There’s never a bad time to listen to your favorite songs. Whether you’re driving in the car or in the middle of a workout, tons of tunes are at your fingertips. There are plenty of classic music legends to listen to on a daily basis. Some of the most popular bands in history are AC/DC and The Beatles. Nearly everyone on the planet has heard of these groups and their legendary hits, but what about the forgotten bands? Peruse this list and you’ll discover plenty of names you’ll likely recall but haven’t heard in some time. They either retired amicably, simply stopped “being a band,” or in the case of one in particular, the members’ drug use and politics got in the way of their success.
To compile this list of forgotten music legends, 24/7 Tempo consulted music-related sources, including Rolling Stone, Apple Music, and Billboard.
The Alan Parsons Project
There’s no denying that The Alan Parsons Project has had an enormous cultural impact. In 1982, the group released the instrumental “Sirius.” It was supposed to be the intro to “Eye in the Sky.” However, in 1984, the Chicago Bulls picked the intro to use when introducing their team. They had one of the greatest sports dynasties in history. Nearly everyone had heard the team get introduced at some point. That made “Sirius” into one of the most recognizable songs.
Other songs like “I Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You” and “Games People Play” are what made the group beloved during their 15-year run. Since the group fully dispersed in 1990, many fans don’t remember the classic The Alan Parsons Project until they hear them. It doesn’t appear the group will ever get back together since it has been nearly 35 years without anything. Alan Parsons, who was the namesake of the band, has had a successful solo career.
The Stooges
One of the most controversial music groups in history is The Stooges. The group was known for producing hit after hit, including “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Search and Destroy.” They were added to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, even though they only released music for seven years. However, the lead singer of the group, Iggy Pop, was known for his erratic behavior on stage and behind the scenes.
Iggy would inflict self-harm on stage as part of the performance. While most folks thought this was neat and it helped the band stand out, others felt like it was too much. Iggy also sang about having a relationship with a minor while he was 23. This rubbed tons of people the wrong way. There’s no denying how successful the group was during their run. However, given the controversy surrounding them, it makes sense that fans have forgotten about them.
The Monkees
Few bands in history have had a story similar to The Monkees. The group was formed as part of a TV show, also called “The Monkees.” It aired between 1966 and 1968, with tons of the songs from the show turning into hits in the real world. “Last Train to Clarksville” and “I’m a Believer” are two of the group’s biggest songs. However, some folks claimed the group never actually could play any instruments at all. Some felt like they were just on stage because of their acting abilities and not their singing skills.
The constant criticism caused the group to disband shortly after the show ended. However, they came back together at the 10-year, 20-year, 25-year, and 35-year reunion of the show airing. Each time the group reconciled was only for around a year or so, until they stayed together for 11 years after their 35-year reunion. Since all of the members except Micky Dolenz are dead, the group won’t be making it back for a 50-year reunion.
The Moody Blues
English rock bands took the world by storm in the 1960s and ’70s. Some of the biggest names include The Who, The Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. However, one group that often gets forgotten is The Moody Blues. The group first came together in 1964 in England. They were one of the smart bands who took psychedelic rock and ran with it while it was popular in the late ’60s and ’70s.
Some of the biggest hits The Moody Blues released are “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” and “Go Now.”After taking a three-year hiatus between 1974 and 1977, the group joined forces again for more than 40 years until 2018. While it’s understandable that the group gets a back seat when talking about British rock bands, they still need to be recognized whenever they can be. Any group that was around for 50 years did something right.
Yes
Another British group that sometimes gets left in the dust is Yes. The band first came together in 1968 at the peak of English rock taking over the world. They became mostly known as one of the best progressive rock bands in history. Over the years, the group has seen plenty of band members come and go. In fact, more than 20 musicians have had time with the band. Some folks think that if the band had more consistent members, they’d be more recognized.
Some of the biggest songs Yes released were “Owner of a Lovely Heart” and “Cinema.” Over the years, Yes won a Grammy Award and had five other nominations. The current members of the band are still pumping out music that their founders would be proud of. There’s no telling how much longer the group will stay alive, but it’s important to remember the original members of the group.
ABBA
Nearly everyone has heard the song “Dancing Queen” at some point. It’s part of almost every dance competition and was an instant success the second it was released. The masterminds behind one of the biggest songs in pop history is ABBA, a Swedish group that’s still performing today. Unlike Yes, ABBA is still comprised only of the founding members. Nobody has joined or left the group, other than when they disbanded for a brief stretch.
When talking about pop icons, most folks only mention the current iteration of musicians like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. ABBA was one of the first pop groups to take the stage. The most impressive part about ABBA is they did so during a time when rock ‘n’ roll was taking over the world. They have seen countless awards and recognitions thrown their way over the years. ABBA is still performing and showing no signs of slowing down in the future.
Radiohead
Few bands in history have had the same amount of immediate success as Radiohead. The group’s first single released was “Creep,” a song that’s still played today by those who love emo music. Some of their other biggest hits are “Paranoid Android” and “Karma Police.” Throughout the years, the British rock band has won six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
As time has progressed, other rock bands have taken over the stage. Die-hard fans still love listening to the band today. However, many people don’t remember Radiohead until they hear “Creep” playing at a party or on the radio. Some members of the band are now putting their attention into solo projects, while Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood formed a new band named The Smile. Fans are excited to see where the solo careers and new group go in the future.
The Housemartins
Indie bands were some of the most popular to listen to back in the day. The Housemartins were a group from England who had an Indie sound but sang about religion and politics. While this made many fans happy, there were some people who felt like music should be separate. This divide was part of the reason why the group only lasted between 1983 and 1988. The group’s biggest hit came as a cover of Isley-Jasper-Isley’s “Caravan of Love.”
After breaking up in 1988, lead singer Paul Heaton and drummer Dave Hemingway formed a new band named The Beautiful South. Unlike The Housemartins, The Beautiful South was considered a pop rock band. Some of their biggest hits include “I’ll Sail This Ship Alone” and “You Keep It All In.” After nearly 20 years together, the band broke apart. Heaton has since continued a solo career.
The Beach Boys
No band better encapsulates the California lifestyle than The Beach Boys. The group formed in 1961 with three brothers, their cousin, and one of their friends. As time moved forward, The Beach Boys continued to showcase their musical genius. Some of the biggest songs The Beach Boys have released are “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and “Good Vibrations.” It seems like every fireworks show around the United States on the Fourth of July plays “Surfin’ U.S.A.” at some point.
While they’re considered one of the most successful music groups in history, some folks forget about them until one of their hits plays. Whenever someone is in the mood to hear a song that reminds them of the ocean, The Beach Boys are the perfect place to turn to. All of the founders were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with some of the newer members also being added in recent years.
Green Day
During the early and mid-2000s, there wasn’t a ticket hotter to purchase than Green Day. Younger millennials fell in love with the band after the release of their iconic hit “American Idiot.” Green Day also became known for classics like “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” The group fed off the tail end of the rock ‘n’ roll era, which was seemingly replaced by hip-hop in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Throughout time, Green Day has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated for an astounding 20 awards. The group is still pumping out new music in 2024. There’s a chance Green Day will have another rise in popularity, as Gen-Zers are bringing back things they consider “old school.” The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the first year they could, which shows how truly massive they were during their prime.
Ramones
It’s not every day that every band member changes their last name to reflect the name of the group. That’s just what everyone who joined Ramones did, though. While all the members would adopt the name Ramone, none were related. The name of the group came to be because of Paul McCartney, since he registered as Paul Ramone for his hotel visits. Over the years, Ramones has gained more recognition for how impactful they were on the punk genre.
The original members were added to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the group was even given a Lifetime Grammy Award for their contribution to music. The Ramones sometimes get lost in the shuffle since they were performing at a time when groups like The Beatles and AC/DC were dominating the stage. There’s no telling where music would be today without the group. Joey battled OCD and later lymphoma, Johnny was an outspoken political conservative, and Dee Dee battled substance abuse. In the end, few words spoken among the band when not on stage. The band finally threw in the towel in 1996 after playing one last show in Los Angeles.
Camel
Another British rock band to take the world by storm in the 1970s was Camel. They first appeared on the radar in 1973 following the release of their album “Camel.” This featured hits like “Never Let Go” and “Slow Yourself Down.” After finding success through the ’70s, Camel broke up in 1984 before finding their way back together in 1991. Like many bands on this list, Camel has seen plenty of members come and go.
The only member to see the band through the years is Andrew Latimer. Tons of fans recognize how important Camel has been to the music industry since the 1970s and 1980s. Like the other British bands on this list, Camel was somewhat left behind by the success of the mainstream British bands during that era. (For more music content, read about the songs that have stayed on the Billboard Top 100 for the longest time .)
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