[Music] Famous solo artists who started in a well known band before going solo and becoming bigger

[Icy Gull]

than the original band



There must be loads but I’ll kick off with Aphrodites Child featuring both Demis Roussos and Vangelis

https://youtu.be/YQyxCL1uMlU

 

[Peteinblack]

There must be loads but I’ll kick off with Aphrodites Child featuring both Demis Roussos and Vangelis

https://youtu.be/YQyxCL1uMlU

Peter Gabriel (Genesis)

Paul Weller (The Jam)

Bjork (The Sugarcubes)

Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath)

Alison Moyet (Yazoo)

 

[Icy Gull]

Peter Gabriel (Genesis)

Paul Weller (The Jam)

Bjork (The Sugarcubes)

Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath)

Alison Moyet (Yazoo)

I’d argue that Gabriel never became bigger than Genesis or Ozzy Osbourne bigger than Black Sabbath.

I’ll let the punks of NSC decide if Weller became bigger than the Jam...

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Nick Cave (Birthday Party)

 

[GT49er]

Dusty Springfield - The Springfields

Rid Stewart - Steam Packet and the Jeff Beck Band

Kevin Ayers - Caravan and The Soft Machine

Robert Palmer - Vinegar Joe

Richard Thompson - Fairport Convention

Sandy Denny - Fairport Convention

Robert Wyatt - Soft Machine

Lou Reed - Velvet Underground

Phil Collins - Genesis

 

[Icy Gull]

Dusty Springfield - The Springfields

Rid Stewart - Steam Packet and the Jeff Beck Band

Kevin Ayers - Caravan and The Soft Machine

Robert Palmer - Vinegar Joe

Richard Thompson - Fairport Convention

Sandy Denny - Fairport Convention

Robert Wyatt - Soft Machine

Lou Reed - Velvet Underground

Phil Collins - Genesis

Elkie Brooks from Vinegar Joe too

 

[Peteinblack]

I’d argue that Gabriel never became bigger than Genesis or Ozzy Osbourne bigger than Black Sabbath.

I’ll let the punks of NSC decide if Weller became bigger than the Jam...

In terms of record sales? I believe Ozzy certainly sold more records than Sabbath, because in the 1980s, he benefitted from a wider fan base (Sabbath fans and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal), and then MTV. He also became a star in the US - much more so than Sabbath had ever been.

Meanwhile, The Jam's appeal was limited mainly to punks and a few mods, whereas from the 80s onwards, Weller reached out to a much wider, AOR, audience which had not been into The Jam.

Only opinions, though!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The biggest must be Michael Jackson, surely.

 

[AmexRuislip]

The biggest must be Michael Jackson, surely.

Ooooh brother

 

[Peteinblack]

Nick Cave (Birthday Party)

Good shout!

Love Nick Cave, but I walked out of a Birthday Party gig in Leeds in the 1980s after just two songs - a fekkin' racket (and I like punk!) and the band aggressively goading the audience to provoke a response.

 

[Dr Q]

George Michael

 

[Poojah]

The biggest must be Michael Jackson, surely.

He definitely got bigger after leaving the Jackson 5 but was still only reached 5ft 9" at his peak.

 

[GT49er]

Elkie Brooks from Vinegar Joe too

True, although she had been a semi-successful artiste in her own right before Vinegar Joe - she released he first single 7 years before Vingar Joe were formed!
The lady's had quite an interesting career. Still my favourite song of hers though (and must have been quite a shock to those who had only previously seen her as a balled singer, much on the cabaret circuit!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G51tmiwMlk

 

[AmexRuislip]

+





= Luther Vandross.

 

[clapham_gull]

Paul McCartney

 

[SUIYHP]

The fat dancer from Take That and the not so fat dancer from N-Sync.

Also a mention for Dave Grohl, I know foo fighters isn’t a solo act and that Nirvana is way bigger, but he certainly elevated himself from the drummer to frontman.

 

[Simgull]

Neil Young

 

[Postman Pat]

Generation X

 

[Gwylan]

Eric Clapton

 

[AmexRuislip]

Jools Holland