Greatest Pop/Rock Comeback?

i can't believe no one mentioned david crosby!

renny

 

Lennon. The ultimate comeback.

 

Bee Gees with the song One

 

Well, other than Jesus, but we're sticking with pop/rock, right?

 

Really? When was that?

 

I have to admit: I have no idea who the Pixies are. Guess they'll have to have another comeback!

 

I wouldn't call the Pixies a comeback until they record a new album. I don't really consider reunion tours comebacks, no matter how successful.

 

Echo & The Bunnymen. In some ways, I enjoy the second era more than the first. What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? is a stone-cold classic, and Live in Liverpool is outstanding, with a great version of "Ocean Rain" that is better than the lp version.

 

ya know.. 1980, Double Fantasy. In two months Lennon went from a five-year house-husband hiatus to top of the charts with a Grammy-winning album, and then tragically to one of the most-mourned cultural icons in modern history. His legacy is untouchable now.

Although certainly not intended, that's a helluva comeback.

 

I don't agree. We don't know how successful his comeback would have been - his murder altered the success of the album, as "DF" probably sold much better than it would have had he lived. Maybe it still would have done really well - we'll never know.

But it didn't hit the "top of the charts" or win any Grammys until AFTER 12/8/80...

 

What do you not agree with?

 

Of course the album went on to sell millions after John was killed , but it was actually doing pretty well right before the tragedy...in the US at least. "Starting Over" was #5 on the singles chart, and DF was #11 and just certified Gold from what I rememeber reading. I might be wrong but it was something like that. Not bad considering the 5 year absence and the fact the album was only a few weeks old. Also Yoko was on half the album....but I don't know if that was a help or a hinderence as far as sales go.

 

...we we're ready for a JL comeback...cut short by a F'n madman!...someday I'll understand why?

 

I second this one.

 

I'm going to throw Cher's name in the ring. Found success in the late 80's with "If I Could Turn Back Time" and even greater success in 1999 with "Believe", one of the bigger hits of that year.

 

And then there was "Kokomo" in 1988. Twenty-two years between Number 1's. Yeah, few here seem to like the song, but I thought it was cool to have the Beach Boys top the charts with a new song in my lifetime.

 

Let's dont forget Brian Setzer-who rode two different "comeback" music styles in his career and was commercially successful in both styles for brief periods.

 

Some great pop/rock comeback

Herb Alpert with "Rise" in 1979
Chicago with Chicago 16 in 1982
George Harrison with "Cloud Nine" in 1988
The Beatles with "Free As A Bird" in 1994?
The Bee Gees with "One" in 1988?
The Moody Blues with "Long Distance Voyager" in 1981

 

If we´re talking about a great artistical improvement and not only about releasing an album after an eternity I would strongly suggest Johnny Cash. His American albums were stylistically very different and musically among the best of his whole career. I miss him and June very much.

 

Patti Smith
Tina Turner

 

I have to say Cher because she did it 4x and got bigger each time.

1) Sonny & Cher show hit and put the duo in the spotlight again and Cher started having # 1 songs.
2) 5 years later had the big disco hit Take Me Home (1979)
3) Late 80's relaunched her recording career and became an Oscar winning actress
4) After crappy selling albums and being an infomercial queen she came back w/ Believe (1999) and now her tours and albums sell like hotcakes.

 

God, it's hard to believe it's been almost ANOTHER 20 YEARS since that comeback. I wander if they will do anything for 2006.

Tim

 

I think Johnny Cash and all of his American Recordings should qualify. Although he had a long and fruitul career, he was off the radar for most until what many (including myself) now view as his greatest segment of work.

And now I see Paddy beat me to Cash. So let me just say I agree with Paddy!

 

xtc's Apple Venus Pt 1 was huge comeback.

 

The last Monkees reunion kind of flamed out a few years ago, with some really acrimonious partings (Dolenz and Jones actually had Tork fired, and finished their tour as a duo.), and even before that, the other three were quite miffed at Nesmith for bailing on the Justus tour after only a few British dates.

Never say never, but I'm not too optimistic. We may get some new reissues from Rhino, though.