FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 25, 2017

DEAR JERRY: After Tony Williams left the Platters and went solo, I still bought his records, because he was the voice of the Platters. When I learned he never had a charted solo hit I was shocked. Which artists did have success after leaving their groups to go solo?
—Wendy Millrose, Greenville, S.C.

DEAR WENDY: Probably 1,000 or so, but by narrowing the parameters, I can give you a reply this year — with 163 entries.

To qualify, the group someone left must have had at least one song in the vinyl era (1949-1989), on the Pop charts. Anytime after striking out on their own, that person must have charted.

For artists from more than one band, the most successful will be used, such as Eric Clapton, both with the Yardbirds and Cream.

The biggest or most familiar hit for the solo artist will be noted. If the tune referenced is a duet, it will be assigned to only one of the two musicians. The singing partner may be on the list with another song.

An artist leaving a group that used his or her moniker in the group's name will not be on the list. Thus, we don't show Dion going solo from Dion and the Belmonts. If the group were just "The Belmonts," Dion would qualify.

Group members will not be considered if their solo recordings were side projects, and they never really left the group. Two examples are Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones) and Brian Wilson (Beach Boys).

The focus is primarily lead singers, but we made a couple of exceptions for folks too significant to omit.

Due to its excessive length — which really matters to the print media — the list was syndicated in two parts. When used online, the word count is not a factor. Therefore, we will post it here again next week:

Adams, Bryan: "(Everything I Do) I Do for You" - from Sweeney Todd
Ames, Ed: "My Cup Runneth Over" - from the Ames Brothers
Balin, Marty: "Hearts" - from Jefferson Airplane
Beck, Jeff: "People Get Ready" - from the Yardbirds
Boy George: "The Crying Game" - from Culture Club
Brown, Bobby: "My Prerogative" - from New Edition
Buckingham, Lindsey: "Trouble" - from Fleetwood Mac
Butler, Jerry: "Only the Strong Survive" - from the Impressions
Carlisle, Belinda: "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" - from the Go-Go's
Carmen, Eric: "All By Myself" - from the Raspberries
Carnes, Kim: "Bette Davis Eyes" - from the New Christy Minstrels
Carrack, Paul: "Don't Shed a Tear" - from Ace
Cetera, Peter: "Glory of Love" - from Chicago
Chandler, Gene: "Duke of Earl" - from the Dukays
Clapton, Eric: "Tears in Heaven" - from the Yardbirds
Clarke, Allen: "(I Will Be Your) Shadow in the Street"- from the Hollies
Clinton, George: "Atomic Dog" - from Parliament
Collins, Phil: "Another Day in Paradise" - from Genesis
Cummings, Burton: "Stand Tall" - from the Guess Who
Curtis, Sonny: "Atlanta Georgia Stray" - from the Crickets
Daltrey, Roger: "Without Your Love" - from the Who
Darin, Bobby: "Mack the Knife" - from the Rinky-Dinks
Day, Bobby: "Rock-in Robin" - from the Hollywood Flames
Day, Morris: "Fishnet" - from the Time
Denver, John: "Annie's Song" - from the Chad Mitchell Trio
Derringer, Rick: "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" - from the McCoys
DeYoung, Dennis: "Desert Moon" - from Styx
Elliot, Cass: "It's Getting Better" - from the Mamas & the Papas
Estefan, Gloria: "Coming Out of the Dark" - from Miami Sound Machine
Fagen, Donald: "I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)" - from Steely Dan
Faltskog, Agnetha: "Can't Shake Loose" - from ABBA
Ferguson, Jay: "Thunder Island" - from Jo Jo Gunne
Ferry, Bryan: "Kiss and Tell" - from Roxy Music
Floyd, Eddie: "Knock on Wood" - from the Falcons
Fogerty, John: "The Old Man Down the Road" - from Creedence Clearwater Revival
Ford, Lita: "Close My Eyes Forever" - from the Runaways
Foster, David: "Love Theme From St. Elmo's Fire" - from Skylark
Frampton, Peter: "I'm in You" - from Humble Pie
Frehley, Ace: "New York Groove" - from KISS
Frida: "I Know There's Something Going On" - from ABBA
Furay, Richie: "I Still Have Dreams" - from Buffalo Springfield
Gabriel, Peter: "Sledgehammer" - from Genesis
Gates, David: "Goodbye Girl" - from Bread
Gilder, Nick: "Hot Child in the City" - from Sweeney Todd
Gill, Vince: "House of Love" - from Pure Prairie League
Gramm, Lou: "Midnight Blue" - from Foreigner
Greenbaum, Norman: "Spirit in the Sky" - from Dr. West's Medicine Show & Junk Band
Hagar Sammy: "Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy" - from Van Halen
Hall, Jimmy: "I'm Happy That Love Has Found You" - from Wet Willie
Hall, John: "Crazy (Keep on Falling)" - from Orleans
Hammond, Albert: "It Never Rains in Southern California" - from the Magic Lanterns
Harris, Major: "Love Won't Let Me Wait" - from the Delfonics
Harrison, George: "My Sweet Lord" - from the Beatles
Harry, Debbie: "Backfired" - from Blondie
Hartman, Dan: "Instant Replay" - from Edgar Winter Group
Holmes, Rupert: "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" - from the Street People
Houston, Cissy: "Be My Baby" - from the Sweet Inspirations
Hunt, Tommy: "Human" - from the Flamingos
Hunter, Ian: "Just Another Night" - from Mott the Hoople
Jackson, Chuck: "Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)" - from the Dell-Vikings
Jackson, Janet: "That's the Way Love Goes" - from the Jackson 5/Jacksons
Jackson, Jermaine: "Let's Get Serious" - from the Jackson 5/Jacksons
Jackson, LaToya: "Heart Don't Lie" - from the Jackson 5/Jacksons
Jackson, Michael: "Billie Jean" - from the Jackson 5/Jacksons
Jackson, Rebbie: "Centipede" - from the Jackson 5/Jacksons
Jett, Joan: "I Love Rock 'N Roll" - from the Runaways
Joel, Billy: "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" - from the Hassles
Jones, Davy: "Rainy Jane" - from the Monkees
Joplin, Janis: "Me and Bobby McGee" - from Big Brother and the Holding Company
Kay, John: "I'm Movin' On" - from Steppenwolf
Kendricks, Eddie: "Keep on Truckin'" - from the Temptations
Khan, Chaka: "I Feel for You" - from Rufus
King, Ben E.: "Stand By Me" - from the Drifters
LaBelle, Patti: "On My Own" - from the Blue-Belles
Lake, Greg: "Let Me Love You Once" - from King Crimson
Lennon, John: "(Just Like) Starting Over" - from the Beatles
Lennox, Annie: "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" - from the Eurythmics
Madonna: "Vogue" - from the Breakfast Club
Maestro, Johnny: "Model Girl" - from the Crests
Marchan, Bobby: "There's Something on Your Mind" - from Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns
Martin, Ricky: "Livin' La Vida Loca" - from Munedo
Mayfield, Curtis: "Freddie's Dead" - from the Impressions
McCartney, Paul: "Say Say Say" - from the Beatles
McCoo, Marilyn, & Billy Davis Jr.: "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" - from the 5th Dimension
McCormick, Gayle: "It's a Cryin' Shame" - from Smith
McDonald, Michael: "On My Own" - from the Doobie Brothers
McGuire, Barry: "Eve of Destruction" - from the New Christy Minstrels
McPhatter, Clyde: "A Lover's Question" - from the Drifters
Meisner, Randy: "Hearts on Fire" - from Poco
Merchant, Natalie: "Carnival" - from 10,000 Maniacs
Mercury, Freddie: "Love Kills" - from Queen
Michael, George: "Faith" - from Wham!
Moore, Dorothy: "Misty Blue" - from the Poppies
Morrison, Dorothy: "All God's Children Got Soul" - from the Edwin Hawkins Singers
Morrison, Van: "Brown Eyed Girl" - from Them
Morrissey, (Steven): "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" - from the Smiths
Murphy, Michael (Martin): "Wildfire" - from the Lewis & Clarke Expedition
Nesmith, Michael: "Joanne" - from the Monkees
Nicks, Stevie: "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" - from Fleetwood Mac
Nugent, Ted: "Cat Scratch Fever" - from the Amboy Dukes
Ocasek, Ric: "Emotion in Motion" - from the Cars
Osborne, Jeffrey: "Love Power" - from L.T.D.
Osbourne Ozzy: "Mama, I'm Coming Home" - from Black Sabbath
Osmond, Donny: "Go Away Little Girl" - from the Osmonds
Osmond, Donny & Marie: "I'm Leaving It (All) Up to You" - from the Osmonds
Osmond, Little Jimmy: "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" - from the Osmonds
Osmond, Marie: "Paper Roses" - from the Osmonds
Paul, Henry: "Keeping Our Love Alive" - from the Outlaws
Pendergrass, Teddy: "Close the Door" - from Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
Perry Steve: "Oh Sherrie" - from Journey
Phillips, John: "Mississippi" - from the Mamas & the Papas
Pickett, Wilson: "Land of 1000 Dances" - from the Falcons
Plant, Robert: "Big Log" - from Led Zeppelin
Pop, Iggy: "Candy" - from the Stooges
Rafferty, Gerry: "Baker Street" - from Stealers Wheel
Randazzo, Teddy: "The Way of a Clown" - from the Three Chuckles
Reed, Lou: "Walk on the Wild Side" - from the Velvet Underground
Richie, Lionel: "All Night Long (All Night)" - from the Commodores
Ripperton, Minnie: "Lovin' You" - from the Rotary Connection
Robinson, Smokey: "Being With You" - from the Miracles
Rogers, Kenny: "Lady" - from the First Edition
Ross, Diana: "Endless Love" - from the Supremes
Roth, David Lee: "California Girls" - from Van Halen
Ruffin, David: "Walk Away From Love" - from the Temptations
Schmit, Timothy B.: "Boys Night Out" - from Poco
Seals & Crofts: "Get Closer" - from the Champs
Seals, Dan: "Bop" - from Southwest F.O.B.
Sebastian, John: "Welcome Back" - from the Lovin' Spoonful
Simmons, Gene: "Radioactive" - from KISS
Simmons, Patrick: "So Wrong" - from the Doobie Brothers
Slick, Grace: "Seasons" - from Jefferson Airplane
Smyth, Patty: "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" - from Scandal
Spector, Ronnie (Veronica): "Try Some, Buy Some" - from the Ronettes
Springfield, Dusty: "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" - from the Springfields
Stampley, Joe: "Soul Song" - from the Uniques
Stanley, Paul: "Hold Me, Touch Me" - from KISS
Starr, Ringo: "Photograph" - from the Beatles
Stewart, John: "Gold" - from the Kingston Trio
Stewart, Rod: "Maggie May" - from the Jeff Beck Group
Stills, Stephen: "Love the One You're With" - from Buffalo Springfield
Sting: "All for Love" - from the Police
Townshend, Pete: "Let My Love Open the Door" - from the Who
Trower, Robin: "Caledonia" - from Procol Harum
Van Zant, Donnie: "Help Somebody" - from 38 Special
Waite, John: "Missing You" - from the Babys
Walsh, Joe: "Life's Been Good" - from the James Gang
Watley, Jody: "Real Love" - from Shalamar
Welch, Bob: "Sentimental Lady" - from Fleetwood Mac
White, Barry: "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" - from Love Unlimited
Wiedlin, Jane: "Rush Hour" - from the Go-Go's
Williams, Don: "I Believe in You" - from the Pozo-Seco Singers
Williams, Lenny: "Don't Make Me Wait for Love" - from Tower of Power
Wilson, Al: "Show and Tell" - from the Rollers
Wilson, Ann: "Surrender to Me" - from Heart
Wilson, Jackie: "Night" - from Billy Ward and the Dominoes
Winwood, Steve: "Roll With It" - from the Spencer Davis Group
Wolf, Peter: "Lights Out" - from the J. Geils Band
Wright, Gary: "Dream Weaver" - from Spooky Tooth
Yarbrough, Glenn: "Baby the Rain Must Fall" - from the Limeliters
Young, Neil: "Heart of Gold" - from Buffalo Springfield
Zager, Michael: "Let's All Chant" - from Ten Wheel Drive
Zappa, Frank: "Valley Girl" - from the Mothers of Invention
Zevon, Warren: "Werewolves of London" - from Lyme & Cybelle

IZ ZAT SO? Of the solo artists on our list, here are the Top 10 record sellers:

1. Michael Jackson
2. Janet Jackson
3. Rod Stewart
4. Paul McCartney
5. Billy Joel
6. Diana Ross
7. George Michael
8. Kenny Rogers
9. Phil Collins
10. Jackie Wilson