"Give Me More Time" by Whitesnake

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.

"Tie Me Down" by Toronto

Toronto was a rock band that formed in the late 70s (I'll leave it to you to guess where) and scored a string of minor hits in Canada. They managed to crack the US chart once in 1982 when "Your Daddy Don't Know" went to #77.

Not sure why this band, which alternated between male and female lead vocals, wasn't bigger. The songwriting chops were there: one of their tunes, "What About Love," became a huge comeback smash for Heart, who took it to #10 in 1985.

The peppy "Tie Me Down" comes from their 1980 debut album, "Lookin' For Trouble," which also contains the popular track "Even The Score."

"Already Gone" by Romeo's Daughter

Robert John "Mutt" Lange was behind some of the biggest releases of the 80s and 90s, including legendary albums from Def Leppard, Shania Twain, and Bryan Adams. He was also at the helm of Romeo's Daughter, a rock trio from England fronted by the vocal powerhouse of Leigh Matty. But somehow, even the magic of Lange's production with help from AOR hitmaker John Parr couldn't make this deserving band a household name.

Romeo's Daughter did manage to score one minor chart hit in the US with "Don't Break My Heart," which reached #73 in 1988. While future hits eluded them, several of their songs were made into hits or popular album cuts by others, including Heart, Bonnie Tyler, and Eddie Money. After a 1993 sophomore effort, the band appeared to be done.

After a near 20 year absence, Romeo's Daughter returned to release a pair of excellent studio albums: 2012's "Rapture" and 2015's "Spin," from which "Already Gone" can be found (not an Eagles cover). Let's hope they're not done yet.

"Fade To Black" by Loverboy

Loverboy was a hot ticket in the 80s. The Canadian rock stars graced the charts with classics like "Turn Me Loose" (#35 in 1981), "Working For The Weekend" (#29 in 1981), and "Hot Girls In Love" (#11 in 1983).

By 1985, radio embraced their meaty guitar hooks and cringe-worthy lyrics, yielding two top 10 hits like "Lovin' Every Minute Of It" (#9) and "This Could Be The Night" (#10). Thanks to its inclusion on the Top Gun soundtrack, "Heaven In Your Eyes" flew to #12 in 1986. The band would squeeze out one more hit in 1987 when "Notorious," co-written with Bon Jovi, reached #38. Lead singer Mike Reno also had a big hit in 1984 with "Almost Paradise," a duet with Heart's Ann Wilson featured in the movie Footloose that went to #7.

Shortly thereafter, as Mike Reno likes to say, Nirvana killed his career. With many other melodic rock bands, Loverboy was kicked to the curb. However, they resurfaced with a comeback album in 2007 called "Just Getting Started." Well, no one cared, but it is actually a really solid pop rock album with some of the most melodic songs the band has ever done. Lyrics still leave a lot to be desired, though. "Fade To Black" is one of the strongest cuts from that album.

"Nobody Home" by Heart

Hailing from Seattle, the Wilson sisters Ann and Nancy brought their band Heart into the limelight in 1976 with "Crazy On You," which went to #35. "Magic Man" proved to be an even bigger follow-up hit, reaching #9 and becoming one of many top ten hits for the band, a region of the chart they would not see again until 1980 with their cover of "Tell It Like It Is" (#8).

The band's self-titled record in 1985 marked a new era for Heart. With a big and bold sound that incorporated many keyboards typical of the 80s, the band achieved great success with more radio-friendly singles. Kicking off their remarkable run was "What About Love?" peaking at #10. The album would produce 4 more charting singles, including the band's first #1 hit, "These Dreams." The band would hit #1 again in 1987 with "Alone."

Their 1985 record remains a favorite among fans because the songs that weren't released were also of high caliber. "Nobody Home" is an example, a cautionary tale about dissing people who care about you.

Times started to get tough for Heart in the early 90s as other types of bands from Seattle dismantled the melodic rock scene. The band hasn't seen the chart since 1993, when "Will You be There (In The Morning)" struggled to reach #39.

"Leave It Alone" by Firefall

Firefall was a 70s soft rock band best known for their top ten smash, "You Are The Woman," which peaked at #9 in 1976. One of the few top ten singles I can recall that featured a flute ("Down Under" by Men At Work being another).

The band would score some additional hits like "Just Remember I Love You" (#11 in 1977) and "Strange Way" (#11 in 1978). They racked up a few lesser known top 40 hits before the fire died in the early 80s.

The Colorado group was put together by Rick Roberts of the Flying Burrito Brothers and Jock Bartley of Zephyr. They recruited Larry Burnett and Mark Andes, who just finished his tenure with Jay Ferguson in Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and Mike Clarke of The Byrds (and also of Flying Burrito Brothers).

"Leave It Alone" is one of my favorite guilty pleasure tracks from "Undertow," the fourth and final album to feature the founding lineup. Andes left to join Heart in 1980 and Clarke, who was causing problems with his drinking, also departed. Sadly, Clarke died of liver failure in 1993.

“True Emotion” by Alias

Composed of members from the bands Heart and Sheriff, Alias was one of those dime-a-dozen hard rock bands capitalizing on glam and hairband trends just before grunge shampooed the scene.

Released in 1990, the self-titled debut record from supergroup Alias reached #114 on the US Billboard 200.

Like most “hard rock” bands at the time, the power ballad was the main attraction and their best shot at chart success. Alias proved no exception and almost hit #1 with their monster hit, “More Than Words Can Say”, which would have been a repeat success for lead singer Freddy Curci – his amazing voice topped the charts when Sheriff re-released “When I’m With You” in 1989.

Alias almost hit the top 10 again with the pleasant mid-tempo number, “Waiting For Love”. The album had a string of other potential hits, but the music landscape was changing rapidly. I always thought “True Emotion” was one of the best tracks on this record – it probably would have hit top 10 if released just a year or two earlier.

Alias released a long-awaited follow-up record called “Never Say Never” in 2009, most of it containing material recorded in 1992.