 1992 and released new material until Becker's death in 2007. Their 2000 "comeback" record, "Two Against Nature" did not put them back on the charts, but did earn them a Grammy for Album of the Year. "Dirty Work" is a terrific track from their early days in 1972 that never charted. It was covered by the Pointer Sisters in 1978 for their album, "Energy."
Most people know the Pointer Sisters from their string of hits in the 80s - they were in fact the 16th most successful artist of the decade. The sisters who initially started recording in 1969 were June and Bonnie, joined later by Anita and Ruth. Their music was all over the map, starting with jazz and R&B, even venturing into country territory. With some modest hits under their belt by 1978, Bonnie decided to leave the group for a solo career. She scored two top 40 hits on her own, but probably wishes she stuck with her sisters, who went on to reformulate their sound towards rock and pop, achieving monumental success. The first album that solidified their sound was 1978's "Energy." The Pointer Sisters brought in some heavy hitting songwriters, including Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Bob Welch, Loggins & Messina, and Bruce Springsteen. With Springsteen's song "Fire," the Pointer Sisters obtained their first monster hit, taking it to #2 for two weeks in 1979. The group was a mainstay in the top 10 for years to come, with hits like "He's So Shy" (#3), "Slow Hand" (#2), "Automatic" (#5), "Jump (For My Love)" (#3), "I'm So Excited" (#9), "The Neutron Dance" (#6), and "Dare Me" (#11). Despite this impressive list of hits, the Pointer Sisters never hit #1 on the Top 100. "Lay It On The Line" was the lead off track for the successful 1978 album, "Energy." A great rocker that set the stage for the new direction that took the ladies to global fame.
