10 Classic Rock Artists Who Left Their Band & Had A A success Solo Profession

We repeatedly fixate on and analyze so many so a lot of substances of traditional rock track with a microscope. Love, what makes rock, especially from the ’70s and ’80s time length, one thing we build in mind “traditional?” What songs from the better echelon of the genre are smooth pretty current to within the interim on streaming products and companies adore Spotify, to the level that they’ve crossed over a thousand million streams? Classic rock smooth is conscious of the appropriate choice to to find our consideration (and our ears) this implies, appropriate down to some of the most excellent bands in traditional rock and why they broke up.

These juicy itsy-bitsy print apart, despite the incontrovertible truth that, what about what came about to those traditional rock band ringleaders once the band drama, the disagreements, and the egos got establish to the aspect, and they went solo as a replacement? That freedom doesn’t at all times lead to a fatal blow for these creators who settle to head self reliant (despite the incontrovertible truth that once in a while the implications aren’t huge). Finally, there are better than about a musicians who now no longer exclusively left their groups within the encourage of nevertheless arguably had equal if now no longer increased success when they chose to head and assassinate a title for themselves.

10

Darius Rucker, Hootie & The Blowfish

A Pop-Rocker Goes Country

Darius Rucker’s band Hootie & The Blowfish develop into once (and stays) a staple of ’90s radio pop-rock, winning two Grammy Awards and having three High 10 charting singles, as correctly as an album (1994’s Cracked Rear Window) that’s one of the all-time exclusively-promoting recordsdata within the US. Whereas the team never actually atomize up up (exclusively going on a ten-year hiatus in 2008), Rucker first took the chance to head solo in 2002. Whereas his R&B debut, Reduction to Then, ​​​​​​didn’t assassinate waves, it develop into once nation track where Rucker learned added success.

His first nation single, 2008’s “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” (off Be taught to Dwell), develop into the foremost tune by a Sunless artist since Charley Pride in 1983 to chart at amount one on the Sizzling Country Songs chart. In 2009, Rucker develop into the foremost Sunless American to to find the Fresh Artist Award from the Country Tune Association, and he’s automatically been a solo presence on the Country and Billboard charts with every free up he’s had since.

9

Michael McDonald, The Doobie Brothers

A Soulful Crooner Finds Solo Success

Vocalist Michael McDonald joined rock team the Doobie Brothers in 1975, at the muse as a short-term replacement for lead singer Tom Johnston, who develop into once facing sickness. McDonald in the end proved winning sufficient to preserve plump-time, singing lead on foremost Doobie hits and bringing a soulful groove to songs adore “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “It Retains You Runnin’,” and “What a Fool Believes” (which earned McDonald a Grammy Award).

After the band’s first farewell tour, McDonald went solo alongside with his 1982 debut album If That’s What It Takes, which featured hit songs “I Gotta Are attempting” and “I Preserve Forgettin’ (Each and every Time You’re Near)”. McDonald has had so a lot of other hit tracks through the years as correctly, adore “Sweet Freedom,” “No Lookin’ Reduction,” and “Take It to Heart,” and earned two Grammy nominations for his 2007 Motown tribute album Motown. McDonald has exclusively persisted to be a presence on the planet of R&B, soul, rock, and yacht rock classes into the well-liked technology.

8

Sting, The Police

Fresh Waver Finds Fresh Lifestyles Solo

English musician Sting first rose to prominence because the bassist, lead songwriter, and frontman for original wave rock team the Police, from their 1977 formation except they finally atomize up up in 1986. Mixing rock with the sounds of reggae, punk, and jazz, the band scored hits at some level of their tenure, equivalent to “Roxanne,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Don’t Stand So Discontinuance To Me,” and “Each and every Breath You Take.” As soon as the trio broke up, despite the incontrovertible truth that, Sting didn’t walk away out a beat going out on his possess.

His debut solo file, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, hasty went triple platinum and got four Grammy nominations. Through the years, Sting’s solo songs would proceed to receive the charts, at the side of “Englishman in Fresh York,” “Fields of Gold,” “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You,” “Imprint Fresh Day,” and “Smitten by Admire” (with Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams). Between his solo profession and the Police, Sting has offered over 100 million albums, acquired 17 Grammy Awards, and develop into once inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Popularity.

7

Phil Collins, Genesis

The Drummer Takes The Lead

At the delivery an actor in his younger days, Phil Collins assumed the feature of drummer within the rock band Genesis starting in 1970. After musician Peter Gabriel left the team in 1975, Collins took over as lead singer as correctly, scoring a straight away hit album with the band in 1976’s A Trick of the Tail. Extra success adopted with the team’s 1977 be conscious-up album,… And Then There Were Three…, as correctly as 1980’s Duke. Whereas Collins wouldn’t formally walk away Genesis except 1996 (for a time), he first went solo starting in 1981.

That debut album (entitled Face Cost) began a walk of solo dominance for Collins within the decade, led by so a lot of LP hit singles adore “In The Air Tonight,” “I Don’t Care Anymore,” “Sussudio,” “Don’t Lose My Quantity,” and “Two Hearts.” Finally, Collins is one of exclusively three musical artists to ever sell over 100 million albums each and every with a band and solo, becoming a member of Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson in that rare category of fame.

6

Joan Jett, The Runaways

This Rocker Slays Punk Mastery

Whereas smooth in her kids, guitarist/singer Joan Jett first develop into fragment of the fame highlight when she joined the all-girl rock team the Runaways in 1975. No topic opening for bands adore Low-price Trick, Van Halen, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and having worthy songs adore “Cherry Bomb” and “Hollywood” of their catalog, the Runaways never pretty caught on (especially within the United States). By 1979, Jett would look to pursue a solo profession.

Releasing her debut solo file in 1980 with backing band the Blackhearts (on her self-started self reliant file label within the United States), Jett has long previous on to free up twelve total studio albums below the Joan Jett and the Blackhearts title. Three of those recordsdata were licensed platinum or gold, while eleven singles (at the side of “I Admire Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “I Despise Myself for Loving You”) charted on the Billboard Sizzling 100.

5

Peter Gabriel, Genesis

One more Genesis Solo Neatly-known person

Sooner than drummer Phil Collins wound up changing into the lead singer of the band Genesis, there develop into once Peter Gabriel. In actual fact some of the founders of the team in 1968, Gabriel develop into once with the team at some level of their first six studio albums previous to departing for his possess solo profession in 1975. Whereas the frontman had first price outcomes with Genesis, his breakout took place on his possess merits.

After four winning self-titled recordsdata, his fifth LP (entitled So) develop into his bestseller, going multi-platinum in each and every the UK and the United States. So singles “In Your Eyes” and “Sledgehammer” led the skill in recognition, with the “Sledgehammer” track video going down as one of basically the most completed within the historic previous of the track channel MTV. In total, Gabriel has acquired six Grammy Awards and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Popularity twice, with Genesis and solo.

4

Rod Stewart, The Jeff Beck Community/Faces

A Frontman Goes Even Bigger Solo

English singer-songwriter Rod Stewart got his first gargantuan atomize in track with the Jeff Beck Community in 1967, his trademark raspy vocals becoming a member of forces with the frail Yardbirds guitarist as correctly as future Rolling Stones musician Ronnie Wood. After a contentious two years, Stewart would fade to be a part of the Faces in 1969, while also launching his solo profession the equal year. As Stewart’s solo work got bigger (especially after his 1971 single “Maggie Could well”), that develop into his foremost level of curiosity after the Faces broke up in 1975.

Within the latter half of the ’70s, Stewart reached the waste of his global fame, backed by songs adore “Tonight’s the Evening,” “You’re in My Heart,” and “Sizzling Legs.” Transitioning to disco and original wave sounds as time went on, Stewart in the end graduated to a intently gentle-rock sound because the ’80s grew to was into the ’90s. Stewart even began interpreting the Important American Songbook within the 2000s on the skill to 2 Rock and Roll Hall of Popularity entries and over forty top-charting singles between the US and UK.

3

Tina Turner, Ike & Tina Turner Revue

A Rock And Roll Redemption Fable

Tina Turner first rose to prominence because the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue with her husband Ike Turner from 1960 except 1976. The soul and R&B-leaning duo saw their fame delivery to upward thrust as they incorporated rock tunes into their repertoire, covering tracks adore The Beatles’ “Come Collectively,” the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Girl,” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” (their excellent hit). Sadly, Ike Turner’s rising drug problems and abuse towards Tina ended in their atomize up in 1976 (and divorce in ’78).

In 1984, Turner launched a huge solo profession comeback with her multi-platinum album Non-public Dancer (and Grammy-winning single “What’s Admire Got to Perform With It”). This kicked off a global level of success that included the excellent-grossing tour of the ’80s (and 2nd-very best grossing of the ’90s), eleven more Grammy Awards, two Rock and Roll Hall of Popularity inductions, and a Kennedy Heart Honor. Turner better than earned the nickname she’d finally to find, the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

2

Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

A Rock Frontman Diversifies

Robert Plant develop into once some of the excellent and most profound rock and roll frontmen when he helmed the band Led Zeppelin from 1968 except they dissolved in 1980, on a level with Roger Daltrey with the Who or Jim Morrison with the Doors. Plant sang timeless Zeppelin classics, adore “Immigrant Tune,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Steady Instances Harmful Instances,” “Dazed and Pressured,” and “Sunless Dog,” amongst so many others establish out by the pioneering keen rockers.

After the team participants went their separate ways following the loss of life of drummer John Bonham, Plant went thru assorted shades of rock and roll, each and every solo (on his most winning 1988 multi-platinum album Now and Zen) and with aspect groups adore the Honeydrippers (with songs adore a remake of “Sea of Admire”). He even took a critically acclaimed nation/folks-rock flip with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss as fragment of a storied, ongoing profession.

1

Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel

A Folk-Rock Songwriting Royal

There are few duos within the historic previous of folks-rock as iconic because the huge Paul Simon and Artwork Garfunkel, who took the ’60s by storm because the tandem is understood as Simon & Garfunkel. Singles adore “Mrs Robinson,” “The Boxer,” “Bridge Over Jumpy Water,” and “The United States” exclusively delivery to scratch the outside of their notoriety. Sadly, tension between the two participants ended in Simon fully embracing his solo profession with a self-titled LP in 1972 after Simon & Garfunkel formally atomize up in 1970.

Simon didn’t lose a step on his solo tear, despite the incontrovertible truth that, embracing sounds starting from gospel to reggae, soul, and South African influences on albums adore Silent Crazy After All These Years, Graceland, and There Goes Rhymin’ Simon. The twice-inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and winner of 16 Grammy Awards has persisted to ply his skillful songwriting alternate correctly into the 21st century, even being acknowledged in 2007 with the Library of Congress’s inaugural Gershwin Prize for Standard Tune.