Top 10 Band Members Who Switched Genres After Going Solo

MsMojo

From punk to pop, rock to reggae! Join us as we count down our picks for the musicians who completely reinvented their sound after leaving their bands. Our countdown includes Gwen Stefani, Phil Collins, Annie Lennox, Robert Plant, and more genre-bending solo artists who proved their musical versatility!

Transcript

00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best cases of a musician

00:13changing their sound for a solo career.

00:15Number 10. Harry Styles

00:28During his stint in One Direction, Harry Styles entered into a hugely popular group.

00:34The boy band generated a huge following and earned massive global success.

00:45It couldn't last forever, though, with Styles going solo in 2016.

00:50For those not in the know, this frontman has done all kinds of pop and rock stylings.

01:00You could make an argument that his debut owes a debt to acts like U2.

01:05Instead of doing straight-up pop, the vocalist seems eager to distance himself from his former quartet.

01:11Watermelon Sugar and As It Was seem to salute the past,

01:15but also dive deeper into synth-pop and beyond.

01:18He's even dipped into a more folk style with Cherry.

01:27Number 9. Sting

01:29He's best known as the bass player and vocalist for The Police,

01:33but Gordon Sumner didn't stop there.

01:35Rock sex

01:37You don't have to wear that dress tonight

01:41Sting has made his mark with pop and other rock adventures.

01:45The singer collaborates with a number of elite musicians, creating an eclectic output.

01:51You can find songs that sound nothing like albums, such as Synchronicity.

01:54In the track Desert Rose, the artist ventures into largely unfamiliar territory for some Western audiences.

02:09The performer seems unafraid to tackle any number of sub-genres.

02:13Not to be outdone, his work with Shaggy also allowed him to explore reggae once more with a twist.

02:19Pull up the rap cause the music is sweet, yeah

02:22Fight fuck till I'm on it

02:24Sing a Shaggy, we be killing this beat, yeah

02:26Fight fuck

02:27Number 8. David Johansson

02:29With one of the more influential punk acts,

02:33David Johansson helped make New York Dolls a unique band.

02:37He wouldn't be an edgy rock star for his whole career, though.

02:44Donning a suit and new haircut, the singer transformed into Buster Poindexter.

02:50He became a crooner that surfed through genres like pop and Latin music.

02:54Where would we be as a society without a song like Hot Hot Hot?

03:04His ingenious switch-up gave us all something to dance to, with a big hit and a few fun extras.

03:10Poindexter allowed him to be more traditional in his look and crazy with his music.

03:21Keeping people on their toes, Johansson even shared his talents on SNL and in a handful of movies.

03:28Thanks, Frank. Enjoy the ride.

03:30How do you know my name?

03:32I know absolutely everything, Frank.

03:34You see, I'm the ghost.

03:37Number 7. Tom Morello

03:39As one quarter of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, Tom Morello rocked out with his guitar.

03:54Through his ingenious scratching and playing techniques,

03:57the guitarist redefined the instrument for a new era of music.

04:01Morello can't help but throw curveballs with anything he does.

04:05Politically outspoken, the musician then turned to a different genre to speak his mind.

04:10Might throw a little money round

04:13Wondering who can be born

04:16His solo project, The Night Watchman, gives him a chance to try out acoustic songs.

04:21With a folk edge, his voice takes his music to another level.

04:25It's certainly much different from his rap or hard rock roots.

04:29It's the rising of the dam

04:32Save the hammer for the man

04:37Number 6. Don Henley

04:39As the drummer and co-founder of the Eagles, Don Henley achieved plenty of success in the 1970s.

04:45Welcome to the hometown, California

04:49Such a lovely place

04:52His group dissolved in the early 1980s and freed up the musician's schedule.

04:57He decided to break away from country-inspired rock,

05:00becoming something of a pop star over the next decade.

05:03Henley seemed to have one great single after the other,

05:06from The Boys of Summer to The Heart of the Matter.

05:15He could even turn out a groovy hit like All She Wants To Do Is Dance.

05:19Along with some powerful ballads,

05:21the performer revealed that he couldn't be boxed into just one type of music.

05:27In the 1990s, Hootie and the Blowfish became a phenomenon.

05:40Only Wanna Be With You is certainly a staple of that decade's lighter rock output.

05:45They were far from a one-hit wonder, but they also didn't stop the vocalist from pursuing his own music either.

05:59Singer Darius Rucker went into a more eclectic solo catalogue.

06:03He's since become a country artist in his own right.

06:05With work such as Wagon Wheel, he helped to cultivate a career beyond the likes of Let Her Cry.

06:18Rucker's deep voice also complements the genre transition.

06:22A whole new generation might know him better for his recent work, making Gen Xers everywhere slightly sad.

06:29But don't think I don't think about it.

06:33No, no.

06:35Number 4. Robert Plant.

06:37You probably love his time as the singer of Led Zeppelin.

06:41What a whole lot of love.

06:45What a whole lot of love.

06:47What a whole lot of love.

06:49His work on everything from whole lot of love to immigrant song is nothing short of legendary.

06:54Robert Plant also kept the pace up with a solid 1980s output.

06:58With Big Log and In The Mood, he explored his more pop rock side.

07:02I'm in the mood for a melody, I'm in the mood for a melody, I'm in the mood.

07:08He also became something of a bluegrass artist in later life.

07:12Working with Alison Krauss, the artist co-created the album Raising Sand.

07:17The Grammy-winning record gave Plant further acclaim decades after leaving his most famous group.

07:23Please read the letter that I wrote.

07:27Number 3. Annie Lennox.

07:29As the lead singer of Eurythmics, Annie Lennox partnered with Dave Stewart to great success.

07:35This included hits such as Here Comes the Rain Again and Sweet Dreams.

07:39Sweet dreams are made of these. Who am I to disagree?

07:46With her powerful range, Lennox was a standout talent that wowed audiences.

07:51The singer then decided to keep going on her own and pursued more diverse song ideas.

07:56This includes pop, soul, and less rock-centric efforts.

08:00We don't keep on walking on broken glass.

08:06A track like Why raises the bar for what a ballad can be with its sophisticated and moving production.

08:12This doesn't count other work that includes a cover of Neil Young.

08:16Through her relentless artistry, the vocalist shows that she can't be easily categorized.

08:21Number 2. Phil Collins.

08:32Known to many for his 1980s output, Phil Collins was originally the drummer of Genesis.

08:38The progressive rock band allowed him to show off his incredible musicianship.

08:50His prior work might have been more obscure or technical, but everything changed when he became the front man.

08:56You know I won't stop loving you. Why should I?

09:04The singer, Peter Gabriel, went on to switch genres himself with songs like Sledgehammer.

09:09This is the new stuff. This is the new stuff. I thought they were singing.

09:16Collins would stay in Genesis and go solo, with a focus being on more pop efforts.

09:22His earliest work is much less radio-friendly than Two Hearts or the Tarzan soundtrack.

09:28The musician has a multi-decade career of massive hits, with a large catalogue that evolved over the years.

09:34You'll be here in my heart. I'll be there always.

09:41Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.

09:47You'll have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.

09:51If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.

09:57Number 1. Gwen Stefani.

10:00As the ska-punk queen of the 1990s, Gwen Stefani rose to fame with no doubt.

10:05Hits like Just a Girl and Sunday Morning were multi-faceted rockers.

10:10On Sunday morning, I should have changed to yesterday.

10:16She then pursued a career that's been much more about pop music.

10:19Climbing the charts and collaborating with various artists, Stefani redefined herself as a singular act.

10:26She also explored elements of hip-hop with songs such as Hollaback Girl.

10:30Whether she's working with Akon or Eve, the vocalist shines in every genre.

10:42Her more recent relationship with Blake Shelton also led to some detours into country music.

10:47Needless to say, she's become one of the more versatile performers of her era.

11:00Did we forget another artist that changed their music after leaving a band?

11:04Let us know in the comments.

11:05Let us know in the comments.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended