Yes, I know it ain't Christmastime. But it is virtually impossible to find a John Lennon song that hasn't done well on the music charts. The genius of John Lennon goes back to his tenure in the legendary Beatles, but his solo work took on a somewhat different direction. A man all about peace and justice, many will be surprised to hear that "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" never made a chart appearance, despite its omnipresence on every radio station each December. Many other artists have covered this terrific song, but only one group managed to get the song on the charts: The Fray took it to #50 in 2006. Ironically, this beloved pacifist was taken from us too early when he was shot in December, 1980 at the height of a successful comeback.
Colorado's The Fray splashed onto the music scene with their brand of piano rock in 2006 with major hits like "Over My Head (Cable Car)" (#8) and "How To Save A Life" (#3), the latter of which was featured in two hugely popular medical shows at the time, Grey's Anatomy and Scrubs. But the band proved they can hold their own ground and hit the top ten again in 2008 with their follow-up, "You Found Me" (#7). By 2014, the band shook things up a bit and drifted away from their traditional sound. Their fourth album, "Helios," has a polished pop sheen to it with big hooks in the choruses to match. The upbeat tune "Closer To Me" seems to have all the makings of a hit but it did not see any chart action. "Love Don't Die" was released as the single from this album but it stalled at #60.
