Hockey fans will recognize the moniker used by John Ondrasik - five for fighting refers to a penalty. It also refers to one of the most underrated singer/songwriters of our time. Ondrasik should be handed the "piano man" baton from Billy Joel, but he's only managed to score a handful of hits so far. The biggest has been his first, when "Superman (It's Not Easy)" flew to #14 in 2001. The equally terrific song "100 Years" only climbed to #28 in 2004. A final top 40 appearance came in 2006 with "The Riddle", which just barely entered at #40. Five For Fighting should have many more tunes becoming sing-a-longs that everyone knows. The uplifting "Story Of Your Life" from his 2010 record, "Slice," is just one example of many.
Supergroups are no guarantee of success - sometimes the whole seems less than the sum of its parts. Expectations were riding high for The Firm, which consisted of giant talents like singer Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), guitarist Jimmy Page (Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin), drummer Chris Slade (Manfred Mann), and bassist Tony Franklin. The group had an instant hit with the groovy classic rocker "Radioactive," which reached #28 in 1985, but failed to top that performance. That is not to say they didn't write songs that were not worthy of a higher position on the charts. "Someone To Love" struck me as a song that would have done well back then. The Firm released "Satisfaction Guaranteed," but it stalled at #73. The short-lived supergroup parted ways in 1986, but not after one more song hit the chart - "All The Kings Horses" hit #61 on the band's way out the door.
On the tail end of the hairband craze, a North Carolina band aptly named Firehouse came in to hose down the flames of this dying genre, scoring some modest hits in the process. Their catchy debut single, "Don't Treat Me Bad," climbed to #19 in 1991 and the token power ballad, "Love Of A Lifetime," did even better by reaching #5. The band would continue to make appearances in the top 40 with similar power ballads like "When I Look Into Your Eyes" (#8) and "I Live My Life For You" (#26). Firehouse released an acoustic album in 1996 called "Good Acoustics." In addition to reworking some of their previous tunes, it contained four new songs. Kicking off the record is a surprise gem called "You Are My Religion" - a very cool pop song that should have set the charts back on fire.
Firefall was a 70s soft rock band best known for their top ten smash, "You Are The Woman," which peaked at #9 in 1976. One of the few top ten singles I can recall that featured a flute ("Down Under" by Men At Work being another). The band would score some additional hits like "Just Remember I Love You" (#11 in 1977) and "Strange Way" (#11 in 1978). They racked up a few lesser known top 40 hits before the fire died in the early 80s. The Colorado group was put together by Rick Roberts of the Flying Burrito Brothers and Jock Bartley of Zephyr. They recruited Larry Burnett and Mark Andes, who just finished his tenure with Jay Ferguson in Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and Mike Clarke of The Byrds (and also of Flying Burrito Brothers). "Leave It Alone" is one of my favorite guilty pleasure tracks from "Undertow," the fourth and final album to feature the founding lineup. Andes left to join Heart in 1980 and Clarke, who was causing problems with his drinking, also departed. Sadly, Clarke died of liver failure in 1993.
Fiona Flanagan, simply called Fiona, seemed poised to be the next Pat Benatar in the late 80s. Her throaty voice first charted in 1985 when "Talk To Me" reached #64. Her sophomore record, however, failed to score a hit. In the meantime, she took up some acting gigs, landing in an episode of Miami Vice and the Bob Dylan movie, Hearts of Fire. Fiona's third record, "Heart Like A Gun," which many regard as her best, put her back on the chart in 1989. A duet with Kip Winger helped propel "Everything You Do (You're Sexing Me)" to #52, which would become her final top 100 appearance. I always wondered how "Bringing In The Beast" would have fared on the charts back then, but it wasn't chosen as a single. Fiona would release another solid rock album in 1992 called "Squeeze," but by then the music climate had steered away from melodic rock. I think Fiona would have been much bigger in the 80s if only she were able to find better songwriters - she sure had the pipes.
The Finn Brothers, Neil and Tim, are both exquisite songwriters in their own right - teaming up to craft some of Crowded House's finest songs. They released another record together in 2004 called "Everyone Is Here." The entire album is gorgeous, filled with beautiful, thoughtful songs performed with great sincerity. "Nothing Wrong With You" is just one of my favorites in the bunch. Neither Tim nor Neil charted as a solo artist (or as a duo) in the US, a sad reflection of musical tastes in this country.
Canadian modern rock band Finger Eleven crept their way onto the charts with a soft acoustic number that is atypical of their usual hard-hitting sound. That song was called "One Thing" and it put the band on the map by reaching #16 in 2004. The band's follow-up record produced an even bigger chart topper in 2007, with the track "Paralyzer" grooving its way to #6. Unfortunately the band hasn't seen chart success since, and I can't figure out why. With additional rocking anthems like this one, Finger Eleven should still be racking up more top ten hits.
