Sometimes, you’re just better off on your own. These 10 former rock band members ended up launching extremely successful solo careers that rivaled their time in their respective bands. Let’s take a look!
1. Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton was in a few bands throughout the years, but Cream was definitely his baby. Cream produced five songs and nine albums that made it to the Billboard charts. However, as a soloist, Eric Clapton currently has 23 songs and 45 albums that charted. His solo album Unplugged from 1992 hit no. 1 for three weeks, which is better than any Cream album ever did.
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2. Phil Collins
Phil Collins left Genesis in 1996, though he was writing a lot of music for the band before he went solo. So, it makes sense that the stats for Genesis vs. Phil Collins are pretty close. Genesis has 22 songs and 21 albums on the Billboard charts, while Collins as a soloist has 27 songs and 12 albums on the Billboard Charts. However, the band’s most successful album was Invisible Touch from 1986, which peaked at no. 3 for two weeks. Phil Collin’s solo effort No Jacket Required from 1985 beat that album by peaking at no. 1 for seven whole weeks.
3. Morrissey
The Smiths were all the rage in Europe, but they didn’t quite gain international fame during their heyday. Morrissey, however, was very successful in America. While with The Smiths, Morrissey and the band hit the Billboard charts with eight different albums. As a solo artist, Morrissey had one song and a whopping 16 albums on the Billboard charts.
4. Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is the kind of personality that just does better solo. He knows how to capture attention quite well, so it makes sense that his solo career has been so successful since leaving his band. The Stooges entered the Billboard charts with three songs and three albums. Iggy Pop as a solo artist, on the other hand, has one song and 11 albums on the Billboard charts.
5. Sting
The Police were a fantastic band in their own right, but Sting was such an addictive presence that just had to go solo. The Police boasted 13 songs and 11 albums that charted, while Sting as a solo artist has a shocking 20 songs and 21 albums on the Billboard charts.
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6. Jeff Beck
The Yardbirds were quite successful with nine songs and six albums as entries on the Billboard charts. But, Jeff Beck currently has three songs and 19 albums on the Billboard charts, outweighing the success of his days as part of The Yardbirds.
7. Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne is kind of the standard when it comes to former band members who went on to form more successful solo careers. The former Black Sabbath vocalist is almost more well-known than the band he came from.
Black Sabbath has a total of two songs and 23 albums that made it as entries to the Billboard charts. Osbourne beat them out with six songs and 23 albums on the Billboard charts. His solo album No More Tears from 1991 also did better on the charts than any Black Sabbath album.
8. Lou Reed
Going solo in 1970 was probably the smartest thing Lou Reed ever did. Reed has one song and 24 albums that made it to the Billboard charts, while The Velvet Underground only had five albums make it that far.
9. Joan Jett
Though The Runaways will always be remembered by fans of late 1970s classic rock, virtually everyone in the world knows who Joan Jett is. The Runaways only had two albums make it to the Billboard charts, and no songs managed to chart that well. Joan Jett as a solo artist, however, has 10 songs and nine albums on the Billboard Charts.
10. Van Morrison
Van Morrison has done substantially better as a soloist than Them ever did as a band. Morrison has 11 songs and a shocking 51 albums on the Billboard charts, while Them only had three songs and three albums make it that far.
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