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.
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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.
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