Major label success（メジャーになってからの抜粋）
Dick Griffey, the producer who had befriended and managed Lakeside since 1975, started Solar Records in 1978.
Lakeside became a part of the Solar family. The band released their next album, Shot of Love later in 1978. Their first Solar album featured songs all written by members of the band and co-produced with Solar staff producer, Leon Sylvers III. With this album, the band began to find major success on the R&B charts, when the single "It's All the Way Live" reached number 4.

The band, at this point consisting of bassist Marvin Craig, drummer Fred Alexander, percussionist Fred Lewis, guitarist Steve Shockley, keyboardist Norman Beavers, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist Otis Stokes, lead vocalist/keyboardist Mark Wood, occasional lead vocalists Tiemeyer McCain and Thomas Shelby found their niche with a sound that stemmed from years of playing together. The band dressed in costumes on their album covers, including pirates, 1920s police officers, cowboys, Arabian knights, and even Robin Hood.

Despite the success of Shot of Love and "It's All the Way Live", the next album, Rough Riders, did not fare as well. However, the following album, 1980s Fantastic Voyage, exceeded all expectations. Its single, "Fantastic Voyage" went to reach number one on the R&B chart. The tune remains the band's biggest hit, also hitting the pop charts (their only single to do so), where it peaked at number 55. Fantastic Voyage was certified gold and remains the group's greatest achievement, and it eventually went platinum. They followed this hit up with a remake of the Beatles' song, "I Want to Hold Your Hand", which made the R&B top ten again.

Subsequent to the Fantastic Voyage album, Lakeside went on to release six more successful albums. More hits on the R&B charts, such as "Raid" (1983) and "Outrageous" (1984) kept the group going, until their change in the late 1980s. "Bullseye" (1987) became the group's last major hit, as the New Jack Swing boom began taking over the airwaves.