Blue Murder

Blue Murder was guitarist John Sykes's project after he left Whitesnake in 1988. The band's self-titled debut came out the next year, with Sykes handling vocals and guitar alongside bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. Their sound had the heavy riffs you'd expect from someone with Sykes's background, but with a melodic pull that gave songs like 'Jelly Roll' some staying power.

That first album got mixed reactions, and the lineup didn't hold. Appice and guitarist Jeff Watson were gone after the debut, and Franklin left before the second record. Sykes kept the name going with new players for 1993's 'Blue Murder II,' which some heard as a tighter, more focused set. But by 1995, Sykes had moved on to other things, effectively ending the band's active run.

They put out a couple more studio albums much later, in 1999 and 2008, but those were really Sykes recording under the Blue Murder name. What people remember is that first period, the big guitar sound, Sykes's vocals, and a handful of tracks that still turn up on rock playlists.