Readers Poll: Ten Best Post-Band Solo Artists
Jack White released Blunderbuss, his first album as a solo artist, to great acclaim and commercial success last week. Having success as a solo artist after becoming a star with a band is never a given: the bargain bins overflow with unwanted LPs by That Guy Who Used to Be in That Band. We asked you to name your favorite post-band solo artists, and made this Top 10 list from the results. Click through to see your picks.
Listen to our Spotify playlist of best post-band solo artists:
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10. Morrissey
Morrissey's solo career hasn't been as massively influential as his work as the frontman of the Smiths, but it's still rather remarkable. The singer hasn't changed much over the years, but he's been very consistent, turning out strong albums every few years for an audience that has only grown more obsessive with time.
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9. Paul Simon
Paul Simon wrote pretty much all of Simon & Garfunkel's songs, so fans didn't have to adjust much to get on board with his solo material, which only lacked the high harmonies of Art Garfunkel. Simon's solo years have been very fruitful, yielding many classic songs, like "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," and albums, like the landmark Graceland.
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8. Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne actually became more famous after leaving Black Sabbath, yielding a string of major solo hits beginning with the rock radio staple "Crazy Train" in 1980. Ozzy went on to become a reality TV star and headlined his own annual Ozzfest package tour between 1996 and 2010.
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7. Sting
Sting has become a household name since splitting with the Police, building up an eclectic body of work ranging from soft rock hits and soundtrack work to lute music and orchestral versions of his old hits.
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6. John Lennon
John Lennon's achievements as a solo artist will always be vastly overshadowed by his staggering body of work as a member of the Beatles, but he did many great and interesting things on his own. "Imagine," his signature solo number, is easily one of his finest moments as a songwriter and as a vocalist.
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5. Neil Young
Neil Young has been a solo artist for so long that it's actually pretty easy to forget that he broke into the business as a member of Buffalo Springfield. Young has frequently collaborated with other bands since, but he's such a distinct presence that his name is always left in the billing.
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4. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson was a profoundly talented kid and led his elder siblings in the Jackson 5 to many, many hits back in the Sixties and Seventies. It was all just prologue for his career as an adult, in which he changed the sound and style of pop with his blockbuster aesthetics.
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3. Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel helped set the template for prog- and art-rock as a member of Genesis, but he became an unlikely pop star on his own. His 1977 hit "Solsbury Hill" bridged the gap in his career, bringing him closer to the colorful pop of smashes like "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes."
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2. Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton began his career in three iconic bands – the Yardbirds, Cream and Derek and the Dominos – but managed to go on to even greater success as a solo act with hits like "Wonderful Tonight," "Cocaine" and "Tears in Heaven."
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1. Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney's solo work may not be equal to that of his music with the Beatles, but that doesn't keep it from being truly impressive on its own terms. McCartney's solo catalog is full of rock classics and oddball experiments with electronic music and pop standards.