The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*: #125-101

The music in this set, like most other music featured on Inside The Rock Era, is best heard at high volume...

This next hard-rocking group put out one of The Most Underrated Albums of the Rock Era*:

#125: Cherry Baby--Starz

This group from New Jersey had its beginnings in the group Looking Glass, which had the smash #1 song "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" in 1972. After lead singer Elliot Lurie left, the three remaining members (keyboardist Larry Gonsky, bassist Pieter Sweval and drummer Jeff Grob), invited vocalist Michael Lee Smith and guitarist Brendan Harkin to join the group, which soon changed their named to Fallen Angels.

In 1975, Richie Ranno, former guitarist for the Stories, joined. After Gonsky was dropped, the group changed their name once again to Starz and also changed musical direction towards more heavy metal. Kiss manager Bill Aucoin became Starz's manager as well, and helped them sign a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1976.

The following year, the group recorded the album Violation, the first side of which still is one of the best sides of the Rock Era. It contains "Cherry Baby", their first single, which reached #33. Although "Cherry Baby" certainly shouldn't have been their only hit, even on this album, and Starz was a highly underrated group, they nonetheless could never reach the Top 40 again.

Starz split up in 1999, and even though they never had huge commercial success, artists such as Poison and Motley Crue cite Starz as a major influence.

This artist took a song written by the duo that helped make Elvis Presley famous and made it into one of the 50's biggest hits:

#124: Kansas City--Wilbert Harrison

Harrison learned to play piano, guitar and harmonica and signed a recording contract with both Fire and Fury Records. Both were owned by Bobby Robinson.

"Kansas City" was one of the first songs written by the famous duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The song hit #1 and sold over one million copies.

Harrison continued to record for ten years before "Let's Stick Together" reached #32, but he would never again venture into the Top 20. Meanwhile, "Kansas City" was given the Hall of Fame Award by the Grammys, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame includes it in its "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" display.

They called them spaghetti westerns, and our next artist recorded the theme song for one of the best of them:

#123: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Hugo Montenegro

Montenegro was born in New York City in 1925. He served in the United States Navy for two years. After World War II, Montenegro attended Manhattan College while studying composition and leading his own band for school dances.

In the mid-1950's, Montenegro directed, conducted and arranged the orchestra for Eliot Glen and Irving Spice on their Dragon and Caprice labels. Hugo directed the orchestra on Dion DiMucci's first release.

Montenegro then accepted a job as musical director for Time Records and produced a series of albums for the label, before moving to Los Angeles in the early 1960's to work for RCA Records. Hugo produced albums and soundtracks for motion pictures and television themes, such as Music From "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.".

Montenegro began scoring motion pictures with Advance to the Rear in 1964. He wrote the musical score and conducted the recording sessions for the 1969 Elvis Presley Western movie Charro! Montenegro also worked for Columbia's television production company Screen Gem, where he composed the theme to the second season of the television show I Dream of Jeannie.

Montenegro began producing electronic albums, influential for future generations of electronic musicians, in that he used the Moog synthesizer. Montenegro took a song by Ennio Morricone and recorded it as the theme to the movie The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The song was released as a single, and it climbed to #1 for four weeks in the U.K., reached #2 in the United States, #3 in Canada, sold over one million copies, and became one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*.

In the late 1970's, severe emphysema forced an end to Montenegro's career, and he died in 1981.

This artist proved that every once in a while, it pays to be a nuisance:

#122: 98.6--Keith

James Keefer earned his first recording contract with Columbia Records after camping out on the doorstep of A&R executive Jerry Ross. His first single, "Caravan of Lonely Men" in 1966, was credited to Keith and the Admirations.

When Ross moved to Mercury Records, he took Keith with him, and Keith reached the Top 100 with "Ain't Gonna' Lie". In 1967, Keith released the single "98.6", which reached #7 in the United States and #24 in the U.K. and sold over one million copies. Reportedly, when Keith was in London, he was approached by John Lennon who told him "...what a great record his "98.6" was."

But Keith's second Mercury album, Out of Crank, failed to capitalize. He was then arrested for draft evasion in the middle of a concert tour. Keith was then stationed for a year in New Jersey. When he got out, he joined Frank Zappa's touring band in 1974.

Keith recorded one final album and then left the music industry for a while before resuming live performances.

This artist worked several years largely unnoticed until one of his songs caught on:

#121: Do You Know What I Mean--Lee Michaels

Michaels began his music career with the Sentinels that included John Barbata, later to join the Turtles and Jefferson Airplane/Starship. Michaels and Barbata then joined the Strangers before moving to San Francisco.

In 1967, Michaels signed a recording contract with A&M Records and released his debut album Carnival of Life. He also played keyboards and guitar as a session musician, notably for Jimi Hendrix. Michaels' stage sound consisted of his Hammond organ and a drummer. This unorthodox lineup attracted a following in San Francisco and critical acclaim.

But it wasn't until Michaels' fifth album (Fifth) that most people noticed him. He released "Do You Know What I Mean" as a single, which reached #6 in 1971. A follow-up, "Can I Get A Witness" reached #39.

Michaels recorded two more albums for A&M before signing with Columbia in 1973. Those recordings did not get much attention, and Michaels went into semi-retirement by the end of the decade.

A member of the Poppy Family enjoyed a huge solo hit in 1974:

#120: Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Jacks and his family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in the early 1960's. Jacks began playing guitar in his teenage years and formed the band the Chessmen. The group had four regional Top 10 hits between 1964 and 1966.

After the Chessmen broke up, Susan Pesklevits asked Terry to accompany her on guitar and soon, Craig McCaw was added to the mix to form the group the Poppy Family. Susan and Terry were married in 1967 and the group later added Satwant Singh. The Poppy Family enjoyed huge hits with "Where Evil Grows" and "Which Way You Goin' Billy?", both written by Jacks.

In the early 1970's, Terry and Susan traveled to Los Angeles where Terry was set to record "Seasons in the Sun" with the Beach Boys. Jacks modified the lyrics to Rod McKuen's 1965 adaption of "Le moribond", a 1962 song by Belgian singer Jacques Brel. The project with the Beach Boys, however, was never finished and the couple returned to Vancouver. Susan and Terry both recorded solo albums in 1973, with Terry releasing the single for "Seasons in the Sun" on his own record label, Goldfish Records. The song hit #1 in the United States, became the top-selling international single by a Canadian artist at the time and earned Jacks two Juno Awards in Canada.

Jacks had a hit in Great Britain with "If You Go Away" and had a minor hit in the United States with his version of "Rock 'N' Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)". His career output as a solo artist totaled four albums and 14 singles, but nothing approached the success of "Seasons in the Sun". He later wrote and produced songs for Buddy Knox, Chilliwack and other artists.

This artist scored their one big hit in which its leader doesn't perform on:

#119: The Horse--Cliff Nobles & Company

Nobles grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and began singing in high school as a member of the Delroys. He recorded three singles for Atlantic Records, none of which charted.

While living in a commune in Norristown, Pennsylvania, he formed a group, Cliff Nobles & Co., with bassist Benny Williams, guitarist Bobby Tucker and drummer Tommy Soul. The group recorded demos and were awarded a recording contract with Phil-L.A. of Soul Records. Their second single was "Love Is All Right" with "The Horse" on the "B" side, the latter featuring the horn section of what would later be known as MFSB. "The Horse" was an instrumental version of the "A" side in which Nobles does not play on the track at all.

It was that instrumental that caught on, peaking at #2 for three weeks in 1968. "The Horse" sold over one million copies in just three months. The record company continued to release instrumental singles on which Nobles himself did not play on, but a single with Nobles' vocal just missed the Top 40 on the R&B chart.

But "The Horse" remains as the only substantial hit ever credited to Cliff Nobles & Co.

This great vocal group gave us one of the early rock standards:

#118 Earth Angel--Penguins

Cleveland Duncan and Curtis Williams were classmates at Fremont High School in Los Angeles and after graduation, the two added Dexter Tisby and Bruce Tate and formed the Penguins in 1953. The group blended rhythm and blues and rock and roll.

Williams had co-written "Earth Angel" with Gaynel Hodge when those two were in the group the Hollywood Flames. The song was included on the "B" side of the Penguins' first single "Hey Senorita" in late 1954. But, as is often the case, radio makes up for mistakes made by record companies, and a DJ flipped the 45 over to play "Earth Angel" instead. And it is that song that made the Penguins famous, as it reached #1 for three weeks in 1955.

Technically, that was before the Rock Era was born (famously when "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets reached #1), but the doo-wop sound of the record transcended into the Rock Era and helped define its infancy.

"Earth Angel" was simultaneously recorded by the Crew-Cuts, which reached #3 and became their biggest hit. Most people feel the version by the Penguins is better, however.

The group's story is ironic in that, after "Earth Angel", Buck Ram agreed to manage them. Ram of course was the manager of the Platters, which at that time had no hit singles but were a popular touring group. With the Penguins, Ram was able to get Mercury Records to agree to a 2-for-1 deal, in which the company agreed to sign the Platters as long as they could have the Penguins. The Platters became the label's most successful act, and the Penguins never found the chart again!

The Penguins were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, which speaks volumes of potential that was never realized.

This artist achieved success after she built her own home recording studio:

#117: I Love You Always Forever--Donna Lewis

Lewis began playing piano at age six and began composing original songs as a teenager. She majored in classical composition for piano and flute at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales. Donna taught music for a year in Sussex, England before moving to Birmingham to sing in a bar band.

Lewis set up a home studio and began recording demos. She began attracting attention as a live performer and in 1993 began sending her demos to record labels. Atlantic Records signed her to a recording contract and released the single "I Love You Always Forever". The song became one of The Top #2 Songs of the Rock Era*, reaching the bridesmaid's spot for nine weeks in the United States and #5 in the U.K. The single propelled her debut album Now in a Minute to Platinum status.

Lewis then recorded "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx for the animated movie Anastasia. The song was a #2 Adult Contemporary song but only #45 overall. Her second album, Blue Planet in 1998, was well received by critics, but not by the public. Lewis then left Atlantic and independently produced her own albums.

This big Adult Contemporary song caught on with the mainstream in 1979:

#116: Just When I Needed You Most--Randy VanWarmer

VanWarmer was born in Indian Hills, Colorado but at age 15, three years after the death of his father in an automobile accident, Randy and his mother moved to Cornwall, England.

Soon VanWarmer was writing songs and performing in folk music clubs in England. Then, a girlfriend from the United States came to see him for several months before returning home. The experience prompted VanWarmer to write "Just When I Needed You Most".

In 1979, Bearsville Records released the single "Gotta' Get Out of Here" with "Just When I Needed You Most" as the B-side. But when a DJ flipped the single, "Just When I Needed You Most" caught fire. The song reached #4 in the United States (#1 Adult Contemporary) and #8 in the U.K. Dolly Parton and Smokie are among those who have remade the song.

VanWarmer's follow-up album Terraform was dark in lyrical content. It achieved some airplay in Manhattan, New York, where VanWarmer had moved by that time. The album sold moderately in Japan and the Australia but little elsewhere.

VanWarmer recorded two more albums for Bearsville Records and reached #55 with "Suzi Found a Weapon" in 1981. VanWarmer released 10 albums and 11 singles in his career. He went on to write several songs for the Oak Ridge Boys. Charley Pride, Alabama and Michael Johnson also recorded his songs.

At #115, one of a handful of One-Hit Wonders to score a #1 song with their only hit:

#115: Green Tambourine--Lemon Pipers

The members of this Oxford, Ohio group had previously played in college bars with different groups before forming the Lemon Pipers. Keyboardist Robert "Reg" Nave was with the Wombats while guitarist William Bartlett, drummer William Albaugh and bassist Ron Dudek were part of Tony and the Bandits. Steve Walmsley soon replaced Dudek.

The Lemon Pipers played covers of songs by the Who and the Byrds. They played regularly in the Oxford bar called The Boar's Head, and in underground rock venues in Cincinnati such as The Mug Club and The Ludlow Garage. They released their debut single "Quiet Please" on Carol Records.

In 1967, the group went all the way to the finals of the Ohio Battle of the Bands before losing to the James Gang. The Lemon Pipers then recruited Ivan Browne, who was the lead singer for Ivan and the Sabres in Miami, Ohio. Noted music industry entrepreneur Mark Bargar was instrumental in getting the group signed to Buddah Records (later renamed Buddha Records).

The Lemon Pipers began playing larger concert hall venues around the U.S., including an appearance at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. Their first single on Buddah was the Bartlett song, "Turn Around and Take a Look". However, Buddah saw the Lemon Pipers as a bubblegum group rather than the rock group they actually were.

The label turned to the Brill Building songwriting team of Leka and Shelley Pinz to write a song for the Lemon Pipers. The result was "Green Tambourine", which the band reluctantly recorded. The song reached #1 in 1968 in the United States, #7 in the U.K. and was a hit all over the world. "Green Tambourine" sold over two million copies.

That success led to pressure by Buddha for the group to stay in the bubblegum genre. They released another Leka/Pinz song, "Rice Is Nice", which reached #46. The Lemon Pipers only recorded the song because they knew they would be dropped from the record company if they refused.

The Pipers' debut album, Green Tambourine, contained five Leka/Pinz songs, and two extended tracks written by the band. The contrast could not be more obvious. The differences between Buddah and the group continued on the album Jungle Marmalade, which contained another Leka/Pinz song called "Jelly Jungle", which reached #51, as well as the 11-minute, 43-second song "Dead End Street"/"Half Light".

The Lemon Pipers left Buddah in 1969 and later broke up. Bartlett, Walmsley and Nave formed Starstruck, whose recording of "Black Betty" was remixed and released in 1977 under the name of Ram Jam.

An association with Mike Post helped this aspiring artist get off the ground:

#114: Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)--Joey Scarbury

At age 14, Joey Scarbury was discovered by songwriter Jimmy Webb's father and was signed to a recording contract with Dunhill Records. However, his first single, "She Never Smiles Anymore" didn't find an audience and he was dropped from the label.

Scarbury persisted, however, working as a backup singer for Loretta Lynn and continuing to record. In the late 1970's, Joey worked for producer and composer Mike Post. Post and Stephen Geyer were hired to write the theme song for the new television series The Greatest American Hero and Scarbury was called on to record it.

The full-length version was edited to one minute for broadcast but the show's success prompted Elektra Records to release it as a single. "Theme from Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" reached #2 in 1981. However, after the follow-up "When She Dances" peaked at #49, Scarbury again disappeared from the charts.

He did record "Back to Back" for the television show Hardcastle and McCormick and recorded the theme to the television show Jennifer Slept Here. Scarbury also wrote songs for the Oak Ridge Boys and other artists, but only recorded one career album and had just one career hit.

We hope you're enjoying The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*. This act scored their big hit in 1977:

#113: Angel in Your Arms--Hot

Gwen Owens began singing in church in Detroit, Michigan, and wound up recording for local labels in the mid-1960's. Her single "Keep on Living" in 1969 reached #40 on the Soul chart. Owens opened in local concerts for artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Al Green.

Owens moved to Los Angeles and began a session career, working for Billy Preston, Al Wilson and Stanley Clarke and singing in live performances with the O'Jays, Lou Rawls, Nancy Sinatra and Jose Feliciano. Owens and Cathy Carson began performing and touring under the name Sweet Talk. In 1976, Owens, Carson, and the newly-recruited Juanita Curiel began work on an album as Hot.

"Angel in Your Arms" was recorded and picked up by Big Tree Records for release. The single reached #3 in Canada, #6 in the United States and #7 in New Zealand, was a multi-format smash and sold over one million copies.

Two other singles: "Right Feeling at the Wrong Time" and "You Brought the Woman Out of Me" were only minor hits in the group's attempt to keep the ball rolling. Hot recorded two more albums before Big Tree Records was shut down.

This act was one of the promising newcomers of 1976:

#112: Sky High--Jigsaw

Tony Campbell formed Jigsaw in 1966 with musicians from Coventry and Rugby, England. The original lineup of Jigsaw was Dave Beech on vocals and drums, Clive Scott on keyboards and vocals, bassist Barrie Bernard, Campbell on guitar and Tony Britnell and Kevin Mahon on saxophone. Des Dyer replaced Beech after the first year and took over lead vocals for the group.

In 1970, Jigsaw opened for Arthur Conley for his European tour. Scott and Dyer wrote "Who Do You Think You Are?", which was a hit for Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, and the song was included on Jigsaw's 1974 album I've Seen the Film, I've Read the Book. But soon the group was dropped from their recording label, BASF.

But Jigsaw carried on, signing with Splash Records, and recording the single "Sky High" for the movie The Man from Hong Kong. The song became a worldwide hit, reaching #3 in the United States, the Top 10 in the U.K. and #1 in Japan.

Jigsaw recorded five career albums and released 15 singles, but they couldn't continue the success they achieved with "Sky High".

Here's yet another act whose songwriting and musicianship is behind some other popular songs that you know:

#111: Waiting for a Star to Fall--Boy Meets Girl

Singer Shannon Rubicam and vocalist and keyboardist George Merrill sang backup on Deniece Williams' 1984 smash, "Let's Hear It for the Boy". They also wrote two #1 hits for Whitney Houston, "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna' Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", as well as songs for Williams and Bette Midler.

Boy Meets Girl released their debut album in 1985, which include the minor hit "Oh Girl". In 1988, the duo released the follow-up album, Reel Life, which contained "Waiting For a Star to Fall". The single peaked at #5 overall and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States and #9 in the U.K.

"Bring Down the Moon" was the next-best song after their One Hit Wonder, peaking at #49. Boy Meets Girl recorded four albums in their career, and, although they were a One-Hit Wonder as an duo, Rubicam and Merrill made significant contributions beyond the group.

This next artist may have had one big hit but he had a hand in some of Motown's greatest successes:

#110: Hang On in There, Baby

Johnny Bristol

Bristol was a native of Morganton, North Carolina, and after serving in the United States Air Force, joined the duo Johnny & Jackey in the Detroit area. The two recorded two singles in 1959 for Anna Records and four for Tri-Phi Records but none spread beyond being regional hits.

By the mid-1960's, Motown had absorbed Tri-Phi and Bristol began working as a songwriter and producer. Among the singles Bristol produced at Motown were Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love" and "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" and Edwin Starr's "Twenty-Five Miles". Bristol wrote for Gladys Knight & the Pips, Jr. Walker & the All Stars and Jermaine Jackson. The final single released by the Supremes with Diana Ross, "Someday We'll Be Together" in 1969, was a remake of a song Bristol wrote in 1961 while with Johnny & Jackey.

Bristol left Motown in 1973 and joined CBS as a producer, working with artists such as Johnny Mathis and Boz Scaggs. But when CBS showed little interest in Bristol's recording career, Johnny signed a recording contract with MGM Records.

Bristol recorded "Hang on in There Baby" in 1974, and the single reached #3 in the U.K. and #8 in the United States. Following the huge hit, Bristol released a string of singles that unfortunately were only successful on the much-smaller R&B chart. He reached #5 in that genre with "Do It To My Mind". Bristol was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Johnny then recorded two albums on Atlantic Records, and continued to produce for Scaggs, Tom Jones and Tavares. Bristol's lack of mainstream success led him to focus on Europe, but his duet with Amii Stewart on "My Guy - My Girl" only reached #39 in 1980. Bristol recorded "Man Up in the Sky" and a remake of "What Does it Take to Win Your Love" by the Jr. Walker & the All Stars, which Bristol had written years before.

Bristol released six albums and eight singles in his career, with "Hang on in There Baby" being his only big worldwide hit.

We go down under for our next act:

#109: Friday On My Mind--Easybeats

This group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1964 at the Villawood Migrant Hostel (now the Villawood Detention Centre). All five founding members were form families who had migrated to Australia: lead singer Steve Wright, drummer Gordon Fleet, rhythm guitarist George Young, lead guitarist Harry Vanda and bassist Dick Diamonde. The group were inspired by the British Invasion, led by the Beatles, and the Easybeats quickly became one of the most popular bands in the city.

The group signed a production contract with Albert Productions, and then signed a recording contract with Parlophone Records. By 1965, the Easybeats were the most popular band in Australia, and their concerts were marked with fan hysteria. The Easybeats released several songs, all written by Young and Wright, that became hits in Australia, including "She's So Fine", "Women (Make You Feel Alright)", Come and See Her" and "I'll Make You Happy", all #1 songs in that country.

But popularity of the group was confined Down Under, until manager Mike Vaughan flew to New York City and secured a recording contract with United Artists Records. The Easybeats relocated to London in 1966 and recorded several songs at Abbey Road Studios. Since UA did not like any of the recordings, they enlisted the help of producer Shel Talmy, who had produced for the Who and the Kinks.

One of the tracks recorded with Talmy, "Friday on My Mind", was released as a single. It reached #1 in Australia, #6 in the U.K. and #16 in the United States and was a Top 10 song in Germany, Holland, France and Italy and sold over one million copies.

The Easybeats toured Europe and the United States with the Rolling Stones, but Fleet left the band. Tony Cahill replaced him, and the group released the singles "Good Times" and "Falling Off The Edge Of The World", which were minor hits. A follow-up album was recorded but never released because of financial and contractual problems.

In 1968, the Easybeats split up due to drugs and the independence of the Vanda-Young songwriting team. Vanda and Young returned to Australia, where they wrote and produced hits for John Paul Young including "Love Is in the Air". They then produced the first six albums for AC/DC, which featured George's younger brothers Angus and Malcolm Young.

The Easybeats released seven albums in their career, with "Friday on My Mind" being their only major success.

When this artist began, she was hailed as 'the next big superstar"...

#108: Chuck E's in Love--Rickie Lee Jones

Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois; her family moved to Arizona in 1959 then to Olympia, Washington. Rickie Lee moved to Venice, California and studied music and anthropology at Santa Monica College. At age 21, Jones began playing in clubs in Venice. When Jones moved to Hollywood, she was discovered by Dr. John and Little Feat's Lowell George.

Jones performed original material at the Ala Carte club in Hollywood. In 1978, Jones met producers Lenny Woronker and Tommy LaPuma and signed a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records. In 1979, Jones released her self-titled debut album and promoted it with a sparkling performance on Saturday Night Live. The album included performances by Michael McDonald, Randy Newman and Dr. John.

Jones released the single "Chuck E.'s in Love", which reached #4 in the United States. The follow-up "Young Blood", however, only reached #40. So it was her first single that was largely responsible for her five Grammy nominations: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female and Best New Artist. Jones won the Grammy for Best New Artist and, of course, the curse that goes with it.

After moving to New York City, Jones worked on her next album. Pirates was released in 1981, a full two years after her debut--a definite no-no in the music business. The most popular of the songs on Pirates was "A Lucky Guy", with a disappointing peak of #64.

Jones did another tour, then moved again, first to San Francisco, then to France. She began performing more jazz music and getting away from the songs that made her first album so popular. Jones and Walter Becker of Steely Dan wrote "The Horses", which was featured in the movie Jerry Maguire. In 1989, she released the album Flying Cowboys, co-written with Becker. "Satellites" became a minor hit on the Modern Rock chart. A cover of "makin' Whoopee" done with Dr. John earned Jones a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Collaboration.

But after that, even Jones admitted she battled writer's block, and she never again produced the magic of her first album, nor her one hit, "Chuck E.'s in Love".

At #107, one of the key members of Sly & the Family Stone:

#107: One in a Million You--Larry Graham

Graham was born in Beaumont, Texas. From 1966 to 1972, he played bass in Sly and the Family Stone. He is credited with inventing the "slap-pop technique" on the bass, in part to provide percussive and rhythmic elements in addition to the notes of the bass line. To play slap-pop, the player uses a percussive thumb-slapping technique of the lower strings with an aggressive finger-snap of the higher strings.

After leaving Sly and the Family Stone, Graham formed his own band, Graham Central Station, and released seven albums under that name. He had a following, but no songs were popular with the masses.

In 1980, Graham recorded the song "One in a Million You", the title song from his album that he released that year under his own name. The song was an across-the-board hit, reaching #9 overall, #1 on the R&B chart, and Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Graham released four other solo albums, with "Just Be My Lady" at #67 being his next-best song. Larry reformed Graham Central Station in the early 1990's and performed with the band for several years. Graham played bass on tour with Prince from 1997-2000. Graham is the uncle of rapper Aubrey Graham (Drake).

This act from the City of Brotherly Love enjoyed a big R&B hit in 1974 that crossed over to the mainstream:

#106: Sideshow--Blue Magic

This group was founded in 1972 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by lead singer Ted Mills, Vernon Sawyer, Wendell Sawyer, Keith Beaton and Richard Pratt. Blue Magic signed a recording contract with Atco Records.

The singles from Blue Magic's debut album in 1973 were mostly confined to the R&B chart. But on 1974, "Sideshow" became a big hit, rising to #8 and selling over one million copies. The group performed on television shows including Soul Train and The Mike Douglas Show. "Three Ring Circus" reached #36 overall and #5 on the R&B chart.

Blue Magic was able to land further R&B hits, but they would never enjoy another popular song. They released 9 albums and 22 singles in their career.

This group unfortunately didn't record anything for three years following this smash, and it doomed them:

#105: So Alive--Love and Rockets

Daniel Ash (vocals, guitar and saxophone), bassist David J and Kevin Haskins (drums and synthesizers) formed Love and Rockets in 1985 in England after the group Bauhaus split in 1983. Love and Rockets enjoyed a minor hit with a remake of the classic "Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations.

Love and Rockets released their first studio album Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven in 1985. They followed this with Express in 1986, which included the dance hit "Yin and Yang (The Flowerpot Man)". In 1987, the group released the album Earth, Sun, Moon, which received some airplay on Modern Rock radio stations.

In 1989, Love and Rockets released their self-titled album, and the second single, "So Alive", caught on, reaching #3 in the United States. The success of "So Alive" led to a major touring schedule, and the group took a few years off afterwards before returning to the studio. Music pros will tell you this is a cardinal sin in the music business.

And history bears this out. RCA Records dropped the group, and they had to sign with the small label American Records. Love and Rockets released Hot Trip to Heaven in 1994, five years after their last album. The group released two more albums before breaking up in 1999.

This artist achieved his big after his musician father died.

#104: Save Tonight--Eagle-Eye Cherry

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Cherry and his sister Neneh spent several months on the road with their father, jazz artist Don Cherry, each year. At the age of 12, Cherry was sent to school in New York. Upon graduation, he stayed in New York City to work as an actor and a drummer in several bands. Eagle-Eye appeared in the 1988 movie Arthur 2: On the Rocks and in 1993, he starred in the television show South Beach.

In 1995, his father died and Cherry moved back to Stockholm to focus on music. He began writing songs and recording his debut album Desireless in his bedroom studio. The album contained "Save Tonight", which was released as the first single. The song reached #2 in Sweden, #3 in Ireland, #5 in the United States, #6 in the U.K., #7 in Switzerland and #9 in The Netherlands and helped the album sell four million copies worldwide.

In 1998, Cherry reached #8 in the U.K. with the single "Falling in Love Again", but the success there did not spread to other countries. Cherry co-wrote and sang on "Wishing It Was" on Santana's blockbuster 1999 album Supernatural as well as in several movies.

Cherry has released six albums and 11 singles in his career.

Here's one of the top songs of the early 60's:

#103: Hey! Baby--Bruce Channel

Channel got his start on the Louisiana Hayride radio show before teaming up with Delbert McClinton. Channel co-wrote "Hey! Baby" with Margaret Cobb in 1959 and performed the song for two years before recording it.

The single was originally released on the small LeCam label, but when it caught fire, Smash Records picked it up and distributed it. "Hey! Baby" reached #1 for three weeks in 1962 in the United States, hit #2 in the U.K. and sold over one million copies. Bruce toured Europe and at one gig the Beatles, who were still unknown, opened for him.

Channel did reach the Top 100 with four other singles, but his next best was "Number One Man" at #52. He then concentrated on songwriting, writing songs for T.J. Sheppard, John Conlee, Janie Fricke and Mel McDaniel.

"Hey! Baby" is now part of football tradition for Louisiana State and Penn State, with the entire student section singing the song during the third quarter of games.

We're up to the #1 smash that included Phil Spector:

#102: To Know Him Is to Love Him--Teddy Bears

After graduating from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, Phil Spector was convinced his song, "To Know Him Is to Love Him" should be recorded by his group, the Teddy Bears. Spector, Marshall Leib, Harvey Goldstein and Annette Kleinbard went into Gold Star Studios and recorded the session. Spector also arranged and produced the song.

The single was released on Dore Records in 1958, and it rose to #1 for three weeks. It became one of the biggest songs of the year.

But subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears did not sell and after a year, Spector broke up the group. Of course, Spector went on to much fame as creator of "The Wall of Sound" production. Kleinbard changed her name to Carol Connors, and wrote "Hey Little Cobra" for the Rip Chords and co-wrote "Gonna' Fly Now" for the "Rocky" Soundtrack.

This duo landed one of the biggest hits of the new millennium:

#101: Butterfly--Crazy Town

Bret Mazur and Seth Binzer formed this group in 1995 in Los Angeles, California, although they didn't get serious with recording until much later. By 1999, the group added guitarist Rust Epique, James Bradley, Jr., Doug Miller, Adam Goldstein and Antonio Lorenzo Valli.

Crazy Town released their debut album The Gift of Game in 1999 and opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on tour. Kraig Tyler replaced Epique while the album was being mixed. "Toxic" and "Darkside" were released as singles but neither one caught on.

Two years later, the group released the single "Butterfly" and the third time was the charm. It became a smash #1 song in the United States, Switzerland and Austria, #2 in Finland, #3 in the U.K., #4 in Australia and #8 in the Netherlands and gave the album 1.5 million in sales. A fourth single, "Revolving Door" was not successful.

In 2002, Crazy Town released the album Darkhorse with new drummer James Bradley. "Drowning" was only a minor hit and the album did not sell well. Shortly after the album's release, the group broke up.


Again, the last few days should show the reason why 500 was the number chosen for this special, rather than 100. But 100 is the number we are down to, and you'll hear those beginning tomorrow on Inside The Rock Era!