Most of what George Michael released in his heyday easily had instant chart success, so there isn't too much from his prolific era to highlight that is "off the chart." Capitalizing on the success he had in Wham!, Michael's solo career made him the 5th most successful artist of the 80s. The 90s weren't too shabby to him, either, as he managed to maintain a healthy chart presence to be the 33rd most successful artist in the 1990s. His masterpiece album, "Faith," spawned four #1 hits and two more top 10s, but the monster success left Michael struggling with artistic identity. Wanting to be taken more seriously as a songwriter, Michael did a complete 180 with his follow up, 1990's "Listen Without Prejudice, Vol I." (There was a Vol. II but it was abandoned for reasons that remain unknown.) On "Listen," Michael left the catchy pop and dance music behind and focused more on acoustic guitars and piano. The lyrics were more thoughtful and surprisingly darker. While vastly different than its predecessor, the album produced two top 10 hits ("Praying For Time" hit #1 and "Freedom" hit #8) and 2 more top 40 hits: "Waiting For That Day" reached #27 and the haunting "Mother's Pride" (one of Michael's strongest compositions in my opinion) hit #46. "Something To Save" is an underrated cut from "Listen" that didn't chart. A simple piece featuring voice and guitar, the song lets his raw talent shine. Michael would hit the top again soon enough one last time: his cover (and duet) of Elton John's hit, "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" was #1 in 1992. His last chart appearance occurred in 1996 when "Jesus To A Child" and "Fastlove" hit #7 and #8, respectively. Then he faded from the limelight, largely by choice of not wanting to perform as frequently. Sadly, Michael passed away from heart failure on Christmas Day in 2016 at 53 years old. His amazing voice and songwriting legacy endures, and he is currently ranked as the 49th most successful artist of all-time.
Arguably one of the most successful heavy metal bands to ever thrash the charts, Metallica's history goes all the way back to 1981. An unexpected hit emerged with their ballad, "One" (from the album "...And Justice For All"), which crept up to #35 in 1989 and earned the band their first Grammy. The first video Metallica ever made, "One" haunted the minds of viewers and had them all checking out the book and movie, Johnny Got His Gun. Expectations were running high for Metallica's next album, which was self-titled but is commonly referred to as "The Black Album." The band did not disappoint. The album yielded five top 100 singles - unprecedented for a heavy metal band. The best performer was "Enter Sandman," which peaked at #16 in 1991. But that would not be Metallica's best chart performance. The band delivered two albums in quick succession in 1996 and 1997 and the lead single, "Until It Sleeps" hit #10, giving Metallica their only top 10 hit to date. "Fuel" comes from the album "Reload" and is one of the finest tracks I've heard from any heavy metal band. Everything that is great about this band is encapsulated in this one amazing song. It was the third single, but didn't chart.
The Merrymakers may be one of the finest bands to come out of Sweden since ABBA. With a knack for amazing hooks and well-crafted harmonies, The Merrymakers released some of the best power pop records of the 90s. The masterminds behind the group are Anders Hellgren and David Myhr. "Troubled Times" is just a sample of the terrific songs packed into their 1999 release called "Bubblegun," which is easily one of my dessert island records.
Before Crocodile Dundee, Fosters, and Outback Steakhouse put all things Australian in fashion in the US, there was Men At Work. Few bands can boast back-to-back debut #1 singles, but Men At Work pulled it off with "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under." Surprisingly, nothing else charted from their landmark debut album, "Business As Usual." Still, their out-of-the-box success won them the 1982 Grammy for Best New Artist. The boys, led by vocalist Colin James Hay, were under a lot of pressure to avoid a sophomore jinx, but once again they pulled it off. "Overkill" went to #3, "It's A Mistake" hit #6, and "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" landed at #28. Then Men At Work were forced into early retirement. Their third album, 1985's "Two Hearts" was a flop, generating their last top 100 single, "Everything I Need," which stalled at #47. The sessions for the album got heated and caused some members to leave. Colin James Hay embarked on a quiet solo career after "Two Hearts" broke. "High Wire" is a great tune from their sophomore record, "Cargo." I recall hearing it on the radio, but it did not hit the chart.
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.
With the resurgence of piano rock in the 2000s, led by groups like The Fray, Keane, and Five For Fighting, you'd think Melee would have been able to capitalize on it. Sadly, their 2007 major label debut, "Devils And Angels" went nowhere. For me, it was one of the best records of the year. "Built To Last" is the leadoff track from the record, and it surprises me to no end that it wasn't a hit. After the follow-up record in 2010 called "The Masquerade" also tanked, the band called it quits. What a waste of chemistry and talent!
One of the most successful artists to pioneer theatrical rock is none other than Michael Lee Aday, better known as Meat Loaf, a nickname given to him by a football coach. His unique style and voice was getting noticed early in his career, as he was cast in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and was invited to sing most of the tracks on the 1976 Ted Nugent record, "Free-For-All." Meat Loaf's big break arrived with his epic 1977 record, "Bat Out Of Hell." It became one of the biggest selling albums of all-time and produced three top 40 hits that are now staples of classic rock: "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" (#11), "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" (#39), and "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth" (#39). His follow-up record was delayed four years thanks to a vocal injury, and after "I'm Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us" stalled at #84 in 1981, it appeared Meat Loaf was toast. Enter one of music's most unlikely comebacks: in 1993, Meat Loaf scored his biggest hit with "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)." The song, which had everyone guessing what he wouldn't do, stayed at #1 for a ridiculous five weeks and earned the Loaf a well-deserved Grammy. The song came from his 7th album, and second in the "Bat Out of Hell" trilogy. The success helped keep Meat Loaf on the charts until 1996, when "Not A Dry Eye In The House" stalled at #82. There were high hopes in 2006 that the third installment of the "Bat Out Of Hell" trilogy would make people hungry for Meat Loaf once again. The record still has the epic (in other words, overly long), soaring ballads one would expect, but it also rocks harder than its predecessors. It failed to reignite his chart career, but there are some worthy cuts like "If It Ain't Broke, Break It."
