"We Got A Thing Going On" by Ben E. King

A one-time star of The Drifters, who sang lead on their big hit, "There Goes My Baby," Ben E. King also struck gold after leaving the group in 1960. His chart debut as a solo artist was the #10 hit, "Spanish Harlem." While born in North Carolina, King was raised in Harlem after moving there at the age of 9.

In 1961, he scored again with "Stand By Me," which went to #4 and reappeared on the chart to peak at #9 in 1986 after being featured in the film of the same name. King had some lesser known hits through the decade, including "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" (#11) and "I (Who Have Nothing)" (#29). Ben E. King also had a big comeback hit in the 70s that many people have forgotten: "Supernatural Thing (Part 1)" went to an impressive #5 in 1975.

"We Got A Thing Going On" was a duet he performed with Philadelphia R&B star Dee Dee Sharp. These two powerhouse vocalists couldn't get the song to chart for some reason when it was released in 1968. I think most people hearing it now would be surprised it didn't perform better.

Ben E. King passed away in 2015 at age 76.

"Big Fat Mamas Are Back In Style" by Bull Moose Jackson

Bull Moose Jackson (born Benjamin Jackson) was an underrated artist back in day, only cracking the chart with a single hit called "I Love You Yes I Do." The ballad hit #24 in 1948 and a new version hit #98 in 1961. A pleasant classic, but it does not represent the upbeat nature of most of his catalogue. 

The big and brassy romp, "Big Fat Mamas Are Back In Style," might have lyrics that are somewhat questionable in today's circles, but Big Obese Mamas just doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely. It's a wild and crazy song, and if you like the snark you'll enjoy mining the many other tunes by this unsung hero.

"Candy To Me" by Eddie Holland

Hailing from Detroit, Motown artist Eddie Holland first scored a hit with "Jamie" in 1962 - that tune went to #30 and would remain his best chart performance. He wrote plenty of other songs for other Motown artists, but should have had more hits on his own. "Candy To Me" is surely one of them, but it stalled at #58 in 1964.

"Itchy Twitchy Feeling" by Bobby Hendricks

If you didn't know better, you might mistake this tune for one done by The Coasters. Couldn't blame you, as The Coasters do the backing vocals on this biggest hit for R&B singer Bobby Hendricks. Prior to "Itchy Twitchy Feeling," which went to #25 in 1958, Hendricks sang lead for a group called The Swallows and also spent some time with the Drifters. Hendricks sand on their song, "Drip Drop."

Hendricks had one more charting single, "Psycho," in 1960. The tune went to #73 and featured the New York DJ Dr. Jive as the man speaking as the psychiatrist.

"Who's That Knocking" by The Genies

The Genies was a short-lived R&B group from Brooklyn led by Roy Hammond that had a single chart appearance in 1959 with this catchy little gem called "Who's That Knocking." The song managed to reach #71 before being lost to obscurity. It should have been played at hops all across the land!

Claude Johnson was also a member of The Genies before teaming with Roland "Don" Trone as Don & Juan.

"The Puzzle Song (A Puzzle In Song)" by Shirley Ellis

New York singing sensation Shirley Ellis is best known for her big dance numbers, such as "The Nitty Gritty" (#8 in 1963), "The Name Game" (#3 in 1964), and "The Clapping Song" (#8 in 1965). It seemed each year produced another R&B hit for her.

But a lesser known number only found its way to #78 in 1965 - "The Puzzle Song (A Puzzle In Song)". This is a great tune that deserved better. Ellis would make her final appearance on the charts in 1967 with "Soul Time" going to #67. She passed away in 2005 at the age of 76.

"Nothing Succeeds Like Success" by Bill Deal & The Rhondels

From the beaches of Virginia, singer Bill Deal formed the Rhondels to round out a brassy rock and pop sound. The band had some modest hits as the 60s transitioned into the 70s, beginning with "May I" at the start of 1969. Their rendition of Maurice Williams' "May I" just broke into the top 40, landing at #39. The band's biggest hit would be "What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am", which climbed to #23 later in 1969.

"Nothing Succeeds Like Success" only reached #62 in 1970, but remains one of my favorites from this underrated band. A catchy little ditty!

"All Grown Up" by The Crystals

The Crystals were Phil Spector's other best known girl group of the 60s to take his "wall of sound" to the top of the charts (the other famous girl group he worked with was The Ronettes).

The Crystals hit it big with the Gene Pitney tune, "He's A Rebel". It was #1 for two weeks in 1962. Their other big ones included "Da Doo Run Run (When He Walked Me Home)", which hit #3, and "Then He Kissed Me", which reached #6.

"All Grown Up" is another upbeat number from their catalogue, but by 1964 The Crystals lost their shine. It would be their final chart appearance, barely cracking in at #98. 

"Call It Pretending" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) was a phenomenal band in the 60s and early 70s, racking up hit after hit after hit. They were the #1 Billboard artist of 1969 and rank #221 of all-time. Remarkably, they never had a number one hit, but were king of the #2 position. Among their songs that hit #2 are "Proud Mary", "Bad Moon Rising", "Green River", "Travelin' Band/Who'll Stop The Rain", and "Lookin' Out My Back Door".

"Call It Pretending" was one of CCR's releases prior to their mainstream success. It came out in 1967 and showcases the pop side of this otherwise gritty classic rock band.

"Will Power" by The Cookies

While not as well known as The Shirelles or The Supremes, The Cookies were a fantastic girl group from the 60s who also sang backup for the likes of Little Eva, Neil Sedaka, and Carole King. Best known for their #7 hit, "Don't Say Nothin' Bad About My Baby", the group also scored with "Chains" (#17) and "Girls Grow Up Faster Than Boys" (#33).

"Will Power" did not perform as well, landing at #72 in 1963. It deserved better - the ladies sound smooth as ever and the buzzing guitar solo always catches me by surprise. Go get their greatest hits!

"It's So Hard Being A Loser" by The Contours

Best known as "one-hit" wonders, The Contours scored big with "Do You Love Me". This was their only top 40 hit but it hit the charts twice in two different decades. "Do You Love Me" reached #3 in 1962 and #11 in 1988, thanks to being featured in the hit movie Dirty Dancing.

The Contours have plenty other songs in their catalogue that didn't get their due. The upbeat yet melancholy "It's So Hard Being A Loser" is just one of them, and shows a different side of the band many didn't know existed. The song only went to #79 in 1967. The band didn't see chart success again until "Do You Love Me" re-entered in 1988.

"Aunt Dora's Love Soul Shack" by Arthur Conley

There are a lot of shacks in Georgia. Not to be confused with the Love Shack made famous by the B-52's, here is Arthur Conley's song about Aunt Dora's shack. Conley is better known for his #2 hit, "Sweet Soul Music" from 1967. He had a few other minor hits covering other artists, including "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and "Shake, Rattle, and Roll".

Conley was "discovered" by Otis Redding and was also a member of The Soul Clan.

"Aunt Dora's Love Soul Shack" is a terrific but lesser known track from his catalogue, only reaching the #85 spot in 1968.

"Time For Livin'" by The Association

The Association was one of the biggest bands of the late-60s, boasting a string of classic hits like the number one smashes "Windy" and "Cherish", the #2 smash "Never My Love", and other top 10 hits like "Along Comes Mary" and "Everything That Touches You".

A lesser known single by the group is "Time For Livin'", which just barely broke the top 40 by reaching #39 in 1968. The track comes from the band's "Birthday" album, which climbed to #23 on the Billboard Top 200 that same year. Some days, all you need is a sunny song like "Time For Livin'" to put life back in perspective.

Like "Never My Love", "Time For Livin'" was written by The Addrisi Brothers, who got a nod from Off The Charts here. "Time For Livin'" would prove to be the band's last song to hit the top 40.

“Hush” by Billy Joe Royal (RIP)

In honor of Billy Joe Royal, who passed away Tuesday, I’d like to highlight one of his underrated songs from 1967. While most people are probably familiar with this classic, it only reached #52 on the Billboard chart.

Deep Purple made "Hush" a household song in 1968, landing at an impressive #4 on the charts. 

Billy Joe Royal stormed onto the pop scene in 1965 with his smash hit, “Down In The Boondocks”, which went to #9. He never topped this hit, but came close with singles like “I Knew You When” and “Cherry Hill Park”. He transitioned to country in the 80s and found additional success, scoring 15 hits on the country charts.

Read more here:  SingerBilly Joe Royal dies

Arthur Alexander

Arthur Alexander, an R&B singer/songwriter from Alabama, should have been just as much of a household name as Smokey Robinson, Sam Cooke, or Otis Redding. Alexander skillfully blended Southern soul with a dose of rock n’ roll. More than just a performer, Alexander wrote several of his biggest songs. While none of them scored that high on the charts, several legendary artists recognized his brilliance and covered them.

This compilation from Razor & Tie released in 1993 is an excellent introduction to the genius of Arthur Alexander. Sadly, he passed away that same year after suffering a heart attack.

His biggest hit was his first, “You Better Move On”, shooting up to #25 in 1962. “You Better Move On” serves as a warning to a rich suitor who has eyes for Alexander’s woman. This masterful song was rerecorded by a number of other artists, most famously The Rolling Stones and The Hollies, but I think Alexander got the attitude just right.

“Anna (Go To Him)” was another notable hit for Alexander, although it only reached #68 on the charts in 1962. None other than The Beatles rerecorded a version of this song in 1964. The song resurfaced in an episode of Married…With Children when Al Bundy struggled to remember the song.

In addition to writing these smoldering ballads, Alexander could rattle the house down with party anthems such as “Pretty Girls Everywhere” and “A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues”.

“We’ve Got To Get It On Again” by The Addrisi Brothers

Somewhere between The Everly Brothers and Bread there was an underrated singing/songwriting duo known as The Addrisi Brothers. Don and Dick Addrisi first splashed onto the music scene in 1959 with a near hit called “Cherrystone”, which went to #62 on the Billboard charts. Fast-forward to 1972 and they had a bigger hit with “We’ve Got To Get It On Again”, which went to #25.

In the interim, these brothers gave The Association one of their biggest hits, “Never My Love”, which went all the way to #2 in 1967.

The brothers rerecorded “Never My Love” on their 1972 album, “We’ve Got To Get It On Again”.

It is puzzling why The Addrisi Brothers didn’t have greater success themselves. The B-side of this single, "You Make It All Worthwhile", was also a great tune.

Prior to moving into music, the brothers were a part of their family’s trapeze act, The Flying Addrisis. Their music career should have soared to greater heights.