# bands or musicians who used to be popular, then were mediocre or forgotten, then hit it big again **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 13, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478 "2019-04-13T01:35:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/41 "2019-04-13T20:52:23Z")
In 1986, Paul Simon was like an aged, washed up, all-but-forgotten ball player, limping up to the plate for seemingly one final at bat, long after the glory days of Simon & Garfunkel from the 60’s were over and what remained of his career during the late 70’s-early 80’s was bland, forgettable mediocrity defined, but by G-D did he ever hit it out clean out of the park with the undisputed masterwork of “Graceland”. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/42 "2019-04-13T20:55:54Z")
_Fountains of Wayne_ had a few songs on the radio in 1997 or so, and then were almost forgotten only to resurge with Stacy’s Mom in 2003. I saw them in Orlando at a small club in the late 2000s and _opening_ for them was … New Found Glory. Who later staged a comeback of their own and are now back to headlining and/or large venues. ---
**Author:** ![Shearer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Shearer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shearer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/43 "2019-04-13T21:41:04Z")
Dusty Springfield didn’t chart anywhere after 1970, until she teamed up with Pet Shop Boys in 1987 and went to no.2 in the UK and US. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/44 "2019-04-13T22:28:45Z")
Johnny Cash. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/45 "2019-04-13T22:35:04Z")
If the Doobie Brothers ever get popular again, they’ll fit here. I mean they have the forgotten thing down cold. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/46 "2019-04-13T23:42:19Z")
Cheap Trick had four U.S. Top 40 hits in 1978/79, then pretty much disappeared for seven years, after which they notched four more Top 40 songs, including a #1 hit, in 1986/1987. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/47 "2019-04-14T01:25:02Z")
Robert Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/48 "2019-04-14T01:37:15Z")
Ben E. King was largely forgotten until the movie Stand by Me came out. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/49 "2019-04-14T01:59:02Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Johnny Cash. Yes. And didn’t Glen Campbell have a comeback with Rhinestone Cowboy and Southern Nights? ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/50 "2019-04-14T02:35:40Z")
> [@Covfefe](#): > > Cher. Maybe the biggest resurgence ever from an American pop star? And I think she did it at least twice. Which reminds me of Tina Turner. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/51 "2019-04-14T02:41:08Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > The Bee Gees had a string of Top 20 hits in the U.S and U.K from 1967-1969 and then fell off the face of the earth. Robin went solo, then Barry and Maurice split up. They reformed, had a couple of hits, and then pretty much disappeared again by 1973. Finally in 1975, they turned to disco, Barry started singing in falsetto and they ended up selling 200 million records. Also had a late 80s post-disco comeback. Hearing “One” on top 40 radio was the first I heard from them (I was around 10). Then my dad showed me all his '60s Bee Gees record. I didn’t realize then that they were the “Staying Alive” disco guys. This was around the same time as Donny Osmond’s “Soldier of Love” comeback. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/52 "2019-04-14T05:25:58Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yes. And didn’t Glen Campbell have a comeback with Rhinestone Cowboy and Southern Nights? I’m not sure if those count as a comeback, per se, given that he’d been consistently putting songs on the U.S. country chart all along: in the stretch of 1967 (the year of his first top 10 country song, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”), to 1977 (when “Southern Nights” was a #1 hit), the only year that he didn’t put a song in the top 10 on the country chart was 1973. (Source: [Glen Campbell discography - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Campbell_discography#Singles) ) OTOH, it’s true that “Rhinestone Cowboy” (1975) and “Southern Nights” gave Campbell more visibility on the pop charts (both songs were #1 on the US pop chart), and outside of the US, than he’d had since the late 1960s. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/53 "2019-04-14T05:51:32Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Johnny Cash. Like Elvis, Johnny was _always_ popular, but just with a different crowd. Yeah, he had a ‘revival’ of sorts with the Rubin stuff, but he was _always_ cool. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/54 "2019-04-15T03:24:04Z")
John Fogerty is one. What’s funny is because of my age it felt like Credence was terribly long time ago when he hit it big again with Centerfield. That’s because I was a little kid when Creedence ended. It was still a 13 year gap between the end of CCR and his big solo album. In between he did do a few things but they didn’t have the impact of Centerfield. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/55 "2019-04-15T08:00:51Z")
Journey. Their hits ran out in the early 90s, lead singer Steve Perry left the band, he was replaced by a karaoke impersonator, now they are as popular as ever as a touring act even with a new hit song! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/56 "2019-04-15T08:05:17Z")
Judas Priest. Hits ran out by the 90s, lead singer Rob Halford was replaced by a karaoke imitator, Halford returns and the next 2 Priest albums debut in the top 10 in the US. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/57 "2019-04-15T08:13:52Z")
One more is Black Sabbath. Ozzy leaves in 1979, they continue with 5 lead singers with mixed results until reuniting in the late 90s, and are bigger then ever including a #1 album. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/58 "2019-04-15T17:33:18Z")
I would like to mention Leonard Cohen, he did it twice. His first three records were fantastic, then he had a long run of mediocre or even bad records (_New Skin for the Old Ceremony_ and _Death of a Ladies’ Man_ come to my mind), then he made _I’m your Man_ in 1988, greart success again, fell back into mediocrity (_Dear Heather_), went into buddhist seclusion, was robbed by his manager, came back big a second time. He died the very same day Trump got elected. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/59 "2019-04-15T18:23:09Z")
i swear the dope has thread targeted ads because just as I read the post about ccr/fogerty i got an ad about John Fogerty singing ccrs set at Woodstock at the Wynn in vegas the 10-20th ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_Burly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frank_burly/32/24_2.png) [@Frank\_Burly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_Burly)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478/60 "2019-04-16T03:29:02Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I would like to mention Leonard Cohen, he did it twice. His first three records were fantastic, then he had a long run of mediocre or even bad records (_New Skin for the Old Ceremony_ and _Death of a Ladies’ Man_ come to my mind), then he made _I’m your Man_ in 1988, greart success again, fell back into mediocrity (_Dear Heather_), went into buddhist seclusion, was robbed by his manager, came back big a second time. He died the very same day Trump got elected. I don’t think the songs on his 70’s albums are all bad (ok, Fingerprints is terrible) but they were diminished by some questionable production. He played quite a few songs from New Skin For the Old Ceremony on his last tours and they sounded great. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-or-musicians-who-used-to-be-popular-then-were-mediocre-or-forgotten-then-hit-it-big-again/832478.md?page=4)