Remember That Band?
There was a time when these bands were selling out concerts and topping the charts. But now, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone beyond hardcore fans who even remember them.
Maybe they broke up, burned out, or were just one-hit wonders to begin with. Either way, these bands had their time in the popularity sun—but they ain't shining no more.
J Geils Band
The J Geils Band released 11 studio albums between 1970 and 1984—five of them landed in the top 40 on the Billboard charts. They reached the peak of their popularity with their penultimate record, Freeze-Frame—which topped the charts in 1981 and featured the title track as well as the band's biggest hit, "Centerfold".
Quiet Riot
What was the first heavy metal album to top the Billboard album chart? Metal Health by Quiet Riot. For a short while in the 80s, everyone wanted to "Cum On" and "Feel the Noize".
The band's next album, Condition Critical, reached 15 on the charts—but they never saw the top 20 again. Quiet Riot has released nine albums since 1993 and none of them have even sniffed the Billboard 200.
Justin Warner, Wikimedia Commons
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler, lead by harmonica-playing John Popper, were an important group in the 90s jam band scene—and had their moment of peak crossover popularity in the mid 90s with their top 10 album, Four—and the hit singles "Run-Around" and "Hook".
Virginia State Parks staff, Wikimedia Commons
Average White Band
In the 1970s, there was nothing average about the popularity of this Scottish funk and R&B band. Their second album, AWB, peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 charts and the single "Pick Up the Pieces" was good enough to knock Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good" out of the number one spot on the Hot 100 charts.
Live
Lightning crashed for Live in 1994 with the release of Throwing Copper—which was the first of the band's two number one albums in a row. But while the 90s saw Live become one of the most popular bands around—they've since faded from view.
Jethro Tull
The rock band with the flute, Jethro Tull have had 11 gold albums, five platinum albums, and they've been described by Rolling Stone magazine as "one of the most commercially successful and eccentric progressive rock bands".
There is no doubt a generation that will always remember these guys, but their legacy hasn't traveled down to today's music lovers like some other big bands of their generation.
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night sold millions of albums, had 11 top 10 hits, and three number one singles. And yet today, if anyone remembers them, it's probably because of Joy to the World only.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Traffic
With Steve Winwood at the helm, Traffic saw success with their first two albums before breaking up (for the first time). After disbanding, Winwood went on to team up with Eric Clapton for the supergroup Blind Faith—but after they broke up following the release of their only album, Traffic reformed and went on to have a string of four straight hit records (three gold, one platinum).
Culture Club
While the Boy George-led new wave band did put out an album in 1999 and 2018, Culture Club was a band of the 80s. They released four albums that decade—with three going at least platinum, all four landing in the top 10 on the charts, and they also had a number one album in 1983 with Colour by Numbers.
Does "Karma Chameleon" mean anything to anyone these days?
HBO; Distributed by Epic Records., Wikimedia Commons
The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five weren't just a British rock band from the 60s—they were one of the most successful British rock bands from the 60s and a major part of the "British Invasion". In just four years, between 1964-68, they released 14 albums and had 17 top 40 singles in the US.
Kansas
Formed in Topeka in 1973, Kansas had three multi-platinum albums, spent over 200 weeks on the US Billboard charts during the 1970s and 1980s—and sold out stadiums in North America, Europe, and Japan. Today, they've pretty much been forgotten, except for when people hear "Dust in the Wind" and remember how great a song it is (and "Carry On Wayward Son").
DanielleCannova, Wikimedia Commons
Spin Doctors
The Spin Doctors were an alternative rock band from New York City who hit it big with their 1991 debut album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite. Anyone who lived in North America in the early 90s and listened to the radio or watched MTV probably still has "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" and "Two Princes" stuck in their heads.
Everyone else probably wouldn't recognize the songs, or the band, if they were playing a concert in their backyard.
The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project released 11 studio albums over a 15-year career—five of them were top 20 records and they had seven top 40 singles during those years as well. These days, most folks probably wouldn't even get the "Alan Parsons Project" joke in the first Austin Powers movie.
Although, Chicago Bulls fans might be the exception to the rule given that "Sirius" has been the team's opening theme song since 1984.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Faces
How could so many people forget about a band that featured both Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood (member of The Rolling Stones since 1975)?
Air Supply
Ask people to name some of the great duos in music history and you'll get the likes of Hall & Oates and Simon & Garfunkel. But what about Air Supply?
This Aussie soft rock duo sold over 100 million records worldwide and had eight top five singles on the Billboard Hot 100. And yet, it seems like folks today are all out of love for Air Supply (if you get that joke, then you are one of the ones who hasn't forgotten about them).
And sticking with duos...
Paul Chin from Manila City, Philippines, Wikimedia Commons
Eurythmics
Fans of this new wave band have been having sweet dreams since they broke out in 1983 with their sophomore album. Their next six albums all charted top 10 in the UK and top 50 in the US. The Eurythmics' last studio album was released in 1999, but lead singer Annie Lennox went on to have a successful solo career and Dave Stewart became a very sought-after producer.
Elmar J. Lordemann, Wikimedia Commons
Wild Cherry
More people probably think of their favorite flavor of yogurt than this once-popular band when they hear the name "Wild Cherry". But, just to jog our collective memories—Wild Cherry's first album charted at number five on the Billboard 200 and spawned the number one hit single, "Play That Funky Music".
Pretty much one-hit wonders, Wild Cherry saw their next two albums enter the top 100, but never matched their initial success. They broke up after album number four.
And while we're talking cherries...
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Warrant
Warrant came out swinging with their debut album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich. Then, hit it even bigger with their follow up, Cherry Pie (and the top 10 similarly-named single). There is a whole generation that grew up watching the "Cherry Pie" video who will never forget Warrant. But to most folks...Warrant who?
Frank Schwichtenberg, Wikimedia Commons
The Cars
A Rolling Stone Readers' Poll named The Cars Best New Artist of 1978 and over the next 10 years, they would release six albums (four top 10) and 13 top 40 singles. They disbanded in 1988 and have since slowly faded from the minds of general music audiences.
E.J. Camp; Distributed by Elektra Records, Wikimedia Commons
April Wine
Formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1969, April Wine saw some success in the US and internationally, but they reached major levels of success and popularity in their native Canada (multiple platinum albums and a slew of top 40 hits).
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Extreme
While they weren't one-hit wonders, if you don't remember "More Than Words", then you probably don't remember Extreme.
Rubén G. Herrera, Wikimedia Commons
The Marshall Tucker Band
The Marshall Tucker Band released seven top 40 albums between 1973 and 1980. Since then, they put out 13 albums (the last nine of which didn't even chart). Their first-ever single, "Can't You See", is the band's most popular and recognizable track.
Hootie And The Blowfish
1994 saw Hootie and the Blowfish become one of the biggest musical acts in the country when their debut album, Cracked Rear View, went 22-times platinum. Three singles from the album, "Hold My Hand", "Let Her Cry", and "Only Wanna Be with You", were all over the radio—and the band was even part of a storyline on the second season of Friends (some of the gang went backstage after a concert and Monica got a hickey from one of the Blowfish).
Sgt. Brian Christiansen, U.S. Air Force, Wikimedia Commons
10cc
From 1972 to 1978, 10cc had five straight top 10 albums in the UK. Two of those records were top 10 in Canada and the band's third album charted at 15 in the US. Their biggest song, "I'm Not In Love", is still an oldies-station staple, but how many people who hear it even know what band is singing?
AVRO, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Grand Funk Railroad
The rock band from Flint, Michigan was kind of wonderful in the 70s—releasing six platinum albums and packing arenas around the country. "We're An American Band" was a rock radio staple for decades. These days?
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Hanson
In 1997, Hanson dropped their first album and had pretty much everybody Mmmmbopping along (even if they didn't want to). And later that year, Hanson rode their debut success to the best-selling holiday album of 1997. Did you know that Hanson has released four new albums since 2018? Even some of their fans probably didn't even know that.
Simply Red
Like with April Wine, this one might be location dependent. While this pop soul band from Manchester had three top 40 albums in the United States, they had four straight number one albums in the UK from 1989 through 1998. Also, every album they've ever made has been a top 10 hit in the UK, including their last record, Time, released in 2023.
So, looks like the UK still remembers these guys, while across the pond they've been mostly forgotten.
payayita from Klaukkala, Finland, Wikimedia Commons
Cake
The band's last album, 2011's Showroom of Compassion did debut at number one on the Billboard 200. But this rock band from Sacramento, California probably were at the peak of their popularity in the late 90s and the aughts—with songs like "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" and their awesome version of "I Will Survive".
Unfortunately, their popularity doesn't seem to have survived beyond a core group of fans.
The Black Crowes
Formed in 1989, The Black Crowes were named the "Best New American Band" by Rolling Stone in 1990 and Melody Maker called them "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World". Their brilliant sophomore album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, was charted at number one, and the band didn't have an album chart lower than 26th from 1990 through 2010.
The saviours of rock and roll don't have the same fan recognition that they once had (and still deserve).
DickClarkMises (talk), Wikimedia Commons
Who Did We Forget?
Ironically, we probably forgot a few bands that deserve a place on this list. Let us know in the comments if you have any thoughts or suggestions.
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