Regina - "Baby Love"

(Not Available on iTunes)

(Debuted June 21, 1986, Peaked #10, 20 Weeks on the Chart)

If this sounds like a lost Madonna outtake, there's a good reason. Regina (whose last name was Richards) wrote "Baby Love" with Stephen Bray, who'd already penned several hits for Madonna such as "Angel" and "Into the Groove." When Madonna turned it down, Regina's record company requested the Brooklyn-born singer to put it on her album. Although it was a #1 dance hit and a Top 10 pop song, it would be Regina's only chart single.

While "Baby Love" was a great example of the dance sound that permeated much of the music in the 80s, it wasn't in tune with the material Regina wanted to record. Her ideal sound was more in line with the alternative material that wouldn't hit for another 4-5 years. Although that may have put her in a prime position to capitalize, her record company wasn't all that patient. When her 1988 followup LP didn't sell, she was dropped from the label.