Rainy Days...

A request from a listener prompted today's forgotten oldie.  In 1971 the Carpenters scored another big hit with "Rainy Days and Mondays" which hit #2 on the hot 100 and was their fourth #1 on the adult chart.  So much of what the Carpenters did was pure gold and yet today so largely ignored and forgotten.  I've never understood it, it's true they didn't rock out, but their stuff was all great.
watch here

Hey Joe

In 1966 an American band named The Leaves became the only artists to gain hit status with a song called "Hey Joe", #37 on the hot 100.  The song has been recorded by dozens of artists like the Byrds, Cher, Love, Johnny Rivers, Marmalade, the Cryan Shames, Deep Purple Patti Smith and the Who, the most well known being Jimi Hendrix but his version failed to chart.  In the 60's, this was the song every band played on stage.  The first three bands I played in did this song.  Hendrix ended Woodstock with this song... but today it's just a forgotten oldie.
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Fancy

Fancy was a studio band in the mid 70's that surprised even themselves when their remake of "Wild Thing" became a monster hit in 1974, climbing to #14 on the Hot 100.  With a Penthouse Pet singing the lead, the song was unique as a novelty within a novelty.  Even though there's really nothing going on except a pretty girl moaning and sighing, the song was never taken seriously and is mostly forgotten today.
listen here

True Love Ways

Peter & Gordon were among the first music acts in 1964 that overpowered radios during the British Invasion.  Among their many hits was 1965's "True Love Ways" a Buddy Holly remake.  The song hit #14 on the Hot 100 and with Gordon on lead vocal presented a different side of the duo.  A great song, forgotten today.
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Pushin' Too Hard

One of my favorite forgotten oldies, the Seeds "Pushin' Too Hard" only made it to #36 on the hot 100 in February of 1967, but it's one of Billboards' 500 songs that shaped rock and roll and is the ultimate garage band song.  It's a classic, sadly forgotten today.
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First Top Ten Hit!

In September 1968, the Bee Gees released one of their most important records... "I've Gotta Get A Message To You".  The song went to #1 in Britain (their second British #1) but more importantly the song became the group's first top ten hit in the USA, climbing to #8 on the Hot 100.  A song about a man on death row, it nonetheless helped create a huge American fan base for the surging Australian band.  Today it's mostly forgotten.
Listen to the song here

Bluebird

Buffalo Springfield was an amazingly talented American band that lasted a little over two years.  During that time they produced three great albums and put five singles on the Hot 100... unfortunately, their label (Atlantic) kept releasing their songs regionally... and it's tough to climb the charts when your song is a big hit on the West coast and unheard of on the East coast.  There was also a lot of fighting in the band and a few lineup changes along the way.  On May 5, 1968 they played together for the last time... and their swan song was "Bluebird", a song that went to #58 on the Hot 100 in 1967.  A pretty good feat for a song that only appeared on the West Coast.  Today the song is loved by Buffalo Springfield fans and forgotten by everyone else.
watch a reunion version here

The Searchers

The second Liverpool group to break into the US charts was the Searchers, scoring several hits during the beginnings of Beatlemania.  They went top ten with "Needles and Pins" in 1964, and in December peaked at #17 on the Hot 100 with "Don't Throw Your Love Away".  The band continues to tour and record today, however it gets a little confusing because two versions of the band tour, both with legitimate claims at the name because of their personnel.  Still, "Don't Throw Your Love Away" remains as one of their biggest hits ever, and yet it's mostly forgotten today!
Here's a live video