"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.

"I'm Not Your Man" by Tommy Conwell

Throughout various Philadelphia bars in the 80s, Tommy Conwell and The Young Rumblers were gearing up to hit the big time with their brand of guitar-driven rock and blues. They had their moment in the sun with "Rumble", their only charting album, which hit #103 in 1988.

While the band's second single from that album, "If We Ever Meet Again", performed better on the charts, hitting #48, most people remember the boys best by their first single, "I'm Not Your Man". Surprisingly, "I'm Not Your Man" only reached #74 in 1988. The rise of the glam bands and synth pop bands just didn't leave much room for straight-up rock and roll like this to shine. 

"Slackjawed" by The Connells

The Connell brothers formed their band back in the mid-80s and quickly became darlings of college radio. While they never attained mainstream success, that moment almost came with a couple of singles from their fifth record, 1993's "Ring".

The band had achieved quite a buzz by this point and the catchy single "Slackjawed" got some decent airplay. The band become better known when their ballad "'74-'75" was released. While still failing to chart in the US, the song did very well in Europe and was featured on the soundtrack to the Liv Tyler movie Heavy. Quite surprisingly, their success in Europe landed the band a spot opening for Def Leppard, which is not the most intuitive pairing of bands!

"Ring" would become the last Connells album to crack the Billboard Top 200, just barely doing so by hitting #199.

"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.

"My Ship" by Company of Wolves

Once upon a time there was a rock group from Baltimore called The Ravyns. This little known band had a pretty big song featured on the soundtrack to the hit film Fast Times At Ridgemont High called "Raised On The Radio". Kyf Brewer played keyboards and sang for the band, but after their major label debut failed to fly, he left the flock and formed Company of Wolves.

Company of Wolves had all the ingredients to rise above the crowded "hair band" scene of the late 80s and early 90s, but for some reason it never happened. Their self-titled record is amazing - sizzling bar band rock and blues with clever lyrics and big chorus hooks. From gritty rockers to acoustic ballads, these guys could do it all.

"My Ship" is just one of many stand out songs on this incredibly underrated record. Fans of the era may also recognize "The Distance", which got a decent amount of airplay back in the day. Brewer has also released a number of solo records and was a member of the successful Celtic rock outfit Barleyjuice.

"Round Of Blues" by Shawn Colvin

South Dakota singer and songwriter Shawn Colvin is best known for her huge 1997 hit, "Sunny Came Home", which peaked at #7 and won Grammys for Record and Song of the Year. Strangely, Colvin has never seen another charting single, but she has amassed a loyal following.

Back in 1992, the promise of Colvin's talent was evident on tracks like "Round of Blues". It is more upbeat than her usual folk tunes and stands as one of my favorites from her extensive repertoire. 

"Since You Broke It" by Graham Colton Band

Graham Colton is a football star turned singer/songwriter from Oklahoma. With their pop sensibilities and lofty choruses, Colton and his band quickly gained popularity in the early 2000s that led to the release of their debut album, "Drive", in 2004.

After performing with the likes of Better Than Ezra, John Mayer, Maroon 5, and Counting Crows, Colton pursued a solo career leading to 2007's "Here Right Now". Helped by the single, "Best Days", which was featured on American Idol, the record reached #153 on the Billboard Top 200. The album should have been mined for additional hits. Colton continues to crank out solid pop rock fare that can be heard on many a TV show, and with any luck will one day get the wider recognition he deserves.

"Since You Broke It" provides a glimpse into why so many people were excited about Graham Colton and his band.