Artists Who Had Hit Solo Careers After Leaving Their Band
Sometimes, we struggle to separate an artist from the band that made them famous, but these artists proved that they didn't need a band to be successful and could more than hold their own in a solo role.
Paul Simon
Despite the breakup of Simon and Garfunkel in 1970, after the release of the possibly somewhat cryptic Bridge Over Troubled Water LP, Art Garfunkel also found his feet as a solo artist. However, it was Paul Simon who found the most success, releasing a series of successful solo albums, culminating in the 1986 hit Graceland.
Fergie
If you've never heard of Fergie's original band, Wild Orchid, that's okay. Nobody has. They were an urban pop band in the early 1990s that got lost in a sea of sound-alike urban pop bands. However, Fergie didn't stop there. Her career took off when she joined The Black Eyed Peas, staying with the group for 16 years between 2002 and 2018. However, her debut solo album, The Dutchess, broke new ground, debuting at number three in the Top 200 Billboard Charts and climbing to number two in the ranking a year later.
Since then, Fergie's had numerous single hits like, "Big Girls Don't Cry", "L.A. Love", and "London Bridge".
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Omarion
Omar Grandberry, or Omarion as he's better known, was the lead vocalist for the R&B group B2K, achieving huge success with their hit singles "Gots To Be" and "Girlfriend", before releasing the Top 100 Billboard hit, "Bump, Bump, Bump" in October 2002. After B2K disbanded in 2004, his top 40 singles album, O, was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the Grammy Awards in 2005. His song "Post To Be", from his 2014 album, received sextuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Harry Styles
We couldn't make a list of successful solo artists post-band without talking about Harry Styles' prolific career after leaving One Direction. When One Direction went in different directions (sorry) in 2016, Harry Styles was one of the breakout stars who enjoyed a prolific solo career. Although he wasn't the only one (see below), Styles' has enjoyed great success as a one-man band.
Releasing his first album—Harry Styles—in 2017 that focused on his relationships with the women in his life, Styles enjoyed huge success, as the album debuted in chart-topping fashion and was accompanied by a solo tour entitled, Harry Styles: Live On Tour. It was also the ninth best-selling album of the year and went platinum in several European countries. Styles has since released two more studio albums, with Harry's House being the latest in 2022.
Lauryn Hill
Before Lauryn Hill was Ms Lauryn Hill, she was a member of The Fugees, who found incredible success with their 1996 single "The Score", and have maintained a somewhat fractured career as a band, with Ms Lauryn Hill disappearing from 2000 to 2003 in a self-imposed exile. In 2004, Hill reappeared with The Fugees and sang a stunning acapella rendition of "Killing Me Softly". Between 2005 and 2009, Hill toured sporadically on her own following a second split from The Fugees.
Hill's 1998 solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, sold 423,000 copies within the first week of its release. She has since released a string of highly successful solo albums and singles, but none able to top The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which put her stunning vocal ability as a soloist on the map.
John Fogerty
John Fogerty is well known for his time with Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), who, despite being one of the most loved bands of all time, have never had a chart-topping hit, but have had more number two hits than any other band. After the band split in 1972 due to creative tension, John Fogerty struck out (or platinum, rather) on his own—songs like "Jambalaya On The Bayou", "Rockin' All Over The World", and "The Old Man Down The Road" brought him huge success and multiple platinum designations.
Niall Horan
Another One Direction member to make it big in the singles world. Niall Horan's career took a little longer to get off the mark after 1D split in 2016, but since then, he's made a big impact as a solo artist with his trusty acoustic guitar. His first album, Flicker (2017), reached number one in Ireland and made the top three in the charts in Australia and the United Kingdom. The first two songs on the album, "This Town" and "Slow Hands", would reach the top 20 in many countries around the world. He won the New Artist of the Year Award in 2017 and has won multiple music awards.
Michael Jackson
Of course, Michael Jackson has to be on any list of the greatest post-band solo artists. Formerly a member of The Jackson 5 with four of his five brothers, Jackson's solo career began in 1971. While still touring with the band and signed to Motown Records, he released Off The Wall in 1979, which was his first solo album and cemented his legacy as a solo artist, featuring chart-toppers like "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough". He would win a Grammy Award for that album and went on to release Thriller in 1982, which is considered one of the greatest albums of all time and was the best-selling album of all time, selling 70 million copies.
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Gwen Stefani
When Gwen Stefani's band No Doubt released a single titled "Don't Speak", it did little for the other band members but was the catalyst for Stefani's solo career. Despite never officially leaving the band, Stefani did begin a solo career in 2003, alongside her band duties. "Hollaback Girl" from her 2004 debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. set her on the road to stardom.
Dr Dre
Formerly of N.W.A, Dr Dre has been touted as the catalyst behind the careers of many famous artists like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Anderson Paak. Additionally, he helped launch the careers of 50 Cent and Tupac Shakur. He also performed with N.W.A. from 1987 till 1991 and released his first solo single in 1992, entitled "Deep Cover", a collaboration with Snoop Dogg. He also released an album entitled The Chronic in 1992, which went triple platinum in the US. This has led to two studio albums and multiple singles. Dr Dre is still a legend in the R&B scene at nearly 60.
Annie Lennox
The Eurythmics always performed very well in the United Kingdom, but couldn't quite stretch their successes to the United States, causing Annie Lennox to split from the band in the early 1990s and embark on a solo career. Releasing her first album in 1992, Diva, her next album would come in 1995, entitled Medusa, which featured covers of songs by artists from Bob Marley to The Clash and Neil Young. The album's song "No More I Love You's" entered the UK charts at number two and was Lennox's highest-ever chart performance as a soloist. She has since released multiple singles and continues to do so, with the last Eurythmics work coming in 2005.
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Darius Rucker
You could be forgiven for thinking that Darius Rucker was always a solo artist, but he was actually a member of Hootie & The Blowfish before he embarked on a solo career. A founding member of Hootie & The Blowfish, Rucker and company released Cracked Rear View in 1994 which featured the infamous single "Let Her Cry", for which Rucker was the lead vocalist. After spending 22 years with the band since 1986, Rucker took a 10-year hiatus to pursue his solo career, but released a solo R&B album in 2002 entitled Back To Then. He later went on to release "Don't Think I Don't Think About It", which peaked at number one on the Hot Country Song Charts, and "It Won't Be Like This For Long", which also peaked at number one on the Hot Country Song Charts.
Steve Perry
The incredible voice of Steve Perry will not be forgotten, and you can't hear "Don't Stop Believing" without immediately thinking of him. Although his band Journey was comprised of an incredible array of talented musicians, Perry's vocals made their songs complete. He would dip in and out of the band before officially leaving in 1996, but not before he released a 1984 solo album, Street Talk. A song from the album, "Oh, Sherrie" peaked at number three on the Billboard Top 100 and at number one on Billboard's Rock charts. He's released three more solo albums since then, with the latest being in 2021: a Christmas album entitled The Season.
Beyoncé
Despite the huge success enjoyed by Destiny's Child until the band's breakup in 2006, Beyoncé was always destined for a stage all of her own. Her romance with Jay-Z and collaborations aplenty led to the singer's first solo album Dangerously In Love in 2003, followed by True Star: A Private Performance in 2004 and the masterpiece that is 2016's Lemonade. It's no wonder Rolling Stone has named her the world's greatest living entertainer.
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Sting
Being a frontman and principal writer for The Police from 1977 to 1986, Sting could only go from strength to strength with a solo career. He began in 1985 with the album, The Dream Of The Blue Turtles, which went triple platinum in the UK and received multiple Grammy Award nominations. His second solo album (not released until 1987), Nothing Like The Sun, would bring the world "Englishman In New York", one of the most famous Sting songs of all time. He's gone on to achieve supreme solo success and is widely considered one of the greatest British musicians of all time.
Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake founded the 1990s heartthrob boy band NSYNC, first rising to prominence in 1998 with their self-titled first studio album and leading to their stratospheric rise in a decade defined by boy bands. NSYNC's success continued with their single, "This I Promise You". However, in 2002, the band announced they would split up and Timberlake started on his own in a solo career that began at the 2002 MTV Awards when he performed the single, "As I Love You".
He released a debut album in 2004—Justified—which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 charts and sold over 430,000 copies during its first week on sale. This led to a second studio album in 2006, selling 684,000 copies in its first week. Timberlake has enjoyed a long solo career and dabbled in some acting, but he might've been just "a somebody" had it not been for NSYNC.
Belinda Carlisle
Do you remember The Go-Go's? The American all-female rock band that formed in 1978? Of course you do. They're one of the most successful all-female rock groups in history. They were fronted by none other than Belinda Carlisle, if you didn't know. The group was nominated for a Best New Artist's Award at the 24th Grammy Awards.
Carlisle enjoyed an off-and-on touring schedule with The Go-Go's that allowed her to embark on a solo career that has included hits like "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" in 1987, and others like "Leave A Light On" and "Circle In The Sand" sold almost as many copies as The Go-Go's albums.
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Michael McDonald
Beginning as the backing vocalist for Steely Dan, Michael McDonald was originally brought in by The Doobie Brothers to be a stand-in for Tom Johnston, who'd fallen ill before a tour in April 1975. However, McDonald was so successful as a stand-in that the band kept using him and he transformed their sound toward pop during the late 1970s. This led to their second chart-topping hit, "What A Fool Believes".
The Doobie Brothers would embark on a farewell tour in the early 1980s, which is when McDonald decided to release his own solo album, If That's What It Takes, in 1982. He's had many successful hits since then, including a two-time Grammy-nominated album, Motown, which he released in 2003.
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Phil Collins
One of the members of the rock band Genesis, Phil Collins needs almost no introduction, but was an active member of Genesis from 1970 to 1996, eventually leaving the band to focus on his solo musical career. Collins would go on to form the Phil Collins Band and record hits such as "In The Air Tonight", "Can't Stopping Loving You", and "Another Day In Paradise".
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Peter Gabriel
Another man to be in Genesis and then leave to begin a storied solo career is Peter Gabriel. Gabriel was one of the founding members of the rock band in the late 1960s and remained with the band until 1975 as the lead vocalist. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to release a solo debut album called Peter Gabriel, which he named the first four of his studio albums, with a different photograph on each album cover.
He is perhaps best known for his singles "Don't Give Up" and "Sledgehammer" (1986), "Solsbury Hill", (1977), and "In Your Eyes" (1986). He has toured with some of the biggest names in British and American music and, like Phil Collins, is considered a British music legend.
Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown was a founding member of New Edition—a soul-pop/R&B boyband from the late 1970s in the United States, New Edition was taken to mean a "new edition" of the Jackson 5, as the group fancied themselves comparable to the infamous group that gave rise to the career of the King of Pop. The group reached huge popularity levels in the 1980s and is considered one of the blueprints for boy bands in the 80s and 90s.
Brown had a successful solo career of his own, launched his debut album King of Stage in 1986, and another album called Don't Be Cruel, which would become the most successful album of his career.
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Stevie Nicks
When Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, everything changed for the young singer with a lot to prove. She propelled Fleetwood Mac to superstardom, becoming one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, with nearly 120 million copies sold worldwide, including their second album, Rumours, which went platinum 20 times.
In 1981, Nicks began a solo career while still a member of Fleetwood Mac, releasing her first solo album, Bella Donna, which went on to achieve multi-platinum status. She has garnered eight Grammy Award nominations as a solo artist and has released seven solo studio albums.
Lou Reed
Lou Reed was once the guitarist and principal songwriter for British rock band The Velvet Underground, who achieved huge commercial success throughout the late 1960s until the band disbanded in 1970. Reed went out on his own—he released an incredible 20 solo albums throughout his career, and is widely viewed as one of the greatest rock musicians of all time.
Paul McCartney
Another man who needs no introduction: an iconic member of the most iconic band in the world. Sir Paul McCartney was one of the founding members of The Beatles and one of the primary songwriters alongside John Lennon. The band became one of the greatest bands of all time and the best-selling musical acts of all time. When the band dissolved in 1970, he released McCartney, which jumped to number one in the United States.
Sir Paul has continued his collaborations throughout the last 50 years with musicians ranging from Stevie Wonder to his wife, Linda McCartney, who died in 1999. Paul's legendary career after The Beatles has stood the test of time—and he's still performing!
Don Henley
The founding member and lead drummer and co-lead vocalist of The Eagles, Don Henley's voice is attached to such Eagles hits as "Get Over It", "Hotel California", "Desperado", and so many more. Despite the disbanding of The Eagles in 1980, Henley went on to release five solo albums, the first of which, I Can't Stand Still, debuted in 1982. He has gone on to release four more solo albums, and the latest—Cass County—was released in 2015.
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey, better known simply as Morrissey, was the lead singer and lyricist for The Smiths—the British rock band that gained huge popularity in the mid-1980s and ruled the independent music scene in the UK until their dissolution in 1987. Since then, Morrissey has gone on to achieve huge international success as a solo artist. His first single, "Suedehead", from his first solo album Viva Hate, achieved number five on the British singles chart—ranking higher than any single The Smiths had ever released.
Morrissey has continued his highly successful solo career and is slated to release his 14th solo album, Without Music The World Dies, after he finds a record label or private investor who'd be willing to distribute it.
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Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams was once a member of the infamous British boy band, Take That—one of the most iconic boy bands of the 1990s in the UK. Williams joined Take That when he was just 16, in 1989, just before their breakthrough in 1990. Williams left the band in 1995 to pursue his solo career, releasing a cover of George Michael's "Freedom" in 1995, which would climb to number two in the UK Singles Charts. His first solo studio album, Life Thru A Lens, would feature now-classic songs like "Angels".
Williams has sold 75 million records worldwide and was voted the Greatest Artist Of The 1990s, with all but one of his 14 solo albums reaching number one in the UK charts. Williams is widely viewed as one of the most successful artists of all time as a soloist after leaving a major boy band.
Pharrell Williams
You mostly know Pharrell Williams (no relation to Robbie) from his song "Happy!", which you should be clapping along to by now. But, before "Happy!", he was one of the founding members of the alternative band N.E.R.D., and was also a member of The Neptunes—a record production company, with Chad Hugo. Their debut album, In Search Of..., sold over 600,000 copies and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association.
Despite a successful career with N.E.R.D. and The Neptunes, Pharrell released his debut album In My Mind in 2006 and began working on multiple production projects solo, such as Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl".
Diana Ross
Lead singer of The Supremes, one of the most successful all-girl bands of all time and one of the most successful Motown groups of all time, Diana Ross needs no introduction. After leaving The Supremes in 1970, Ross released her eponymous debut solo album, which featured classics like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
Ross has enjoyed multiple career number-one singles and earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her solo career in 2012.
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Ice Cube
Being the lyricist of N.W.A's debut album, Straight Outta Compton, helped launch Ice Cube's career, but his earliest work was part of a rap group called C.I.A., at the age of just 16. His first hit song, "Boyz-N The Hood", was released by N.W.A. in the late 1980s and established Ice Cube as one the primary writers of Eazy-E and N.W.A's music.
Ice Cube recorded his debut solo album in 1990, Amerikkka's Most Wanted, which was an instant hit. His first EP, Kill At Will, was rap's first EP to be certified platinum in the United States. Ice Cube has enjoyed a long solo career after leaving N.W.A and has also branched out into multiple acting roles.
Joan Jett
Joan Jett founded The Runaways at just 16 years old with drummer Sandy West. The Runaways would become a worldwide touring group, opening for The Ramones, Van Halen, Tom Petty, and the Heartbreakers. However, the band would disband in 1979, leaving Jett to go out on her own. But, rather than do that, Jett formed another band called Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, which is still active to this day.
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Billy Idol
Billy Idol is one of the founding members of Generation X, formed in late 1976 and releasing three studio albums under Chrysalis Records before disbanding just five years later. This left Idol to go out on his own—which he had no problem doing. He moved to New York in 1981 and released an eponymous first album to huge commercial success that made him a mainstay on the newly-minted MTV. His second album, Rebel Yell in 1986, would go double-platinum in the United States, selling 2 million copies. He took a hiatus from music in the 1990s and early 2000s, but came back with Devil's Playground in 2005 and Kings and Queens Of The Underground in 2014.
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Ricky Martin
You may not know that Ricky Martin was once a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. Martin joined at the age of 12 as they achieved success on Puerto Rican television commercials and performed at a major concert in 1984. He became a fan favorite and stayed with Menudo during the release of 11 albums, including one, Evolution, that was nominated for a Grammy.
Martin left the group when he was 17 (all band members were required to leave by that age, as they were replaced with younger members), established an acting career in the United States, and released his first solo album in 1991, which peaked at number five on the US charts. His first album in English wasn't released until 1999 and featured his biggest hit, "Livin' La Vida Loca". He has continued to have a long solo career.
Kenny Rogers
Before Kenny Rogers branched out on his solo career, he was a member of the New Christy Minstrels, a large folk music group from the 1960s, and also founded Kenny Rogers And The First Edition in 1967 after leaving the Minstrels, chalking up a few hits before leaving the band in 1976 for a solo career.
Since beginning his solo career, Rogers charted more than 60 top 40 singles, including his infamous "Islands In The Stream" hit and "Lady", which both hit number one. Other successes included "The Gambler" and "Coward Of The County". Rogers passed away in 2020 but is widely considered one of the greatest American musicians of all time.
Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart was a member of several bands throughout the 1960s, including the Dimensions, the All-Stars, and the Jeff Beck Group, before joining the most notable of his bands: The Faces, in 1969. He simultaneously launched a solo career with the album An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down. He followed that up with Every Picture Tells A Story in 1971, which featured the iconic "Maggie May". Stewart's solo hits have gone on to receive multiple number-one rankings in the charts across the world, earning him multiple Grammy Awards and a Brit Award.
Noel Gallagher
Before Noel Gallagher joined (and then left) the iconic Oasis, he was a roadie for a band called Inspiral Carpets, touring the world with them. He and his younger brother joined a band called Rain, which was eventually renamed Oasis. The band would become one of the most successful British bands throughout the 1990s and early to mid-2000s, enjoying multiple big hits.
Oasis would disband in 2009, following a falling out between Noel and brother Liam, causing Noel to form his own band, Noel Gallagher's High-Flying Birds, which toured worldwide to huge success. In 2024, Oasis announced a reunion tour for 2025.
David Lee Roth
Best known as the lead vocalist for Van Halen, David Lee Roth would enjoy three stints with the band between its founding in 1972 to 1985, when he left to find solo success, releasing his first solo EP, Crazy From The Heat in 1985. Roth continued to have best-selling solo LPs and albums throughout the late 1980s until 1991, when his commercial success dwindled, despite still being a solo artist. His final album (thus far), entitled Diamond Dave, was released in 2003 to moderate success. However, Roth reunited with Van Halen in 2017, effectively ending his solo career.
Robert Plant
The lead singer and lyricist of the iconic Led Zeppelin band, Plant, and the rest of Led Zeppelin enjoyed incredible commercial success between 1968 and 1980 when they disbanded. Since then, Plant has enjoyed a solo career which includes collaborations with other musicians, such as Alison Krauss.
Plant launched his first album, Pictures At Eleven, in 1982, followed by 1983's The Principle Of Moments. In the mid-1980s, he sold out stadiums with backing drums from Phil Collins and has formed numerous collaborative touring duos and bands since then.
Sonic Youth's Marital Strife
When romantic couple Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore formed Sonic Youth in 1981 in New York, they were a fresh face in a new-wave era of noise rock that was emanating from the city during that time. They even enjoyed multiple hits and huge commercial success. However, in 2011, after 30 years of marriage, Kim Gordon discovered text messages on Thurston Moore's phone from a strange lover. He'd been having a shocking affair.
While Sonic Youth remained together for a few more months following the revelations, the band eventually split completely, with Moore's infidelity doing irreparable harm.
