Head East

Head East formed in Springfield, Illinois in 1975 with John Schlitt on vocals and guitar, Dan Birney on bass, Steve Huston on drums, and Roger Boyd on keyboards. Their self-titled debut came out in 1978, but it was the following year's 'Flat as a Pancake' that really put them on the map. That album had 'Never Been Any Reason,' a song that got a lot of radio play and became their calling card.

Schlitt left the band in 1983, and Scott Wilk stepped in on vocals and guitar for a stretch. The group kept putting out records through the '80s and into the '90s, with albums like 'Gettin' Lucky' and 'Hole in the Wall.' Schlitt returned in 1999, and they've continued to play shows for a core audience that still knows the words to songs like 'Baby Ruth' and 'If You Knew Me Better.'

Their sound was straightforward Midwestern rock, the kind that filled arenas in the late '70s without too much fuss. They never really chased trends, which might be why their older material still gets played on classic rock stations. It's just guitar, keys, and Schlitt's clear tenor over songs that feel built for driving with the windows down.