Peter Gabriel "Sledgehammer"

A remarkable feat in music history occurred on this date (July 26th) in 1986 when the former lead singer of a band nudged his former band's song out of the #1 spot on the Hot 100. Throughout the '70s, Peter Gabriel fronted Genesis before exiting the band thus leaving drummer Phil Collins to fill the void. While Collins juggled a solo career while continuing to perform with Genesis, the band's popularity soared. That July 1986 week saw Genesis' "Invisible Touch" fall out of the #1 spot thanks to Gabriel's "Sledgehammer". Many can and rightfully should credit MTV for helping make the song a hit as the video featured animation never before seen in a music video. The Hit Parade Podcast expertly tackles this unlikely story.

Foreigner "Say You Will"

Mick Jones founded Foreigner in the late-1970s and went nine months without a lead singer. Jones interviewed over 50 singers in his search for a lead singer with a soulful Steve Winwood-like sound without any luck. One day, after hearing Lou Gramm's voice on an album for the band Black Sheep, Jones said he knew immediately that he found the voice of Foreigner.

Steve Perry "Missing You"

The end of the year signifies a look back -- typically of those we lost during the year. That aside, let's recognize who we gained in 2018. In this case, we re-gained Steve Perry. Following a decade-plus as a successful solo artist, Perry re-joined Journey in the mid-1990s. Just as Journey was ready to set sail and tour again, Perry withdrew from the band for health reasons. After putting their comeback tour on hold for nearly two years, the band replaced him. It wasn't until 2014 when he took the stage with the Eels for his first time performing since 1995. He sat out performing during Journey's 2017 Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame induction out of respect to the band's new singer. In October 2018, Perry released Traces -- a solo album that Adult Contemporary radio stations embraced. For that, we welcome back Steve Perry.

Counting Crows "Mr. Jones"

So many albums from my formidable high school years turn 25 this year. One such is August & Everything After from Counting Crows. The album introduced the world to "Mr. Jones" late in 1993. The angst-filled alternative song is all about the internal struggles of band's lead singer, Adam Duritz, who just wanted to believe that if he was a big star...girls would like him. Despite being the band's biggest hit and signature song, nowadays Duritz rarely performs the song at his concerts.

Blues Traveler "Run-Around"

BYE FELICIA

"Run-Around" details the feelings Blues Traveler's lead singer John Popper had for the band's original bassist (named Felicia). Popper thought Felicia was somethin' special and had a crush on her, but knew that the two couldn't be anything more than band mates. We all know "Runaround" as the upbeat pop song we've heard on the radio, but Popper wanted the tone and tempo of the song to be much slower and depressing.

Chicago "Will You Still Love Me?"

Oh, no! What will the band Chicago do without the smooth styling of lead singer Peter Cetera? Thank goodness for bassist Jason Scheff. He stepped up to replace the giant void left by Cetera and the group managed a Top 10 hit with "Will You Still Love Me?" in 1986. This was the first of many hits for the band in the post-Cetera era.

Styx "Love at First Sight"

After a weekend bachelor party in Las Vegas, I noticed a familiar face on our flight home: former-Styx lead singer Dennis DeYoung. How do we say "hello" to a guy who clearly didn't want to talk with my hungover group of twenty-something bachelor party-goers? My friend Pat came up with an idea that we all felt was brilliant. It was 2005 and ringtones had just become a thing for cell phones, so Pat downloaded the song "Mr. Roboto" onto his phone and we kept playing the song/ringtone...much to DeYoung's dismay. Since this didn't elicit a response, we decided to communicate using Styx song titles. "Um, babe, could you show me the way to my seat? An aisle seat?!? That's like love at first sight..." Needless to say, DeYoung did not find any of this amusing and refused to acknowledge us.

Miami Sound Machine "Falling in Love (Uh-Oh)"

Even though Gloria Estefan joined Miami Sound Machine in 1977, her career took off nearly 10 years later. With the release of their Primitive Love album that featured the Latin-pop hits "Conga", "Bad Boy", "Words Get in the Way", and "Falling in Love (Uh-Oh)", Gloria's presence in the band took a giant step forward. A year later, Gloria's rise in popularity led many long-time members to depart the band, and the band renamed and re-branded itself: Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine.

Benjamin Orr "Stay the Night"

When the The Cars broke up in the mid-80s, lead singer Ric Ocasek went on to sing, act and produce several songs and albums. Another vocalist (and bassist) from The Cars was Benjamin Orr who charted a hit song of his own, "Stay the Night" in 1986. A quick listen to the tune and you might think you're hearing an obscure track from Foreigner, but no...it's the voice of Orr.

Train "When I Look to the Sky"

Hot Adult Contemporary radio stations made Train a core artist during the 2000s thanks to a long list of hits including "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)", "Calling All Angels" and "When I Look to the Sky". Like most hits from Train, "When I Look to the Sky" featured the soaring vocals of lead singer Pat Monahan.

Starship "Set The Night to Music"

A handful of years before Maxi Priest and Roberta Flack turned "Set the Night to Music" into a hit, Starship did the same. The ballad featured Grace Slick on vocals in what would be her last album with Starship.

Mike + The Mechanics "Taken In"

You're hearing the voice of Paul Young singing lead vocals on the soft rock ballad "Taken In" by Mike & The Mechanics. Genesis co-founder Mike Rutherford created the band as a side project in 1985 and the group went on to score a handful of hits.

The Cars "Shake It Up"

"I am not proud of the lyrics to 'Shake It Up'."

-Ric Ocasek, lead singer of The Cars

U2 "With or Without You"

Despite the fact U2 has sold tens of millions of albums and has a lead singer who is universally loved for his voice and his philanthropic efforts, U2 rarely found success on the Adult Contemporary Chart.  "With or Without You", for example, only managed to peak at #23 in 1987.

Felix Cavaliere - "Only A Lonely Heart Sees"

Who the heck is Felix Cavaliere, you're wondering?  Well, he played in: The Young Rascals, The Stereos, The Escorts, and Joey Dee & The Starlifters.  You still don't know who he is?  Well, you're probably not alone...

Lou Gramm - "Just Between You And Me"

In 1989, Adult Contemporary radio stations desperate to fill the time between Richard Marx and Whitney Houston songs were handed a gift from the record company gods.  Lou Gramm, whose voice is well-known by fans of the group Foreigner, found success with the song "Just Between You And Me".  Radio stations lapped it up as it proved to be a tonic for their itch that demanded more Foreigner music.  This also gave Richard Marx some time to compose another hit song.