From the Bands That Never Got Their Due Department, →[More:] I give you The Raspberries. While Big Star deserves every bit of praise they get as power-pop progenitors, it's odd that this outfit is overlooked. Paradoxically, maybe because they did have some limited commercial success that they are seen as a flash in the pan rather than unheralded pioneers.

Emerging out of Cleveland, Ohio in the early 1970's in matching stage outfits and bouffant hairdos, they couldn't have looked more anachronistic in the progressive-boogie-glam '70s. Their sound seemed like a throwback, too, but that was deceptive since in many ways it actually pointed toward the future.

Leader and songwriter Eric Carmen (yes, that Eric Carmen) knew how to combine Who-style guitar punch with Beach Boys melodicism in just the right proportions. Throw in Beatlesque understanding of how to pack a lot of complexity into a three-and-a-half minutes and a dash of lyrical frankness to acknowledge that it's a new decade and you have a recipe for some great pop-rock.

In 1972, they broke out in a big way with 'Go All The Way,'(YouTube), a near perfect car radio song with it's power chords, irresitible chorus and great lead vocal, hitting #4 on the pop chart. According to the new Replacements bio, this song is what made a teenage Paul Westerberg first pick up a guitar. Both the 'Mats and Seattle pop-punk legends the Fastbacks have covered this song. They followed up with 'I Wanna Be With You'(YouTube) and 'Tonight' (YouTube) in the same vien, artistically satisfying but with less commercial success.

By 1974, the Raspberries star seemed to be fading, which caused Carment o write their masterpiece, 'Overnite Sensation (Hit Record)' (Yousendit). With it's barrage of music-biz jargon and clear-eyed explanation of the rock-and-roll dream, this song stands as one of the greats, in part because Carmen was smart enough to realize that a song subtitle 'Hit Record' had better sound like a hit, and with it's stately piano, explosive chorus and power chords, this definitely qualifies. If there was any cosmic justice this record would've hit #1. It made it to #18, and the 'Berries broke up not long after. Carmen went on to write syrupy ballads like 'All By Myself' and 'Hungry Eyes,' and the Raspberries are remembered nostalgically as one-hit wonders, if at all. Which is a shame because their influence looms large over not just the aforementioned Replacements and Fastbacks but also Cheap trick, Teenage Fanclub, the Bangles and even Bruce Springsteen (he's publicly proclaimed himself a huge fan and says they were big influences on The River and Tunnel Of Love). These cats coulda been contenders.