With a long and storied history in Canada (peppered with a few minor hits in the United States), April Wine left behind a legacy of Hard Rock tunes and Power Ballads. Multi dimensional and great live performers, they are also very underrated and surprisingly have yet to reach the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Without that accolade, there is little reason that they would get enshrined in Cleveland….not that this was going to happen anyway.

Their songs were played loud, fast and crisp and each song was so short it was over before you knew it. Minor Threat’s career was bit like that too, as they were not around for very long. Like Bad Brains, they were an important fixture in the Washington D.C. Punk scene, but unlike other Punk acts, they were advocates of the “Straight Edge” lifestyle and are considered the first act to champion that. Although their run was limited, and their fan base was small, they actually had a bit of an impact.

Maybe even too raw for Punk Rock (if that is at all possible), the all girl group, the Slits helped break down the gender doors. The Slits were among the first female group empowered in their own sexuality and were able to deliver a message that was campy yet lyrically deeper than the casual fan would give them credit for. With musical styling that ranged from Punk, Reggae and New Wave, they many not have had an extensive recording career but they helped opened the doors for others of their kind to follow.

Although Men at Work were not the first successful band from Australia, they may very well be the band most associated with it. With a series of catchy videos that featured radio friendly songs, Men at Work were an international phenom in the first half of the 80’s. Their music was underrated as they drew from more influences (a touch of Reggae, a woodwind and a solid horn section) and the success they had around the world was well deserved. They didn’t stay on the scene long, but they brought the ears of the world to Australia; something their country mates did not do.