Currently Booming Lost Hit: REO Speedwagon- 'That Ain't Love'

80s Throwback: The Boys Club - 'I Remember Holding You'

 

Some songs just disappear from the conversation, and that's a shame because they deserve to be remembered. The Boys Club's "I Remember Holding You" is one of those forgotten gems from the late '80s that rarely gets mentioned anymore, even though it came within one spot of topping the charts.

Released in 1989, "I Remember Holding You" climbed all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, proving that there was still plenty of room for polished pop ballads as the decade was winding down. Of course, the fact that the song came packaged with two photogenic guys in a slick, MTV-friendly video certainly didn't hurt its chances. If you were a teenager in 1989, chances are you remember seeing the guys looking like they stepped straight out of a Chess King catalog.

What many people don't realize is that The Boys Club wasn't really a traditional band. It was largely a studio creation assembled around the song itself. While the duo did make a handful of promotional appearances, particularly on the West Coast, they never became a full-fledged touring act. That probably explains why they quickly faded from view despite having one of the biggest pop hits of the year.

Still, there's something undeniably charming about "I Remember Holding You." It's a song built on lush keyboards, soaring harmonies, and just enough heartbreak to make it stick with you long after it's over. It's the kind of power ballad that perfectly captures the polished sound of late-'80s Top 40 radio, right before grunge and New Jack Swing changed everything.

And then there's the video.

Like so many clips from the era, it feels like a time capsule. The perfectly styled hair, oversized jackets, dramatic close-ups, and soft-focus cinematography scream 1989 in the best possible way. Even if you don't remember every lyric, chances are the video will instantly transport you back to afternoons spent watching MTV after school.

"I Remember Holding You" ended up being The Boys Club's one and only major hit, making them a true one-hit wonder. But that's okay. Sometimes one great song is all you need to leave your mark on pop music history.

I still think this is one of those "lost" '80s tracks that deserves another listen. Every time it pops up on one of my playlists, I'm reminded just how strong the songwriting was, and how many terrific songs from that era have quietly slipped through the cracks.

80s Throwback: Stage Dolls - 'Love Cries'

 

Some songs don't become massive hits, but somehow they still become your hits. Every time they come on, you're instantly transported back to a moment in time. For me, "Love Cries" by Stage Dolls is one of those forgotten gems that deserved so much more attention than it got.

Hailing from Trondheim, Norway, Stage Dolls blended melodic hard rock with huge pop hooks long before it became commonplace. Fronted by singer and guitarist Torstein Flakne, the band had all the ingredients for American success, big choruses, polished production, soaring guitars, and enough emotion to fill an arena. While they enjoyed tremendous success in their home country, they only flirted with mainstream fame in the United States when "Love Cries" cracked the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. It peaked at No. 46, but it always felt like it should have climbed much higher.

From the opening notes, "Love Cries" has that unmistakable late-'80s magic. It's a power ballad without being over-the-top, driven by a melody that sticks with you long after the song ends. Flakne's vocals strike the perfect balance between vulnerability and power, telling the story of heartbreak in a way that still feels genuine decades later.

What I love most is that the song never sounds dated. Sure, you can hear the glossy production that defined the era, but that's part of its charm. It fits right alongside songs from bands like Giant, Bad English, and White Lion, those melodic rock groups that knew how to write songs with both muscle and heart.

The funny thing about lost hits is that they often find a second life. Thanks to streaming and devoted fans of melodic rock, "Love Cries" has quietly become a cult favorite. Every time I stumble across it on a playlist, I'm reminded how many incredible songs slipped through the cracks because they weren't attached to the biggest names in rock. Fans on Reddit's hair metal community still regularly praise it as an overlooked classic, with many saying it was one of the best songs of the era.

If you've never heard "Love Cries," or if it's been years since you last did, do yourself a favor and give it another spin. It's a reminder that not every great song becomes a household name. Sometimes the best discoveries are the ones hiding just outside the spotlight.

That's what makes rediscovering music so much fun. Every once in a while, you uncover a "lost hit" that makes you wonder, How wasn't this absolutely everywhere? For me, Stage Dolls' "Love Cries" will always be one of those songs.

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Talk Talk- 'Living In Another World'

Daily Boom 80's Lost Hit: Bardeux - 'When We Kiss'

"There`s a real fine line
Between love and hate
And I`m not the type
To just sit and wait
I`ve made up my mind
I can`t wait for you anymore"

Ya know that one song that you remember so well years (okay decades) later that no one else can recall? Bardeux's "When We Kiss' fits that bill for me. I have never mentioned it to another soul that has any idea what I'm talking about and if I play it for them, they still don't remember it. Bardeux was actually a dance duo from OC, Stacy "Acacia" Smith and Lisa "Jaz" Teaney (at least on this song), who released their first album, Bold As Love in 1988.

While Bardeux is often described as a one-hit-wonder, they actually had a few singles that charted on Billboard's Hot 100 and they did really well on the dance charts during their short time together. I've always loved "When We Kiss' because it's almost more of a spoken word song than anything else and that really made it stand out back in 1988. Check it out below. Do you guys remember Bardeux?

DailyBOOM Lost Hit: Richard Marx- 'Too Late To Say Goodbye'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Regina- 'Baby Love'

"Boy, there's no one home tonight
The timing could be right
To forget the rules
We're out of school until tomorrow
Now, if only you would stay
There's so many games we'd play
Why should we pretend to be just friends
When we could be so much more"

I love when I'm reminded of a song that I've completely forgotten about. Regina's "Baby Love" was one of those. I was watching Totally 80's on Classic MTV the other day when this track came on and I instantly remembered it. "Baby Love" made me think of summer and when I looked it up my memory was right. It was a super popular track in the summer of 1986. One of those songs that were on the radio every couple of hours and you knew all of the lyrics to it even if you didn't like it.

This song peaked at number 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 and paved the way for Regina to have a string of hits on the dance charts in the mid-'80s.

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Starship- 'Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Al B. Sure!- 'Night and Day'

"I can tell you how I feel about you night and day

How I feel about you

I'll love you more in the rain or shine

And making love in the rain is fine

A love so good and I call it mine

Love is blind"

Al B. Sure! is one of the very first soul singers that I can remember actually being my own age when he first broke through. In the late 80's I thought of Motown when I thought of soul and just about every R&B artist out there in my age group was headed in a real New Jack Swing kind of direction. Al B. Sure! kind of made me stop dead and really listen. His song "Night and Day" hit Billboard's top ten and it was one of those end of the night request countdown favorites. The perfect song to dedicate to your boyfriend or girlfriend before going to sleep.

I know Al B. Sure! was popular but I hadn't realized just how many awards he was nominated for. We're talking Grammy's, Billboard Awards, Soul Train Awards... In other words, he had the music industry's respect as well as the fan's love. Al B. Sure! is still rooted firmly in the music biz and so are his three grown sons. 

Check out the video for "Night and Day" below. It's one of those songs that I always recognize 3 notes in!

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Lisa Fischer - 'So Intense'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Gary Moore- 'The Messiah Will Come Again'

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Jane Child - 'Don't Wanna Fall In Love'

"Ain't no personal thing, boy

But you have got to stay away

Far, far away from my heart, my heart

Don't you know what your kiss is doing

Let me tell it to you from the start, boy

I don't wanna fall in love

No, no

Love cuts just like a knife"

Do you remember Jane Child? She was one of the earliest shooting stars of the 90's that seemed to have a long career ahead of her. Child's look caught attention because no other woman on the top 40 charts was rocking a shaved head, braids and a nose ring. Her first single, "Don't Wanna Fall In Love" was a total bop. It was on in the car, it was on in the grocery store, it was on in your doctor's office. It followed you everywhere and that wasn't a bad thing. We were coming off of hair bands and New Jack Swing had its' finger on just about everything else so Child was really a breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately, she's considered a one-hit wonder by most, but Child does have three albums out there so if you still love this song, then check the rest of her archive.  You remember this one, right?

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Boston- 'Can'tcha Say You Believe In Me (Still In Love)

Daily Boom: Freestyle Friday- Corina- 'Whispers'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Pink Floyd- 'Keep Talking'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: The Rolling Stones- 'Anybody Seen My Baby'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Great White - 'The Angel Song' (Live TV Clip - SUPER RARE)

Currently Booming: Freestyle Friday- Sandee- 'You're The One'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Madonna- 'Justify My Love'

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Saigon Kick- 'Love is on the Way'

"Time of season
Wipes the tears
No rhyme or reason
No more fears
All the dreamin'
Is far behind
You are here now
Everything's alright"

Is Saigon Kick one of the most underrated bands around? Their fans like to think so. After forming back in 1988 the band finally made a huge breakthrough with their 1992 hit ballad, "Love is on the Way". It made it to number 12 on Billboard's Hot 100 but more importantly, the song got tons of airplay across the country.

Technically, "Love is on the Way" is considered a one-hit-wonder but the band is still around, thirty years after the fact. I realized that I had never listened to a full album of Saigon Kick's and so I gave The Lizard a shot. You should too,  it's definitely worth a spin. In the meantime, here's "Love is on the Way".

Are you like me? Do you recognize this song a few seconds in, whenever you do hear it?