Favorite Lesser Known Hits By Well Known Artists (1 Viewer)

[zamboni]

Looking for some favorite songs among popular artists that hit the Billboard Top 40, but you will seldom hear on garden variety "hits" stations (either commercial radio. Sirius/XM, Pandora, etc.).

May be subjective in terms of what is lesser known, but have at it. I'll start it off with one I really like, but never hear unless on my own iPod:

Rod Stewart - "Passion" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sklwrKjrQYE) - #5 in 1980.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m-DYM7JvMA

Lots of Van Halen to choose from, most stations only play a song or two from each album.

 

[Parrothead]

just off the top of my head- there are tons of them..

Asia - Wildest Dream

Steely Dan - Haitian Divorce

Genesis - Ripples

Journey - Mother Father

REO Speedwagon- Roll With the Changes

Supertramp - School

Styx - Castle Walls

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Ballad of Curtis Lowe

James Taylor - Copperline

 

[zamboni]

Just to clarify, looking for songs that hit Billboard Top 40 charts, not necessarily AOR deep cuts.

Here's another example:

John Cougar - "Hand To Hold On To" (peaked at #19 in 1982)

 

[Ilov80s]

Life's What You Make It - Talk Talk

This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies

Only You and I Know - Dave Mason

It's About Time - The Beach Boys

Change - Tears for Fears

Pale Shelter - Tears for Fears

Rock Me On the Water- Jackson Browne

These Days- Jackson Browne

The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar- Bob Dylan

Changing of the Guard- Bob Dylan

Talking in Your Sleep- Gordon Lightfoot

One Less Set of Footsteps- Jim Croce

Straight Into Darkness- Tom Petty

Too Much Ain't Never Enough - Tom Petty

Rebel - Tom Petty

I'm Cryin- The Animals

Victoria- The Kinks

Living on a Thin Line - The Kinks

This Time Tomorrow- The Kinks

Ramble Tamble - CCR

Sinister Purpose- CCR

Lonely People- America

Nothing but Flowers- Talking Heads

Thank You For Sending Me an Angel- The Talking Heads

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Queen has a ton. Father to Son might be one of their better songs that never gets any love.

 

[Doug B]

"The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)" by Jouney (#34, 1981)

 

[Doug B]

John Cougar - "Hand To Hold On To" (peaked at #19 in 1982)

John "Cougar" Mellencamp had a couple of nice ones before American Fool:

"I Need a Lover" (#28, 1979)

"Ain't Even Done with the Night" (#17, 1981)

 

[zamboni]

"The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)" by Jouney (#34, 1981)

Good one. To stick with Journey, "Still They Ride" hit #19 in 1982. Probably one of my favorite Journey songs.

 

[Doug B]

... songs among popular artists that hit the Billboard Top 40, but you will seldom hear on garden variety "hits" stations (either commercial radio. Sirius/XM, Pandora, etc.) ...

Rod Stewart - "Passion" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sklwrKjrQYE) - #5 in 1980.

Great idea for a thread. These "hits" stations always leave so much off the table.

Speaking of Rod Stewart, a lot of his early-80s output is just totally glossed over by commercial radio. Another #5 hit, "Young Turks" is rarely played these days.

 

[zamboni]

... songs among popular artists that hit the Billboard Top 40, but you will seldom hear on garden variety "hits" stations (either commercial radio. Sirius/XM, Pandora, etc.) ...

Rod Stewart - "Passion" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sklwrKjrQYE) - #5 in 1980.

Great idea for a thread. These "hits" stations always leave so much off the table.

Speaking of Rod Stewart, a lot of his early-80s output is just totally glossed over by commercial radio. Another #5 hit, "Young Turks" is rarely played these days.

I hear Turks every now and then, but not so much the title track "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)" (#20)

 

[zamboni]

How about some early Stones: "Heart Of Stone" (#19, 1964)

 

[Amused to Death]

John "Cougar" Mellencamp had a couple of nice ones before American Fool:

"I Need a Lover" (#28, 1979)

Great song and I always forget its JCM until the vocals come in (referring to the original album version with the long instrumental intro).

 

[dmac37]

Styx- Miss America

John Cougar- A little night dancin & small paradise

Mark Knopfler- the way it is

David Bowie- panic in detroit

Fleetwood Mac- I don't wanna know

Joe Cocker- woman to woman

Kansas- Portrait "He knew"

Patti Smith- Frederick

The Police- So lonely

 

[zamboni]

John "Cougar" Mellencamp had a couple of nice ones before American Fool:

"I Need a Lover" (#28, 1979)

Great song and I always forget its JCM until the vocals come in (referring to the original album version with the long instrumental intro).

Pat Benatar does a decent cover of it as well.

 

[zamboni]

Styx- Miss America

John Cougar- A little night dancin & small paradise

Mark Knopfler- the way it is

David Bowie- panic in detroit

Fleetwood Mac- I don't wanna know

Joe Cocker- woman to woman

Kansas- Portrait "He knew"

Patti Smith- Frederick

The Police- So lonely

Come on, man.

 

[zamboni]

S&G - "At The Zoo" (#16, 1967)

 

[Doug B]

Heard one on the radio this morning that I hadn't heard in 20+ years. Had to Google the lyrics to remember who sang it:

"I Don't Want to Live Without Your Love", Chicago (post-Peter Cetera, #3 in 1988)

 

[Jules Winnfield]

INXS - Don't Change (best song they ever had and I rarely hear it on the radio)

The Bangles - Going Down to Liverpool, James, Hero Takes a Fall

Spandau Ballet - Through the Baricades

The Alarm - One Step Closer to Home

 

[Amused to Death]

Lou Reed - Dirty Blvd.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

I really like this Bob Dylan song but ever hear it on the radio. Here is a live version from '75

Isis

 

[comfortably numb]

Stumbled upon this one from oasis when I was making a playlist for Spotify.

My new favorite song

Talk Tonight-Oasis (1995)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycaocta_OCw

ETA: Never mind, just realized you wanted songs that hit the top 40

 

[zamboni]

INXS - Don't Change (best song they ever had and I rarely hear it on the radio)

Agreed the best song they ever did. Actually came up on my shuffle this morning.

Only hit #80 in the US, so doesn't quite fit the bill though.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

INXS - Don't Change (best song they ever had and I rarely hear it on the radio)

Agreed the best song they ever did. Actually came up on my shuffle this morning.

Only hit #80 in the US, so doesn't quite fit the bill though.

I didn't read your original post but that's an interesting point

Come on. Lets get into character

 

[Doug B]

Heart's "How Can I Refuse?" (#44 Billboard Hot 100, #1 Billboard Top Tracks Airplay, 1983). Didn't quite sell enough as a single to break the Top 40, but got a lot of airplay as an album track in major markets.

 

[zamboni]

Never hear this one and it's one of their best:

Bee Gees - "Holiday" (#16, 1967)

 

[zamboni]

This one did better than I thought, but got a bit lost in the shuffle of hit after hit after hit by them in the early '80s.

Hall & Oates - "Did It In A Minute" (#9, 1982)

Really like the groove to this one.

 

[simey]

Bee Gees - Fanny, Be tender with My Love (#12, 1975)

 

[whoknew]

Rick Springfield -

I've Done Everything For You (#8 on Billboard Hot 100)

Love is Alright Tonite (#20)

 

[zamboni]

Bee Gees - Fanny, Be tender with My Love (#12, 1975)

Good one. Was also gonna go with "Nights On Broadway".

 

[Doug B]

Rick Springfield -

I've Done Everything For You (#8 on Billboard Hot 100)

Love is Alright Tonite (#20)

Except for "Jesse's Girl", Springfield's catalog is largely ignored by commercial radio these days. Nice call.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I really like this Bob Dylan song but ever hear it on the radio. Here is a live version from '75

Isis

One of my favorite Dylan songs. One of my favorite Dylan albums, as well.

 

[zamboni]

Rick Springfield -

I've Done Everything For You (#8 on Billboard Hot 100)

Love is Alright Tonite (#20)

Except for "Jesse's Girl", Springfield's catalog is largely ignored by commercial radio these days. Nice call.

Agreed - I'd also add "Affair Of The Heart" as another good tune.

 

[Doug B]

"Angel in Blue", J. Geils Band (#40, 1982)

 

[zamboni]

Really like this song:

Kinks - "A Rock 'N Roll Fantasy" (#30, 1978)

 

[Doug B]

"Make Believe", Toto (#30, 1982)

 

[zamboni]

"Make Believe", Toto (#30, 1982)

Nice one - haven't heard that in ages.

 

[Doug B]

Really like this song:

Kinks - "A Rock 'N Roll Fantasy" (#30, 1978)

Speaking of ... can't remember the last time I heard "Destroyer"** (#3 Billboard Top Tracks Airplay 1981) on terrestrial radio. I don't think I was shaving yet.

Don't know about satellite stations.

** can't believe that song got bogged down at #85 on the Hot 100. Our local DJ must've loved that song ... played it a ton.

 

[zamboni]

Santana - "Hold On" (#15, 1982)

 

[Amused to Death]

Rick Springfield -

I've Done Everything For You (#8 on Billboard Hot 100)

Love is Alright Tonite (#20)

Hear the bolded quite regularly on an '80s station in the Philly market actually. The other one, not so much.

 

[zamboni]

"Urgent", "Waiting For A Girl Like You" and "Juke Box Hero" are well-played, but I think "Break It Up" (#26) from the same 4 album is much less played but also solid.

 

[Doug B]

Santana - "Hold On" (#15, 1982)

Yes Great track. Commercial radio seems to think Rob Thomas discovered Santana in the late '90s

Another nice one: "Winning" (#17, 1981)

 

[JoeSteeler]

Santana - "Hold On" (#15, 1982)

just heard Santana-Winning (#17, 1981) on a classic rock station. cant remember last time i heard it.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Santana - "Hold On" (#15, 1982)

just heard Santana-Winning (#17, 1981) on a classic rock station. cant remember last time i heard it.

I think the last time I heard it was after a Minnesota Strikers victory back in the 80s

 

[JoeSteeler]

Santana - "Hold On" (#15, 1982)

Yes Great track. Commercial radio seems to think Rob Thomas discovered Santana in the late '90s

Another nice one: "Winning" (#17, 1981)

Santana - "Hold On" (#15, 1982)

just heard Santana-Winning (#17, 1981) on a classic rock station. cant remember last time i heard it.

 

[zamboni]

Santana - "Hold On" (#15, 1982)

Yes Great track. Commercial radio seems to think Rob Thomas discovered Santana in the late '90s

Another nice one: "Winning" (#17, 1981)

And if you want to go further back with Santana, I'd add "No One To Depend On" (#36, 1972)

 

[DocHolliday]

"The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)" by Jouney (#34, 1981)

Good one. To stick with Journey, "Still They Ride" hit #19 in 1982. Probably one of my favorite Journey songs.

Really good song.

 

[Doug B]

Four from The Boss:

"Prove It All Night" (#33, 1978)

"Fade Away" (#20, 1981)

"I'm Going Down" (#9, 1985)

"Fire (Live)" (cover of the Pointer Sisters' hit written by Springsteen -- #46 Billboard Hot 100, #14 Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay, 1987)

 

[Doug B]

Erm, just thought of something: I'm sure NYC and NJ radio stations still play those Springsteen tracks all the time But down here in the sticks, they've been overlooked for a long time.

 

[Doug B]

Just heard Santana-Winning (#17, 1981) on a classic rock station. cant remember last time i heard it.

Hearing these kinds of tracks on a radio station gives me hope that somewhere, a few DJs are still allowed to dig a little deeper for their tracks than from some corporate list.