"Function At The Junction" by Shorty Long

Shorty Long was a talented up and coming R&B singer whose life was tragically cut short in 1969 in a boating accident. He was only 29 years old and just scored a top 10 hit with the terrific "Here Comes The Judge" (#8).

Shorty Long had a few other minor splashes on the chart before his big hit, like "Function At The Junction," co-written with Eddie Holland. This one landed at #97 in 1966 -- why it didn't perform better is a mystery.

"Shelter" by Lone Justice

Lone Justice was a rock act from California with enough of a country vibe that you might have guessed they were from the Midwest. Led by the striking vocalist Maria McKee, the band almost scored a top 40 hit with "Shelter," which stalled at #47 in 1987. Many thought (hoped) this radio-friendly song would break the band -- in a sense, it did.

Prior to "Shelter," the band landed two additional chart appearances in 1985: "Ways To Be Wicked" hit #71 and "Sweet, Sweet Baby (I'm Falling)" hit #73. The band split up in 1986 and McKee pursued a solo career.

"How About Now" by Kenny Loggins

Kenny Loggins is best known as king of 80s film soundtracks. They helped earn him a #1 hit for 3 weeks in 1984 with "Footloose," but also gave him "I'm Alright" (#7, theme from Caddyshack), "I'm Free" (#22, another one from Footloose), "Danger Zone" (#2) and "Playing With The Boys" (#60, both from Top Gun), "Double Or Nothing" (a duet with Gladys Knight from Rocky IV), "Meet Me Half Way" (#11, from Over The Top), and "Nobody's Fool" (#8, from Caddyshack II). Loggins would have one more soundtrack hit in 1997 from the movie One Fine Day with "For The First Time," which reached #60, was nominated for an Oscar, and became his last chart appearance to date.

But films are not the only reason why Loggins is ranked the 30th most successful artist of the 80s. Loggins has an amazing voice with stunning range. He is a diverse singer/songwriter, writing songs for Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (including "House At Pooh Corner," #53 in 1971) and earning more chart achievements as Loggins and Messina in the early 70s. Through the years, Loggins has done everything from rock, pop, adult contemporary, blue-eyed soul, country, children's music, holiday music, and more. Several of his songs were written for his children.

After going solo, he made a habit of working with lots of different people. His first big solo hit was actually a duet with Stevie Nicks: "Whenever I Call You Friend," co-written with Melissa Manchester, hit #5 in 1978. His longtime collaborator, Michael McDonald, co-wrote the song "This Is It," which went to #11 and earned Loggins a Grammy for Pop Male Vocal. Eddie Money contributed backing vocals on "I'm Alright" and Mickey Thomas did so for his 1988 ballad, "I'm Gonna Miss You," which stalled at #82. Richard Marx and Glen Phillips (Toad The Wet Sprocket) co-wrote and sang tunes on his 2003 release, "It's About Time." Finally, there is the famous anthem "Don't Fight It," his 1982 duet with Journey's Steve Perry, which hit #17.

With his 13th album in 2007, Loggins seemed poised for a comeback. The title track to this excellent record, "How About Now" should have restored his presence on the charts, but it fell on deaf ears. Maybe if it were featured on a soundtrack...

"Growin'" by Loggins & Messina

Before Kenny Loggins became an undisputed superstar and soundtrack king, he struck gold as a duo with the great Jim Messina. Messina has also been in other bands, including Buffalo Springfield and Poco.

Loggins and Messina's first big hit was the classic, "Your Mama Don't Dance," which soared to #4 in 1972. They would not achieve another top 10 hit, but scored top 20 hits with "Thinking Of You" (#18) and "My Music" (#16).

Before dissolving in 1975, the boys made several albums mixing country, folk, and rock jams. Kenny started exploring his softer acoustic side with classics everyone knows and loves like "Danny's Song," "House At Pooh Corner," and "A Love Song." Surprisingly, none of these well-known favorites made an appearance on the charts.

"Growin'" stalled on the charts at #52 in 1975, taken from their album "Mother Lode." It deserved better and could have breathed new life into the duo, but then again that might have stopped Kenny from embarking on his impressive solo career.

"Radio Heart" by Crosby Loggins

Crosby Loggins is the product of the union between 80s soundtrack hero Kenny Loggins and his first wife, Eva Ein. I'm guessing he was named after David Crosby and not Bing Crosby.

It seems inevitable if you are the progeny of a superstar like Kenny Loggins that you might try your hand (voice) at singing, and Crosby is no slouch in this department. What is more surprising is that he's only released a single record, 2009's "Time To Move." Don't be fooled by the title, this isn't dance music, but a mix of mid-tempo rockers and soft ballads -- nothing that goes into the "Danger Zone." One of the standouts to my ears is "Radio Heart."

"I Control The Sun" by Lisa Loeb

90s darling Lisa Loeb exploded onto the musical scene in 1994 with her breakout smash, "Stay (I Missed You)," a beautiful and timeless acoustic ballad featured in the hit movie Reality Bites. The song found its way into the film because Ethan Hawke lived in the apartment across from Loeb (Hawke also directed the music video).

"Stay" stayed at the #1 position for three weeks, making Loeb the first artist to top the chart before having a record deal.

Despite the song's success, Loeb had difficulty maintaining her momentum. Two other wonderful singles broke into the top 20: "Do You Sleep?" hit #18 in 1995 and "I Do" hit #17 in 1997. I wished she had more staying power; this talented singer/songwriter with the sweet and sincere voice faded into obscurity. Loeb continued to make records, though, including a series of albums for children. She also did some voice-over work and acting. 

"I Control The Sun" is a terrific tune that comes from her underrated 2004 effort entitled, "The Way It Really Is." Also be sure to check out her excellent 2013 "comeback" that wasn't a comeback record, "No Fairy Tale."

Fun trivia: While in college, Loeb's first band had Duncan Sheik on guitar, who would also score a top 40 hit later on ("Barely Breathing," #16 in 1996).

"My Only Drug" by Taylor Locke & The Roughs

Taylor Locke is the guitarist from the power pop band Rooney, but he does his own power pop thing, too. Inspired by classic bands like the Beatles and Badfinger, Locke strives for melody and harmony. He's recently (2015) made a true solo album, but in 2010 he released two records with a band he called The Roughs.

"My Only Drug" is a featured track from their second release, "Marathon."