Al Melchior

The show even had three soundtrack albums, the first two of which provide a snapshot of ‘90s pop music, with songs like “The Right Kind of Love” by Jeremy Jordan, “Every Day of the Week” by Jade, and “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)” by Us3. Instead of merely mirroring what was on Top-40 playlists, Beverly Hills, 90210 would sometimes give exposure to indie or alternative rock artists. Here are three artists you might not have expected to show up at the Peach Pit After Dark or other locations in L.A.'s most famous zip code, but each had their moment on the popular prime time show.

The 1970s just wouldn't have been the same without the Mellotron. The keyboard's otherworldly sounds helped to define that decade's progressive rock, and it made its way into others as well. While the instrument is most strongly associated with prog bands like King Crimson, Genesis, and Yes, its roots can be traced back to 1949 with the invention of the Chamberlin.

When Joe Jackson burst onto the airwaves of U.S. rock stations in 1979, his spare, reggae-influenced sound fit right in with that of other new wave artists. Much like Sting, who as a member of The Police broke out just a few months earlier, Jackson would soon go on to show his musical versatility. Within a few years of his debut, he would make albums in the style of pop standards, swing, jazz, and Latin music.

Contrary to how it may appear, English singer-songwriter Iain Matthews is no one-hit wonder. The only Top 40 entry on the Billboard Hot 100 under his name (then spelled Ian Matthews) is his 1979 hit “Shake It.” Yet at the beginning of the ‘70s, his band Matthews Southern Comfort had a substantial pop and adult contemporary hit with their cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.” Even more to the point, Matthews’ impact goes far beyond these two radio hits. He was a vocalist for one of the most influential folk-rock bands of the late ‘60s, created one of the rock era’s most beloved vocal harmony arrangements, and has released more than 30 albums as a solo artist.

Other funk artists have had more staying power, but few had a peak period that rivaled that of Ohio Players. During a 16-month stretch in the mid-1970s, the band released three Platinum-certified albums, which collectively spawned a series of Top-40 and R&B chart hits. Towards the end of this run, Ohio Players topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Love Rollercoaster.”

Each of the three artists featured here had their greatest popularity during the golden age of MTV, but each felt the need to go against the grain. All three would make videos for some of their songs, but they weren't happy about it. Instead of completely surrendering to the status quo, each used at least one of their promotional videos to take shots at the popular medium. As it turned out, biting the hand that was feeding the music industry wound up helping all three of these three artists commercially.

While members of different generations grew up with different music, we all share one thing in common.

Some bands may be comfortable with putting out music that is less than perfect, but those bands aren’t U2. The Irish superstars have built a reputation for second-guessing their own work and spending months—or even years—tweaking their compositions. Perfectionism hasn’t always translated into perfect songs, but in the case of their 2004 hit “Vertigo,” it resulted in one of their biggest chart successes. One could plausibly argue that “Vertigo” was U2’s last truly big hit.

Billboard has been publishing a country singles chart since 1958, but it took close to half a century for a rock band to occupy its No. 1 spot. The rock band in question—Bon Jovi—didn't tread into unfamiliar chart territory all on their own. When recording “Who Says You Can't Go Home” for their 2005 album Have a Nice Day , Jon Bon Jovi knew he had a potential crossover hit. He also knew he'd need some help with the vocals to make it a true country song.

It's hard to overstate exactly how much of a pop juggernaut Born in the U.S.A. was for Bruce Springsteen.