Formed by brothers Eddie and Alex, Van Halen began their run on the charts in 1978 when their version of "You Really Got Me" peaked at #36. The band would score big with several other cover songs in 1982, including "(Oh) Pretty Woman" (#12) and "Dancing In The Street" (#38). By their 6th album with the charismatic frontman David Lee Roth, the band leapt to the top of the charts with 1984's "Jump." The single stayed their for 5 weeks and was followed by two more Top 40 hits that both peaked at #13: "I'll Wait" and "Panama." Whether the group would be able to sustain their run on the charts after Roth was replaced with Sammy Hagar (formerly of Montrose) in 1985 was a big question at the time. But they proved the doubters wrong as the band continued to score big hits with Hagar at the mic. "Why Can't This Be Love" flew to #3 in 1986, followed by "Dreams" and "Love Walks In," which both went to #22. Additional hits with Hagar followed until they parted ways in 1996 (his last chart appearance with the band came in 1995 when "Not Enough" stalled at #97). Van Halen could not strike gold a third time by replacing their lead singer once again, this time with Extreme's vocalist, Gary Cherone. Nothing from the single album done with Cherone in 1998 charted. But Van Halen wasn't done quite yet. A surprise reunion with Roth took place and one more album has been released to date, entitled "A Different Kind Of Truth." The lead single, "Tattoo," reached #67 in 2012. "Blood And Fire" is another cut from that album that deserved greater attention.
Hailing from Memphis, hard rock band Tora Tora (whose name was lifted from the Van Halen song) managed to score one minor chart hit during the hairband craze in 1989 when "Walkin' Shoes" strutted its way to #86. It comes from their debut album, "Surprise Attack." Many fans of the genre might be surprised to learn that another popular song from that record, "Phantom Rider," do not chart. Tora Tora finally returned in 1992 with their sophomore record, "Wild America," which I count as one of the finest in the genre. It arrived a little too late since the music scene was transitioning away from melodic rock and more towards grunge. "Amnesia," "As Time Goes By," "Faith Healer," and "Dead Man's Hand" may have been hits in 1989. The band recorded a third album by 1994 called "Revolution Day," but it was shelved by the label and did not see the light of day until 2011. "Shelter From The Rain" is one of the highlights from out-of-time release. The band returned in 2019 with a long-awaited new studio release called "Bastards Of Beale."
The charismatic ham, David Lee Roth, joined a band called Mammoth in the early 70s and helped them become one of the most influential rock groups of the modern era (after they changed their name to Van Halen in 1974). We'll save that story for another day, but suffice it to say that tensions arose and Diamond Dave struck out on his own to pursue a solo career by 1985. Roth recruited some ace players including guitarist Steve Vai (Frank Zappa's band) and bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big), and proved he'd have no trouble scoring hits without the Van Halen brothers...at least for a little while. He had two reach the Top 10, his cover of "California Girls" (originally done by The Beach Boys) reached #3 in 1985 and his original song, "Just Like Paradise," hit #6 in 1988. Other memorable solo hits included his rendition of "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" (#12) and "Yankee Rose" (#16). Roth's final chart appearance to date came in 1988 when "Stand Up" stalled at #64. His follow-up 1991 effort, "A Little Ain't Enough," was classic Roth, but not what ears hungered for anymore. His schtick had grown tiresome, but his career had a revival in reunions with the Van Halen brothers. If released in the 80s, I'm sure songs from "A Little Ain't Enough" would have performed magnificently, especially the title track, "A Lil' Ain't Enough."
Texas born singer and songwriter Roy Orbison had a one of a kind voice that allowed him to dominate the charts in the 60s with classics such as "Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel)" (#2), "Running Scared" (#1), "Crying" (#2), "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)" (#4), and "Oh, Pretty Woman" (#1). Some of these tunes are in the Grammy and/or R&R Hall of Fame, and his accomplishments made Orbison the 14th most successful chart artist of the 60s and 94th all-time. Orbison was then plagued with a number of tragedies. His wife was killed in an accident in 1966 and he lost his two sons to a fire in 1968. These personal tragedies also took their toll on his musical career as Orbison didn't land a single chart appearance throughout the 70s. In the 80s, Orbison and his mighty voice experienced a strong resurgence. He performed a duet with Emmylou Harris in 1980 called "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again," which was used in the Meat Loaf movie Roadie, that went to #55 and earned a Grammy for Country Vocal Duo. "Oh, Pretty Woman" was back on the charts in 1982 thanks to a popular cover by Van Halen. Orbison made a guest appearance to sing the tune on The Dukes Of Hazzard, next to Catherine Bach no less. In 1987, he performed a stunning duet of his classic hit, "Crying" with k.d. lang that won another Grammy. He was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1987 by Bruce Springsteen. As he teamed up to record his comeback album with Jeff Lynne of ELO (which would become "Mystery Girl"), happy accidents led to the formation of supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, which featured Orbison as "Lefty Wilbury." But tragedy once again caught up with Orbison. In the midst of his comeback, he died of a heart attack late in 1988 at age 52. He did not live to see that he would crack the top 10 one final time as a solo artist in 1989, the first time since 1964, when "You Got It," co-written with his Wilbury Mates Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, hit #8. "Life Fades Away" never charted, but helped initiate Orbison's late 80s comeback. The song, co-written with metal star Danzig, was on the soundtrack to the 1987 film Less Than Zero. As usual, Orbison ends the haunting song with a jaw-dropping vocal climax.
Mitch Malloy is a singer/songwriter from North Dakota who arrived on the hairband scene just a little too late to hit the big time. And its a shame, because this guy is a soulful rock vocalist with a knack for writing big, bold choruses that make you want to sing along. His debut album arrived in 1992 and he almost cracked the top 40 with his first single, "Anything At All." The song reached #49 and was followed by the requisite power ballad, "Nobody Wins In This War," which peaked at a disappointing #66. Taking many of his melodic rock fans by surprise, Malloy went full adult contemporary for his follow up record, "Ceilings and Walls." It proved to be a sophomore jinx, which is too bad because it has some beautiful gems on it, including a soulful duet with Paul Carrack called "Ready To Go Home." Malloy has also been a part of other projects, including Fluid Sol and South of Eden. He also auditioned to be Sammy Hagar's replacement in Van Halen. Malloy continues to crank out quality rock as a solo artist and recently (July 2018) became the lead singer for Great White. "Forever" goes back to Malloy's killer debut record. If this catchy tune were released as a second single, perhaps it would have made him the household name he deserves to be.
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.
Sammy Hagar's career starts way back in 1973 when he became the lead singer for Montrose. He went solo in 1976 and released several albums before and after his time in Van Halen. Along the way, he also recorded as part of a supergroup called Hagar, Schon (Journey), Aaronson (Stories), and Shrieve (Santana) in 1984. In 1987, as his tenure with Van Halen started to take off into the stratosphere, Hagar released "I Never Said Goodbye," his ninth solo effort. The album's name derives from an MTV contest. It yielded hits like "Give To Live" (#23) and "Eagles Fly" (#82). "Back Into You" is another terrific AOR track that I thought would have performed well. His then buddy Eddie Van Halen even played bass and sang backing vocals on the record. Some extra trivia - what was Hagar's best chart performance as a solo artist? That was in 1982, when "Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy" hit #13. Perhaps his better known classic, "I Can't Drive 55," went to #26 in 1984.
Extreme hit it big in 1991 with their beautiful acoustic ballad "More Than Words." The tune went to #1 and introduced the world to the amazing vocal chemistry between Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt. The Boston-based rock band had a #4 follow-up hit with another acoustic ditty, "Hole Hearted". The hard rock they were best known for never made its way onto the charts. After an extended break that included solo efforts, numerous other bands, playing guitar for Rihanna (Nuno), and Cherone's high-profile but ill-fated stint in Van Halen, Extreme reunited to make their fourth album, "Saudades de Rock" (2008). The song "Interface" originally appeared on a Nuno project called "DramaGods," but sounds even better with Cherone's harmonies. A gorgeous although heartbreaking song either way.
