As predicted early on there’s many suggestions here of bands that have hardly slipped under the radar – didn’t Little Angels sell out the Albert Hall for their farewell show?
(Not knocking them btw, saw them live a few times and liked them)
Wildhearts is an interesing one – Ginger certainly has the knack of writing a catchy hook and with a bit less swearing and heroin could probably have been massive, but it always seemed like he didn’t want it – whenever they appeared to be on the cusp of massive success, they’d fall out with the record company, fire a member or two or just split up for a bit. I came into the thread thinking “Wildhearts” but equally thinking that someone would have beaten me to it..
So, since we’re clearly good to go with bands that have been heard of, had hits etc. I’d say, in this country at least, Jane’s Addiction. Some cracking records, widely considered by numerous well respected musicians back in the day to be the best live band out there bar none (sadly, not so hot these days) and also considered by many of the same to be the ones who blew the corporate rock-by-numbers doors off, made “alt-rock” as it was then called a thing, and thereby set the stage ready for the early 90s “grunge” explosion.
Imploding just as they were becoming massive did them no favours in terms of the collective memory, and some less than marvellous work since the inevitable reunions hasn’t helped either (and some very iffy solo output from Perry Farrell), but Ritual de los Habitual and Nothing’s Shocking are two of the best albums of the last 30 years imho.
and +1 for Scroobius Pip albeit again, he actually does seem to be quite well known, a surprising number of my friends and acquaintances are aware of him, and he does get a bit of radio play here and there.