You'd never know of the legendary influence of Neil Young just by looking at his track record on the Top 100. Young has had an interesting career over the decades, beginning in 1965 with his time in the Mynah Birds, which featured Rick James on vocals. From 1966-1969 he was in Buffalo Springfield. Outside of adventures as a part of Crosby, Stills & Nash, he's been primarily a solo artist (sometimes with his band, Crazy Horse), earning him adoration from more recent acts like Pearl Jam, who christened Young as the "Godfather of Grunge." Young first hit the charts as a solo artist in 1970 when "Cinnamon Girl" went to #55. His breakthrough hit arrived in 1972 when the classic "Heart Of Gold," which features Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor on backing vocals, soared to #1. He followed this up with what would become his last Top 40 hit to date: "Old Man," which got to #31 later that year. His last chart appearance was when "Little Thing Called Love" stalled at #71 in 1983. Despite not breaking onto the charts, many of Young's rockers and ballads have become familiar classics, including "Down By The River," "The Needle And The Damage Done," "Southern Man," "Rockin' In The Free World," and "Harvest Moon." "Philadelphia" showcases Young's softer side and may just be one of the most beautiful songs ever written that most people have forgotten about or never heard. It can be found on the soundtrack to the 1993 movie of the same name.
My introduction to Lynyrd Skynyrd was in middle school when a math teacher pointed to another student's notebook that had the band's name written on it. My teacher told him how to spell "Leonard" correctly, which brought on a bunch of laughter. The legendary Southern rock band is indeed named after a Leonard, and a teacher at that! Lynyrd Skynyrd was named after their gym teacher, Leonard Skinner. Despite the fact that just about everyone has heard of the band and many of their classic tunes, they've never had a huge chart presence. Their only top 10 hit was "Sweet Home Alabama," a snarky counter to Neil Young songs that were critical of the South. "Sweet Home Alabama" found its home at #8 in 1974. The closest the band would come again to the top 10 was with 1977's "What's Your Name," which claimed #13. Their epic ballad, "Free Bird," only flew to #19. Many of you may be surprised to learn that several well-known Lynyrd Skynyrd songs did not chart, including "That Smell," "Simple Man," and "Gimme Three Steps."
Nicolette Larson was a talented session vocalist for a wide range of artists, from Neil Young to Linda Ronstadt to Van Halen. She also recorded several records as a solo artist, but aside from "Lotta Love," which soared to #8 in 1978, major chart success mysteriously eluded her. "Ooo-eee" is a simple but catchy love song from her 1980 album called "Radioland." Strangely, not even help from her friend Linda Ronstadt (who sings backing vocals) could help get this tune onto the chart. Her last chart appearance was in 1982 when her cover of "I Only Want To Be With You" reached #53. Sadly, Larson passed away in 1997 at the age of 45 from cerebral edema.
