Not easy for an artist to leave his group to try it solo. Especially if the group in question is a hit. However, some, sometimes a little pushed towards the exit, bet everything and ended up winning the bet, sometimes even going so far as to make people forget that one day they were only part of a whole.
michael jackson
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Michael had everything to gain by separating from his brothers. When he decided, in 1984, he already had several solo successes to his credit and could finally get rid of the influence of his father. The one who has always been the most famous of the siblings can fly away and reach the heights he squatted almost until the end of his days. In the meantime, Jermaine Jackson was the only one to really stand out, the time of a tube (When The Rain Begins To Fall), in duet with Pia Zadora.
Beyonce
Yeah Destiny’s Child was pretty cool. But Beyoncé Knowles, when she decided to chart her course without her two girlfriends, literally exploded the counters. Commercially speaking, of course, but also qualitatively, as can be seen from the many hyper-chiad hits that dot her discography, and the prestigious collaborations that she strings together like pearls.
Neil Young
Known for having exploded with the Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young also collaborated extensively with Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and David Crosby, with whom he played at Woodstock (he also refuses to be filmed). However, it is indeed alone (so to speak), especially with his group Crazy Horse, that he frankly succeeded in finding his way and packing an impressive collection of monumental and committed albums, influencing a good part of Seattle’s grunge scene.
Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams did not necessarily choose to leave Take That, but nevertheless, it was precisely at this moment that he took off. Many years later, while he chained the hits, his group was no more, and had to bitterly regret having fired the one who was long considered the ugly duckling of this troop of sanitized handsome kids.
Justin Timberlake
Former singer of the Mickey Mouse Club (with Britney Spears), Justin Timberlake experienced a meteoric rise within ‘N Sync, an American juggernaut boy band. When the wind turns for the boys, Timberlake takes the tangent and does not take long to impose himself solo. Boxes of tubes, a breast unveiled at the Super Bowl (not his), and tons of awards later, Justin will even manage to infiltrate the world of cinema successfully. When you know that the other most famous member of ‘N Sync is Lance Bass and that one of his main feats of fame is having played in the background in Tonnerre sous les Tropiques, this leaves you wondering.
peter gabriel
Let us be clear: it is up to everyone to consider which period of Genesis, namely that of Peter Gabriel or that of Phil Collins, is the best. However, it’s hard not to salute Gabriel’s solo career, which exploded as soon as he left the group with the introspective hit Solsbury Hills. Note that Peter Gabriel did not record a soundtrack for Disney. It may be a detail for you, but for some it means a lot.
Joan Jett
Her biggest hit, I Love Rock and Roll, Joan Jett recorded as she juggled a acclaimed solo career, just months after breaking up with The Runaways, the band she shared with Cherie Curry. and Lita Ford (since gone to metalheads. She could also be on this list). A hit that set the tone for a successful journey, the last chapter of which was released in 2013.
George Michael
Before going solo, George Michael was mainly Wham!, the incredible group from the hit Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. A whimsical and festive combo, characterized by a spirit from which Michael obviously wanted to move away by embracing the clean crooner’s outfit on him which allowed him to touch the peaks for ages. And this from Faith and her eponymous hit, which was the first of a long series.
Billy Idol
We have every right to prefer the integrity that somehow defined the punk band Generation X, but it’s hard not to salute the path that good old Billy Idol embraced after his departure from the combo in 1981. Powered by Bill Aucoin, the producer of Kiss, Billy certainly became more commercial, but his character and his unstoppable songs nevertheless truly marked the 80s (less the 90s but still).
Bjork
It is certainly not entirely unreasonable to attribute the success of The Sugarcubes to the talent and charisma of Björk. Anyway, the young woman quickly decided to get rid of it to try her luck solo, leaving the cold of her native Iceland for the smog of Perfidious Albion. Success was quick to come knocking at his door. At first rather accessible, via a superb collection of songs, Björk has been navigating for several years between several parallel dimensions but still fascinates as much. See more.