SUCCESS BEYOND SUCCESS

Did You Know These 10 Solo Artists Came Out Of Previous Bands?

Image: zachrie friesen

Breaking out on your own after having found massive success with a collective outfit is not a decision to be taken lightly. Many have done just that, and their careers have gone the way of the Dodo. But a handful of talented and lucky stars have been able to strike gold twice.

Read on and learn about ten incredibly successful performers who emerged from very popular bands of their day.

Image: MD Duran

Diana Ross might be a household name these days, but it wasn’t always the case. Once upon a time, there was a band called The Supremes. Then, management decided to switch it to Diana Ross and the Supremes.

While this went quite well for Diana and the commercial success of the band, it didn’t feel that way for the rest of the Supremes, whose egos were a bit bruised by the whole affair. Eventually, Ross would leave the group entirely, embarking on an extremely successful solo career, including several number-one hits.

Image: Austin Neill

The Commodores was a hit band in the 1970s, and a big reason for that was the co-lead singer of the band, Lionel Richie, who had the voice and the talent to be a star in his own right.

Richie would head off to do his solo thing, and the success of the Commodores propelled his career. Hits like "All Night Long" and "Hello" made it clear that he could still get his groove on but also still drop a ballad on you.

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What do Derek and the Dominos, Cream, and the Yardbirds have in common, aside from cool 1960s hair? The answer is Mr. Slowhand himself, Eric Clapton. These bands enjoyed the talent and artistry of Mr. Clapton’s guitar, and when the time felt right, the axe man moved on to do his solo thing.

Aside from his early albums, Eric Clapton lost the rock sound to a degree and got more acoustic and mild, but the success remained, with classics that resonate to this day.

Image: Abstral Official

Sure, everybody knows who Beyonce is these days. But there was a time when she was part of an ensemble of equals called Destiny’s Child. Granted, she was the leading girl of the group, but still, it was a band.

As the story goes, Beyonce left to pursue a solo career and rose to a fame level that had eluded the popular group she came from.

Image: Alexander Wark Feeney

A person who can play drums in a prog-rock giant band like Genesis and sing at the same time has some serious talent. Phil Collins had the chops and the attitude to front a band from behind the drumkit and even take it to an unprecedented level of fame and success.

When Phil left Genesis, he became one of the biggest solo artists of the ‘80s with a string of hits. He would eventually win an Oscar for Best Original Song as well.

Image: Denise Jans

One of the greatest bands of the 1980s, The Police gave us quite a few hits, from Message in a Bottle to Every Breath You Take, Don’t Stand So Close To Me, King of Pain, etc. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the lead singer and bassist went on to become one of the most successful pop artists of all time.

Penning almost as many hits as with his old band, starring in films, fronting noble causes, and traveling all over the globe, Sting's career has been diverse. He has not only retained but also increased his popularity tenfold.

Image: Martin Castro

You must have done something right in the music business if David Bowie is producing your solo albums. That is the case of Lou Reed, who started his public career as the frontman of The Velvet Underground, a highly artistic music act whose first album cover was painted by Andy Warhol (as you can see, good connections were a recurring theme in Reed’s life).

When he went solo, Bowie produced his iconic Transformer album, which had hits like Satellite of Love, Walk On The Wild Side, and more.

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Few musicians could aspire to invent a musical genre, but the "Prince of Darkness" was one of them. As the lead singer of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne played a huge part in the development of heavy metal music.

And when the whole band thing didn’t cut it for him anymore, Ozzy went on a solo project that led to similar levels of success. Eventually, Ozzy and the guys from Black Sabbath made amends and played together again quite a few times.

Image: Alexander Wark Feeney

Even if you’ve never heard the name Fleetwood Mac, you’ve probably heard their songs. Their music is everywhere and righteously so since it is great. With her voice and stage charisma, Stevie Nicks was an instrumental part of their success.

Her 1981 debut solo album "Bella Donna" was a number-one album and went platinum four times over. In the following years, Nicks played and collaborated with legendary artists like Tom Petty, and made a name for herself beyond her previous band.

Image: Mathew Browne

The Jackson Five were a huge success in the early 70s. They had catchy songs, great voices, and the whole brother-band thing going on for them. Oh, and they had Michael Jackson.

There is no way to overstate the success Michael had in the 80s and 90s as a solo artist. Within 12 years, he released Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous, four albums with more hit songs than most multi-decade bands could only dream of. Yes, he had already found success with his brothers, but as a solo artist, he rose to a different level altogether.

Travel the world

Wait… Is that its real name? A fun guessing game about country names!

Image: Nick Seagrave

Ever looked at a map, saw a country name, and thought, "Wait, that’s not what we call it?" Well, you’re not alone! Many countries go by entirely different names in their native language, and some of them might even surprise you. So, we’ve come up with a game: You’ll find six countries’ original names and some clues for you to guess which country it is. In the second part of the article, we’ll provide the answer and the origins of the names. Are you up for the challenge?

Image: Sora Sagano

ni‧hon

Its name means "origin of the sun," which is why it’s often called the Land of the Rising Sun. This island nation is famous for sushi, cherry blossoms, and bullet trains that are more punctual than your morning coffee.

It’s home to one of the world’s most unique alphabets and a culture that blends centuries-old traditions with futuristic tech. Oh, and it’s also where you’ll find sumo wrestling, anime, and some of the most polite people on the planet. Have you guessed it already?

Image: Henrique Craveiro

eir‧e

This green and rainy island is home to breathtaking cliffs, lively music, and a legendary love for storytelling. In some areas, you’ll find more sheep than people, and it is the birthplace of both Guinness beer and some of the best poets in history.

The locals have their own native language, even though English is widely spoken. In their tongue, the country’s name is short and sweet: Éire. Does it ring any bells?

Image: Johnny Africa

hel‧las

We’ll say a few words and you’ll guess it: democracy, philosophy, and some seriously delicious food. If we say we all love a good gyro, are we giving it away?

Its ancient ruins attract millions of tourists every year, and its mythology has inspired stories for thousands of years. The Olympics? Yeah, they started here too. But while we use one name, the locals call it Hellas. Got a guess?

Image: Kankan

deutsch‧land

This country is famous for bratwurst, beer, and fairy tale castles that look straight out of a storybook. It’s got an impressive history of poets and philosophers, and its car industry is one of the best in the world. But here’s the twist: Its native name sounds nothing like what we call it in English. Locals refer to it as Deutschland. Can you figure out where this is?

Image: Tapio Haaja

suo‧mi

This land is famous for its saunas, the Northern Lights, and people who are perfectly happy not talking for hours. It has thousands of lakes, more reindeer than people in some areas, and is home to one of the happiest populations on Earth.

The language spoken here is one of the trickiest in the world to learn, and its native name doesn’t sound anything like what we call it in English. Any idea which frosty but friendly country this is?

Image: Spencer Davis

hr‧vat‧ska

This small but stunning country sits along the Adriatic Sea, it has crystal-clear waters and impressive coastal towns. It’s home to medieval cities, Game of Thrones filming locations, and some of the world’s best seafood. But if you ask a local where you are, they won’t say the name you know. Instead, they’ll say Hrvatska. Any idea where this is?

Image: Colton Jones

If you guessed Japan, give yourself a high-five! In Japanese, the country is called Nihon or Nippon, which roughly translates to "origin of the sun." This makes perfect sense when you realize that Japan is east of China, where the sun rises first!

Image: Lindy Murphy

That’s right, it’s Ireland! Did you guess it right? The name Éire comes from Old Irish and is linked to the goddess Ériu, a mythical figure associated with the land’s beauty and power.

The English name "Ireland" naturally evolved from this. Most people there speak English daily, but Irish (Gaeilge) is still an official language, and you’ll see signs written in both languages all over the country.

Image: Matt Artz

If you said Greece, you nailed it! The country’s real name is Hellas, and its people refer to themselves as Hellenes. One more fact? The modern official name is the Hellenic Republic!

So where did "Greece" come from? The Romans had a habit of renaming places, and they used the Latin word Graecia to describe the land.

Image: Yannic Kreß

This was an easy one, right? Yep, it’s Germany! The name Deutschland comes from an old Germanic word meaning "the people’s land." But here’s where things get wild, Germany and Deutschland are not the only names.

The French say Allemagne, the Spanish call it Alemania, and in Finnish, it’s Saksa. Why so many names? It all comes down to history, as different tribes and regions had their own words for the place. Fascinating, isn’t it?

Image: Arttu Päivinen

Maybe you guessed Norway, but the second one is actually Finland! In Finnish, the country is called Suomi. The exact origin of the name is a bit of a mystery, but one thing is for sure, Finns just roll with it. They’re just too busy enjoying their saunas and sipping coffee (they drink more per person than any other country!) to argue about it.

Image: Daniel Trofimov

If you guessed Croatia, you got it! The origins of this name are connected to the native language, land, and people in the area. Hrvati was the way to call the locals, for example.

But why do we call it Croatia in English? That’s the work of the Latin-speaking Romans, who adapted the name to what we know today.