Van Morrison got his start in the Irish garage rock band Them in the mid-60s. They weren't together very long, but the band hinted at the talents that would make Morrison a household name. The band's name was inspired by the horror movie Them! In the US, the band charted twice with "Gloria," which reached #93 in 1965 and #71 in 1966, the year Them broke up. Their best chart performance came with "Here Comes The Night," which peaked at #24. Their only other Top 40 hit in the US was "Mystic Eyes," which reached #33. "Don't Start Cryin' Now," the band's first single, is an overlooked classic from 1964 originally done by blues artist Slim Harpo a few years earlier.
Irish musician, singer, and songwriter Van Morrison got his start as the leader of the 60s garage band, Them. He wrote their classic, "Gloria," giving Morrison his first taste of chart success. It wouldn't be long before he tasted success again, this time as a solo artist. A couple of his first singles went top 10: "Brown Eyed Girl" hit #10 in 1967 and "Domino" hit #9 in 1970. While Morrison flirted with the charts off and on again through the years, he'd never achieve these high positions again. Readers may be surprised to learn that some of his best known tunes did not perform too well when released, including "Wild Night" (#28), "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile" (#61), and "Moondance" (#92). "Crazy Love," "Into The Mystic," and "Have I Told You Lately" didn't even chart. "Bright Side Of The Road" is one of Morrison's signature pick-me-up songs, bursting with joy. It bubbled under in 1979 but is not to be missed.
Hailing from southern Indiana, rock artist John Mellencamp started his career as John or Johnny Cougar, a name given to him by David Bowie's manager, thinking it would help him mass an audience. Mellencamp was likely destined for superstardom no matter what because he had songs. The prolific singer and songwriter has amassed 22 top 40 hits: 10 reaching the top ten, and one reaching #1 ("Jack & Diane"). He was the 9th most successful artist in the 80s and won a Grammy for "Hurts So Good," which reached #2 in 1982. Mellencamp stayed true to his midwestern sound throughout the 90s, but what brought him continued success was his fearlessness to experiment. He fused some reggae, rap, and electronic beats into some of his tunes, keeping critics interested and audiences entertained. He's also performed some high-profile duets, the most successful being a cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night" with Me'Shell Ndegeocello, which hit #3 in 1994. The brilliant "Peaceful World" from 2001 was recorded with India.Arie but it bubbled under. Mellencamp hasn't seen the top 100 since 2006, when "Our Country" stalled at #88. The single comes from the album "Freedom's Road," an underrated effort in his catalogue that seemed poised to be a major comeback. "Someday" is another terrific cut from this record that should have restored him to top 40 glory.
