History GrowingTheBeard / Music

* A lot of people didn't know who ImogenHeap was until the release of ''Speak for Yourself''. Three words: "[[MemeticMutation Hide and Seek]]".

* While both of the ''{{Backstreet Boys}}'''s first two albums were pretty big hits, they didn't really grow their beard until their third album ''{{Millenium}}'' was released in 1999. This ablum included "I Want It That Way", and "Show Me The The Meaning Of Being Lonely", two of their most successful songs both critically and commercially.

* A lot of people didn't know who ImogenHeap was until the release of ''Speak for Yourself'' on July 18, 2005, which featured "Hide and Seek", as popularized by ''SaturdayNightLive''.

* This trope can also apply to {{Nirvana}} itself. The band's first album, ''Bleach'', was far grungier and less cohesive than their later, more critically and commercially successful albums. ''Bleach'' was rather boilerplate {{Grunge}}, much to the chagrin of Cobain himself, who struggled with his love of pop music in the face of the unforgiving and critical grunge scene. Only the {{Beatles}} inspired song, "About a Girl" provided hints towards Cobain's predilection for combining a heavy riffs and poppy songwriting.

* TheBeatles had the most iconic, both literal and figurative, beard-growing in rock history.

** In a reversal, Paul [=McCartney=] literally growing the beard during the "Get Back" session signaled the end of TheBeatles.
** While recording ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'', arguably their best but certainly their most influential album, all TheBeatles actually grew mustaches.

* Music/NeutralMilkHotel was already a fairly accomplished band, but they really grew the beard in 1998 with ''In the Aeroplane Over the Sea''. Unfortunately, lead singer/songwriter Jeff Mangum suffered CreatorBreakdown and their MagnumOpus (or would it be [[IncrediblyLamePun Mangum Opus]]?) would be their last album as well. [[CareerResurrection Or would it?]]

* Music/NeutralMilkHotel was already a fairly accomplished band, but they really grew the beard in 1998 with ''In the Aeroplane Over the Sea''. Unfortunately, lead singer/songwriter Jeff Mangum suffered CreatorBreakdown and their MagnumOpus (or would it be Mangum Opus?) would be their last album as well. [[CareerResurrection Or would it?]]

* Music/NeutralMilkHotel was already a fairly accomplished band , but they really grew the beard in 1998 with ''In the Aeroplane Over the Sea''. Unfortunately, lead singer/songwriter Jeff Mangum suffered CreatorBreakdown and it their MagnumOpus (or would it be Mangum Opus?) would be their last album as well. [[CareerResurrection Or would it?]]

* Music/CreedenceClearwaterRevival around the time of ''Bayou Country'', thanks in part to "Born On The Bayou" and "Proud Mary".

* While both of the ''{{Backstreet Boys}}'''s first two albums were pretty big hits, they didn't really grow their beard until their third album ''{{Millenium}}'' was released in 1999. This ablum included "I Want It That Way", and "Show Me The The Meaning Of Being Lonely", two of their most successful songs both critically and commercially.

* Dave Grohl. In his first band, Scream, he was just a regular drummer. This was the case with his first album with his next band ({{Nirvana}}'s ''Nevermind''), but his songwriting contributions increased by ''In Utero''. Upon Kurt Cobain's death, Grohl started his own band, Music/FooFighters, who became better over the years, culminating with the critical and commercial smash ''Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace''. Oh, and he also literally grew a beard.

* TheRollingStones were writing songs as early as their first album, though it wasn't until the release of their 1965 single "The Last Time", that the Jagger/Richards songwriting machine went into full swing, shifting their material from covers to originals.

* While both of the ''{{Backstreet Boys}}'''s first two albums were pretty big hits, they didn't really grow their beard until their third album ''{{Millenium}}'' was released in 1999. This ablum included "I Want It That Way", and "Show Me The The Meaning Of Being Lonely", two of their most sucessful songs both critically and commercially.

* Even KennyChesney has admitted that he didn't really find himself artistically until he stopped copying the thousands of other "hat acts" out there — early on, he was just another clean-cut guy in a cowboy hat, dress shirt and tight jeans, and he sang in a heavy twang. He then dropped the twang and started recording more substantial songs, and gradually grew to A-list status. Since then, he's also dabbled in beachy tunes, arena rock and more introspective ballads (in that order), many of which have been marked as career evolutions in their own right.

* Music/JudasPriest's first album, ''Rocka Rolla'', was a victim of ExecutiveMeddling, and while they had more say, to much artistic success, with their second outing, ''Sad Wings Of Destiny'', their then label, Gull Records, did little to nothing to help promote it. When they signed with Colombia for their third album, ''Sin After Sin'', the band was finally able to gain a foothold with their music, with some of the tracks ("Sinner", "Starbreaker" and "Dissident Aggressor") pointing the way to their later, more well known works.

* Music/JudasPriest's first album, ''Rocka Rolla'', was a victim of ExecutiveMeddling, and while they had more say, to much artistic success, with their second outing, ''Sad Wings Of Destiny'', their then label, Gull Records, did little to nothing to help promote it. When they signed with Colombia for their third album, ''Sin After Sin'', the band was finally able to gain a foothold with their music, with some of the tracks ("Sinner", "Starbreaker" and "Dissonant Aggressor") pointing the way to their later, more well known works.

** After original guitarist Mick Abrahams was replaced with Martin Barre, the band moved away from the British blues exhibited on their debut, ''This Was'', for a more eclectic, prog based sound. Further beard growth occurred when John Evan was brought in to provide piano and organ, giving a band more flexibility.

* A two way example occurred with JethroTull; after original guitarist Mick Abrahams was replaced with Martin Barre, the band moved away from the British blues exhibited on their debut, ''This Was'', for a more eclectic, prog based sound. Meanwhile, Abrahams was growing his own beard when he formed Blodwyn Pig, improving on the blues formula from his previous group.

* MatthewSweet had a pair of little-remembered, currently out-of-print major label albums in the 80's, ''Inside'' and ''Earth''. Both albums have their defenders, but even among them the general consensus is that the glossy, overly synthesized production just wasn't a good fit and made the albums sound dated. His third album ''Girlfriend'' is where he developed more of the PowerPop sound he's known for, and remains his most critically and commercially successful album.

* LudwigVanBeethoven did this twice. Musical historians divide his career into three profoundly different periods: Early, middle and late. Transition from early to middle coincided with the death of his teacher, Haydn (whose shadow he had been trying to escape), and middle-to-late transition came about after he learned to deal with the complete loss of his hearing.

* Matthew Sweet had a pair of little-remembered, currently out-of-print major label albums in the 80's, ''Inside'' and ''Earth''. Both albums have their defenders, but even among them the general consensus is that the glossy, overly synthesized production just wasn't a good fit and made the albums sound dated. His third album ''Girlfriend'' is where he developed more of the PowerPop sound he's known for, and remains his most critically and commercially successful album.

* Matthew Sweet had a pair of little-remembered, currently out-of-print major label albums in the 80's, ''Inside'' and ''Earth''. Both albums have their defenders, but even among them the general consensus is that the glossy, overly synthesized production just wasn't a good fit. His third album ''Girlfriend'' is where he developed more of the PowerPop sound he's known for, and remains his most critically and commercially successful album.

* Music/JudasPriest's first album, ''Rocka Rolla'', was a victim of ExecutiveMeddling, and while they had more say, to much artistic success, with their second outing, ''Sad Wings Of Destiny'', their then label, Gull Records, did little to nothing to help promote it. When they signed with Colombia for their third album, ''Sin After Sin'', the band was finally able to gain a foothold with their music, with some of the tracks ("Sinner", "Starbreaker" and "Dissonant Aggressor") pointing the way to their later, more well known works.

* MyBloodyValentine grew the beard when their second album, ''Loveless'', propelled them from an influential shoegaze band to ''the'' influential shoegaze band.

* Music/JagaJazzist, according drummer Martin Hornthveth's statements in an interview, were basically messing around and still trying to find themselves when they recorded ''Grete Stitz'' and ''Magazine EP''. It was on the album ''A Livingroom Hush'' that they hit upon the jazz-rock-electronic sound that their subsequent albums would expand on; they now consider ''A Livingroom Hush'' to be their true debut.

* While none of the member of Music/{{Genesis}} are well known for their beards, it's generally agreed that the introduction of Steven Hacket and PhilCollins boosted the band from a largely forgettable pop and folk group to being one of the giants of prog rock. If there are any literal examples, then Phil's beard during the Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering tours would have to count, given that Seconds Out (recorded during those tours) is generally considered to be their best live album. And after he shaved it off, the band really began to change direction and lost a lot of their progressive rock prestige.

** You forget those who became fans in those early days and miss the experimental sound as opposed to the generic as it gets rock radio sound. Hey You, I Love Your Soul is a sadly forgotten classic, {{Broken Base}} anyone?

* WillieNelson was a clean-shaven, family-friendly country singer for his first decade and a half in Nashville. He both literally and figuratively Grew his Beard when he switched to the "Outlaw Country" that most people know him for, approximately around the time he recorded "Shotgun Willie".