It is virtually impossible to pick the greatest song from Led Zeppelin's uncharted classics, largely because so many of their well-known songs surprisingly never charted, including "Communication Breakdown," "Ramble On," Dazed and Confused," and even their epic ballad, "Stairway To Heaven." These legendary pioneers of hard rock did score some top 20 hits with "Whole Lotta Love" (#4), "Immigrant Song" (#16), "Black Dog" (#15), and "D'yer Mak'er" (#20). While many associate Led Zeppelin with the gritty and blazing guitar of Jimmy Page and the banshee rock vocals of Robert Plant, some seem to forget how diverse the music of Led Zeppelin was. They effortlessly jumped between hard rock, psychedelic rock, the blues, symphonic rock, and acoustic rock. They should have had more chart hits, but their influence on rock and roll still lives on today. "All My Love" showcases yet another dimension of the band, a rare and tender moment. The heartfelt song is about the death of Plant's son and rips me up every time I hear it. It is also one of the first to feature synthesizers, played by bassist John Paul Jones. Led Zeppelin faced another tragedy when drummer John Bonham died in 1980, at which point they decided to disband.
Avril Lavigne got an early start to her musical career, bursting onto the US charts in 2002 with "Complicated," which reached #2 for two weeks. More top 10 hits from her debut album soon followed, including "Sk8er Boi" (#10) and "I'm With You" (#4), which really highlights her amazing pipes. Her songwriting chops also helped make Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" a smash hit. Lavigne continues to crank out hits, mixing up rock and pop with a bit of dance and punk. In 2004, she returned to the top 10 with "My Happy Ending" (#9), and in 2007 she scored a #1 hit with "Girlfriend." Lavigne's success has made her the third most successful female Canadian artist ever (behind Celine Dion and Shania Twain). In the US, she ranked as the 46th most successful artist in the 2000s. "Anything But Ordinary" takes us back to her near-perfect debut record, "Let Go." To my ears, it remains one of the catchiest and uplifting songs in her catalogue.
Cyndi Lauper was a Queen of the 80s music charts, beginning with her huge breakout hit, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" in 1983. The song is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but it is not her biggest chart hit as it peaked at #2. Lauper racked up two #1 singles during the 80s with the ballads "Time After Time" from 1984 and "True Colors" from 1986. The massive success of her 1984 album, "She's So Unusual," earned Lauper the Grammy for Best New Artist of that Year. After a string of additional hits, the momentum was wearing out by the end of the decade. Lauper did land a final top ten hit in 1989 when "I Drove All Night" peaked at #6, but that song remains her final top 40 appearance. Nevertheless, her chart achievements in the 80s makes her the 33rd most successful artist of the decade. "I Drove All Night" comes from Lauper's third album, "A Night To Remember," an underrated effort in her catalogue. Shedding most of the dated 80s sound, Lauper had more rock on this record, but it didn't translate into sustaining hits. "Insecurious" is one of those tracks that I thought deserved better. Lauper maintains an active recording career, dabbling in holiday music, the blues, and even country.
Nicolette Larson was a talented session vocalist for a wide range of artists, from Neil Young to Linda Ronstadt to Van Halen. She also recorded several records as a solo artist, but aside from "Lotta Love," which soared to #8 in 1978, major chart success mysteriously eluded her. "Ooo-eee" is a simple but catchy love song from her 1980 album called "Radioland." Strangely, not even help from her friend Linda Ronstadt (who sings backing vocals) could help get this tune onto the chart. Her last chart appearance was in 1982 when her cover of "I Only Want To Be With You" reached #53. Sadly, Larson passed away in 1997 at the age of 45 from cerebral edema.
There are some artists you hear that you can't believe you've never heard of - Jeff Larson falls into that group. Jeff Larson has independently released several albums since the 2000's, impressing listeners with his 70s acoustic rock sound. If you hear hints of the band America in his music, that's because he often works with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell from America. If you enjoy the Eagles or Dan Fogelberg, you need to check out the breezy, melodic sounds of the great Jeff Larson.
In 1998, lead singer Glen Phillips left the folk rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket to pursue a solo career (the band would later reunite in 2010). Guitarist/vocalist Todd Nicolas and bassist Dean Dinning continued to write and play music together with some new recruits under the moniker Lapdog. Lapdog released the first of their two records, "Near Tonight," in 2001. Continuing largely in the Toad tradition, the songs are melodic and filled with rich harmonies, so it is odd the group didn't win over many hearts. "See You Again" is the lush lead-off track, and it makes a good first impression. The tune was co-written with the members of Athenaeum. It's a shame no one threw Lapdog a bone.
Intelligent singer/songwriters don't burn up the charts like they should; such is the case for Ray LaMontagne. LaMontagne arrived on the scene with his debut album, "Trouble," in 2004. Thanks to plenty of airplay for the title track, LaMontagne quickly gained critical and commercial success. Nearly every track on this wonderful record is featured in a movie or TV show, including the amazing "How Come." "How Come" is a biting stab at the senseless violence in society that makes it hard to "tell the free world from a living hell." Despite the accolades, nothing from "Trouble" charted. LaMontagne would appear on the charts just once in 2008 when his song, "You Are The Best Thing" peaked at #90.
