15 Artists Who Successfully Went Solo

Aidin Vaziri | 08.08.2008

Ask Mick Jagger. Leaving a big time band—even temporarily—for solo success is a dicey proposition. Rock history is littered with artists that made the leap and fell flat on their pretty faces. Only a few have managed to strike out alone and actually enrich their bank accounts and fan bases. Inspired by a recent discussion at the Velvet Rope forums we came up with 15 artists who, for better or worse, got away with it.


Neil Young
The Canadian singer-songwriter started his career with critically revered psychedelic folk acts like the Squires, Buffalo Springfield, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young before stepping out and blazing a trail as one of the most influential guitar players of all time, earning the modest title the Godfather of Grunge.





Ozzy Osbourne
His work with Black Sabbath was amazing, if underappreciated, in its time. As a solo star he’s gone multi-platinum, having established the incredibly durable Ozzfest heavy metal fest and become a reality show icon.







Dave Grohl
He was doing just fine playing drums for Nirvana. But after Kurt Cobain's suicide in 1994 Grohl instinctively kicked into high gear, writing all the songs and playing all the instruments on his platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated solo debut under the name Foo Fighters (before it actually, you know, became a band).







John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison
Although they never quite matched the Beatles’ dizzying creative heights, these three did the unthinkable by leaving behind one of the most important bands of all time and carving out identities of their own along with career-defining solo hits such as "Imagine" (Lennon), "Coming Up" (McCartney) and "My Sweet Lord" (Harrison).



Morrissey
With their jangly guitars and paisley shirts, The Smiths ruled British indie rock in the Thatcher era. Morrissey broke up the band in 1988, just when it was going mainstream. He's been going strong ever since as a solo star, with a cachet of songs ("Everyday Is Like Sunday," "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get") that have easily matched his former band's glory.



Björk
The Sugarcubes were an Icelandic art school experiment that just happened to get an international major label deal and the opening slot on U2's Zoo TV Tour. But as a solo singer, Björk has transformed from bratty pixie punk to pop music maverick, consistently turning out innovative albums and becoming one of the most respected female singers in rock and roll.







Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins
As much as we appreciated seeing him wear a flowerpot on his head as the lead singer of Genesis, Gabriel's solo triumphs ("Sledgehammer," "In Your Eyes") made him a household name. Likewise, after Phil Collins stepped out from behind the drums for the band and set off on his own, he became an unstoppable commercial sensation, selling well over 150 million records.




Robert Plant
How do you top Led Zeppelin? The secret to Plant's success is that he never even tried; instead following his passion, whether it's 1950s style doo-wop (The Honeydrippers), leftfield folk (Dreamland) or contemporary bluegrass with fellow blonde Alison Krauss (Raising Sand).







Michael Jackson
As a member of the Jackson 5, Michael had to compete for microphone time with big brothers Jermaine and Tito. After the Jacksons, though, he’s been off on his own making the world's best-selling album (Thriller), earning 13 Grammy Awards and 13 No. 1 hits, getting inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a second time, and drawing unparalleled tabloid ink. 







Lou Reed
The Velvet Underground inspired countless bands and musicians, but it wasn't until he left the Andy Warhol-sponsored outfit that Reed started reaching beyond the cult with songs like "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Perfect Day." This, despite Metal Machine Music and onstage Tai-Chi sessions.









Gwen Stefani
Her bare midriff led the '90s ska-punk charge with No Doubt. But it was her 2004 solo debut, Love. Angel. Music. Baby., that made her a pop culture icon, a notion fortified by The Sweet Escape, thanks to ridiculously addictive hits like "Hollaback Girl" and "Wind It Up."







George Michael
He made an undeniable impression with the day-glow pop of Wham! But it wasn't until Michael ditched the short-shorts, blond highlights and Andrew Ridgely that people started taking him seriously. It probably helps that his Motown-influenced solo work has been primarily focused on sex. Well, that and his always entertaining personal life!