Daft Punk have recently returned to our iPods with the release of their single ‘Get Lucky’ following a six-year break from the music industry. The single went straight to number one in the UK. A definite success story following in a long line of musical comebacks, but for every success there’s always a flop.
Justin Timberlake is another artist recently re-bursting onto the music scene with major success. Following his release of FutureSex/LoveSounds in 2007, Timberlake took a six-year break to focus on his acting career. January 2013 saw him return with new album The 20/20 Experience, which has since enjoyed phenomenal success, selling 968,000 copies in its first week, the highest of his career.
MC Hammer is a classic, albeit cheesy artist with hits such as ‘2 Legit 2 Quit’. He received multi-platinum certifications for his works and achieved iconic status. This was in the early ‘90s but MC Hammer’s following albums, including Inside Out and Full Blast were generally considered to be failures.
AC/DC had enjoyed massive success before the death of lead singer Ronald “Bon” Scott in 1980. Having produced records such as ‘Highway to Hell’, the band was faced with high expectations after recruiting Brian Johnson as a replacement. Back to Black was released just a few months after Scott’s death. It turned out to be their most popular record and is the second-best selling album worldwide.
Guns N’ Roses kick-started their career with Appetite for Destruction in 1987 which remains their most successful album to date. Following several hits, the band took a break and then came a whole new line up behind Axl Rose which spawned Chinese Democracy. Essentially, Rose’s self-indulgent 10 year epic journey spiralling straight down the drain. The hype of a $13 million production price tag did not meet expectations, as the hype overwhelmed the final result.
Then there’s Vanilla Ice. From ‘Ice Ice Baby’ to a collaboration with Jedward. Just why.?