Simon & Garfunkel (Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel)

Early years Childhood friends and schoolmates, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel began performing professionally at the age of 14 as a Everly Brothers-type duo called Tom and Jerry; in fact, they nearly scored a Top 40 hit in 1957 with Simon's composition "Hey, Schoolgirl." But subsequent success proved tough, and the duo soon went their own ways. By 1963, Simon had become inspired by the burgeoning Greenwich Village folk scene and started to write in that style. Garfunkel joined him for an album called Wednesday Morning, 3. A.M.,., but when it failed to chart, Paul decamped to England. Success: In 1965, however, Florida radio stations began receiving numerous requests for "The Sound Of Silence," a track from the album. Sensing an opportunity, producer Tom Wilson overdubbed "rock" drums and guitars over the acoustic track, creating the hit we know today. Simon returned to the US, and although neither man approved of the tinkering, they began recording hits in a similar style, including "I Am A Rock." Their career got a major boost in 1968 when their songs were featured in the Mike Nichols film The Graduate, a timely generational comedy that proved a smash hit. Later years: By 1970, Simon's songwriting had grown considerably, leading to the massive hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The two had grown tired of working together by that time, and entered a hiatus that turned into more or less a permanent breakup. Simon went on to an even more successful solo career, while Art became a serious actor and sang with some degree of success. The duo have reunited periodically, most notably for a single in 1975 and a free New York Central Park concert in 1981, but for the most part they have remained separate entities.

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America

America is an American rock band, formed in 1970 by multi-instrumentalists Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Gerry Beckley. The trio first met in London, where they began performing live. America achieved significant popularity in the 1970s, and was famous for the trio's close vocal harmonies and light acoustic folk sound. This popularity was confirmed by a string of hit albums and singles, many of which found airplay on pop stations. The band came together shortly after the members' graduation from high school, and a record deal with Warner Bros. Records followed. Their debut, a 1971 self-titled album, produced the transatlantic hits "A Horse with No Name" and "I Need You". Homecoming (1972) produced the single "Ventura Highway", and preceded Hat Trick (1973), which fared poorly on the charts. 1974's Holiday featured the hits "Tin Man" and "Lonely People", and 1975's Hearts generated the number one single "Sister Golden Hair", alongside "Daisy Jane". History: America's Greatest Hits, a compilation of singles, was released the same year and was certified multi-platinum in the United States and Australia. Peek left the group in 1977 and their commercial fortunes declined, despite a brief return to the top in 1982 with the single "You Can Do Magic". Four decades into their career, the group continues to record material and tour with regularity. Their 2007 album Here & Now was a collaboration with a new generation of musicians who credited the band as an influence. America has been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Jim Croce

Jim Croce (Jan 10, 1943 ? Sept 20, 1973) was an American singer-songwriter from South Philadelphia whose biggest single “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” hit number 1 on the US charts in the summer of 1973. His influences included Ian & Sylvia, Gordon Lightfoot and Woody Guthrie. Sadly, Croce died in a small commercial plane crash one day before his third album, “I Got a Name” was to be released. Early life Croce was born in South Philadelphia. He graduated from Upper Darby High School in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania in 1960 where in 1976, he was the first former student to be added to the high school’s Wall of Fame. Then, while attending Villanova University (1965 graduate), Croce became interested in becoming a professional musician and met his future wife, Ingrid, at a hootenanny at Convention Hall in Philadelphia, where he was a judge for the contest. Early career During the early 1960s, Croce formed a number of college bands and performed at coffee houses and universities, and later with his wife Ingrid as a duo in the mid-1960s to early 1970s. At first their performances included songs by Ian and Sylvia, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, and Woody Guthrie, but in time they began writing their own music, such as “Age”, “Hey Tomorrow”, and “Spin, Spin Spin” which later led to Croce’s hit songs in the early.

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Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York

MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American grunge band Nirvana. It features an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993, for the television series MTV Unplugged. The show was directed by Beth McCarthy and first aired on the cable television network MTV on December 16, 1993. As opposed to traditional practice on the television series, Nirvana played a setlist composed of mainly lesser-known material and cover versions of songs by The Vaselines, David Bowie, Meat Puppets (during which they were joined by two members of the group onstage), and Lead Belly.

MTV Unplugged in New York was the first Nirvana album released following the death of Kurt Cobain. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and has become the group's most successful posthumous release, having been certified 5x platinum in the United States by 1997.^[1] It also won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996.

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Agaw Agimat

YEARS ACTIVE: 1993 – PRESENT

GROUP ROSTER: QT PADUANO-NADELA, RENMIN NADELA, HANK PALENZUELA, JEPHTHAH WENCESLAO

90’S HITS: SABI NILA, KISS-A-ME, NAIS KO, WANLITELTU, KULANG, MIRAKOL, PROPETA NG BAYAN, TO OUR DEAR COMRADES, KULANG 
 Ang Agaw Agimat ay isang grupong Pinoy rock na sumikat noong kalagitnaang bahagi ng dekada 1990 sa Pilipinas. Kilala ang bandang ito sa kanilang mga awiting may temang politika o mga may kaugnayan sa pagbabago ng lipunan.

Mga kasapi

• QT Paduano Nadela, bokalista
• Renmin Nadela, taga-tambol
• Teta Tulay, bahista
• Jephthah Wenceslao, gitarista

Dating Kasapi : Lee Nadela, Jerem Sison, Hank Palenzuela

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Razorback

YEARS ACTIVE: 1990 – PRESENT

Members: KEVIN ROY, DAVID AGUIRRE, LOUIE TALAN, MIGUEL ORTIGAS, TIRSO RIPOLL, BRIAN VELASCO* (*replaced Ortigas when he left the band in ’96)

90’S HITS: GIYANG, TABI NG BULKAN, PEPE THE HEPE, PAYASO, IKOT NG MUNDO, VOODOO WHO DO, MY BANYO SONG, MUNTING PARAISO, AS SPICY AS IT GETS

Razorback is a Filipino hard rock band formed in 1990. Originally known for being regulars at the now-defunct Kalye, a club in Makati, the band has performed at full-scale concerts and opened for Silverchair, Rage Against the Machine and Metallica.

Razorback first began performing covers of legendary rockers such as Led Zeppelin, Juan de la Cruz Band, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. The group was put together by drummer Miguel Ortigas and guitarists Tirso Ripoll and David Aguirre.

In 1982, Miguel Ortigas met Tirso Ripoll through Ripoll's cousin in LSGH. Ortigas first handled guitars then later moved on to drums. Ortigas also studied in Yamaha School of Music, under Benjie Zialcita, who also taught Tirso Ripoll, Louie Talan and David Aguirre. It was in 1988, when they would usually watch their idols Pepe Smith, Sampaguita, Billy Bonnevie, Edmund Fortuno, and many others, in Electra Bar, Makati, where they decided to create something better.

One of their first songs was "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC, and with only Tirso, Miguel and David in the line-up, they first recruited Tirso's brother, Junus as bassist and Isabel Lozano as vocalist. During their formative years, the band was known as “Outrider”, with their first gig at Big Bang, Alabang. The group later joined Upsilon Sigma Phi-NU107's Battle of the Bands and won. From here on out, the band as “Razorback” was officially formed and played regularly in local bars such as Kalye, Club Dredd and Peligro.

Members of Razorback and Wolfgang used to jam onstage billed as the Flaming Hemorrhoids. Five years later, the band, original vocalist Jose Mari Cuervo was replaced by Kevin Roy on vocals, alongside Ripoll and Aguirre on guitars, Ortigas on drums and Louie Talan on bass, released their debut album entitled "Hebigat Sounds Volume One". (Hebigat is a portmanteau, created by fusing the words Hebi, a play on the English word heavy, and the Filipino word bigat, literally, heavy.) The album contained such tracks as "Giyang", "Tabi ng Bulkan (Beside the Volcano)" and "Pepe D' Hepe".

David Aguirre is now the lead guitarist for the Southern California-based band 3 Headed Dog. Manuel Legarda, also of Wolfgang, has taken over his guitar duties for Razorback. Brian Velasco, who was a drum instructor at RJ Guitar Center, later joined and replaced Miguel Ortigas on drums.

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Parokya Ni Edgar

YEARS ACTIVE: 1993 – PRESENT

Members: CHITO MIRANDA, VINCI MONTANER, BUHAWI MENESES, DARIUS SEMANA, GAB CHEE KEE, DINDIN MORENO

90’S HITS: BULOY, TRIP, MANIWALA KA SANA, LUTONG BAHAY, SILVERTOES,

HARANA, PANGARAP, PICHA PIE, INUMAN NA, HALAGA 

Parokya ni Edgar (English: Edgar's Parish) is a multi-award winning Filipino band formed in 1993. The band is famous for its original rock novelty songs and often satirical covers of popular songs both foreign and local. The band is adept at playing in various musical genres.

Parokya ni Edgar has been referred to by local media as "Pambansang Banda ng Pilipinas" (The National Band of the Philippines).

Despite having "Edgar" in the band's name, none of the members are named Edgar.

Originally named Comic Relief, the band's initial members were a group of high school students composed of vocalists Chito Miranda, Jeric Estaco, and Vinci Montaner, along with guitarists Mikko Yap and Gab Chee Kee, all hailing from Ateneo de Manila University. They were regulars in after-school jam sessions, before performing an opening number for an Eraserheads concert. This served as their break in the music industry and prompted them to add a drummer and bassist – schoolmate Dindin Moreno and Buwi Meneses, respectively. Around the same time they changed the band's name to Parokya ni Edgar. After high school, Mikko and Jeric withdrew from the band to pursue other interests. Soon after, the remaining band members invited their friend Darius Semaña to take the role of lead guitar.

The band name's origin has been a long time subject of disputes and debate from fans and audience a like as the band members has been evasive when it comes to the said topic since the group's inception, but not until 2013 when Chito Miranda officially posted the subject matter and confirmed it in their Facebook page. The name "Parokya Ni Edgar" actually came from a joke by a classmate named Bambi Cuna during one of their high school classes. Sources state that the class subject was Filipino. When the teacher asked Cuna where Jose Rizal's fictional hero, Crisostomo Ibarra (in the novel Noli Me Tangere), was educated, it was said that Cuna answered with the daft remark "sa Parokya ni Edgar". For some reason, former vocalist Jeric Estaco then decided to declare "Parokya ni Edgar" as their band name during an introduction on one of their first live performances in an impromptu manner and got stuck by it ever since.

Current members

    Chito Miranda – lead vocals (1993–present)

    Buwi Meneses – bass guitar (1993–present)

    Darius Semaña – lead guitar (1993–present)

    Gab Chee Kee – rhythm guitar, vocals (1993-present)

    Dindin Moreno – drums (1993–present)

Former members

    Vinci Montaner – backup vocals, occasional percussion, monologue, live comic relief (1993–2012) Montaner briefly reunited with the band in 2013 in a one night only appearance during the launching date of PNE's 13th album "Bente".

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Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The classic lineup as signed to Geffen Records in 1986 consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. Rose is the only remaining original member, in a lineup that comprises Use Your Illusion–era keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardist Chris Pitman. The band has released six studio albums, accumulating sales of more than 100 million records worldwide, including shipments of 45 million in the United States, making Guns N' Roses one of the world's best-selling bands of all time. Guns N' Roses' debut album Appetite for Destruction (1987) reached number one on the Billboard 200 a year after its release, on the strength of "Sweet Child o' Mine", the group's only single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album has sold 28 million copies worldwide, including 18 million units in the United States, making it the best-selling debut album of all time in the US, as well as the eleventh best-selling album in the United States. The success of the debut was followed by the eight-song album G N' R Lies (1988) which reached number two on the Billboard 200. The twin albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II (1991) debuted at number two and number one on the Billboard 200 and have sold a combined 35 million copies worldwide, including 14 million units in the United States. The covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) was the band's last studio album to feature Slash and McKagan. After more than a decade of work and several lineup changes, Guns N' Roses released the long-awaited album Chinese Democracy (2008) which, at an estimated $14 million in production costs, is the most expensive rock album to ever be produced in music history.
 It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 but undersold industry expectations, despite mostly positive critical reception.Guns N' Roses has been credited with reviving the mainstream popularity of rock music, at a time when popular music was dominated by dance music and glam metal. Its late 1980s and early 1990s years have been described as the period in which they brought forth a "hedonistic rebelliousness" reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones, a reputation that had earned them the nickname "the most dangerous band in the world".The band's classic lineup, along with later members Reed and drummer Matt Sorum, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, in its first year of eligibility
 

GnR-Best2014

 

 

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Duran Duran MTV Unplugged (1993)

The album is an incomplete recording of Duran Duran's performance at Sony Music Studios, a former music recording and mastering facility in New York City, located at 460 West 54th Street.

Created by MTV, Unplugged is a TV series showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments.

Duran Duran began their 60-minute show with "Hungry Like the Wolf", featuring Simon Le Bon singing several lines of an introduction with new lyrics.

The band then followed with "Ordinary World", a new song from The Wedding Album which Le Bon introduced by saying "This means a lot to us, about the place we inhabit, our world, the ordinary world."

Performed with a string section, the show also featured acoustic versions of Duran Duran's debut single "Planet Earth" and several more songs from The Wedding Album released earlier that year.

The bootleg is not a full recording, missing the songs "Skin Trade", "Notorious" and "The Chauffeur".

Bonus tracks:

Track 9, "Notorious", is from the live worldwide broadcast of Duran Duran's midnight performance at Tower Records in Hollywood, CA, USA on 15 May 1993. The show was beamed simultaneously to fans in London, Sydney and Tokyo and shown at those cities' Hard Rock Cafes.

"Notorious" is an acoustic version which received official releases as B-sides on various "Too Much Information" CD singles and on the promo-only No Ordinary EP cassette. The track is also available on the World Broadcast album.

Tracks 10, 11  were recorded during An Acoustic Evening With Duran Duran Tour in Argentina on 30 April 1993.

 

 

 

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Poison MTV Unplugged (1990)

MTV Unplugged:

Your Mama Don't Dance
Good Love
Every Rose Has It's Thorn
Let It Play
Unskinny Bop
Talk Dirty To Me

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Stone Temple Pilots: MTV Unplugged 1993

Stone Temple Pilots, the hard rock sensation based south of Los Angeles, taped a performance for "MTV Unplugged" in New York City in November of 1993. Band members Weiland (vocals), Robert DeLeo (bass), Dean DeLeo (guitars) and Eric Kretz (drums) perform a rockin' acoustic set featuring tracks off their debut album Core. Recorded 17 November 1993 at Sony Music Studios - New York. Set List: 1. Crackerman; 2. Creep; 3. Andy Warhol; 4. Plush; 5. Big Empty; 6. Sin; 7. Wicked Garden; 8. Sex Type Thing.

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Pearl Jam - MTV Completely Unplugged (1992)

One of the hottest new bands to emerge out of music hot bed Seattle at the time of this taping, Pearl Jam was currently riding high on the success of their debut album Ten. Taped at midnight at the Kaufman Astoria Studios in March of 1992, Pearl Jam band members Eddie Vedder (vocals), Mike McCready (guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), and Dave Abbruzzese (drums) gave an unforgettable and captivating performance that unleashed the band's raw, poetic and lyrical genius to the world, also highlighting a point of Eddie's personal and political values that made his music seem more genuine and real. But before we get into the music, lets begin with the heart of this live performance.

One thing to be noted about Pearl Jam during the duration (35 minutes) of this show is their energy and devotion towards the music they play, as well as the pure joy they get out of performing. The camera catches glimpses of Dave smiling and mouthing the words as he rocks out on the drum set throughout the entire show, and you'll notice McCready and Stone start to move their bodies with the rhythm of the music and dedicate their entire mindset and emotion to each song's pivotal guitar solo found within most of Pearl Jam's pieces. However, I find myself completely lost to the world around me when I see Eddie sing. Eddie's voice alone is gripping and intense as he sings the tune is such a way to showcase power, pureness, and patience, but when you put that talent along with his enthralling facial expressions, you get...well...a damn good show. Eddie's face (aside from being absolutely beautiful) leaves you wondering whether or not he's having an epileptic seizure, wanting to kill someone, or just completely lost in the music. His eyes roll in the back of his head, his head jerks around in short, fast movements, and he'll even give you a twisted little smile, raising his cheekbones and pursing his lips, in parts of the song that usually aren't that happy. Passion runs through his blood and it is evident in the way he performs.

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The Alarm

With idealistic spirit, a powerhouse live show, and bigger than big hair, the Alarm were part of an early-'80s wave of bands (the Call, Big Country, and the Waterboys among them) who dealt in soaring anthems inspired by the righteous idealism of punk. Clearly influenced by the impassioned political fervor of the Clash, the Alarm also worked in a mostly acoustic, folk-punk vein that provided a counterpoint to their hard-driving guitar rockers. Their stage look was unquestionably a product of the '80s, with enormous spiked-up hair accompanying a cowboy/old-time cavalry wardrobe. Yet the numerous comparisons to U2 in the press were not unfounded; despite a more conservative sonic palette, the Alarm had much the same earnest intensity, the same messianic ambitions, even the same vague spirituality. Likewise, the Alarm seemed to covet a mainstream breakthrough in the vein of The Joshua Tree's conquest of the pop charts, and polished up their sound accordingly, with mixed creative results. The British music press habitually savaged their records as derivative and pretentious, but this meant little to their zealous following who supported the band to the tune of over 5 million sales worldwide and 16 Top 50 UK singles.

The Alarm was formed in Rhyl, Wales in 1981 by vocalist/guitarist Mike Peters, who'd started out in a local punk band called the Toilets along with Alarm drummer Nigel Twist (b. Nigel Buckle). When that band broke up, Peters -- then playing bass -- formed a new outfit called Seventeen (after the Sex Pistols song) with guitarists Eddie MacDonald and Dave Sharp (b. Dave Kitchingman), both local scenesters and longtime friends. Seventeen was initially influenced by the Pistols, the Clash, the mod-revival punk of the Jam, and the punk-pop of ex-Pistol Glen Matlock's Rich Kids. As their songwriting interests grew more socially conscious, and in early 1981, the group reinvented itself as the Alarm, taking the name from a Seventeen song called "Alarm Alarm." Later that year, they moved to London and self-released their debut single, a Peters/MacDonald-penned political rocker called "Unsafe Building," backed with Sharp's folk-punk tune "Up for Murder." By this time, MacDonald and Peters had switched instruments, with Peters taking up rhythm guitar and MacDonald moving to bass.

In 1982, the Alarm signed with IRS and issued another single, "Marching On." On the strength of their live shows, U2 tapped them to open their 1983 supporting tour for War, which helped make the group's next single, the Stephen King retelling "The Stand," into an underground hit. The Alarm's self-titled debut EP appeared later in 1983, compiling previous single releases, and setting the stage for the release of their first proper album, Declaration, in 1984. A Top Ten U.K. hit, Declaration spun off several popular singles, including the Seventeen holdover "Sixty-Eight Guns" (which made the pop Top 20), "Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?" (which just missed), "The Deceiver," and the live staple "Blaze of Glory." Non-LP singles followed in a cover of "The Bells of Rhymney," the new wave dance tune "The Chant (Has Just Begun)," and the British Top 40 hit "Absolute Reality."

The Alarm's sophomore effort, 1985's Strength, was another U.K. success, and brought them into the Top 40 of the U.S. album charts for the first time; additionally, the single "Spirit of '76" was a Top 40 U.K. hit. Strength displayed greater subtlety and maturity in both their songwriting and arrangements, and was often hailed as the group's best overall album. The Alarm took a break after the supporting tour, and returned in 1987 with Eye of the Hurricane, which featured more polished, mainstream production reminiscent of U2. The gambit helped them gain some rock radio play in America with the singles "Presence of Love," "Rescue Me," and especially the more danceable "Rain in the Summertime," and they landed a tour slot supporting Bob Dylan. A concert EP, Electric Folklore: Live, followed in 1988.

1989's Change was an homage to the group's native Wales, and was accompanied by an alternate Welsh-language version, Newid. Produced by Tony Visconti, Change spawned the group's biggest modern rock radio hit in America, the bluesy "Sold Me Down the River," which also put them in the U.S. pop Top 50 for the first and only time. "Devolution Working Man Blues" and "Love Don't Come Easy" also earned radio airplay, and the track "A New South Wales" boasted an appearance by the Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Although it was hugely popular in Wales, it didn't sell as well as the group's earlier works, and internal band dissension -- exacerbated by deaths in both Peters and Twist's families -- made 1991's Raw the original Alarm's final effort. "The Road" was their final radio hit, but with the band's impending breakup, IRS found little reason to promote it.

Mike Peters and Dave Sharp both embarked on solo careers. Sharp issued albums in 1991 and, after relocating to New Orleans, in 1996. Peters, meanwhile, issued his solo debut in 1995 and was subsequently diagnosed with lymphoma; fortunately, the "cancer" turned out to be benign, and Peters completed two more solo records before forming Colorsound with former Cult guitarist Billy Duffy. Peters subsequently reunited the original Alarm lineup for several live appearances, and then formed a new unit consisting of guitarist James Stevenson (Gene Loves Jezebel, Chelsea), bassist Craig Adams (the Cult, the Mission UK, Sisters of Mercy), and drummer Steve Grantley (Stiff Little Fingers).

 In February 2004, this lineup of the Alarm pulled off a masterful hoax on the British music industry by issuing a garagey punk-pop single, "45 RPM," under the fictitious name the Poppy Fields. Peters, having gotten positive feedback on the song, decided to disassociate it from his veteran band to have it judged on its own merits, and recruited a young Welsh group called the Wayriders to lip-sync the song in the video. The so-called Poppy Fields took "45 RPM" into the U.K. Top 30 before the hoax was revealed, setting the stage for the new Alarm's first album together, In the Poppy Fields. Soon after the album's release, production for a film based on Peters' manipulating of the music industry began with Shrek producer John H. Williams backing the project. 

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Kansas

Fusing the complexity of British prog rock with an American heartland sound representative of their name, Kansas were among the most popular bands of the late '70s; though typically dismissed by critics, many of the group's hits remain staples of AOR radio playlists to this day. Formed in Topeka in 1970, the founding members of the group -- guitarist Kerry Livgren, bassist Dave Hope, and drummer Phil Ehart -- first played together while in high school; with the 1971 addition of classically trained violinist Robbie Steinhardt, they changed their name to White Clover, reverting back to the Kansas moniker for good upon the 1972 arrivals of vocalist/keyboardist Steve Walsh and guitarist Richard Williams.

The group spent the early part of the decade touring relentlessly and struggling for recognition; initially, their mix of boogie and prog rock baffled club patrons, but in due time they established a strong enough following to win a record deal with the Kirshner label. Kansas' self-titled debut LP appeared in 1974; while only mildly successful, the group toured behind it tirelessly, and their fan base grew to the point that their third effort, 1975's Masque, sold a quarter of a million copies. In 1976, Leftoverture truly catapulted Kansas to stardom. On the strength of the smash hit "Carry on Wayward Son," the album reached the Top Five and sold over three million copies. Released in 1977, Point of Know Return was even more successful, spawning the monster hit "Dust in the Wind." While the 1978 live LP Two for the Show struggled to break the Top 40, its studio follow-up, Monolith, the band's first self-produced effort, reached the Top Ten. That same year, Walsh issued a solo record, Schemer-Dreamer.

 In the wake of 1980's Audio-Visions, Kansas began to splinter; both Hope and Livgren became born-again Christians, the latter issuing the solo venture Seeds of Change, and their newfound spirituality caused divisions within the band's ranks. Walsh soon quit to form a new band, Streets; the remaining members forged on without him, tapping vocalist John Elefante as his replacement. The first Kansas LP without Walsh, 1982's Vinyl Confessions, launched the hit "Play the Game Tonight," but after only one more album, 1983's Drastic Measures, they disbanded.

In 1986, however, Kansas re-formed around Ehart, Williams, and Walsh; adding the famed guitarist Steve Morse as well as bassist Billy Greer, the refurbished band debuted with the album Power, scoring a Top 20 hit with "All I Wanted." When the follow-up, 1988's In the Spirit of Things, failed to hit, seven years passed before the release of their next effort, Freaks of Nature. The London Symphony-assisted Always Never the Same followed in 1998, and in 2000 Kansas issued Somewhere to Elsewhere, their 14th studio album (and last to date), which saw the return of founder singer/songwriter Kerry Livgren.

Subsequent years found Kansas continuing to tour and release compilations and live albums, culminating in their 2014 inductions into the Kansas Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, which coincided with the group's 40th anniversary. Miracles Out of Nowhere, a DVD/CD career retrospective, followed in early 2015.

 

 

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Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross was far and away the biggest new star of 1980, virtually defining adult contemporary radio with a series of smoothly sophisticated ballads including the chart-topping "Sailing"; seemingly as quickly as he shot to fame, however, his star descended, although he continued recording and touring for years to come. Born Christopher Geppert in San Antonio, TX on May 3, 1951, Cross first surfaced in the Austin-based cover band Flash before signing a solo contract with Warner Bros. in the autumn of 1978.

His self-titled debut LP appeared two years later, with the lead single "Ride Like the Wind" rocketing to the number two spot; the massive success of the second single, "Sailing," made Cross a superstar, and in the wake of two more Top 20 hits, "Never Be the Same" and "Say You'll Be Mine," he walked off with a record-setting five Grammys in 1981, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Sailing." He soon scored a second number one as well as an Academy Award with "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," which he co-wrote with Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen for the smash Dudley Moore film comedy Arthur.


Cross' much-anticipated sophomore effort, Another Page, arrived in 1983, but except for the Top Ten entry "Think of Laura" (popularized through its constant presence on the daytime soap phenomenon General Hospital), the album failed to repeat the success of its predecessor, and somewhat amazingly, he never returned to the Top 40 again. Every Turn of the World appeared to little notice in 1985, and when 1988's Back of My Mind failed to chart altogether, Cross was dropped by Warner. His next album, Rendezvous, did not appear until five years later on BMG. Window followed in 1995, and in 1998 he signed to CMC International for Walking in Avalon, a two-disc effort split between new studio material and live recordings of his past hits.

Cross returned in the spring of 2000 with The Red Room. Two years later, Rhino released the comprehensive hit collection The Very Best of Christopher Cross. Cross closed out the decade with a Christmas album in 2007 and an acoustic album called The Cafe Carlyle Sessions in 2008. Dr. Faith, his first collection of new songs in ten years, appeared in the fall of 2010.

 

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