The legendary R&B outfit from Detroit known as The Four Tops dominated the charts in the latter half of the 60s and early 70s. Monster hits like "Baby I Need Your Loving" (#11), "I Can't Help Myself" (#1), "Reach Out I'll Be There" (#1), "Bernadette" (#4), and "Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got)" (#4) earned them a ranking of the 67th most successful artist of all-time. By the mid-70s, the Four Tops were struggling to maintain their high profile on the charts, but this doesn't mean their material was getting weaker. Consider "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" for example. This is a brilliant song that deserved to go much higher than #41 in 1974. The Four Tops had a comeback of sorts in 1981 with the #11 hit "When She Was My Girl." Their last chart appearance was in 1988 when "Indestructible," used in the Summer Olympics, reached #35. An appropriately titled song to celebrate a string of classics spanning three decades.
It is hard to find info on this record I have from 1997, a self-titled release from a powerpop band called Four O'Clock Balloon. It is definitely worth tracking down if you like The Knack, Smithereens, or Cheap Trick. Among a bevy of catchy guitar-driven songs, "So Wrong" strikes me as one of this band's finest moments.
Named after a lawn ornament shop in Wayne, New Jersey, the Fountains of Wayne began as a powerpop and rock duo consisting of Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger. They had a minor hit right out of the gate in 1996 with "Radiation Vibe" cruising to #71. A devoted and loyal fanbase of powerpop junkies started to follow the band, which reached new heights in 2003 with the amusing "Stacy's Mom," which went to #21. The first three Fountain of Wayne albums are like a holy trinity of pop rock masterpieces. What a roll these guys were on, yet hardly anyone but hard core fans knew of them. Take the wonderful song "Troubled Times" for instance, from their second album, "Utopia Parkway." The melodies, the harmonies, damn near perfection! The band's music has been featured in tons of films and TV shows, but they never really got the attention they deserved. Their last album came out in 2011 and it appears they won't be doing anymore in the near future.
The Four Dates from Philadelphia were the backing band for Frankie Avalon. They scored a top 100 hit of their own in 1958 with the peppy tune "I'm Happy." Lost in the crowd of be-bop songs at the time, this little number always lifts your mood and makes you want to dance. It had all the makings to be a classic, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.
Everyone knows the English band The Foundations from their most popular hit, "Build Me Up Buttercup," which went to #3 in January of 1969. The band's debut single from 1967 also did very well - "Baby, Now That I Found You" went to #11. "Back On My Feet Again" was released in-between those two monster hits and kind of fell through the cracks, topping out at #59. The band's last chart appearance was in July of 1969, when "My Little Chickadee" went to #99.
New York band Fotomaker scratched the surface of the charts in the late 70s, but really should have become a household name. Stacked with talent, this band had members from The Raspberries and The Rascals. All of them shared vocal duties and wrote a treasure trove of catchy tunes and soulful ballads. Two of the band's songs cracked the top 100 in 1978: "Where Have You Been All My Life" went to #81 and "Miles Away" went to #63. Probably too long for radio, "If I Can't Believe In You" should have seen some chart time, too.
Led by Mark Foster, Foster the People scored an unlikely hit in 2011 with their quirky tune "Pumped Up Kicks." The song, which stayed at #3 for 8 weeks, has some pretty awful verses, but its saving grace is the instantly memorable chorus. "Don't Stop (Color On The Walls)" was the infectious third single from that album and deserved better than topping out at just #86. The band's follow-up record in 2014 failed to spawn any charting hits, putting the band in danger of being known as a one-hit wonder.
