Billy Squier

Squier played for two all-but-forgotten bands, the Sidewinders and Piper, during the 1970s before embarking on his much more successful solo career. Piper's greatest claim to fame was as the opening act for KISS during that band's legendary 1977 tour.

His first solo album, Tale Of The Tape from 1980, was a modest success but produced no hit singles. Its most noteworthy track is "The Big Beat," which became a popular choice for sampling by hip-hop artists. Jay-Z used it on "99 Problems."

Squier brought in Reinhold Mack, who had produced Queen's album The Game, to produce his 1981 album Don't Say No. This turned out to be his breakthrough, with hits "The Stroke" (#17) and "In The Dark" (#35), along with lesser hits "My Kinda Lover" and "Lonely Is The Night." All four of these songs got considerable airplay on Classic Rock radio.