Harrington
of power-pop-rock, which hit the top 20 of the mainstream rock charts and nicely set the stage for the smash follow-up — “Your Love.” Like every song on this list, it was penned by John Spinks, the Outfield songwriter who died in 2014.
2“All the Love” (1985): Well, the public really liked “Your Love” — a lot. So, as a follow-up, the band went with even more love — “All the Love” (alternatively known as “All the Love in the World”). And it worked, taking the band right back to the top 20.
3“
Everytime You Cry” (1985): The fourth (and final) single from “Play Deep” helped the band’s debut album live up to its title. This was indeed a deep album, offering far more than just “Your Love,” and that was a major reason why “Play Deep” ended up being certified triple-platinum in the U.S.
4“
Since You’ve Been Gone” (1987): Not to be confused with the similarly titled Rainbow classic cover from the ’ 70s, or the Kelly Clarkson offering from 2004, this was the strong lead single from the band’s sophomore album, “Bangin’.” It reached No. 11 on the rock charts and helped propel the parent album to gold certification.
5“
No Surrender” (1987): The Outfield showcases a different side of its game with this heartfelt, midtempo power ballad,
which also hails from the band’s second album but is anything but “Bangin’.” “No Surrender” didn’t really make a dent on the charts, but it did receive some spins on rock radio as well as attention from MTV.
6“
Voices of Babylon” (1989): The shiny title track from the band’s third album married new wave synth-rock with late’80s- era pop-prog. And people loved what they heard, pushing the single to No. 2 on the U.S. rock charts — the highest position the Outfield would reach in its career.
It also climbed to No. 78 in the U.K., which — as bizarre as it may sound — is the highest the group would reach in its homeland. For some reason, the Outfield never experienced much success in its native U.K., even during its ’80s heyday. Perhaps it had
something to do with the band’s name, which references America’s pastime of baseball. Maybe the fortunes would have been reversed if Lewis and company had gone the cricket route and called themselves the Wicket instead.
7“
For You” (1990): The lead single from the band’s fourth album, 1990’s “Diamond Days,” turned out to be the last sizable hit for the Outfield — reaching No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also was the band’s sole hit on the adult contemporary chart, where it also peaked at No. 21.
8“Take It All” (1990)
While “For You” was the hit, the best track from “Diamond Days” was actually this amazing slice of power-pop. It was released as the second single from the album, yet failed to make a dent on the charts.
But just because the record-buying public missed a real gem doesn’t mean you have to do the same. Spend some time with “Take It All” and I think you’ll agree that it stands as one of the finest offerings from the band’s entire catalog.
9“Closer to Me” (1992):
The record-buying public had stopped paying attention to the Outfield by the early ’90s, but that didn’t stop the band from releasing worthwhile albums such as “Rockeye,” which highlights include this driving rocker.
10“Winning It All” (1992): Another “Rockeye” offering,” this winner of an anthem ended up being featured in telecasts for the NBA Finals in the ’90s. Put it on the same mixtape as Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” and enjoy your workout.