In 1997, an English band called The Verve was taking the US by storm with their breakthrough release, "Urban Hymns." Bolstered by the epic single "Bitter Sweet Symphony," which reached #12, The Verve seemed poised for longterm success. Instead, they became a one-hit wonder. Despite some other incredibly strong cuts from the record, like "Lucky Man" and "The Drugs Don't Work," nothing else charted. My biggest surprise was not seeing the beautiful "Sonnet" hit the charts. The band fell apart soon after, but reunited to release a long-awaited follow-up called "Forth" in 2008. Perhaps it was too long a wait; the album received little attention in the US. Lead singer Richard Ashcroft enjoyed success as a solo artist in the UK in-between his work with The Verve.
Everything came together for the Scottish alternative rock band The Soup Dragons with their fantastic 1992 release "Hotwired," an album in which nearly every song sounds like a single. The band had to meet high expectations since they just scored a hit in 1990 with their cover of the Rolling Stones classic, "I'm Free," which The Soup Dragons took to #79. "Hotwired" delivered the band their biggest hit when "Divine Thing" sailed to #35. An equally good follow-up single, "Pleasure," inexplicably stalled at #69 and became the band's final chart appearance. "Dream On (Solid Gone)" should have been one more. The band's next LP was "Hydrophonic," which dropped in 1994 to mixed reviews. The band actually broke up just prior to its recording, making lead singer Sean Dickson the only original member on the album.
Ranked as the 10th most successful chart artist of all-time, the indelible Rolling Stones began their chart career in 1964 with a Buddy Holly cover - "Not Fade Away" landed at #48. Their first Top 10 was not far off: "Time Is On My Side" hit #6 later that year. The Stones would go on to score an astonishing five #1 hits in the 60s and three in the 70s. While they haven't hit the top spot since "Miss You" landed there in 1978, the band did land more in the Top 10 and even more in the Top 40. Their last Top 10 hit was in 1989 when "Mixed Emotions" peaked at #5. Their last Top 40 hit was later that year, when "Rock And A Hard Place" peaked at #23. The band continued to scratch the charts through the 90s, despite massive changes in musical trends. That gives them a remarkable string of hits across four decades. The Stones are still going strong on tour but haven't released a studio record of original material since 2005's "A Bigger Bang," which is where the earnest "Biggest Mistake" is lifted.
