Musicians Who REALLY Improved

Start the comparison from their first produced album. You can add singing, as well.

 

Peter Gabriel
Started as an enthusiastic school boy - 69 from genesis to revelation
Became the charismatic, costume wearing frontman. - 70 until 75
Went solo and took just over a year off to settle himself, learn the keyboards and write on his own. 77

 

If you listen to Micky Dolenz’s drumming on Headquarters (1967) (the first and really last Monkees album he drummed on, barring a song or two on Pisces, until Justus) vs. Justus (1996) he really improved as a drummer. 30 years of practice will do that to ya! Haha

 

Bowie seems like an obvious one to me. Started out aping a lot of what was popular in Britain at the time, going from Blues to Psychedelia before finding his own voice and becoming the musical trend starter and chameleon he is heralded for today.

 

Radiohead comes to mind.

 

Well, let me be the first

THE BEATLES

 

George Michael is an obvious answer to this question. Wham Rap > Jesus to a Child is a huge jump in both content and maturity (though I love both).

 

Madonna really improved from Holiday to Ray of Light. But since then has gone backwards

 

XTC.

 

Squeeze is another band that comes to mind. Their first album did not represent what kind of band they would become and the leap from their debut to Cool for Cats was significant.

 

The Rolling Stones. They went from doing stiff but energetic R&B covers to writing some of the best, most iconic rock songs/albums ever.

 

I'd add Kraftwerk to the list as well. I actually love their first three albums, but they're nowhere near as good or influential as the post Autobahn stuff.

 

...and now going backwards.

 

Two who jump to mind as singers specifically:

Geddy Lee
Richard Thompson

 

Kanye West. As great as The College Dropout is, he went on to arguably greater albums with 808s & Heartbreak, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus, and The Life Of Pablo. Kanye is one of the greatest artists of ALL TIME. He really is the David Bowie of rap in many ways.

 

I took this as "musicians who get better as players/singers," not "bands who got better with their music."

Given that, I will go with Geddy Lee as a singer. There is certainly a unique charm to his style in the 70's, but he improved drastically as a singer for much of the 80's once he stopped shrieking on a regular basis and really focused on singing.

 

INXS
Started out as new wave w/early self-titled (1980)
Steadily Improving/experimenting w/sound.
Listen Like Thieves (1985) terrific!! Kick (1987) = Monumental!!



INXS - Suicide Blonde (Wembley 1991)

 

Steve Marriott really blossomed on guitar between the early Small Faces to the Humble Pie live album

 

2 who have been terrific guitarists...
As soloists doing their own vocals, they've each gotten stronger with each release:
Johnny Marr
(formerly: The Smiths) & writer, too).
Albert Hammond, Jr.
(currently touring w/original band: The Strokes. He & Julian Casablancas have successful solo careers ongoing, too).
He co-wrote "Automatic Stop" w/Julian C. on 2nd lp/cd "Room On Fire". So, he's for both songwriting & vocals!


Albert Hammond Jr - DvsL (Audio)

 

Beat Happening.

 

Paul Weller

 

Robby Krieger!

 

Marvin Gaye - from his early dance soul period to What's Going On and the albums subsequent afterwards. Due to his death, we may never know if he would've still progressed or settled in an era where younger artists took precedent over the older artists. But Marvin was an ICON by then so he would've probably still evolved.

 

Bob Weir developed into a very original and talented guitarist compared to where he was at in the mid-late 60s (ill-advised slide playing aside).