What are some of your favourite singers or bands that didn't really make a big impact in the charts?


One of my favourites was an American band called Urgent.  They had album in 1985 titled "Cast the First Stone" that produced a minor hit with an excellent song called Running Back, which remains one of my all-time favourite songs of the 80's :)

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[quote author=whis

Remember the group "Johnny Hates Jazz?"  I loved 'Shattered Dreams' I thought they were going to be big.  I forgot this group's name but I remember the song  "Life in a Northern Town" also Mr Mister.


I remember JHJ sure.  Shattered Dreams was a very popular song, but the group itself are often not well remembered in America because they only had 2 top 40 hits, and are often considered a one hit wonder

Life in A Northern Town was by The Dream Academy :)

B-Movie: Nowhere Girl is a great song.
Toy Dolls: Nelly The Elephant is my favorite
Nocera: one of the few freestyle songs I like, "Summertime Summertime" is by Nocera.
Dead Milkmen: Punk Rock Girl was kind of popular in the alternative crowd... but I don't think it ever made the charts
The Posies: I actually thought they were better known than they are... I've used their song "I May Hate You Sometimes" in a couple quizzes, and nobody ever got it...
Kon-Kan: Their sort-of cover of "I Beg Your Pardon" which isn't exactly a cover... and their true cover of "If You Wanna Be Happy" were both good... they also did a cover of Puss In Boots but I didn't care much for that one.
Michael Penn: I like the song "No Myth"

Always liked Roxette, although they probably weren't a lesser-known band.

Anyone remember Drowning In Berlin by The Mobiles? They were aiming for a sort of Cabaret look and sound updated to the '80s. It wasn't a bad song but they never managed to have another hit (as far as I can recall)...

Am I the only one who remembers Pseudo Echo?  They were an Australian group that a big hit in the US with a cover of Lipps Inc's "Funky Town" in the summer of 1987, but then disappeared from the face of the earth. . 

I always liked The Dead Milkmen, "Bitchin' Camaro" is classic. The Go-Gos are pretty good, they're not quite "lesser known", but Belinda Carlisle and her ilk were really influential and "Vacation" is one of the best pop songs of the post-1980 era.

Kon-Kan: Their sort-of cover of "I Beg Your Pardon" which isn't exactly a cover... and their true cover of "If You Wanna Be Happy" were both good... they also did a cover of Puss In Boots but I didn't care much for that one.


Kon Kan were great :)


Am I the only one who remembers Pseudo Echo?  They were an Australian group that a big hit in the US with a cover of Lipps Inc's "Funky Town" in the summer of 1987, but then disappeared from the face of the earth. .  


I remember Pseudo Echo.  They had lots of success in their native Australia.  Shame they didn't have more over here :(

Echo and the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon

Am I the only one who remembers Pseudo Echo?  They were an Australian group that a big hit in the US with a cover of Lipps Inc's "Funky Town" in the summer of 1987, but then disappeared from the face of the earth. .   

Pseudo Echo were huge for a while in their home country of Australia, with several top 10 singles. My favourite is "The Stranger In Me". They recently re-formed and have toured Australia and Singapore. It was the same story for many of my favourite bands: big in their home country of Australia, but failed to make much impact overseas. To name a few:
Uncanny X-Men
Kids In The Kitchen
The Angels (toured the US as Angels City)
Cold Chisel

Off Broadway
I'll second the Kon Kan nomination
Martin Briley
The Jags
Graham Parker (not that obscure but definitely not as mainstream as he deserves)

Off Broadway
I'll second the Kon Kan nomination
Martin Briley
The Jags
Graham Parker (not that obscure but definitely not as mainstream as he deserves)


I love "Stay in Time" by Off Broadway.  That track is very obscure.  Good choice O0

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this is, i think, VERY OBSCURE. i got four hits, and i think it's only because some other band covered one of the songs.

it's great. a friend of mine had this LP in high school and we both completely obsessed over it. weird, psychedelic, disturbing skinny-puppyish stuff, but much more lo-fi.

thanks, yall, there's a copy going on ebay for 31 bucks. so there's 31 more dollars i dont have cuzza this thread!

i'll let you know if it's as good as i remember.

Anyone remember Drowning In Berlin by The Mobiles? They were aiming for a sort of Cabaret look and sound updated to the '80s. It wasn't a bad song but they never managed to have another hit (as far as I can recall)...


* Awake - asleep - in the distance - a scream... * (or words very similar to those)

That's what I remember - plus the carousel like sounds they added in the chorus. The song got stuck in the bubbling under section over here (not really a surprise).

I always liked the song Mexican Radio by Wall of Voodoo.

[quote author=whis

Am I the only one who remembers Pseudo Echo?  They were an Australian group that a big hit in the US with a cover of Lipps Inc's "Funky Town" in the summer of 1987, but then disappeared from the face of the earth. .  
Yes, I do. I have their version of 'Funkytown' downloaded.

I just remembered another somewhat obscure song i really liked... it's called "She's My Ex" by All.  Does anyone else know that one??

EBN OZN 8)

I always loved Lena Lovich.  Her 'big' hit - the one that got video air play was "Lucky Numbers".

I was also a huge X fan and I remember not many mainstream people following them in the 80s.

I've got a few: Nina Hagen, Falco (who can't forget "Der Kommisar"?), Trio (Da-da-da), Mr. Mister, Starship, Billy Squier...

But I need your help, guys! There are 2 bands that I'm really trying to find: The Street Boys and The Europeans.

The Street Boys was a folk band and it had 2 "hits" or well known songs: Some Folks and Shine. And The Europeans is a dance band.

Please, help me find them!

Jon Astley, had a song called Janes Getting Serious.

Four out of Five Doctors
The Kings
Martha and the Muffins
and BLOTTO----the greatest!

more well known are Fischer Z and Teardrop Explodes.

Flesh for Lulu
Lloyd Cole & the Commotions
The Bus Boys
The Pogues

I've got a few: Nina Hagen, Falco (who can't forget "Der Kommisar"?), Trio (Da-da-da), Mr. Mister, Starship, Billy Squier...

But I need your help, guys! There are 2 bands that I'm really trying to find: The Street Boys and The Europeans.

The Street Boys was a folk band and it had 2 "hits" or well known songs: Some Folks and Shine. And The Europeans is a dance band.

Please, help me find them!


The Europeans had a tune called 'Animal Song' which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1983 motion picture 'A Night in Heaven' :)

My 2 favorite obscure bands are Steel Breeze and Vandenberg.  I used to listen to "American Top 40 "  every Sunday.  I always wrote down the charts and kept files for all of the singers and bands, writing down their hit songs and their chart numbers.  I had a soft spot for underdog bands.

Steel Breeze:  Their hits were "You Don't Want Me Anymore" and "Dreamin' Is Easy".  "You Don't Want me Anymore" only made it into the late 30's on the Top 40, but made it to number 10 on the "Solid Gold" countdown.  (To this day, I can't figure out how SG tabulated that Top 10.)  Anyway, they performed live with the SG dancers dancing in the background.  That was the day I began my crush on SG dancer Alex Cole.
                   
                  I just bought their only album on LP, new and sealed for $1 on eBay.  I highly recommend it for '80s music fans.  It has all synthesizers and guitars.  It even has a song called "Lost in the 80's".

Vandenberg:  The head of this group went on to form "Whitesnake".  "Burning Heart " was their big Top 40 hit , which got to number 38.

    One good thing about collecting '80s music is that it's so cheap.  I can get LP's for 50 cents and 45's for 10 cents at my local record store.  I recently found Mr. T's rap record, the "Hands Across America" 45,  and the "We Are the World" 45.

My 2 favorite obscure bands are Steel Breeze and Vandenberg.  I used to listen to "American Top 40 "  every Sunday.  I always wrote down the charts and kept files for all of the singers and bands, writing down their hit songs and their chart numbers.  I had a soft spot for underdog bands.

Steel Breeze:  Their hits were "You Don't Want Me Anymore" and "Dreamin' Is Easy".  "You Don't Want me Anymore" only made it into the late 30's on the Top 40, but made it to number 10 on the "Solid Gold" countdown.  (To this day, I can't figure out how SG tabulated that Top 10.)  Anyway, they performed live with the SG dancers dancing in the background.  That was the day I began my crush on SG dancer Alex Cole.
                     
                   I just bought their only album on LP, new and sealed for $1 on eBay.  I highly recommend it for '80s music fans.  It has all synthesizers and guitars.  It even has a song called "Lost in the 80's".

Vandenberg:  The head of this group went on to form "Whitesnake".  "Burning Heart " was their big Top 40 hit , which got to number 38.

    One good thing about collecting '80s music is that it's so cheap.  I can get LP's for 50 cents and 45's for 10 cents at my local record store.  I recently found Mr. T's rap record, the "Hands Across America" 45,  and the "We Are the World" 45.




Steele Breeze and Vandenberg are awesome.  Excellent choices 8)

I like Ultravox a lot. They had a few hits with Reap the Wild Wind and another song that I can't think of the name right now.

I like Ultravox a lot. They had a few hits with Reap the Wild Wind and another song that I can't think of the name right now.


Dancing With Tears in My Eyes, Vienna?

[quote author=whis

Am I the only one who remembers Pseudo Echo?  They were an Australian group that a big hit in the US with a cover of Lipps Inc's "Funky Town" in the summer of 1987, but then disappeared from the face of the earth. . 


Yep, I remember 'em. 

Most obscure singles of the 80s:

The Hawaiian Pups - "Baby Judy"
Ledernacken - "Amok"
Beastie Boys - "Rock Hard" and "Cookie Puss" (aka "Cooky Puss") (from before "Licence to Ill", and good luck finding either track llegally due to outrageious sampling/copyright issues and/or radio-unsafe lyrics/sampels :)
Eidelweiss - "Edelweiss"
File 13 - "Taste So Good" (non-radio-safe, cult classic involving sampled phone sex)
Section 25 - "Looking from a Hilltop" (instrumental, you'll recognize it when you hear it.  Fantastic track, decades ahead of its time)
Colourfield / Colorfield - "Pushing up the Daiseies"
Interferon / Intaferon - "Get Out of London"

Semi-obscure:
A Split Second - "Rigor Mortis" (1988, also several very good remixes ca. 1991)
Bomb the Bass - "Beat Dis" (You may not have known what it was called.  May have been overplayed or underplayed depending on where you live)
Pop Will Eat Itself - "Defcon One" (Again, either overplayed or underplayed depending on which clubs you went to :)
Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy - "Kiss Me"

And going a few light-years away from synthpop... on the hair/metal front, does anyone here remember Zodiac Mindwarp?

Here's a bunch of great lesser known songs from the 80's.  Click a song title to hear it ...

"Breaking Up is Hard on You" by the American Comedy Network
A parody of the Neil Sedaka song that talks about getting screwed by Phone Companies
Billboard:  US #70
Year: 1984

"96 Tears" by Garland Jeffreys
A cover of the 60's classic by The Mysterians
Billboard:  US #66
Year: 1981

"State of the Nation" by Industry
Might just be the greatest dance hit of the 80's
Billboard:  US #81
Year: 1983

"Romantic Dreams" by Industry
This was not released as a single, but it should have been.  It appears on Industry's self-titled EP
Billboard:  Did Not Chart
Year: 1983

"Square Rooms" by Al Corley
easily one of the catchiest hits of the 80's
Billboard:  US #80
Year: 1985

"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" by Nielsen and Pearson
American duo with a cover of a Walker Brothers classic.  Was a big hit here in Canada
Billboard:  US #56
Year: 1981

"You've Got to Be A Winner" by Huey "Baby" Harris
This song was a massive hit here in Canada, but it was not a Canadian Song.  Huey Harris is American
Billboard:  Did Not Chart
Year: 1985

Say;
does anyone know where I might find a copy of a song called Young, sung by Jason Scheff? It was on a soundtrack for a movie called How I got into college. It was a pretty cool early 80's movie.I need to find this song. Any help would be appreciated.

Colin

Anyone remember Drowning In Berlin by The Mobiles? They were aiming for a sort of Cabaret look and sound updated to the '80s. It wasn't a bad song but they never managed to have another hit (as far as I can recall)...


I quite like that song.

'Any Trouble' were not very well known, quite like a few of thier hits.

[quote author=wһіѕ

Oh man.  I remember this and have some SBC friends.  With the recent merger with AT&T...

Let's just say that I'd give my left nut if you'd re-encode that into emm pee three (which is all my car can play), except that I suspect (...and hope :) that you have no particular use for my left nut. 


You can keep your left nut ;D

I am just glad to help out.  I am the master of 80's songs, and there's no song that I can't find (well there are a few out there I can't find, but that's another story LOL)

Anyhow, the mp3 is on it's way to your PM box :)

Clan of Xymox-can't get enough of this band.  They made their debut in '85 and are still putting out good stuff.  Can be considered "pop-goth", very syth-driven, GREAT lyrics.

[quote author=wһіѕ

I liked English singer Alison Moyet. She released a few songs in '84 and '85, such as "All Cried Out", "Love Resurrection" and "Invisible". She was played a lot in the radio stations here back then. I still listen to these songs every once in a while.

My favorite lesser know artist (In Denmark anyway) is Tahnee Cain, her song "Burnin' in the Third Degree" in on the "Terminator I" soundtrack, in the movie it's played when Sarah enters Club Noir on Pico.

I also like Robert Tepper's song "Angel of the City" from the "Cobra" soundtrack, played in the model scene with the ex-mrs. Stallone.

Zowee. Some bands listed here are bringing back memories.
Dead Milkmen ~ love Bitchin' Camero. And who could not love "Taking The Retards to the Zoo". Oh they make me laugh. Great CD is DEATH RIDES A PALE COW - The Ultimate Collection, although it doesn't have any tracks from Soul Rotation.
Martha & the Muffins ~ Echo Beach.
Pop Will Eat Itself ~ Remember seeing them in 90's. They opened up for Soundgarden / Nine Inch Nails. Marilyn Manson was an opening act too. "Ich Bin Ein Auslander" was a popular one then. Memories...
Anyone remember a Christmas song, I think by The Waitresses?