The 100% solid album and the trumpet threads started me thinking about groups or artists that never found real mainstream success, even though they made excellent music.
I offer the early 1990s band The Blessing and their lead singer, William Topley:
March 07, 2019, 09:25 PM
mr kablammo
The Vapors X
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye". The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, pilot and author, lost on mission, July 1944, Med Theatre.
March 07, 2019, 09:28 PM
henryarnaud
The first band that came to mind was Uma. I saw them in concert in the 90s. I think this song was played by a few indie/alternative radio stations, but as far as I know they never hit the mainstream. I don't know if I can say they made excellent music, but I really liked them, particularly this song:
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." Sherlock Holmes
March 07, 2019, 10:27 PM
oddball
quote:
Originally posted by sasquatch28: groups or artists that never found real mainstream success, even though they made excellent music.
Easy. The Replacements.
Arguably, they invented "alternative rock". Anti-social, flannel wearing, heart on the sleeves, hard rocking, loud songs, all back in the early-mid 80s. Influenced a ton of bands. IMO, one of the best American bands in the last 50 years. In their initial run, perhaps sold 200,000 albums of each release, at best. Still to this day, most people have no idea who they are.
"I’m not going to read Time Magazine, I’m not going to read Newsweek, I’m not going to read any of these magazines; I mean, because they have too much to lose by printing the truth"- Bob Dylan, 1965
March 08, 2019, 08:50 PM
RichN
Shooting Star had some success and a decent career, I guess, but they never became a household name.
I saw them live at WEBN's Riverfest in Cincinnati in the '80s and they were great.
------------------------------ "They who would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
"So this is how liberty dies; with thunderous applause." - Senator Amidala (Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith)
March 08, 2019, 09:21 PM
SIGlord
Strange Advance - Worlds Away I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable fan of alternative 80's music. This band flew completely under my radar. Had this song never appeared on an episode of "Almost Human", I probably would have never heard this song or learned of the band.
March 09, 2019, 01:46 PM
lyman
quote:
Originally posted by mr kablammo: The Vapors X
+1 for X,
seems folks that know who they are love them,
hard tho to say what making it big is nowadays,
Stranglers, Numan (considered a one hit wonder by some) XTC
and a few other prolific bands come to mind that may , or may not, fit the description