Kudos if you recognize the two songs by what are generally considered second-tier bands of the Classic Rock era. But you want to know something? Mostof the time I’d rather listen to either of those bands than the so-called A-Listers such as the Stones and Pink Floyd.
Now I’m not going to try to argue that Blue Öyster Cult or Molly Hatchet should be considered the equals of Led Zepplin (I might argue Molly Hatchet is the equal of any Southern Rock band). They certainly weren’t as influencial to the music scene, they didn’t last as long and they didn’t sell anywhere near the volume.
But, dammit, I like them better. This is purely taste here and decidedly, unapologetically low-brow. So what second-tier bands do you like better than the Rock Gods?
Traffic and The Band Not that they were second-tier in classic rock era, but they’ve been reduced to one-hit wonders on current classic rock stations (with “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” and “The Weight,” respectively).
For second-tier at the time, I make my obligatory mention of The Bonzo Dog Band. I also think Procol Harum is badly underrated (and like the first two, they’ve been reduced to being a one-hit – well, two-hit – wonder).
I don’t like any band better than Pink Floyd, but I like Heart as much or better than the rest of the top 5-10 Classic Rock Gods. They are a 2-3 hit band on Classic Rock radio*, but my favorites from them (besides Crazy on You) are about all their songs on their first albums except the ones that get airplay. Heck, I was so impressed with the quality and consistency of Dreamboat Annie that I thought it was a compilation for a long time.
And their live version of Battle of Evermore is as good or better than the Led Zeppelin IV version (never heard it live from Zep.)
sure, more than 2 of their songs get airplay, but not on any one station
Actually, Kick Out The Jams was by Detroit legends the MC5, who are definitely NOT considered second tier BOC’s version was just one out of a gazillion covers of the song.
The Vapors. Two albums and one nice charter in the U.S., “Turning Japanese” (in the U.K., “Jimmie Jones” also charted). But I listen to the entire albums, happily. Sometimes you just need to scratch the New Wave itch, y’know?
They were two good albums. Two more quality bands from that era who were also-rans that had a couple of (very) minor hits were Human Sexual Response (“Jackie O.” and “What Does Sex Mean To Me” got some airplay), and The Nails, of “88 Lines About 44 Women” fame (which was made into an <Monty Burns >excellent /Monty Burns > Simpsons parody “88 Lines About 44 Simpsons”).
And what about the Violent Femmes? They’ve toured and put out consistantly good albums for a quarter century and they still are pretty much known only by their first album which wasn’t even get hugely popular untill a decade after the fact.
I don’t know what tier this band would be, but when I was a teenager in Ohio, Head East’s Never Been Any Reason got a fair amount of airplay on Toledo’s rock stations. Love that song! I hadn’t heard it in years…I saw it on itunes and I just couldn’t resist putting on my ipod.
Man With Golden Helmet is one of the greatest rock songs ever written, and their cover of T.V. Eye is every bit as good as the original.
I put Radio Birdman right up there with Mission Of Burma for greatest unknown bands of the 70s.
For a great tier 2 band, however, I agree with the OP that B.O.C. and Molly Hatchet rock, but let’s not forget Cheap Trick, Nazareth, or (one of my favs) Grand Funk Railroad.
Bob Seger was never major, major league was he? Seems like Springsteen got all the street cred, but for my money Bob always kicked Bruces over-rated, sanctimonious, dull as dishwater arse. Dusty Springfield never got the props she deserved, but I’d take her over any of the so called 'divas" she left in her wake. And John Prine v Garth Brooks? Pleeeeeese…
I love Molly Hatchet. I’ve got Flirtin’ With Disaster in rotation in my CD changer in the car quite often. But they’re a pale imitation of Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Allman Brothers, and Flirtin’ with Disaster was really their only real good CD.
70s metal: Starz predated the melodic hair metal of the 80s (UFO, too.) Ditto New England, who’s power pop classic, Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya, should’ve been huge.
Punk/New Wave: The Jam, though extremely popular in the UK and elsewhere, never caught on in the US. Probably not a good example, as they are quite well-known, despite not being popular in the States. I still can’t believe The Rezillos weren’t huge.
Post-Punk: Translator was doing the R.E.M. thing before they did. Everywhere That I’m Not was a great song.
There were also some great Australian bands in the late 70s/early 80s that never got the time of day here in the US: Rose Tattoo, The Angels (Angel City in the US), the aforementioned Radio Birdman, and The Swingers, featuring Phil Judd (formerly of Split Enz) put out a great album, Counting the Beat
Starz - ah, yes: Attention Shoppers and Violation. I had the Violation album and still play the Cherry Baby riff every now and then. The fact that this proto-hair metal band was going for a concept album based on A Clockwork Orange made it that much goofier, but some of them tunes were catchy!
Next thing is you’re gonna cite Angel - with the awesome Punky Meadows on guitar!
Starz’s first album, Starz, is better, IMHO. Harder and denser, great, tight songs.
Angel had a great concept, and Punky a really good guitar player, but I didn’t find their songs all that catchy. Punky now runs a tanning salon in a DC suburb.
BOC’s version was just one out of a gazillion covers of the song.