We ain’t the only ones to display a bit of fighting spirit, smartening ourselves up for a reintroduction to the world. Here are fifty groups and artists who, for better or worse, made the most of their second chances…
Words by Nick Annan, Matthew Bennett, Miguel Cullen, Simon Harper, Robin Murray, April Welsh, Anna Wilson
Read part two of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
Read part three of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
Read part four of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
Read part four of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
Read part five of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
50. Guns ‘N’ Roses
From 1996, the classic line-up of G‘N’R splintered until only singer Axl Rose was left, with a rotating support cast and no releases forthcoming for over a decade. ‘Chinese Democracy’ arrived in 2008, much to the chagrin of Dr. Pepper (who promised a free can to every American if the long-awaited album came out that year), and to a collective ‘meh’ from the rest of the world.
49. The Stooges
Ahead of their time, and splitting before punk exploded, The Stooges’ success from 2003 onwards proves that good things do come to those that wait.
48. The Sex Pistols
Shamelessly dubbing their 1996 reunion ‘The Filthy Lucre Tour’, the Pistols put their animosities aside temporarily to reap the financial rewards they’d been swindled of first time round.
47. Kaiser Chiefs
Changing your band name can often work in your favour. Well, it definitely worked for this Leeds band anyway, whose decision to swap Parva for Kaiser Chiefs was a bloody good move and even gave them a shot at winning the Mercury.
46. Smashing Pumpkins
Putting an advert in a paper announcing a return? Is desperation the mother of the comeback?
45. The Beta Band
Labelling debut LP “fucking awful” a day before release piled pressure on the second. They romped it.
44. The Specials
Britain’s best loved ska band enjoyed remarkable success, nailing seven Top 10 hits between ’79 and ’81 before imploding amongst collapsing friendships. Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers drew battle lines. A ‘will they / won’t they’ ensued for nearly thirty years before a millionaire football chairman finally sweetened the deal enough for six out the seven original members. New material was whispered. Integrity was measured. Sold out tours and rapturous festival scenes followed. Dammers never rejoined the band.
43. Norman Cook
Born Quentin Leo Cook, this Brighton beatmonger chose to rename himself DJ Quentox (The Ox That Rocks) before retreating to just Norman. As if that wasn’t enough, he then moved to Hull to join The Housemartins in 1985 on bass. Their chart-fuelled break-up propelled Big Norm back to Brighton where he helped invent the big beat sound, tour nineteen aliases, write six acclaimed albums, deploy various chart hits and blaze a Number One single with ‘Praise You’. Job done.
42. Bjork
Having released her debut album aged eleven, Bjork went on to transform Iceland from a wind-swept moonscape to the musical isle as singer of The Sugarcubes. 1998’s debut EP ‘Birthday’ forged cult trans-Atlantic status and was John Peel’s single of the year. After three albums the band split, but Bjork was just getting started. Seven solo albums later she stands as one of the world’s most avant-garde and talented vocalists. A completely unshackled visionary.
41. Cher
Cher set the record for a solo artist with the longest span of time between Number One hits. She crashed into our lives with 1974’s ‘Dark Lady’ and left it thirty-three years until 1998’s ‘Believe’.
Read part two of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
Read part three of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
Read part four of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
Read part four of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
Read part five of Clash’s Top 50 Greatest Musical Comebacks HERE.
