Silver was a soft rock band formed by the expansion of the duo known as Batdorf & Rodney, who scored two minor chart hits in 1975 with "You Are A Song" (#87) and "Somewhere In The Night" (#69). The latter would become a big #9 hit for Barry Manilow a few years later. In 1976, Silver had their one and only chart appearance when "Wham Bam (Shang-A-Lang)" reached #16. It came from their self-titled record, which contained a number of other radio-friendly tunes that seemed to have chart potential as well, like the upbeat "All I Wanna Do." Afterwards, the keyboardist (Brent Mydland) joined The Grateful Dead until he passed away from a drug overdose in 1990 at the age of 37.
There's been a couple of charting bands that used the name, The Silencers. This one refers to the rock band from Pittsburgh led by Frank Czuri, who was also the keyboardist in Diamond Reo. The Silencers arrived on the scene in 1980 with their album, "Rock & Roll Enforcers." It generated a lone Top 100 hit with "Shiver And Shake," a solid mid-tempo rocker with great harmonies that somehow only reached #81.
Signal is just one of three AOR bands led by vocal powerhouse Marcie Free (the other two being King Kobra and Unruly Child). Signal released a single studio record in 1989 called "Loud and Clear" that surprisingly went nowhere. Why "Arms Of A Stranger" didn't find its way onto radio or the charts back in the late 80s is a mystery.
Bunny Sigler was a master of Philly soul doing a style a music that may have been a little too late. His breakout regional hit was "Girl Don't Make Me Wait," a fantastic number that should have been a classic. It didn't chart on the Top 100, but paved the way for the single he is best known for, "Let The Good Times Roll & Feel So Good," which hit #22 in 1967. Unfortunately, he wouldn't see Top 40 action again, although he came close to a comeback in 1978 when "Let Me Party With You (Party Party Party) (Part 1)" landed at #43.
It was probably all about timing. The Sighs were a post-grunge band that tried to hit it big just as grunge was getting started. Bridging bands like The Smithereens and Gin Blossoms, The Sighs stood next to no chance landing on the charts in 1992. The band's debut album, "What Goes On," is one of the most criminally overlooked alternative rock records of the decade. "Think About Soul" should have been huge, and if released a little earlier or a little later, probably would have made The Sighs a household name. Sigh.
Sick Puppies are a modern hard rock trio from Australia that formed in the late 90s. Their knack for blending gritty, crushing guitar with memorable choruses earned them a strong fan base, but it took about a decade for them to get some deserved airplay in the US. The band finally made a showing on the US charts in 2011 when "Maybe" reached #56. The song comes from their 2010 record, "Tri-Polar," which remains one of their best from start to finish and probably one of the most underrated albums in the genre. The band dramatically shifted their sound with their follow-up album, 2013's "Connect." Personally, I think their infusion of more radio-friendly pop and acoustic guitars into the usual thunderous sound worked well, but it got the band mixed reviews. "There's No Going Back" is just one of many highlights from this terrific effort. The lead singer and the rest of the band parted ways after "Connect." The band recruited a new singer for 2016's release, "Fury."
If you listen to them today, you'd probably wonder as I do why the Kansas City band Shooting Star wasn't more of a force on the charts in the 80s. They managed a handful of minor hits throughout the decade, but nothing that reached the Top 40 to make them a household name. Shooting Star first appeared on the charts in 1980 when "You've Got What I Need" peaked at #76. A good start, but their next charting single, "Hollywood," only reached #70 in 1982. The band was quiet until 1989, when "Touch Me Tonight" topped out at #67. "When You're Young" is a typical 80s anthem lifted from their acclaimed 1985 album, "Silent Scream."
