This Cornball '80s Crooner Was Once A Surprisingly Solid Hard Rock Singer

Almost universally regarded as the king of cheesy, overwrought, and totally dated love songs from the 1980s and 1990s, Michael Bolton actually once totally rocked. This is surprising notion if you're only familiar with Bolton's later and preeminent work, as most of us are, paining and straining his way through tinkly power ballads like "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," "How Can We Be Lovers," and "Go the Distance," or lightly peppy hold-music staples like "Love is a Wonderful Thing" and "Time, Love, and Tenderness." 

Startling yes, but it's a pleasant discovery: Bolton, the guy who went to No. 1 on the sleepy adult contemporary chart nine times, and who was crudely deemed to have "no talent" in "Office Space," rivaled the big stars of '80s hard rock and arena rock with that undeniably powerful voice when it was put to good use with some heavy guitars and drums. (Perhaps all that flowing, long hair suggested a rock 'n' roll past.) Here's a look into the edgier, early work of Michael Bolton. 

In the late 1970s, the band Blackjack came together. On lead vocals: Michael Bolton, performing under his given name of Michael Bolotin, and on guitar, longtime Kiss member Bruce Kulick. Neither of Blackjack's two studio albums, 1970's self-titled debut and 1980's "Worlds Apart," did much business, but the single "Love Me Tonight" showed off Bolton's talents. The song is jangly and also heavy and catchy, and Bolton confidently belts out the lyrics with his thick and soulful voice. Rock that's hard enough to fill an arena and approachable enough to get some radio airplay, Bolton, Blackjack, and "Love Me Tonight" may remind listeners of Journey, Def Leppard, or Foreigner. And yet "Love Me Tonight" only made it to No. 62 on the pop chart.

Then Michael Bolotin became Michael Bolton and went solo. In a footnote in the bizarre history of heavy metal music, Bolton unsuccessfully auditioned to become one of the many lead singers of Black Sabbath, then enjoyed two minor hits on the rock chart, "Fool's Game" in 1983 and "Everybody's Crazy" in 1985. The former, with keyboards, shredding guitars, and soaring vocals, sent Bolton down the Journey path once more. "Everybody's Crazy," which also appeared on the "Back to School" soundtrack, showed that the singer could've been a hard rock star rather than a soft rock one. He absolutely goes for it on the mic, wailing hard in the style of someone like Sammy Hagar.