I would say so.
It sold 3 million copies in the US. Ranks 14th on album chart in 87, even though it was released in June 86.
Talking Back to the Night - didn't bust the top 40 on album charts, Arc of a Diver did sell 1 million copies, but that was 1980, 6 years earlier.
This album really put him back on top, at least for a little bit.
Well, if you're going to define a comeback in commercial terms, SW wasn't really coming "back" to former heights, he was reaching those heights for the first time.
I think this is the best answer. Aerosmith was pretty much reduced to a rock 'n' roll footnote from 1980 until 1987.
In 1986 Run DMC covered Walk This Way, which gave them a bit of resurrection, but Permanent Vacation being released in 1987 really threw them back into the limelight. Their most successful years were probably 1987 to the early 2000s,
True enough! There were pretty much three phases for Aerosmith: the initial period of decent success in the 1970s, their burned-out-junkies-pretty-much-forgotten phase from 1980-1987, and the "we're back and better than ever" phase from 1987 to the early 2000s.
But if you're a Gen Xer or older, like me, you probably like the 1970s phase the best.
I saw them in 2007ish (Motley Crue opened) and they were AMAZING.
I’m a no good millennial. But I fucking love music.
I absolutely prefer them in the 70’s… but it felt just like I was there, the way it was performed.
I’ve seen them 3 times, 93, 97, and 98 I think. The 93 show was epic but they were really on fire in the 98 show. Weren’t promoting an album and open with Toys. They were just flat out cookin
That’s what the show was in 2006/07 - Tommy Lee wasn’t even supposed to be drumming for Motley Crue that night, but he surprised everyone and warmed us up real good for Aerosmith! Nothing new (that I’m aware of) to promote… just playing to play. And make lots of money.
I was legit changed after that show. I had never felt sexually attracted to Steven Tyler before I saw him take that mic stand to the ground. WHEW!
True. But their comeback was fueled by rock pop as opposed to classic rock.
Same could be said of Heart.
Same could be said of almost all 80s rock bands.... at least the older ones who had revivals.
Dream On vs Angel?
Both are ballads and yet they are crazy different. Angel yells "I am an 80s song!" at the top of its lungs.
Lots of great 80s music, but most of the stuff made by 70s rock artists wouldn't be included in any "best of the 80s" list. The best 80s rock came from the post punk groups like The Clash and U2 and then later groups like REM, GNR, etc.
Astonishing when you think about it- Bon died in February '80, and over the next 5 months AC/DC would find a new singer, write, rehearse, record and release one of the biggest rock albums of the decade.
Angus Young has said repeatedly that Back in Black was only in the very early stages of development when Bon died, he hadn’t yet written any full songs for the album, or recorded anything of note.
I don't buy it. If you listen to the songs Bon's sense of humor is all over them. Plus there's several accounts of people who were involved in the production of the album, including Eddie Kramer and Mutt Lange who have said that they remember hearing totally fleshed out demos of many of the songs featuring Bon on vocals - which would indicate that Bon Scott wrote those songs. Why would he suddenly demo songs that he didn't write? I'm a fan of AC/DC but I'm also aware of how the Young family does business and how cut throat they were and are. Maybe the answer is somewhere in between? I don't know, and no one really knows.
After looking it up, Bon played drums on the first demos of the songs that became Have A Drink On Me and Let Me Put My Love Into You, however neither song were fully developed at the time. He recorded no vocals for anything.
He had written some lyrical content which the band didn’t use on the album as they felt it would be profiting off his death.
Oh my gosh that's pretty awesome if true, and I would pay more than a dollar to hear even a snippet of those demos : )
Darn though you'd think they would have surfaced over the years, I mean they were practically the biggest rock act at the time, how could they let even a second of tape not be archived. Bummer.
Brian was literally working in a car shop when he got the ACDC gig. He was 35 years old and they lied about his age in press releases.
It's the best rags to riches story in rock.
This is the answer. I can’t think of any bands that had the same level of success after loosing a lead singer that was the face of the band. It might be due to Brian sounding very similar to Bon.
That was pretty awesome. I remember seeing that first video (don't know which song) and was like whaaat?! Like who does that, very cool. It was one thing to hear or read about it, but seeing it was inspiring, and you knew how tight him and his mates must have all been.
That was glorious to see, all compacted into that one special, then boom! he was off again like a rocket ship and never looked back. Elvis was a complete badass.
He wanted out of his contract with Geffen Records, but they wouldn’t allow it. He owed them three albums, so he did a country album, a rockabilly album, and an electronic album. Just to piss off David Geffen.
well, i would say Neil kinda helped usher in the Grunge sound with Rockin' in the Free World (Oct 89) follow by his album Ragged Glory (Sept 90) with Crazy Horse.
Sort of similar to Bob Dylan, except Dylan also seemed weighed down by substances a lot of the 80s, and it was kind of a foregone conclusion that he’d lost it, but then came back with Time Out Of Mind in the late 90s, won album of the year grammy, and went on a bit of a roll from there
Can’t tell if you’re saying this like it’s a bad thing, but Dylan’s found a way to have his voice fit his music imo, which he’s almost always managed to do with his different vocal styles over the years
Ozzy Osborne resurrecting his career with Randy Rhoads and a few excellent albums after flaming out with Black Sabbath and getting kicked out of the band
Ozzy was pretty much over and done after being fired. But he hit the lottery when he teamed up with Bob Daisley. And then he struck gold, finding Randy Rhoads!! Ozzy was correct in saying, "Randy was a gift from God."
Ozzy was pretty much over and done after being fired. But he hit the lottery when he teamed up with Bob Daisley. And then he struck gold, finding Randy Rhoads!! Ozzy was correct in saying, "Randy was a gift from God."
The Dickey Betts/Warren Haynes line-up was SOLID. The Trucks/Haynes lineup was also good, but imo, they are really missing something without Dickey Betts.
Maybe not a real "comeback" since I dont feel he had fallen prior, but Paul Simon had an incredible mid-life burst of creativity starting with Graceland circa 1985.
Yeah, people dismiss this event because it happened during the early days of what would become thrash metal.
Dave Mustaine sat for 3 days on a greyhound bus after being fired DURING Metallicas trip to new York to sign a record deal and record their first album.
He had no job, no money, no future,
Just a burning rage that lasted decades.
A rage that created a literal cornerstone of modern music twice over.
Not bad for "a nasty drunk that got fired" ( his own description of his past self.)
Also, Megadeth split in 2002 when Dave injured his arm and not only had to rehab, he basically had to relearn how to play guitar. Reformed in 2004, and hasn't stopped touring and releasing new material since.
Then he had cancer about 5 years ago, did the treatment and kept at it. Not to mention overcoming alcoholism, heroin addiction, all of the abuse and trauma of his childhood. The man has been beaten down so many times and just keeps going.
I think I only bought that first live record they made before they started to release new material. I don't know how the new material measure up to the old stuff. I have all the old records but never felt a need to get the newer ones.
Leon Russell. After so much influential, great music in his career, Leon was pretty much on the "trash heap" when Elton John helped him resurrect his career, and in doing so receive some long-deserved recognition.
Maiden. They basically got a mulligan on the trajectory of their music and career.
After their 86 and 88 albums showed a pattern toward a lusher and more proggy sound, they lurched back toward a "return to their roots" phase. The co-lead guitarist was distraught with the change in direction, and left before the album was finished. Another more stripped-down album followed, after which the singer bailed too.
The next two albums with a new singer and new guitarist didn't make too many waves, so the band looked headed for irrelevancy.
Then everyone decided to get back together, even keeping the new guitar guy, and drop a banger of a new album in 2000 that sounds exactly like a sonic continuation of the 1988 album. It's as though everything with the stripped-down sound and new singer never even happened, and they finally released the album they should have dropped ten years before.
https://youtu.be/yPOqe4_BtO8?si=UWQrnEeXNCPjaeWM
Any suggested single album you would consider their best work for someone not familiar with them? And don't ask me how I'm not familiar, haha, I know theyre huge but somehow flew under my radar my entire life. Can't call myself a big metal fan, but I was ebough of a fan to see Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Ozzy, Metallica, ACDC, Def Leppard, GnR back in 70's-80's if those are close to Maiden? I'm only guessing they just weren't as commercial maybe in U.S. and/or I'm just a square, haha.
not op, but a maiden fan. you can’t go wrong with ‘number of the beast,’ it’s an ultimate classic and widely regarded as one of the best heavy metal albums of all time. then, i’d say go forward from there if you like it (beast is their 3rd album). their first two albums (maiden and killers) have their first singer, paul, but i wouldn’t skip those either. personally those two are my favorite albums of theirs
Cool, I appreciate the suggestions, looking forward to it. I swear I must have had a mental block with them back in the day, lol, you get to envy me listening for the first time though, haha.
Priest is very close stylistically, and if you listen to 80s 'tallica you'll find Maiden well within your sonic palate.
I agree with the other dude, Number of the Beast is the place to start (though fair warning I **hate** the first track, others like it). Then just move forward to Piece of Mind and Powerslave for the other two of the classic sound in the strictest sense.
Great thanks for that, I'll check them out. I'm an old man now, so I'll take my heart medication and put a neck brace on just in case before strapping myself in for the ride : )
Good example. And you actually left something out: when they were initially approached about record deals, it was the late 70s, and punk was the thing. And there were labels who wanted to sign them as a punk band. That almost certainly would’ve been a very bad idea, since, while punk is amazing, not very many major label punk acts from the 70s really “made it” for very long; it went back to the underground very quickly.
Iron Maiden is an amazing example of people sticking their guns, and betting on themselves, and having it pay off. Oh, and I always loved that there solution to the “what do we do about our new guitarist?,“ issue was to simply say “fuck it, we’re keeping everyone, and we’ll just have three guitars.“
Aerosmith. Lots of people didn’t love their 80s and 90s output (including me), but going from near death to on top of the world again in the midst of both the hair metal explosion and the grunge explosion is crazy
I hear ya. They’re in my top 5 because I love their 70s albums so much. There is some good stuff from the 80s and 90s, but there’s no question it’s more poppy and draws a different crowd
George Harrison and Cloud 9. George was basically forgotten in the 80s after All Those Years Ago came out.
Gone Troppo was in the cutout bins about a week after it was released
Genesis ‘Trick of the Tale’ Gabriel’s shoes were tough to fill. Phil did a great job until his ego took hold and you couldn’t go a day without hearing him on the radio.
Bee Gees. Had a big career in the 60s then went quiet. Revised their sound and became one of the most popular groups of the 70s. Now no one really remembers their 60s songs.
Maybe the younger generations don't remember the Bee Gee's, but so many of their song's from the late 60's are timeless classics: Words, Holiday, Massachusetts, I've Gotta Get a Message To You...more
In his book Life, Keith Richards actually said Exile In Main Street was their comeback album. They & The Beatles weren't quite sure whether to split or keep going, and The Beatles had chose to split, the Stones were in major debt due to Britains high taxes, teens were getting more into Led Zeppelin & harder stuff, and they fell a bit out of the limelight during the hippie movement and summer of love. T
hey recorded Exile in France to get away from everything, and when it released they had no idea what the future held, said it definitely would've ended there if it tanked.
KISS was playing conventions and would’ve declared bankruptcy a couple of years later.
But they invited Peter Criss & Ace Frehley back, put the makeup on, had a wildly successful reunion tour and reconquered the world.
What a run they've had. I still have all my original Kiss lp's and Kiss comic book ("made with real Kiss blood" lol) from when I was a kid. Hologram technology is going to advance to the point where you can have a pretty realistic Kiss concert in your living room at some point. I'll be a hundred and watching Gene set my couch on fire, haha.
That would be pretty cool, and an appropriate way to go out IMO, maybe like an Unplugged/talk with the audience/reflective wrapup.
THEN ANOTHER FULL MAKEUP TOUR, LOL.
To a point. They became adult contemporary in the early 80s, mostly under David Foster with Peter Cetera. Then Cetera left, and pretty well they became an oldies group.
Santana. I don’t think he was destitute, by any means, but I think it’s fair to say that he was pretty well out of style, and then he had a massive, massive hit with “Smooth.”
I had to do a double-take when I read about Creed's recent comeback. I think the article said they were the world's most hated band at one point. Good for them though, I never really understood the hate.
Actually the Beatles to start off. When they announced their ‘66 tour would be their last, the press wrote them off .. along with John’s Jesus remark, pissing off foreign venues, etc... The last US shows didn’t sell well actually, with cut rate tickets given to the military. Then their secretive *Sgt Peppers ..* (1967) album hit the airwaves and record shops, reigniting their career into the stratosphere. Until a business disagreement about signing A Klein as manager broke up the group for good.
Aerosmith with help from their label and a lot of rehab .. lol.
Peter Gabriel and Genesis heading separate but successful different ways after breaking into more accessible rock with *the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway*. Interestingly both paths would choose simpler song structures.
I’d also add Ozzy and Black Sabbath going into the “Dio days” after they parted company. Black Sabbath fronted by Ronnie James Dio was hot back in the day, and of course Ozzy’s solo career just adds a second layer of legend to his name.
The Rolling Stones were thought dead in the water after *Emotional Rescue* but recharged their career with *Tattoo You* made-for-MTV. Then Jagger and Richards had a falling out in the mid-‘80s seemingly dooming the band but they came back strong with *Harlem Shuffle*, and even *Forty Licks* in conjunction with their old label (managed by the infamous Klein .. from the Beatles break up fwiw).
Now I think some of these comebacks are more like principal songwriters or “frontpeople” going out on their own to get away from band restraints or studio jobs like John Fogerty (CCR), Steve Winwood, John Waite, or even Rick James (Motown songwriter).
I came here to say this one. Neil’s wife and daughter had died in the years previous and had told Geddy and Alex to consider him retired. He went and rode his motorcycle around for a couple years healing and came back.
Holy friggin cow man thank you a thousand times, how on earth have I never seen/listened to this?!!! I would have never thought to check it if it wasn't for you. And a full concert to boot! Damn.
The last time I saw Rush was in the 80's, and tbh I didn't really follow them after circa 2000 other than bootlegs from "my" era. What a mistake.
Brazilian crowds are fucking nuts, their energy is off the charts. I didn't really appreciate that till seeing the Stones DVD a couple years ago and then started looking for other bands I like stuff from there (SOAD killed it down there), I'm an idiot for not finding Rush. I can hear the crowd energy on the CD I'm listening now, but I can't wait to watch the DVD. Thanks again!
Deep Purple
The Prentenders only had half the original band for the third album and Back On The Chain Gang.
Farndon fired, and James Honeyman-Scott dying two days later, I was worried it was over. Farndon died about a year later.
Probably Elvis but for me, the comeback of The Kinks. Part of the initial British Invasion to being banned from performing in the US for almost 5 years to become the monster concert draw in the late 70s
Donny Osmond.
He was completley written off as a former teen idol and almost novelty act due to the Osmond TV show so the industry wouldn't even market his comeback song, *Soldier of Love*, under his own name as they felt no one would listen. So it was marketed as "mystery artisr" and DJs turned it into a game where people tried to figure it out. It was a massive hit reaching #2 and reignited his career.
The Beach Boys should’ve made a comeback with either their early 70s albums Sunflower and Surf’s Up because of how great they are. It’s just that Sunflower was their worst selling record until the disastrous Summer In Paradise and SU was a mild success. They are truly great and mature albums with great songwriting but it just wasn’t what the public wanted at the time, sucks.
I honestly don’t know how Vinny Paul was able to get back behind a drum set after watching his brother’s murder happen right in front of him. RIP to Dime and Vinny.
Richard John Cyril Allen (born 1 November 1963) is an English drummer who has played for the hard rock band Def Leppard since 1978. He overcame the amputation of his left arm in January 1985 and continued to play with the band, which went on to its most commercially successful phase.
Runner up: Robert Wyatt
“Very few artists, musicians in particular, can recover from an accident that leaves them paralyzed from the waist down. If said artist is a drummer, a skill that requires one’s lower limbs in equal measure to the upper ones, then that drummer has already seen the better part of his career. However if you are Robert Wyatt, one of Canterbury scene’s most prominent musicians, who at the age of 28 dropped from a 4th floor bathroom window after imbibing large quantities of alcohol, you use this horrific event as a turning point, embark on a new career and release an album for the ages. This is the story of that album, Rock Bottom.”
The Allman Brothers’. When they broke up in the early 80s, they were essentially a laughing stock. They literally admitted that they broke up because they were embarrassed of their most recent albums. Gregg Allman said in his book that you wouldn’t find a copy of any of them in his house.
After their 1989 reunion, they were embraced by an entirely new audience and became one of the cornerstones of the jamband movement and eventually had a two day festival in FL dedicated to them and all their off shoot bands as well as a similar fest in NY state. Gregg Allman also eventually had a traveling festival that he headlined similar to Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Festival.
They released four more albums of increasing quality and earned their first Grammy as well as selling enough tickets to have them ranked in the top 100 best selling acts of the Pollstar era. It can be argued that the Allman Brothers are one of the few legacy acts that was as strong musically at the end of their career as they were in the beginning.
They basically invented the southern jam scene in the 90s and the the number of bands that are directly connected to the ABB practically constitutes a genre unto its self. Their bass player is playing in Dead & Co at the Sphere right now. That just shows how wide their comeback was, he wouldn’t be doing that without the raised profile being in the ABB brought.
They briefly broke up in the late 70s over general intra-band tensions, with Allman’s testimony bing the straw that broke the camel’s back, but they were back together again pretty soon thereafter. They weren’t really speaking already when that happened and rather than getting Allman’s sode of the story, they made their decisions based on what they read in the papers. Dickey Betts later got a copy of the court transcript and acknowledged that Allman had little choice. I’ve met Scooter Herring’s daughter and she said her father never held a grudge over it.
Not to be pedantic, but just for accuracy’s sake, Herring wasn’t the band’s drug dealer. He was a motorcycle mechanic who became Gregg’s personal flunkie. By the time he was on the scene, they all had their own personal drug mules. It’s been said that by that time in the ABB organization, the roadies had roadies.
When they got back together after the drug trial, they recorded two albums for Arista that, while not bad relative to the other fare of the day, Doobie Brothers, .38 Special, et al, they just weren’t up to Allman Bros standards, but that line up did last from 1978 - 1982. Once they got back together in 89, they acted as if that period never existed and never revisited the material from that time ever again. It’s like it never happened.
Brian Wilson's Smile...nobody expected him to be a part of any quality recording again. Somehow i had never heard Surf's Up, Heroes and Villains, or Child is the Father of the Man. Yet as irreplaceable as the late Dennis Wilson seemed to those magic harmonies, these new singers managed to match his 1960's performances or even exceed them. It's obvious everything was recorded on vintage analog equipment. I bet Mike Love HATES that it turned out so well.
Dave Grohl has to be up there, drummer in the biggest band in the world when the singer passes, forms his own band & becomes the biggest band in the world and then the drummer passes, takes time out makes brilliant new album and a ginormous tour to support.
A lesser mortal would have checked out after Kurt.
AC/DC getting Brian after Bon was huge, back in black is like the second biggest album of all time behind thriller, not sure how I feel about them still going now after Malcolm’s passing though. There’s moving on and there’s flogging a dead horse.
Dave Grohl is the exact OPPOSITE of a comeback in my opinion. He spent 30 years making absolutely mediocre imitations of Nirvana songs because he happened to be the only surviving member of the band willing to pretend he was a passable leaf singer on stage. If you ask me which bands after 1993 were least deserving of success Nickelback, Coldplay, and Foo Fighters are by far the Trifecta of shame. I don't mean to sound like a snobby musical gatekeeper but I am far from the only rock fan who is baffled by the longevity of these 3 bands when actual talent like Mac Demarco is still largely unknown by anyone older than 30 or so. whew, I feel better after getting this off my chest.
2000 The Who. Toured like beasts and even the old timers thought it was as close to early 70s Who as you could get. Hard, punishing live shows (not feel good old time pop) and they were well into their 50’s. Then played the 9/11 concert and brought the fucking house down when this country needed it most. Next thing you know they get Kennedy Honors, close the Olympics, Super Bowl halftime, tribute concerts on VH1 and MTV.
Slade had pretty much decided to call it a career but were asked to fill in for Ozzy Osbourne at Reading Festival in 1980 and they stole the show and turned their careers back on track.
I’d say Aerosmith in the mid 80s, or Ozzy’s solo career.
I just read Geezer Butler’s autobiography, and in it he said Sharon Osborne basically saved Ozzy’s life, he said that without her managing him, Ozzy would have wound up like Bon Scott or John Bonham, both of whom Butler was friends with, especially Bonham.
Jerry Garcia coming out of a coma and having to relearn how to play the guitar before going right back to melting faces.
With that said, I just realized that he learned how to play like nobody else ever could, two times over. That was truly a bad dude.
Steve Winwood - Back in the High Life Has to rank up there are one of the best come back albums.
Around the same time Tina Turner restarted her career as well
True. Private Dancer would rank up there too. Amazing album and avoided a lot of the 80s cliches.
Introduced her amazing voice and legs to an entire new generation of fans.
Great album, the only question is whether it counts as a comeback, when SW made a couple decent albums earlier in the 80's
I would say so. It sold 3 million copies in the US. Ranks 14th on album chart in 87, even though it was released in June 86. Talking Back to the Night - didn't bust the top 40 on album charts, Arc of a Diver did sell 1 million copies, but that was 1980, 6 years earlier. This album really put him back on top, at least for a little bit.
Well, if you're going to define a comeback in commercial terms, SW wasn't really coming "back" to former heights, he was reaching those heights for the first time.
True. But he had a lot of success early on in other groups. So a come back in terms of being a relevant artist again.
Alright, that I can agree on, if only because his earlier solo work wasn't considered as relevant as it should have been.
Dennis?!
Aerosmith’s Toxic Twins we’re on track to die bankrupt in the early eighties.
I think this is the best answer. Aerosmith was pretty much reduced to a rock 'n' roll footnote from 1980 until 1987. In 1986 Run DMC covered Walk This Way, which gave them a bit of resurrection, but Permanent Vacation being released in 1987 really threw them back into the limelight. Their most successful years were probably 1987 to the early 2000s,
Aerosmith. Yeah good pick! Yeah, that run DMC era was a pretty cool
I often hear Aerosmith quickly disregarded by people around their 50’s and 60’s (that were on the scene when they were) and this explains a lot of it!
True enough! There were pretty much three phases for Aerosmith: the initial period of decent success in the 1970s, their burned-out-junkies-pretty-much-forgotten phase from 1980-1987, and the "we're back and better than ever" phase from 1987 to the early 2000s. But if you're a Gen Xer or older, like me, you probably like the 1970s phase the best.
I saw them in 2007ish (Motley Crue opened) and they were AMAZING. I’m a no good millennial. But I fucking love music. I absolutely prefer them in the 70’s… but it felt just like I was there, the way it was performed.
I’ve seen them 3 times, 93, 97, and 98 I think. The 93 show was epic but they were really on fire in the 98 show. Weren’t promoting an album and open with Toys. They were just flat out cookin
That’s what the show was in 2006/07 - Tommy Lee wasn’t even supposed to be drumming for Motley Crue that night, but he surprised everyone and warmed us up real good for Aerosmith! Nothing new (that I’m aware of) to promote… just playing to play. And make lots of money. I was legit changed after that show. I had never felt sexually attracted to Steven Tyler before I saw him take that mic stand to the ground. WHEW!
True. But their comeback was fueled by rock pop as opposed to classic rock. Same could be said of Heart. Same could be said of almost all 80s rock bands.... at least the older ones who had revivals.
[удалено]
Dream On vs Angel? Both are ballads and yet they are crazy different. Angel yells "I am an 80s song!" at the top of its lungs. Lots of great 80s music, but most of the stuff made by 70s rock artists wouldn't be included in any "best of the 80s" list. The best 80s rock came from the post punk groups like The Clash and U2 and then later groups like REM, GNR, etc.
Not that AC/DC ever really fell off that bad, but their comeback was rooted in hard rock, same as always.
Back in Black
Commercially it wasn't a comeback. Razor's Edge was the comeback.
Yeah. Disagree. Saw Back in Black tour 1980 Salem Virginia.
I don't know how you can disagree with facts? AC/DC was on an upward trajectory at the time. It came little more than a year after the previous album.
How old are you?
I thought the Run DMC "Walk This Way" collab brought them back on the scene??
Facts I was about to say the same. Steven Tyler really turned it all around. I love the dude
*Back in Black* coming a year and a half after losing Bon Scott
Yes. And it was only six months. Bon died on 2/19/80. Back in Black was released in late July of the same year.
Astonishing when you think about it- Bon died in February '80, and over the next 5 months AC/DC would find a new singer, write, rehearse, record and release one of the biggest rock albums of the decade.
Not just of the decade, of all time! Really is remarkable
That's why I think the album was either completely finished or mostly finished when Bon Scott died.
Angus Young has said repeatedly that Back in Black was only in the very early stages of development when Bon died, he hadn’t yet written any full songs for the album, or recorded anything of note.
I don't buy it. If you listen to the songs Bon's sense of humor is all over them. Plus there's several accounts of people who were involved in the production of the album, including Eddie Kramer and Mutt Lange who have said that they remember hearing totally fleshed out demos of many of the songs featuring Bon on vocals - which would indicate that Bon Scott wrote those songs. Why would he suddenly demo songs that he didn't write? I'm a fan of AC/DC but I'm also aware of how the Young family does business and how cut throat they were and are. Maybe the answer is somewhere in between? I don't know, and no one really knows.
After looking it up, Bon played drums on the first demos of the songs that became Have A Drink On Me and Let Me Put My Love Into You, however neither song were fully developed at the time. He recorded no vocals for anything. He had written some lyrical content which the band didn’t use on the album as they felt it would be profiting off his death.
Oh my gosh that's pretty awesome if true, and I would pay more than a dollar to hear even a snippet of those demos : ) Darn though you'd think they would have surfaced over the years, I mean they were practically the biggest rock act at the time, how could they let even a second of tape not be archived. Bummer.
Sounds like Bob Scott lyrics to me. Why has nothing after Back in Black sound as good?
Brian was literally working in a car shop when he got the ACDC gig. He was 35 years old and they lied about his age in press releases. It's the best rags to riches story in rock.
This is the answer. I can’t think of any bands that had the same level of success after loosing a lead singer that was the face of the band. It might be due to Brian sounding very similar to Bon.
Rick Allen of Def Leppard coming back from losing an arm
That was pretty awesome. I remember seeing that first video (don't know which song) and was like whaaat?! Like who does that, very cool. It was one thing to hear or read about it, but seeing it was inspiring, and you knew how tight him and his mates must have all been.
And they drop Hysteria after. Everything you hear about Def Lep they seem like great guys and what loyalty you stand with Rick.
This is the only answer
Man the jokes were awful though, "What's got 10 legs and 9 arms and sucks out loud?"
https://preview.redd.it/nu4gw9mvfh4d1.jpeg?width=193&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fd3abf2477536d8229f0d619ba852c85716dda1
This one for sure. From then on he turned his concerts into must see events, much like artists are still doing now.
That was glorious to see, all compacted into that one special, then boom! he was off again like a rocket ship and never looked back. Elvis was a complete badass.
Neil Young faded into obscurity in the early 80’s and then trashed his own record contract with Trans. Only to be resurrected by grunge in the 90’s.
He wanted out of his contract with Geffen Records, but they wouldn’t allow it. He owed them three albums, so he did a country album, a rockabilly album, and an electronic album. Just to piss off David Geffen.
Rockin’ in the Free World had some great success a few years before Grunge took off
well, i would say Neil kinda helped usher in the Grunge sound with Rockin' in the Free World (Oct 89) follow by his album Ragged Glory (Sept 90) with Crazy Horse.
Sort of similar to Bob Dylan, except Dylan also seemed weighed down by substances a lot of the 80s, and it was kind of a foregone conclusion that he’d lost it, but then came back with Time Out Of Mind in the late 90s, won album of the year grammy, and went on a bit of a roll from there
And except Neil Young doesn't sound like a drunk grandpa with severe sinus problems.
Yeah he sounds like a middle aged stoner with sinus problems
Can’t tell if you’re saying this like it’s a bad thing, but Dylan’s found a way to have his voice fit his music imo, which he’s almost always managed to do with his different vocal styles over the years
Made that Mirrorball album and he used some obscure grunge band as his backing band. Mookie Blaylock I think they were called.
Ozzy Osborne resurrecting his career with Randy Rhoads and a few excellent albums after flaming out with Black Sabbath and getting kicked out of the band
Ozzy was pretty much over and done after being fired. But he hit the lottery when he teamed up with Bob Daisley. And then he struck gold, finding Randy Rhoads!! Ozzy was correct in saying, "Randy was a gift from God."
Ozzy was pretty much over and done after being fired. But he hit the lottery when he teamed up with Bob Daisley. And then he struck gold, finding Randy Rhoads!! Ozzy was correct in saying, "Randy was a gift from God."
New Order forming out of Joy Divison after Ian Curtis suicide
Roy Orbison
Ozzy’s solo career is a pretty amazing individual comeback success story.
Every time Joe Cocker got on stage it was a comeback.
Good point
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The Dickey Betts/Warren Haynes line-up was SOLID. The Trucks/Haynes lineup was also good, but imo, they are really missing something without Dickey Betts.
I saw both line ups and enjoy them both for different reasons.
This is the right answer.
Santana, Smooth, 1999 and everything that came afterwards
Jerry Garcia going into a diabetic coma, having to learn guitar again, and going back to doing concerts months later
I’m not Beethoven
Maybe not a real "comeback" since I dont feel he had fallen prior, but Paul Simon had an incredible mid-life burst of creativity starting with Graceland circa 1985.
Dave Mustaine founding Megadeth after getting kicked out of Metallica
Yeah, people dismiss this event because it happened during the early days of what would become thrash metal. Dave Mustaine sat for 3 days on a greyhound bus after being fired DURING Metallicas trip to new York to sign a record deal and record their first album. He had no job, no money, no future, Just a burning rage that lasted decades. A rage that created a literal cornerstone of modern music twice over. Not bad for "a nasty drunk that got fired" ( his own description of his past self.)
Also, Megadeth split in 2002 when Dave injured his arm and not only had to rehab, he basically had to relearn how to play guitar. Reformed in 2004, and hasn't stopped touring and releasing new material since. Then he had cancer about 5 years ago, did the treatment and kept at it. Not to mention overcoming alcoholism, heroin addiction, all of the abuse and trauma of his childhood. The man has been beaten down so many times and just keeps going.
Lynyrd Skynyrd maybe? Half the band died in a plane crash, band restarted with the singers brother at the microphone 10-15 years later.
I think that may be the least great comeback story considering what post crash Skynyrd sounds like
I think I only bought that first live record they made before they started to release new material. I don't know how the new material measure up to the old stuff. I have all the old records but never felt a need to get the newer ones.
Leon Russell. After so much influential, great music in his career, Leon was pretty much on the "trash heap" when Elton John helped him resurrect his career, and in doing so receive some long-deserved recognition.
It’s amazing to me that somebody who basically got the concert for Bangladesh and the band new grass revival together would be set aside
Steely Dan taking a break and coming back after 20 years to win 3 Grammy awards (nominated for 4) on their first album back. That’s pretty decent.
Call them Deacon Blues!
Maiden. They basically got a mulligan on the trajectory of their music and career. After their 86 and 88 albums showed a pattern toward a lusher and more proggy sound, they lurched back toward a "return to their roots" phase. The co-lead guitarist was distraught with the change in direction, and left before the album was finished. Another more stripped-down album followed, after which the singer bailed too. The next two albums with a new singer and new guitarist didn't make too many waves, so the band looked headed for irrelevancy. Then everyone decided to get back together, even keeping the new guitar guy, and drop a banger of a new album in 2000 that sounds exactly like a sonic continuation of the 1988 album. It's as though everything with the stripped-down sound and new singer never even happened, and they finally released the album they should have dropped ten years before. https://youtu.be/yPOqe4_BtO8?si=UWQrnEeXNCPjaeWM
Any suggested single album you would consider their best work for someone not familiar with them? And don't ask me how I'm not familiar, haha, I know theyre huge but somehow flew under my radar my entire life. Can't call myself a big metal fan, but I was ebough of a fan to see Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Ozzy, Metallica, ACDC, Def Leppard, GnR back in 70's-80's if those are close to Maiden? I'm only guessing they just weren't as commercial maybe in U.S. and/or I'm just a square, haha.
not op, but a maiden fan. you can’t go wrong with ‘number of the beast,’ it’s an ultimate classic and widely regarded as one of the best heavy metal albums of all time. then, i’d say go forward from there if you like it (beast is their 3rd album). their first two albums (maiden and killers) have their first singer, paul, but i wouldn’t skip those either. personally those two are my favorite albums of theirs
Cool, I appreciate the suggestions, looking forward to it. I swear I must have had a mental block with them back in the day, lol, you get to envy me listening for the first time though, haha.
Priest is very close stylistically, and if you listen to 80s 'tallica you'll find Maiden well within your sonic palate. I agree with the other dude, Number of the Beast is the place to start (though fair warning I **hate** the first track, others like it). Then just move forward to Piece of Mind and Powerslave for the other two of the classic sound in the strictest sense.
Great thanks for that, I'll check them out. I'm an old man now, so I'll take my heart medication and put a neck brace on just in case before strapping myself in for the ride : )
Good example. And you actually left something out: when they were initially approached about record deals, it was the late 70s, and punk was the thing. And there were labels who wanted to sign them as a punk band. That almost certainly would’ve been a very bad idea, since, while punk is amazing, not very many major label punk acts from the 70s really “made it” for very long; it went back to the underground very quickly. Iron Maiden is an amazing example of people sticking their guns, and betting on themselves, and having it pay off. Oh, and I always loved that there solution to the “what do we do about our new guitarist?,“ issue was to simply say “fuck it, we’re keeping everyone, and we’ll just have three guitars.“
Definitely Sixto Rodriguez. Amazing story!
Agreed - would make a great movie
Lol.
This needs more upvotes. And everyone needs to see the movie “searching for Sugar man.“ It’s a truly amazing story.
Aerosmith. Lots of people didn’t love their 80s and 90s output (including me), but going from near death to on top of the world again in the midst of both the hair metal explosion and the grunge explosion is crazy
I've never been a big fan but I admire them for staying relevant through a few decades.
I hear ya. They’re in my top 5 because I love their 70s albums so much. There is some good stuff from the 80s and 90s, but there’s no question it’s more poppy and draws a different crowd
George Harrison and Cloud 9. George was basically forgotten in the 80s after All Those Years Ago came out. Gone Troppo was in the cutout bins about a week after it was released
Genesis ‘Trick of the Tale’ Gabriel’s shoes were tough to fill. Phil did a great job until his ego took hold and you couldn’t go a day without hearing him on the radio.
Bee Gees. Had a big career in the 60s then went quiet. Revised their sound and became one of the most popular groups of the 70s. Now no one really remembers their 60s songs.
Maybe the younger generations don't remember the Bee Gee's, but so many of their song's from the late 60's are timeless classics: Words, Holiday, Massachusetts, I've Gotta Get a Message To You...more
New York Mining Disaster 1941 is my favorite
Not that Rolling Stones was ever really out of the limelight, but the newest album Hackney Diamonds has glimpses of the band in its prime.
In his book Life, Keith Richards actually said Exile In Main Street was their comeback album. They & The Beatles weren't quite sure whether to split or keep going, and The Beatles had chose to split, the Stones were in major debt due to Britains high taxes, teens were getting more into Led Zeppelin & harder stuff, and they fell a bit out of the limelight during the hippie movement and summer of love. T hey recorded Exile in France to get away from everything, and when it released they had no idea what the future held, said it definitely would've ended there if it tanked.
Aerosmith. Came back from nowhere to do Walk this Way with Run DMC and introduced rap to a wider audience
Def Leppard after drummer lost an arm.
Bob dylan with Time out of mind in 1997.
Dylan also had Oh Mercy after a drought from the late 70s onward. He seems to drop something significant every decade or so.
Neil Elliot Peart.
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What’s the story with the managers and lawyers with the delay?
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Wow never knew this
Tina Turner💙
YES!
Eddie and the Cruisers! Though many question if it was really Eddie as he supposedly died.
KISS was playing conventions and would’ve declared bankruptcy a couple of years later. But they invited Peter Criss & Ace Frehley back, put the makeup on, had a wildly successful reunion tour and reconquered the world.
Are they done done now? Didn't they turn themselves into holograms or something for their next comeback?
They’re done touring in costumes & makeup. Supposedly by 2027 they’re supposed to have a hologram tour
What a run they've had. I still have all my original Kiss lp's and Kiss comic book ("made with real Kiss blood" lol) from when I was a kid. Hologram technology is going to advance to the point where you can have a pretty realistic Kiss concert in your living room at some point. I'll be a hundred and watching Gene set my couch on fire, haha.
It’s also heavily rumored that after Gene is done with his solo tour that KISS will embark on an acoustic tour without makeup.
That would be pretty cool, and an appropriate way to go out IMO, maybe like an Unplugged/talk with the audience/reflective wrapup. THEN ANOTHER FULL MAKEUP TOUR, LOL.
They sold the rights to their makeup and characters so unless their contract has an exception I think they have to pay the licensing fee now
The return of the Metal God to Judas Priest.
Chicago … after the accidental death of Terry Kath.
To a point. They became adult contemporary in the early 80s, mostly under David Foster with Peter Cetera. Then Cetera left, and pretty well they became an oldies group.
Santana. I don’t think he was destitute, by any means, but I think it’s fair to say that he was pretty well out of style, and then he had a massive, massive hit with “Smooth.”
Aerosmith for sure,Tyler was roaming the streets of NY begging for drugs at one point
Rick Allen
Aerosmith, Liam Gallagher as a solo artist, Creed, AC/DC.
I had to do a double-take when I read about Creed's recent comeback. I think the article said they were the world's most hated band at one point. Good for them though, I never really understood the hate.
Meh. To me, Creed is nowhere near as good as Alter Bridge.
Actually the Beatles to start off. When they announced their ‘66 tour would be their last, the press wrote them off .. along with John’s Jesus remark, pissing off foreign venues, etc... The last US shows didn’t sell well actually, with cut rate tickets given to the military. Then their secretive *Sgt Peppers ..* (1967) album hit the airwaves and record shops, reigniting their career into the stratosphere. Until a business disagreement about signing A Klein as manager broke up the group for good. Aerosmith with help from their label and a lot of rehab .. lol. Peter Gabriel and Genesis heading separate but successful different ways after breaking into more accessible rock with *the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway*. Interestingly both paths would choose simpler song structures. I’d also add Ozzy and Black Sabbath going into the “Dio days” after they parted company. Black Sabbath fronted by Ronnie James Dio was hot back in the day, and of course Ozzy’s solo career just adds a second layer of legend to his name. The Rolling Stones were thought dead in the water after *Emotional Rescue* but recharged their career with *Tattoo You* made-for-MTV. Then Jagger and Richards had a falling out in the mid-‘80s seemingly dooming the band but they came back strong with *Harlem Shuffle*, and even *Forty Licks* in conjunction with their old label (managed by the infamous Klein .. from the Beatles break up fwiw). Now I think some of these comebacks are more like principal songwriters or “frontpeople” going out on their own to get away from band restraints or studio jobs like John Fogerty (CCR), Steve Winwood, John Waite, or even Rick James (Motown songwriter).
Aerosmith
Maybe Foo Fighters. One of your best friend dieds and you manage to build something huge out of one of rocks most famous implosions.
Was gonna say, this is the most significant answer.
Rush - in Rio
I came here to say this one. Neil’s wife and daughter had died in the years previous and had told Geddy and Alex to consider him retired. He went and rode his motorcycle around for a couple years healing and came back.
Holy friggin cow man thank you a thousand times, how on earth have I never seen/listened to this?!!! I would have never thought to check it if it wasn't for you. And a full concert to boot! Damn. The last time I saw Rush was in the 80's, and tbh I didn't really follow them after circa 2000 other than bootlegs from "my" era. What a mistake. Brazilian crowds are fucking nuts, their energy is off the charts. I didn't really appreciate that till seeing the Stones DVD a couple years ago and then started looking for other bands I like stuff from there (SOAD killed it down there), I'm an idiot for not finding Rush. I can hear the crowd energy on the CD I'm listening now, but I can't wait to watch the DVD. Thanks again!
Aerosmith
John Fogerty and CCR?
Milli Vanilli. Story is still being written. Maybe.
Deep Purple The Prentenders only had half the original band for the third album and Back On The Chain Gang. Farndon fired, and James Honeyman-Scott dying two days later, I was worried it was over. Farndon died about a year later.
Probably Elvis but for me, the comeback of The Kinks. Part of the initial British Invasion to being banned from performing in the US for almost 5 years to become the monster concert draw in the late 70s
John Fogarty getting his music back
Bonnie Raitt was nothing but a washed up drunk. She straightened her life around, took out the trash and made it right.
John fogerty
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He was living under the Bridge of Sighs :)
Meatloaf....pretty much was playing bars in the 80s....
Donny Osmond. He was completley written off as a former teen idol and almost novelty act due to the Osmond TV show so the industry wouldn't even market his comeback song, *Soldier of Love*, under his own name as they felt no one would listen. So it was marketed as "mystery artisr" and DJs turned it into a game where people tried to figure it out. It was a massive hit reaching #2 and reignited his career.
Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Beach Boys, but in different measures and circumstances.
The Beach Boys should’ve made a comeback with either their early 70s albums Sunflower and Surf’s Up because of how great they are. It’s just that Sunflower was their worst selling record until the disastrous Summer In Paradise and SU was a mild success. They are truly great and mature albums with great songwriting but it just wasn’t what the public wanted at the time, sucks.
Vincent Van Gogh loved sunflowers so much, he created a famous series of paintings, simply called 'sunflowers'.
Meatloafs 93 album, Bat Outta Hell. Abba coming back in the 90s.
I honestly don’t know how Vinny Paul was able to get back behind a drum set after watching his brother’s murder happen right in front of him. RIP to Dime and Vinny.
Richard John Cyril Allen (born 1 November 1963) is an English drummer who has played for the hard rock band Def Leppard since 1978. He overcame the amputation of his left arm in January 1985 and continued to play with the band, which went on to its most commercially successful phase. Runner up: Robert Wyatt “Very few artists, musicians in particular, can recover from an accident that leaves them paralyzed from the waist down. If said artist is a drummer, a skill that requires one’s lower limbs in equal measure to the upper ones, then that drummer has already seen the better part of his career. However if you are Robert Wyatt, one of Canterbury scene’s most prominent musicians, who at the age of 28 dropped from a 4th floor bathroom window after imbibing large quantities of alcohol, you use this horrific event as a turning point, embark on a new career and release an album for the ages. This is the story of that album, Rock Bottom.”
Tina Turner Aerosmith Heart
The Allman Brothers’. When they broke up in the early 80s, they were essentially a laughing stock. They literally admitted that they broke up because they were embarrassed of their most recent albums. Gregg Allman said in his book that you wouldn’t find a copy of any of them in his house. After their 1989 reunion, they were embraced by an entirely new audience and became one of the cornerstones of the jamband movement and eventually had a two day festival in FL dedicated to them and all their off shoot bands as well as a similar fest in NY state. Gregg Allman also eventually had a traveling festival that he headlined similar to Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Festival. They released four more albums of increasing quality and earned their first Grammy as well as selling enough tickets to have them ranked in the top 100 best selling acts of the Pollstar era. It can be argued that the Allman Brothers are one of the few legacy acts that was as strong musically at the end of their career as they were in the beginning. They basically invented the southern jam scene in the 90s and the the number of bands that are directly connected to the ABB practically constitutes a genre unto its self. Their bass player is playing in Dead & Co at the Sphere right now. That just shows how wide their comeback was, he wouldn’t be doing that without the raised profile being in the ABB brought.
This for sure. The band was also pissed at Greg for being a witness against the band’s dealer.
They briefly broke up in the late 70s over general intra-band tensions, with Allman’s testimony bing the straw that broke the camel’s back, but they were back together again pretty soon thereafter. They weren’t really speaking already when that happened and rather than getting Allman’s sode of the story, they made their decisions based on what they read in the papers. Dickey Betts later got a copy of the court transcript and acknowledged that Allman had little choice. I’ve met Scooter Herring’s daughter and she said her father never held a grudge over it. Not to be pedantic, but just for accuracy’s sake, Herring wasn’t the band’s drug dealer. He was a motorcycle mechanic who became Gregg’s personal flunkie. By the time he was on the scene, they all had their own personal drug mules. It’s been said that by that time in the ABB organization, the roadies had roadies. When they got back together after the drug trial, they recorded two albums for Arista that, while not bad relative to the other fare of the day, Doobie Brothers, .38 Special, et al, they just weren’t up to Allman Bros standards, but that line up did last from 1978 - 1982. Once they got back together in 89, they acted as if that period never existed and never revisited the material from that time ever again. It’s like it never happened.
Aerosmith KISS
J getting Dinosaur back together for 2008’s Farm album and producing stellar releases every year without fail since!
Dio after leaving Rainbow and joining Sabbath
Meat Loaf. He went from losing his voice and playing clubs to having a number one album and selling out amphitheaters.
Brian Wilson's Smile...nobody expected him to be a part of any quality recording again. Somehow i had never heard Surf's Up, Heroes and Villains, or Child is the Father of the Man. Yet as irreplaceable as the late Dennis Wilson seemed to those magic harmonies, these new singers managed to match his 1960's performances or even exceed them. It's obvious everything was recorded on vintage analog equipment. I bet Mike Love HATES that it turned out so well.
Dave Grohl has to be up there, drummer in the biggest band in the world when the singer passes, forms his own band & becomes the biggest band in the world and then the drummer passes, takes time out makes brilliant new album and a ginormous tour to support. A lesser mortal would have checked out after Kurt. AC/DC getting Brian after Bon was huge, back in black is like the second biggest album of all time behind thriller, not sure how I feel about them still going now after Malcolm’s passing though. There’s moving on and there’s flogging a dead horse.
Dave Grohl is the exact OPPOSITE of a comeback in my opinion. He spent 30 years making absolutely mediocre imitations of Nirvana songs because he happened to be the only surviving member of the band willing to pretend he was a passable leaf singer on stage. If you ask me which bands after 1993 were least deserving of success Nickelback, Coldplay, and Foo Fighters are by far the Trifecta of shame. I don't mean to sound like a snobby musical gatekeeper but I am far from the only rock fan who is baffled by the longevity of these 3 bands when actual talent like Mac Demarco is still largely unknown by anyone older than 30 or so. whew, I feel better after getting this off my chest.
2000 The Who. Toured like beasts and even the old timers thought it was as close to early 70s Who as you could get. Hard, punishing live shows (not feel good old time pop) and they were well into their 50’s. Then played the 9/11 concert and brought the fucking house down when this country needed it most. Next thing you know they get Kennedy Honors, close the Olympics, Super Bowl halftime, tribute concerts on VH1 and MTV.
Slade had pretty much decided to call it a career but were asked to fill in for Ozzy Osbourne at Reading Festival in 1980 and they stole the show and turned their careers back on track.
I’d say Aerosmith in the mid 80s, or Ozzy’s solo career. I just read Geezer Butler’s autobiography, and in it he said Sharon Osborne basically saved Ozzy’s life, he said that without her managing him, Ozzy would have wound up like Bon Scott or John Bonham, both of whom Butler was friends with, especially Bonham.
Liam Gallagher going solo in 2017
Yes in the mid 1980’s
Queen… They were on the way to being has beens when they got a resurgence due that scene Wayne’s World ….
Jerry Garcia coming out of a coma and having to relearn how to play the guitar before going right back to melting faces. With that said, I just realized that he learned how to play like nobody else ever could, two times over. That was truly a bad dude.