As a rocker of quite a few decades now.....I so agree with you that there was/is MASSIVE talent out there that just never seemed to hit it big....and not always from Europe, but that was often the case. I offer a few stellar examples: artists who should have been unbelievably HUGE vs. just...well, popular with their fans:
- Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush (years ahead of his time on the axe; simply stunning guitarist)
- Gary Moore (simply the best blues/rock guitarist who ever walked the earth....and my God how he could tear up a power ballad better than ANYone...May he rest in peace.)
- Great White (I know I know....but they got REALLY famous only after that horrible nightclub fire, but they could rock like few others)
- Tesla (underappreciated...great talent)
- Cinderella (hair band or not, these guys could play gut-busting blues rock with the best of them)
- Gorky Park (Russians; listen to their version of “My Generation”; it’ll forever change the way you think of that song)
- Uriah Heep (mentioned by another above; somewhat spotty material overall, but MAN they could kick it when hitting on all cylinders)
- Gus (American; never heard of him? Only one LP, I think, and I have a copy....the album is superb; sparse production sense....I just love it)
- Savoy Brown (the band that spawned Foghat; highly underrated boogie band)
I’ll think of ten more after I post this, no doubt.
Definitely agree about Gary Moore. I became a fan fairly late in his career (”Still Got the Blues” was my introduction to him), but I’ve been hooked ever since. Also agree on Cinderella. I didn’t like everything they did, but they had a nice bluesy edge that I dug. “Shelter Me” is a fave to this day.
I’m not as familiar with Uriah Heep, though I do really like “Stealin’” quite a bit. Rainbow (Dio era) is another band from around that time I really enjoy.
There are also a number of acts I’ve recently become a fan of that were either before my time, or that I just never knew about:
-Atomic Rooster (esp. the lineup with Chris Farlowe on vocals) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVf7SG1-DGg
-Pacific Gas and Electric http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTPLNsRGJXo
-Moby Grape. Oh lord, I cannot get enough of these guys! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAUGyED5vH0