Songs That Were Local Hits but didn't make the Top 40 Nationally

[Neanderpaul]

Might as well throw the Joe Perry Project's "hits" in.

East Coast West Coast
Once A Rocker Always A Rocker
&
Listen To The Rock

And if I really dig deep, I could throw out the "Narcissus bands" list;

"Summertime" by Bang (an almost note-for-note cop of Van Halen's "So This Is Love?")
&
"Watch Her Walk" by MASS

I know Axminster got lots of WBCN airplay for:

"Only A Stranger"
"Hands Wettin' The Wheel"
&
"Teenage Livin'"

'til tuesday didn't really get traction nationwide for "Looking Over My Shoulder" or "Love In A Vacuum" but they were both great songs.

A couple of other fun local bands that got airplay, but I don't think had any "hits"

The Heartbeats
The Boatmen
40 Thieves
Taupier
Meliah Rage
Wargasm
Shake The Faith
Love It To Death
1-4-5


OH....Gang Green "Alcohol" I still play this every Friday @ 5

 

[Channel Surf]

wasn't "Dream On" by Aerosmith a local hit in early '73 but didn't become huge nationally until '76 or so, when it was re-released?

Absolutely!!!! WRKO, WMEX and WVBF were all over that song during the summer of 1973, but once you were away from the Boston market, it did not exist until 1976. Also...one other song from that era that I am less sure about...
"A Piece of Paper" by Gladstone received significant airplay on WRKO during the summer of 1972, but I don't really recall hearing it on WMEX or WVBF and I know that I didn't hear it out of the market. Locally WBZ-FM and WEEI-FM
(final days of "The Young Sound") may also have been playing it..

 

[Channel Surf]

One more...also from the summer of 1972..."We're On Our Way" by Chris Hodge. Another one that I could be wrong about, but I didn't hear it outside of the Boston market.....

 

[Eli Polonsky]

How about a little farther back, into the '60s?

"No Good To Cry" by The Wildweeds, from CT. With Al Anderson, who went on to NRBQ in the '70s. Only made #88 nationally in June '67, but I think it broke Top 40 on at least some New England stations. Great tune!

"Can't Find The Time" by Orpheus, a Worcester based band that got lumped into the "Boss-Town Sound" promotional hype (which was a kiss of death) in the late '60s. Great example of an early soft-rock ballad, still occasionally pops up on oldies stations in New England today. I remember Magic was even playing it when they first came on in the early '80s. Only made #80 nationally in Sept. '69, but was New England Top 40. Very few people outside this part of the country remember it, even if they were listeners back then.

When "Gimme Some Lovin'" by the Spencer Davis Group (with a very young Steve Winwood) was #7 nationally in Feb. '67, it was seldom played in Boston. A cover version by the local Jordan Brothers eclipsed the original from the charts around here. I remember I had to listen to New York AM stations skipping in at night (WABC, WKBW, WPTR, etc...) to hear the Spencer Davis version when the song was current, however, it was the Davis version that came back years later to the oldies stations in Boston, and the Jordan Brothers were completely forgotten.

 

[Oldbones]

"No Good To Cry" by The Wildweeds, from CT. With Al Anderson, who went on to NRBQ in the '70s. Only made #88 nationally in June '67, but I think it broke Top 40 on at least some New England stations. Great tune!

Great tune indeed! Made it to #1 on WRKO. I remember hearing it on WBZ & WMEX, but not sure how high it charted there.

Another tune from around the same time was "Live" by the Merry-Go 'Round. Top 10 hit on all 3 Boston Top 40s, but only got to #63 nationally.

"Can't Find The Time" by Orpheus, a Worcester based band that got lumped into the "Boss-Town Sound" promotional hype (which was a kiss of death) in the late '60s. Great example of an early soft-rock ballad, still occasionally pops up on oldies stations in New England today. I remember Magic was even playing it when they first came on in the early '80s. Only made #80 nationally in Sept. '69, but was New England Top 40. Very few people outside this part of the country remember it, even if they were listeners back then.

This is one of those non-hit songs that everybody seems to know. I don't think it ever charted on WRKO (nor do I remember hearing it there), though they did play "Brown Arms In Houston" and maybe one other song by them. WBZ had ditched Top 40 by then and I don't think WMEX published a survey at that time. Wasn't CFTT originally released in 1968, then maybe re-issued in 1969? I could have sworn I bought the 45 in early 1968.

When "Gimme Some Lovin'" by the Spencer Davis Group (with a very young Steve Winwood) was #7 nationally in Feb. '67, it was seldom played in Boston. A cover version by the local Jordan Brothers eclipsed the original from the charts around here. I remember I had to listen to New York AM stations skipping in at night (WABC, WKBW, WPTR, etc...) to hear the Spencer Davis version when the song was current, however, it was the Davis version that came back years later to the oldies stations in Boston, and the Jordan Brothers were completely forgotten.

Didn't WMEX play the Spencer Davis version? I only associate the Jordan Bros. with WBZ (which also played a different version of Winchester Cathedral).

 

[Retro]

"10-9-8" Face To Face

I think it made it to #38 nationally.

Anyone remember watching on ch. 7, videos that WHTT use to simulcast? It was in the early 80s and I think that it was on Friday or Saturday nights. They would play the top 10 requested but would also highlight a local artist video.

WOW, so that was when it was on! I remember them saying one Saturday night that they were gonna have a weekday show too, but never could find it at all! :-\

 

[Eli Polonsky]

"Can't Find The Time" by Orpheus, a Worcester based band that got lumped into the "Boss-Town Sound" promotional hype (which was a kiss of death) in the late '60s. Great example of an early soft-rock ballad, still occasionally pops up on oldies stations in New England today. I remember Magic was even playing it when they first came on in the early '80s. Only made #80 nationally in Sept. '69, but was New England Top 40. Very few people outside this part of the country remember it, even if they were listeners back then.

This is one of those non-hit songs that everybody seems to know. I don't think it ever charted on WRKO (nor do I remember hearing it there), though they did play "Brown Arms In Houston" and maybe one other song by them. WBZ had ditched Top 40 by then and I don't think WMEX published a survey at that time. Wasn't CFTT originally released in 1968, then maybe re-issued in 1969? I could have sworn I bought the 45 in early 1968.

Yes, it originally came out in '68 on 45 and LP. It was reissued in 1969 when it made the bottom of the national chart.

When "Gimme Some Lovin'" by the Spencer Davis Group (with a very young Steve Winwood) was #7 nationally in Feb. '67, it was seldom played in Boston. A cover version by the local Jordan Brothers eclipsed the original from the charts around here. I remember I had to listen to New York AM stations skipping in at night (WABC, WKBW, WPTR, etc...) to hear the Spencer Davis version when the song was current, however, it was the Davis version that came back years later to the oldies stations in Boston, and the Jordan Brothers were completely forgotten.

Didn't WMEX play the Spencer Davis version? I only associate the Jordan Bros. with WBZ (which also played a different version of Winchester Cathedral).

Maybe WMEX played both versions, but I remember the Jordan Brothers version on WMEX too, and it was the only version I remember hearing on WRKO-FM 98.5 ("Ar-ko, the Shy but Friendly Robot").

 

[radiorama1]

...Just remembered two more:

"Believed You Were Lucky" by Til Tuesday, can't remember the year (would like to say it was 1988), I remember hearing that one on Kiss 108.

Also from 1988, "Put This Love To The test" by Jon Astley, it only made it to #74 on the Hot 100 but IIRC both ZOU (Z-94) and Kiss 108 had the song in regular rotation.

 

[Retro]

Howdy Radiorama!

Yes, it was a local hit, John Garabedian did play it on Open House Party, but it flopped nationally though. Too bad, it was a good song but especially for the time!

Others have mentioned numerous local artist hits too, not bad!

BTW, the songs "Mutha, Don't Want to go to School Today"-Extreme, "The Girl With The Curious Hand"-Digney Fignus and "Doing The Coundown"-The Drive were all MTV Basement Tape winners also.

 

[Mediaace]

From Portland, Maine... remember the band, Oak? "King Of the Hill", "Draw the Line" "Set the Night On Fire" and "This Is Love"? There was also The Blend which had a couple of local hits "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" and "I Hope You Find Something" usually heard on AOR stations.

 

[Retro]

Now I thought that Oak was from Worcester, MA instead?

 

[diamondj]

Here's a few - "Here's To You" - Hamilton Camp (late 60's), "Let's Live Together" - Road Apples - later cover by 80s Boston band The Joneses (#1 on WKRO survey, but only barely a top 40 national hit) (mid 70's), "Let Me Go" - The Rings (80's), "Eugene" - Crazy Joe & The Variable Speed Band (remember Parenteau playing it on BCN) (81?), "Fool In Love" and "Lost In Loveland" by Farrenheit (87) - major label, shoulda been national hits.

 

[RickyF]

Face To Face(10-9-8),Oak (King of the Hill),Til Tuesday(Voices Carry & What about Love),Road Apples(Let's Live Together),New England(Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya),Robert Ellis Orral(I Couldn't Say No),Billy Squire(The Stroke and 3 other minor hits) actually hit the 40....Andy Pratt(Avenging Annie),Stompers(Never Tell an Angel),Robin Lane/Chartbusters(When Things go Wrong),Duke & Drivers(What You Got),Fools(It's a Night for Beautiful Girls) made the Top 100,but failed to reach the 40.

 

[radio zombie]

Going back to the mid sixties, The north shore's Teddy & The Pandas had a couple of
very popular songs on Boston and Worcester radio as did Barry and The Remains.

 

[NHRadio]

I've heard Billy Squier on classic rockers and 80's stations all over the country, and have heard "Voices Carry" on some Hot AC's, usually during their 80's lunches or similar.
I had forgotten New England-I loved that song! Anyone know where some of these songs can be legally downloaded?
Also-does anyone remember that rock club in Beverly the Fools played at in the early-mid 80's? I think it was on Cabot or Rantoul St, but may be wrong.

Face To Face(10-9-8),Oak (King of the Hill),Til Tuesday(Voices Carry & What about Love),Road Apples(Let's Live Together),New England(Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya),Robert Ellis Orral(I Couldn't Say No),Billy Squire(The Stroke and 3 other minor hits) actually hit the 40....Andy Pratt(Avenging Annie),Stompers(Never Tell an Angel),Robin Lane/Chartbusters(When Things go Wrong),Duke & Drivers(What You Got),Fools(It's a Night for Beautiful Girls) made the Top 100,but failed to reach the 40.

 

[Mickey37]

NHRadio --- was it Grover's?

 

[NHRadio]

Yeah...that sounds right. Thanks!!

 

[jacobr]

New England----Dont ever want to lose ya, and Hello Hello Hello

 

[wthorne]

There was a band from Maine called Oak. They had a regional hit with "This is Love" in the late 70's
Also For Barry Scott, I have a copy of that Jim Kirk song if you would like a copy for your lost 45s
Wayne

 

[Garrett]

I don't know if they charted but I remember a couple of songs that Kiss108FM played a lot. One was "Jealous Fellas" (Sp?) which was a rap type song, and "I think she likes me (that's what I think)." I believe that last one was by a local band. I don't remember the names of the bands for either, but I believe they were circa 1986?

Like I've said before, Kiss108 always had been a little different than other Top 40 station at the time.