"Running In The Rain" by The Paley Brothers

Bursting with talent that was never widely embraced, brothers Andy and Jonathan of The Paley Brothers fell through the cracks of the late 70s music scene. The closest they came to breaking onto the charts was in 1978 when "You're The Best" bubbled under at #109. Consequently, their debut album fizzled and the brothers were relegated to underrated power pop pioneer status.

"Running In The Rain" is one of their unreleased tracks, which was probably destined for a second album that went unreleased at the time. Many tracks for that record finally saw the light of day in 2013 with the release of "The Complete Recordings."

"Indecision" by Steven Page

Steven Page was one of the principle songwriters and vocalists in Canadian band Barenaked Ladies, but decided to try out a solo career in 2009. He's released several albums to date, most of which continue the quirky pop songwriting that made fans fall in love with Barenaked Ladies.

Page has yet to crack the US Top 100 as a solo artist, but don't let that deter you from enjoying his catalogue. "Indecision" comes from his 2010 record called "Page One."

"Anywhere You Go" by David Pack

After his departure from the soft rock band Ambrosia, which scored a string of memorable hits in the latter half of the 70s, lead singer David Pack struck out on a solo career. He barely managed his single chart appearance as a solo artist in 1984 when "Prove Me Wrong" crawled up to #95, thanks in part to being featured in the movie, White Nights.

"Prove Me Wrong" was also on his 1985 album, "Anywhere You Go." The title track is probably my favorite song by Pack, who didn't release another solo album until "Unborn" in 2004.

"This Time" by Pablo Cruise

Putting the "yacht" in Yacht Rock, Pablo Cruise embodied the San Francisco pop scene in the late 70s. They scored two top 10 hits that each went to #6: "Whatcha Gonna Do?" and "Love Will Find A Way." A number of other minor hits may also sound familiar to you, such as "A Place In The Sun" (#42), "Don't Want To Live Without It" (#21), and "Cool Love" (#13).

With the arrival of the 80s, Pablo Cruise struggled to maintain a presence on the charts and broke up by 1986.

"This Time" is an underrated anthem that kicks off the band's 1981 effort, "Reflector." With a bit more pep and energy than their usual soft rock style, this motivational tune gets you moving - more speedboat than sailing.

"Sonny Boy" by Owsley

How Will Owsley III, known better as simply Owsley, never became a chart success I'll never know. Owsley was an uber-talented singer and songwriter who specialized in pop rock melodies that are just a joy to listen to again and again.

Owsley got his start in Judson Spence's band, but came into his own with the 90s power pop band called The Semantics, which also featured Ringo Starr's son. The band was terrific but their music did not fit with the times. 

Owsley then went solo, releasing his first self-titled effort in 1999 to critical acclaim but into a commercial abyss. "Sonny Boy" is just a taste of wonderful stuff from this record, which includes other highlights like "Coming Up Roses" and "Good Old Days."

Starting in 1994, Owsley also became a longtime player with superstars Amy Grant and Shania Twain. He still found time to release a second solo record in 2004 called "The Hard Way" (be sure not to overlook "Undone" and his version of Paul McCartney's "Band On The Run"). Sadly, he died from an apparent suicide in 2010 at the age of 44.

"Take Me Home" by The Outfield

There are so many enjoyable songs performed by London band The Outfield that didn't appear on the US charts that it is very hard to select just one to highlight. The band knocked its first hit out of the park in 1986 when "Your Love" soared to #6, followed by "All The Love In The World," which went to #19. A third single from their debut album ("Play Deep"), the ballad "Everytime You Cry," deserved better than #66.

The band sustained a modest chart presence on the strength of lead singles from their subsequent albums. The awesome "Since You've Been Gone" only went to #31, "Voices of Babylon" only #25, "For You" got to #21, and "Closer To Me," their final chart appearance in 1992, only reached a disappointing #43 despite having comeback hit written all over it. And somehow, the incredible "My Paradise" only went to #72.

"Take Me Home" is from the band's 1992 effort, "Rockeye." Not a lyrical masterpiece, but just a feel good, silly lust song.

Sadly, primary songwriter and guitarist John Spinks passed away in 2014 at the age of 60. Vocalist and bassist Tony Lewis released a fine solo album in 2018 that fans of The Outfield would appreciate. 

"Annie" by Our Lady Peace

Lead by the distinctive vocals of Raine Maida, Our Lady Peace is a post-grunge band hailing from Ontario, Canada. Formed in 1992, they attained their first chart appearance in the US with their breakthrough 1997 album, "Clumsy." Two singles from this record put the band on the Top 100: "Superman's Dead" flew to #74 and the title track stumbled to #59 (it was also featured in the hit movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer).

The band returned in 1999 with a strangely named yet terrific follow-up record called "Happiness...Is Not A Fish You Can Catch." I thought the single, "One Man Army," was amazing and would secure the band a longterm home on the US charts. But it was not to be and the band fell off the radar until they retooled their sound with producer Bob Rock in 2002 and scored their biggest hit yet, "Somewhere Out There," which went to #44. Despite many strong tunes thereafter ("Life," "Innocent," "Where Are You," "All You Did Was Save My Life," "The Right Stuff," "Head Down"), the band has yet to crack the US charts again.

"Annie" is another great cut from the "Happiness" album. Check it out, as well as the band's extensive catalogue of nine albums and counting.