History CareerResurrection / Music

* '''Music/Blink182''' was one of the biggest rock bands in the world from the late '90s to the mid-'00s, and are credited, together with Music/GreenDay and Music/TheOffspring, for launching PopPunk into the mainstream. On alternative radio, they were royalty, scoring hit-after-hit such as "Dammit", "What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things" (which became an inescapable pop hit in 2000), "Adam's Song", "Man Overboard", and "I Miss You", among others. However, in 2005 they went on a hiatus due to both CreativeDifferences between Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker against Tom [=DeLonge=] and their excessive touring getting in the way of spending time with their families. They reformed in 2009 and released their sixth album ''Neighborhoods'' in 2011. While it did respectably, the album and its songs quickly faded out of public consciousness, due to both its GenreShift alienating many older fans and continued infighting between [=DeLonge=] and the rest of the band. This culminated with [=DeLonge=] leaving ''again''. After that, many assumed they were done for good. However, that wasn't the case. Instead, they got Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba to join the band as an official member in the place of [=DeLonge=], and they began working on their seventh album ''California'', released in July 2016. It was practically an overnight success. The lead single "Bored to Death" became their third #1 on alternative, and their first in ''over ten years''. As a bonus, it was also their first-ever hit on mainstream rock, peaking at #6 on that chart. The album itself debuted at '''#1''' on the Billboard 200 and went gold, a rare feat for a full-fledged rock band in the 2010s and doubly so for a pop-punk band. It also became their first chart-topper across UsefulNotes/ThePond, hitting #1 in the UK. Afterwards, they embarked on an arena-sized tour with fellow pop-punk bands Music/ADayToRemember and Music/TheAllAmericanRejects. With the band now fully unified, they have proven that they can still remain relevant over a decade-and-a-half after they first hit the scene, and are currently showing no signs of going back.

* '''Music/MichaelBolton:''' After a plagiarism scandal in 1994 killed his career, Bolton was, for the longest time, a pop culture punching bag widely derided for recording ''nothing'' but SillyLoveSongs. And then Music/TheLonelyIsland [[http://youtu.be/GI6CfKcMhjY featured him in one of their videos]]. While he was hesitant to do [[ClusterFBomb a particularly filthy comedy song]] at first, "Jack Sparrow" proved to be a massive viral hit. It gave Bolton a semi-ironic [[NewbieBoom new generation of fans,]] which he embraced with a 2017 Creator/{{Netflix}} special, ''Film/MichaelBoltonsBigSexyValentinesDaySpecial.''

* '''Music/GreenDay'''[='=]s 2000 album ''Music/{{Warning}}'' almost killed the band. While it's since been VindicatedByHistory for its songwriting, at the time its LighterAndSofter tone and more experimental sound (influenced by FolkMusic, SurfRock, and SkaPunk) put off a lot of their PopPunk fans and caused it to badly underperform in sales, only going gold whereas their last three albums went at least double platinum. Between that and the 2001 GreatestHitsAlbum ''International Superhits!'', which they outright called "an invitation to midlife crisis", the band's members wondered whether or not they should just hang it up. Instead, they made the 2004 album ''Music/AmericanIdiot'', which became their first number one album, put them right back on the rock map, and cemented their status as pop-punk legends. As of now, it's behind only 1994's ''Music/{{Dookie}}'' as their highest-selling album and a contender with it for the title of Green Day's defining album.

* '''Bush''', a highly popular PostGrunge band in TheNineties, began falling off around the TurnOfTheMillennium. Since then, lead singer Gavin Rossdale became better known for being the now ex-husband of Music/GwenStefani than for his music. But after Rossdale's solo career netted him a surprise hit with "Love Remains the Same", Bush got back together and released ''The Sea of Memories'': their first album in a decade. It proved to be quite successful while its lead single, "The Sound of Winter", sent them back to the top of the rock radio charts.

* '''Music/{{POD}}''' was one of the hottest bands in America in 2002 thanks to the smash hit album ''Satellite''. Unfortunately, their popularity dipped as RapRock began to die. Ten years later, they had a huge comeback with ''Murdered Love'', which gave them their biggest hit in years with "Lost in Forever". P.O.D. were not crossing over like they used to, but at least they found a way to fit into the new environment.

* '''Music/BreakingBenjamin''' was one of the more popular HardRock bands in the 2000s, scoring major rock hits with "Breath", "The Diary of Jane", and "I Will Not Bow". Soon after "I Will Not Bow" became their only Top-40 pop hit in 2009, lead singer Ben Burnley put the band on hiatus because of personal illnesses caused by his alcoholism. In the interim, Hollywood Records released a greatest hits album, after former band members Aaron Fink and Mark Klepaski granted the label permission to remix "Blow Me Away" without Burnley's permission. By 2013, everyone except Burnley had left the band, and it looked like Breaking Benjamin was gone for good. They reformed in 2014 after Burnley had settled and won a lawsuit against his former bandmates, allowing him to keep the band name. He then recruited four new band members, which didn't really make major news at the time. It wasn't until 2015 that Breaking Benjamin put out their first original music in six years. That single was "Failure", which was anything but its namesake. The song cracked the Hot 100, which is extremely rare for a HardRock song in TheNewTens and topped the Mainstream Rock charts for nine weeks. That song's success was enough for Breaking Benjamin's album ''Dark Before Dawn'' to debut at #1 on the ''Billboard 200'' (becoming the first album by an AlternativeMetal band to hit the top since Staind in 2005; beating such contemporaries as Music/ThreeDaysGrace, Music/{{Shinedown}}, Music/{{Seether}}, and Music/PapaRoach to the top – it didn't hurt that Breaking Benjamin is a much more acclaimed band), and in fall 2015, [[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Benjamin the RIAA gave the band seven gold and/or platinum certifications]]. ''Dark Before Dawn'' went gold in 2017, fueled by three #1 rock hits.

* '''Music/TheMonkees''' were instantly successful – tellingly, the first single, "Last Train to Clarksville", started climbing the charts ''before'' the TV series went on the air – and the "4 insane boys" soon found themselves second only to Music/TheBeatles in popularity. Still, musical director Don Kirshner rarely let them play on their records (or write their own songs) – which was kept secret until the frustrated band revealed it to the media, losing some credibility in the process. The hits continued for a while, even after the Monkees gave up their TV series after its second season. However, the group's 1968 film ''Film/{{Head}}'', a surreal, deliberately plotless {{Deconstruction}} of the band's journey through the ShowBusiness meat grinder, was a flop (although it's become a CultClassic). Eventually, their record sales dropped, and Peter Tork left, followed by Music/MichaelNesmith. In 1969, Saturday morning reruns of the TV series got good ratings, which led to Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones doing ''Changes'', a return to the bubblegum pop of the early albums. However, the songs on ''Changes'' were not as catchy or distinctive as the ones on the band's early albums. ''Changes'' didn't chart, and that was the end of the Monkees. The four ex-members went on with their lives... until 1986, when Creator/{{MTV}} began celebrating the Monkees' 20th anniversary by rerunning their TV series. The reruns got great ratings, and suddenly the Monkees were a viable proposition again. The band had a top 20 hit with a new single ("That Was Then, This Is Now", which featured only Dolenz and Tork), started playing reunion concerts, and recorded a new album, 1987's ''Pool It!'' (which featured Dolenz, Tork, and Jones). Then, for the band's 30th anniversary in 1996, Nesmith returned for the album ''Justus'', the only Monkees album that had no outside writers, musicians, or producers. They then went their separate ways until 2011, when Dolenz, Tork, and Jones had a hugely successful 45th anniversary concert tour. After Jones died in 2012, Nesmith joined the other surviving Monkees for tours in 2012 and 2013.

** '''Music/RogerWaters''' was done with Pink Floyd by 1983 and released the introspective, moody solo album ''The Pros And Cons Of Hitchhiking'' a year later. A ''Pros And Cons'' tour, with help from Music/EricClapton as guest guitarist (he had played on the album), was scarcely attended, and the reunited lineup of Pink Floyd featuring guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason, and returning keyboardist Richard Wright became successful in the late 1980s and mid-1990s. Waters considered the band a "spent force" and felt the band should call it a day, right before the lawsuit. The commercial failure of Waters' solo albums, rows of empty seats at concerts, and his feud with the rest of the band severely damaged his professional reputation, while Pink Floyd mounted a massively successful comeback. But with favorable reviews for 1992's ''Music/AmusedToDeath'' comparing it to Pink Floyd's classic albums and Gilmour's Floyd inactive since 1995, Waters returned to touring in 1999, expertly performing Pink Floyd and solo works to strong audiences. Subsequent solo tours with Waters and his band performing ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' and ''Music/TheWall'' further raised his popularity, and a ''much'' more relaxed attitude towards fans, the media, and his Floyd bandmates erased his InsufferableGenius ControlFreak stigma in the press. His renewed friendships and occasional musical and personal reunions with Gilmour, Mason, and Wright over the years also helped his image.

* '''Music/BritneySpears''', one of the biggest pop stars in the world between 1999 and 2004, saw her career fly off the rails from 2004 to 2008 in one of the defining examples of a CreatorBreakdown. Highlights include: a 55-hour Vegas marriage to a childhood friend, her turbulent relationship with Kevin Federline, shaving her head, the cancelled ''Original Doll'' album, delivering a critically-thrashed performance at the [[Creator/{{MTV}} 2007 MTV Video Music Awards]] (which spawned the "LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!" {{meme}} from Chris Crocker), and finally, the court putting her into conservatorship of her father. However, the release of the album ''Circus'' in late 2008, combined with a reduced profile in the tabloids, has turned her career and reputation around, giving her some of her first hit singles since her days as a TeenIdol. And two hits from her album ''Femme Fatale'' prove that ''Circus'' wasn't just a fluke.

* '''Music/{{Weezer}}''' was one of the few acts to experience a resurrection solely through the power of the internet. In late 2017, a young fan created a Twitter account called @weezerafrica with the goal of convincing Weezer to cover "Africa" by Music/{{Toto}}. After months of the campaign spreading around social media, Weezer responded, although first with a cover of "Rosanna" before releasing "Africa" days later. The "Africa" cover went on to become Weezer's biggest hit in many years, hitting the Billboard ''Hot 100'', crossing over to pop radio (rare achievements for a veteran rock band in the late 2010s), and becoming their first #1 on alternative radio in the 2010s. With the one-two punch of the surprise all-covers "Teal Album" & the long-awaited "Black Album" in 2019, aided by the success of their HairMetal[=/=]ArenaRock-inspired 2021 album ''Van Weezer'', as well as being announced as part of the lineup for the Hella Mega Tour alongside Music/GreenDay and Music/FallOutBoy (initially scheduled for 2020, but pushed back to 2021-22 due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic), it seems they won't be looking back anytime soon.

* '''Music/WizKhalifa''' was the hottest new rapper of 2011, whose song "Black & Yellow" became a very rare #1 hit in a time where rap songs didn't gain nearly as much crossover appeal to hit #1 (unless they were mixed with EDM, pop, or R&B) as much as they did in the '90s and 2000s and would later in the decade. He continued to remain relevant through hit collaborations with the likes of Music/SnoopDogg ("Young, Wild, and Free") and Music/Maroon5 ("Payphone"). But by 2015, his hype died down as he was being overshadowed by the likes of Music/KendrickLamar and Music/JCole. His second and third albums didn't sell nearly as well as his first, and he proved unable to score another major hit. That year, he recorded "[[Music/Furious7Soundtrack See You Again]]" for the movie ''Film/Furious7''. Khalifa had previously provided a song for the ''Fast 6'' soundtrack, "We Own It", which was red-hot for a week after the movie came out thanks to his and Music/TwoChainz' fanbases buying it off [=iTunes=], but it quickly plummeted off afterwards. Expectations for "See You Again" were the same, especially given that it was more of a pop song than his signature rap style and that his collaborator, Music/CharliePuth, was almost completely unknown at the time. Then the film came out, and the song suddenly struck a chord with listeners. The song's message about death connected with audiences, especially considering it was recorded [[RealitySubtext in memory of the film's late star]] Creator/PaulWalker. After seeing the movie's emotional ending scene, audiences rushed to buy it on [=iTunes=], and thanks to strong word-of-mouth it quickly caught on with the general public. It shot to #1 just two weeks after the movie came out, dethroning Mark Ronson and Music/BrunoMars's seemingly immovable megahit "Uptown Funk!" off the top spot after 14 weeks on its way to its own lengthy 12-week stay on top, and re-established Wiz Khalifa as a hip-hop megastar. The most surprising part about it is that despite ''Furious 7'' having been an enormous blockbuster, the song turned out to be ''[[BreakawayPopHit even bigger]]'', as it became a bonafide pop-cultural phenomenon; thanks to perfect mid-spring timing, ''Again'' was easily repurposed into a graduation anthem (thanks in no small part to lines like "we've come a long way from where we began"). Needless to say, Khalifa's career was back on track.

** Eminem's return with ''Recovery'' involved a GenreShift to a PopRap sound and image that met with initial acclaim, but led to increasing backlash over the course of the 2010s, culminating in 2017's ''Revival'' – an album blasted for its [[DancingBear empty]] hypertechnical rapping, {{Glurge}}y pop features, [[ConsciousHipHop earnest political tone]], overuse of puns, and Eminem's shock-humour style being outdated and inappropriate. (In addition, Eminem, previously known for his [[PrettyBoy delicate and slightly androgynous appearance]], grew a patchy beard.) Many viewed him as a [[TwoDecadesBehind relic of the Y2K era]] who was confused by modern hip-hop, and begged him to retire. In 2018, Eminem dropped ''Kamikaze'', in which he abandoned his pop elements for an up-to-the-minute sound and went fully into TakeThatCritics mode, insulting everyone who said horrible things about ''Revival'' as well as the state of the rest of hip-hop, creating a firestorm between critics (who still hated it), Eminem's fanbase (who hailed it as [[WeWantOurJerkBack the return of hip-hop's villain]]), and FandomRivalry with any of the "mumble rappers" he insulted on the album. Music/MachineGunKelly – a rapper he'd dissed on ''Kamikaze'' – responded with "Rap Devil", arguably the strongest [[TheDissTrack diss track]] Eminem had ever been hit with in his career, and seen at the time as a real threat to it. Eminem responded with "Killshot", a diss to Kells that became the highest charting diss track of all time, debuting at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became the most viewed audio-only [=YouTube=] video ever, and the biggest debut for a hip-hop track on the site (eventually beaten by Daniel "Tekashi 6ix9ine" Hernandez's BileFascination record "GOOBA" two years later). The diss track was praised by critics, [[OvershadowedByControversy did serious damage]] to Kells' reputation, and served to re-establish Eminem's relevance and even his shock value, which had been thought [[RatedGForGangsta long extinguished]]. 2020's ''Music to Be Murdered By'' and ''Side B'', his following double album, was received by critics as a solid entry in his discography, and even generated some genuine moral panic not seen around him since 2002 with his mass-shooter concept song "Darkness" and the shock COVID-19 violence in "Gnat". (And his initially loathed beard filled out.)

* '''Music/MachineGunKelly''' suffered a big blow to his career in 2018 after Music/{{Eminem}} released "Killshot", a response diss track to his own "Rap Devil" ([[https://twitter.com/alex_battoo/status/1042063497906016256 even being booed at shows]] for performing "Rap Devil"). Two years later, his career was put back on track following the release of ''Tickets to My Downfall'': a NewSoundAlbum rooted in PopPunk that became his first #1 album on the Billboard 200.

* '''Music/LadyGaga''' was famous for the success of ''The Fame'' and ''Born This Way'' before recording the polarizing ''Artpop'' in 2013, which was criticized as a self-indulgent {{Flanderization}} of her persona [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny that no longer seemed so shocking by that point.]] When it underperformed, she faded out of the mainstream music scene and spent some years away from the limelight finishing smaller projects (most notably ''Cheek to Cheek'', a collaboration with Tony Bennett) before the release of the very personal ''Joanne'' in late 2016 garnered far more favorable reception debuting at #1. Her profile was further restored by an acclaimed UsefulNotes/SuperBowl halftime performance, which helped her score her biggest radio hit in years with the ballad "Million Reasons". Her career kept rising when ''Film/AStarIsBorn2018'' later became one of the most critically and financially successful films of the year, which gave Gaga her first #1 single in years ("Shallow", a duet with Creator/BradleyCooper). It additionally opened a new avenue for Gaga as an actress when she also received an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for Best Actress (that she lost to Creator/OliviaColman, though "Shallow" did win her an Oscar for Best Song). She revisited her pop roots in 2020 with ''Chromatica'', which was viewed as a welcome return to form with good reviews and sales. Gaga then starred as Patrizia Reggiani in 2021's ''Film/HouseOfGucci'', with her performance praised despite the film's ambivalent reaction. The same year, she would collaborate with Tony Bennett one final time before his retirement with ''Love for Sale''.

* '''Music/GaryBarlow''' was, for the first half of TheNineties, the lead singer and songwriter of Music/TakeThatBand, one of the biggest [[BoyBand Boy Bands]] in the world ([[AmericansHateTingle though not in America]]). He even managed to get some critical acclaim for his work, notably winning three [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Novello_Awards Ivor Novello awards]] for the songs "Pray" and "Back For Good", as well as being songwriter of the year in 1994. When Take That broke up, he was widely tipped to be the BreakupBreakout and go on to a strong solo career. Barlow did have some initial success, but then quickly got overshadowed by the success of his former bandmate Music/RobbieWilliams, who had left the band a year before the split proper under less than amicable circumstances. Barlow's second solo album proved a [[CreatorKiller disastrous flop]] and led to him being dropped by his record label, after which he was widely mocked and ridiculed, labelled a talentless hack both by the press and by Williams, who, by his own admission, was still enormously, personally bitter towards Barlow. Barlow underwent a CreatorBreakdown that saw him sink into depression, withdraw from public life, and gain massive amounts of weight as a result of stress eating. Barlow did eventually manage to reform a career as a behind-the-scenes songwriter and producer, but his star was very much dead. Then in 2006, a greatest hits album and TV documentary in honour of the tenth anniversary of Take That's split proved a surprising success and shifted the public's perception of Barlow, [[TheWoobie mostly by making everyone feel really bad for the poor guy]]. This led to the band reforming and releasing a new album, which went to #1 on the British charts, as did its first two singles "Patience" and "Shine". It helped that Barlow had lost the weight and was now widely considered better-looking than he'd ever been in his BoyBand days. Since then, Barlow has been performing with Take That and racked up an enormous number of hits, alongside doing charity work and the like, and is frequently called a national treasure[[note]]he did catch quite a bit of flack in 2012 when he and his bandmates were accused of tax avoidance via music industry investment schemes, [[ControversyProofImage but it doesn't seem to have done much permanent damage]][[/note]]. He also managed to repair his relationship with Williams, who rejoined the band in 2010 before leaving again in 2014 – but on good terms this time. Barlow was even chosen to organise the concert for UsefulNotes/ElizabethII's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, as well as compose a commemorative song for the occasion alongside Lord Creator/AndrewLloydWebber, for which he was given a [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]].[[note]]And the opening act at that concert? One Robbie Williams.[[/note]] In 2013, he released his first solo album in over a decade, which, while getting mixed to negative reviews, was a major commercial success, going to number #2 on the British album charts. [[BrickJoke He's also won two more Ivor Novellos.]]

* '''Music/GaryBarlow''' was, for the first half of the '90s, the lead singer and songwriter of Music/TakeThatBand, one of the biggest [[BoyBand Boy Bands]] in the world ([[AmericansHateTingle though not in America]]). He even managed to get some critical acclaim for his work, most notably winning three [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Novello_Awards Ivor Novello awards]] for the songs "Pray" and "Back For Good", as well as being songwriter of the year in 1994. When Take That broke up, he was widely tipped to be the BreakupBreakout and go on to a strong solo career. Barlow did have some initial success, but then quickly got overshadowed by the success of his former bandmate Music/RobbieWilliams, who had left the band a year before the split proper under less than amicable circumstances. Barlow's second solo album proved a [[CreatorKiller disastrous flop]] and led to him being dropped by his record label, after which he was widely mocked and ridiculed, labelled a talentless hack both by the press and by Williams, who, by his own admission, was still enormously, personally bitter towards Barlow. Barlow underwent a CreatorBreakdown that saw him sink into depression, withdraw from public life, and gain massive amounts of weight as a result of stress eating. Barlow did eventually manage to reform a career as a behind-the-scenes songwriter and producer, but his star was very much dead. Then in 2006, a greatest hits album and TV documentary in honour of the tenth anniversary of Take That's split proved a surprising success and shifted the public's perception of Barlow, [[TheWoobie mostly by making everyone feel really bad for the poor guy]]. This led to the band reforming and releasing a new album, which went to #1 on the British charts, as did its first two singles "Patience" and "Shine". It helped that Barlow had lost the weight and was now widely considered better-looking than he'd ever been in his BoyBand days. Since then, Barlow has been performing with Take That and racked up an enormous number of hits, alongside doing charity work and the like, and is frequently called a national treasure[[note]]he did catch quite a bit of flack in 2012 when he and his bandmates were accused of tax avoidance via music industry investment schemes, [[ControversyProofImage but it doesn't seem to have done much permanent damage]][[/note]]. He also managed to repair his relationship with Williams, who rejoined the band in 2010 before leaving again in 2014 -- but on good terms this time. Barlow was even chosen to organise the concert for UsefulNotes/ElizabethII's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, as well as compose a commemorative song for the occasion alongside Lord Creator/AndrewLloydWebber, for which he was given a [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]].[[note]]And the opening act at that concert? One Robbie Williams.[[/note]] In 2013, he released his first solo album in over a decade, which, while getting mixed to negative reviews, was a major commercial success, going to number #2 on the British album charts. [[BrickJoke He's also won two more Ivor Novellos.]]

* '''Tony Bennett''' had been one of the biggest stars of the 50's and early 60's. However, like many other traditional pop singers, his career suffered with the rise of rock and roll and the British Invasion, and his attempts at more contemporary music were regarded by both critics and himself as embarrassments. He was dropped from his recording contract, and an attempt to break into acting failed, leaving him performing little outside Las Vegas by the end of the 70's. His lowest point came after a near-fatal drug overdose in 1979, after which he installed his son Danny as his manager. Danny's business sense helped to turn things around, getting his spending under control (Bennett being massively in debt to the IRS by this time), reuniting him with his old musical director Ralph Sharon, and getting him a new recording contract. Thanks to multiple media appearances on shows with youth appeal like ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and various MTV programs, he won a new generation of fans, who saw him as a living legend keeping traditional pop alive. Bennett would continue to tour and record regularly until his retirement for health reasons in 2021. In 2013, at the age of 88, he even became the oldest person to have a #1 album on ''Billboard'', thanks to ''Cheek to Cheek'', his duet record with Music/LadyGaga.

** Eminem's return with ''Recovery'' involved a GenreShift to a PopRap sound and image that met with initial acclaim, but led to increasing backlash over the course of the 2010s, culminating in 2017's ''Revival'' - an album blasted for its [[DancingBear empty]] hypertechnical rapping, {{Glurge}}y pop features, [[ConsciousHipHop earnest political tone]], overuse of puns, and Eminem's shock-humour style being outdated and inappropriate. (In addition, Eminem, previously known for his [[PrettyBoy delicate and slightly androgynous appearance]], grew a patchy beard.) Many viewed him as a [[TwoDecadesBehind relic of the Y2K era]] who was confused by modern hip-hop, and begged him to retire. In 2018, Eminem dropped ''Kamikaze'', in which he abandoned his pop elements for an up-to-the-minute sound and went fully into TakeThatCritics mode, insulting everyone who said horrible things about ''Revival'' as well as the state of the rest of hip-hop, creating a firestorm between critics (who still hated it), Eminem's fanbase (who hailed it as [[WeWantOurJerkBack the return of hip-hop's villain]]), and FandomRivalry with any of the "mumble rappers" he insulted on the album. Music/MachineGunKelly - a rapper he'd dissed on ''Kamikaze'' - responded with "Rap Devil", arguably the strongest [[TheDissTrack diss track]] Eminem had ever been hit with in his career, and seen at the time as a real threat to it. Eminem responded with "Killshot", a diss to Kells that became the highest charting diss track of all time, debuting at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became the most viewed audio-only [=YouTube=] video ever, and the biggest debut for a hip-hop track on the site (eventually beaten by Daniel "Tekashi 6ix9ine" Hernandez's BileFascination record "GOOBA" two years later). The diss track was praised by critics, [[OvershadowedByControversy did serious damage]] to Kells' reputation, and served to re-establish Eminem's relevance and even his shock value, which had been thought [[RatedGForGangsta long extinguished]]. 2020's ''Music to Be Murdered By'' and ''Side B'', his following double album, was received by critics as a solid entry in his discography, and even generated some genuine moral panic not seen around him since 2002 with his mass-shooter concept song "Darkness" and the shock COVID-19 violence in "Gnat". (And his initially loathed beard filled out.)

** The group became one of the biggest bands in the world with the album ''Music/{{Rumours}}'' in 1977 and dominated the charts for the next decade. In 1987, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham left, and the band pursued a bland adult contemporary sound, to a massive drop-off in sales. 1990's ''Behind the Mask'' only went to #18 on the Billboard charts and went gold, a far cry from the band's multi-platinum albums in the past. Then Music/StevieNicks left in the early '90s. The classic lineup did reunite for the inauguration of UsefulNotes/BillClinton (who had used "Don't Stop" as a campaign song) in 1993, only to go through even more lineup changes and commercial failure. 1995's ''Time'' fared even worse than ''Behind the Mask'' did -- it didn't even make the Billboard charts. It looked like the band was truly finished until the ''Rumours''-era lineup finally came together for the live album ''The Dance'' in 1997, which hit the #1 spot on the Billboard charts. The subsequent tour was massively successful, filling arenas across the U.S. Fleetwood Mac continues to mount successful tours and release albums to this day.

* '''Music/TheMonkees''' were instantly successful -- tellingly, the first single, "Last Train to Clarksville", started climbing the charts ''before'' the TV series went on the air -- and the "4 insane boys" soon found themselves second only to Music/TheBeatles in popularity. Still, musical director Don Kirshner rarely let them play on their records (or write their own songs) -- which was kept secret until the frustrated band revealed it to the media, losing some credibility in the process. The hits continued for a while, even after the Monkees gave up their TV series after its second season. However, the group's 1968 film ''Film/{{Head}}'', a surreal, deliberately plotless {{Deconstruction}} of the band's journey through the ShowBusiness meat grinder, was a flop (although it's become a CultClassic). Eventually, their record sales dropped, and Peter Tork left, followed by Music/MichaelNesmith. In 1969, Saturday morning reruns of the TV series got good ratings, which led to Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones doing ''Changes'', a return to the bubblegum pop of the early albums. However, the songs on ''Changes'' were not as catchy or distinctive as the ones on the band's early albums. ''Changes'' didn't chart, and that was the end of the Monkees. The four ex-members went on with their lives... until 1986, when Creator/{{MTV}} began celebrating the Monkees' 20th anniversary by rerunning their TV series. The reruns got great ratings, and suddenly the Monkees were a viable proposition again. The band had a top 20 hit with a new single ("That Was Then, This Is Now", which featured only Dolenz and Tork), started playing reunion concerts, and recorded a new album, 1987's ''Pool It!'' (which featured Dolenz, Tork, and Jones). Then, for the band's 30th anniversary in 1996, Nesmith returned for the album ''Justus'', the only Monkees album that had no outside writers, musicians, or producers. They then went their separate ways until 2011, when Dolenz, Tork, and Jones had a hugely successful 45th anniversary concert tour. After Jones died in 2012, Nesmith joined the other surviving Monkees for tours in 2012 and 2013.

* '''Music/{{Nas}}''' released a debut album (''Illmatic'') that is widely regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of all time, but didn't sell very well initially. This caused him to change his style to appeal to a wider audience and sell more copies (partly due to ExecutiveMeddling). His next album, 1996's ''It Was Written'', was less "Nasty Nas the street poet" and more "Nas Escobar the drug dealer", and his two albums in 1999, ''I Am...'' and ''Nastradamus'', were more poppy and radio-friendly. It's universally agreed that ''Nastradamus'' is his worst album, and many accused Nas of selling out -- most notably Music/JayZ, who dissed him for going from "Nasty Nas to Esco-Trash" on his song ''Takeover''. Nas responded to this criticism with 2001's ''Stillmatic'' (more precisely in the brutal diss track ''Ether''), an album in which he both returned to his ''Illmatic'' roots and defended his status as one of rap's greatest emcees. Critics loved it, as did listeners, and Nas' following albums have all met similar success. For example, the ''Lost Tapes'' compilation was critically acclaimed, was loved by fans and some songs are even considered to be on par with ''Illmatic''.

* '''Music/{{Robyn}}''' attained a few hit singles as a teen pop singer in the late '90s, then fell off the radar for a couple of years before returning with her self-titled NewSoundAlbum in 2005. Now, she [[GenreShift does]] [[{{Retraux}} old-school]] SynthPop which sharply contrasts her former style.

** '''Music/NickJonas''', the FaceOfTheBand, went solo in 2014 and surprised everyone with a more mature sound, scoring a few big hits with "Jealous", "Close", and "Chains" while landing supporting roles in ''Series/ScreamQueens2015'', ''Series/Kingdom2014'', and ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle''.

* '''Music/FallOutBoy'''[='=]s 2013 album ''Save Rock and Roll'' wound up saving their careers more than anything. It was their first new album after reuniting, and while it [[BrokenBase divided fans]], it also went Platinum, produced the massive hit single "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'em Up)", catapulted them back into the spotlight, and enshrined their status as PopPunk legends, much to the surprise of many music journalists who thought they'd flamed out for good after their their last album, 2008's ''Folie à Deux'', [[CreatorKiller caused them to break up]] due to its poor reception.

* '''Music/BigAndRich''' were one of the biggest CountryMusic success stories of 2004 when they took the genre by storm, coming from seemingly nowhere with their novelty hit "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)". At the time, they were heralded as a breath of fresh air, taking hard rock and rap influences into their music and blending them with colorful lyrics and quirky stage personae. They also championed other artists in their songwriter clique, the [=MuzikMafia=], most notably Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy. Co-founder John Rich (who was originally a member of Music/{{Lonestar}}, and had made a failed attempt at a solo career between leaving them and founding Big & Rich with Big Kenny) co-wrote and produced for a wide variety of acts at this time, including Music/FaithHill, Music/TimMcGraw, and Music/JasonAldean. "Save a Horse" came to be one of the defining country hits of the first decade of the 21st century. Despite their initial success, the novelty wore off fast, to the point that most of the [=MuzikMafia=]'s successive output came to be criticized as weak and forced. For quite a while, it looked like Big & Rich would be derided as a flash in the pan and a OneHitWonder for "Save a Horse" (even though [[ChartDisplacement it only got to #11]] and the BlackSheepHit ballad "Lost in This Moment" became their only #1 hit in 2007). But then came their 2014 album ''Gravity'', released independently after their tenure with Creator/WarnerBrosRecords ended. While the album hasn't exactly lit up the sales charts, it has been well-received for focusing entirely on ballads (which have always been a strong suit of theirs, a fact that many have forgotten in the wake of their novelties). It has also produced big hits in "Look at You" and "Run Away with You"
* '''Binary Finary''' was best known for the trance anthem "1998", but they split up due to irreconcilable differences between members. However, Matt Laws and Stuart Matheson revived the act in 2006 with the download-only album ''The Lost Tracks'', a compilation of songs written during their eight-year sabbatical.

* '''Music/BreakingBenjamin''' was one of the more popular HardRock bands in the 2000s, scoring major rock hits with "Breath", "The Diary of Jane", and "I Will Not Bow". Soon after "I Will Not Bow" became their only Top-40 pop hit in 2009, lead singer Ben Burnley put the band on hiatus because of personal illnesses caused by his alcoholism. In the interim, Hollywood Records released a greatest hits album, after former band members Aaron Fink and Mark Klepaski granted the label permission to remix "Blow Me Away" without Burnley's permission. By 2013, everyone except Burnley had left the band, and it looked like Breaking Benjamin was gone for good. They reformed in 2014 after Burnley had settled and won a lawsuit against his former bandmates, allowing him to keep the band name. He then recruited four new band members, which didn't really make major news at the time. It wasn't until 2015 that Breaking Benjamin put out their first original music in six years. That single was "Failure", which was anything but its namesake. The song cracked the Hot 100, which is extremely rare for a HardRock song in TheNewTens and topped the Mainstream Rock charts for nine weeks. That song's success was enough for Breaking Benjamin's album ''Dark Before Dawn'' to debut at #1 on the ''Billboard 200'' (becoming the first album by an AlternativeMetal band to hit the top since Staind in 2005; beating such contemporaries as Music/ThreeDaysGrace, Music/{{Shinedown}}, Music/{{Seether}}, and Music/PapaRoach to the top -- it didn't hurt that Breaking Benjamin is a much more acclaimed band), and in fall 2015, [[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Benjamin the RIAA gave the band seven gold and/or platinum certifications]]. ''Dark Before Dawn'' went gold in 2017, fueled by three #1 rock hits.

* '''Music/JamesBrown''' had achieved reasonable success in the 1960s and '70s, only to more or less stall out by the end of the decade. He was a huge star in the black community, but nowhere near as big in the white community. His appearance -- [[OneSceneWonder all five minutes of it]] -- in ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'' brought him to the attention of a white audience and won him many new white fans, revitalizing his career. In the '80s, he played to larger and more racially-mixed crowds than he ever had before, and by the end of the '90s, he was pop music royalty.
* '''Bush''' was a highly popular PostGrunge band in the 1990s, but they began to fall off around the turn of the new millennium. Since then, lead singer Gavin Rossdale became more known for being the wife of Music/NoDoubt's Gwen Stefani than for his music. However, after Rossdale's solo career gave him a surprise hit with "Love Remains the Same", Bush got back together and released ''The Sea of Memories'', their first album in a decade. It proved to be quite successful, and its lead single "The Sound of Winter" sent them back to the top of the rock radio charts.

* '''Music/{{Caramell}}''' was all but forgotten until the JustForFun/CaramelldansenVid meme in 2008, seven years after the album and song were originally released. They subsequently recorded English, German, and Japanese versions of the song, in addition to making [[AscendedMeme an official music video]] based on the animation. In 2011 they renamed themselves the Caramellagirls and released a new single titled "Boogie Bam Dance", their first all-new material in nearly ten years.

* '''Music/JohnnyCash''', unlikely as it may now seem, once battled a number of personal and professional problems that led to his career floundering in the '80s. Having established himself as "The Man in Black" with several hit albums, live performances at prisons, and work in film and television, Cash relapsed back into addiction in 1983, which kept him from performing and writing music for several years. Coupled with Creator/ColumbiaRecords ending its 28-year association with Cash in 1986 (and an unsuccessful run with Creator/MercuryRecords into the very early '90s), it seemed as though Cash's career was over. However, he reignited his career by teaming up with producer Music/RickRubin and releasing the ''American Recordings'' series of albums (which included covers of popular songs and collaborations with other popular artists) beginning in 1994, which led to critical and commercial acclaim and popularity with audiences who weren't traditionally interested in CountryMusic. Cash would go on to win a Grammy Award in 1994 and release several more albums -- even after his death, the 2006 release of ''American V: A Hundred Highways'' reached the #1 spot on the Billboard 200.

* '''Music/AliceCooper''' defined ShockRock and bizarre stage acts in the first half of the 1970s. But alcoholism, coupled with his signature style going out of fashion, resulting in fading in relevancy for the rest of the decade, which lasted right through the early 1980s. While he had a handful of hit singles in the late 1970s, all of them were [[BlackSheepHit soft pop ballads]] instead of his usual heavier fare, and the popularity of that material caused him to lose his controversial reputation. By the mid-1980s, he had kicked the booze habit, picked up an infinitely healthier golf habit, and made his comeback with 1986's ''Constrictor'', followed by the wildly successful ''Trash''. Since then, he's diversified his interests and continues to record music.

* '''Music/MachineGunKelly''''s career initially dealt a major blow in 2018 after Music/{{Eminem}} released a response diss track to his own "Rap Devil" in the form of "Killshot" (he was even booed [[https://twitter.com/alex_battoo/status/1042063497906016256 at shows]] for performing "Rap Devil"). Two years later though, his career was back on track following the release of ''Tickets to My Downfall'', a NewSoundAlbum rooted in PopPunk that became his first #1 album on the Billboard 200.

* '''Music/{{Robyn}}''' attained a few hit singles as a teen pop singer in the late '90s, then fell off the radar for about nine years, before returning with "With Every Heartbeat" in 2007. She [[GenreShift now does]] [[{{Retraux}} old-school]] SynthPop, in contrast with her former style.

* '''Music/{{Rush|Band}}''': In 1996, they released ''Music/TestForEcho'', widely considered by fans to be their worst album. In 1997, drummer/lyricist Neil Peart's teenage daughter died in a car accident, and then in '98, his wife died of cancer. For a few years, it seemed as if Rush was done until they got back together to record their 2002 album, the amazing ''Music/VaporTrails''.

* '''Music/{{U2}}''' was one of the biggest rock acts of the 1980s with plenty of chart-topping hits. But they eventually struggled to produce hits in the 1990s with their album ''Pop'' and another album they didn't even release under the U2 name. A few years later, though, they came back in a huge way with 2000's ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'', whose leadoff single "Beautiful Day" got them the most airplay they'd had in ''years'', and re-cemented their role as rock royalty.

* '''Music/VanHalen''' was considered one of the biggest bands of TheEighties, with a huge multi-platinum debut and a string of successful follow-ups, including the spectacular ''1984''. Lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen was one of the seminal players of that decade's shred movement. In 1985, Van Halen replaced lead singer David Lee Roth after a bitter and public divorce and didn't skip a beat when they brought in former Montrose vocalist Sammy Hagar, who managed to catapult them to an even greater height of stardom. While many fans of Roth see "Van Hagar" as the band's SellOut period, this era produced four #1 albums: 1986's ''5150'', 1988's ''[=OU812=]'', 1991's ''For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'' and 1995's ''Balance''. Then, another messy and public divorce with a lead singer saw Hagar leave the band in 1996. They tried to regroup in 1998 with ''Van Halen III'' with former Extreme frontman Gary Cherone, which flopped despite producing a #1 rock hit in "Without You". From there, Eddie's personal life went to Hell; he divorced from longtime spouse Valerie Bertinelli, was in and out of rehab for drinking and drug problems, and had a bout with cancer. The band released a compilation album which kept their name relevant and charted at #3 in 2004, but the band further suffered from the departure of founding bassist Michael Anthony, who joined Hagar's touring band, and later his supergroup Music/{{Chickenfoot}} with Music/JoeSatriani and [[Music/RedHotChiliPeppers Chad Smith]]. The band also did not show up for its induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 (Hagar and Anthony were the only members who showed up and played a few Van Halen songs with guest artists). Eddie emerged from rehab in early 2010 alcohol and cancer-free and rumors surfaced that the band, now with Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass, was writing with founding singer David Lee Roth. In February 2012, the band released ''A Different Kind of Truth'', their first studio album in 14 years. The album shot up to #2 on the charts and received rave reviews, and the band embarked on a successful tour in support of the album. Any chance of a comeback ended into October 2020, when Eddie died of tongue cancer.

* '''Music/{{Kesha}}''' accomplished this in 2017 with ''Rainbow''. She initially made a splash in late 2009 when her debut single "Tik Tok" became a surprise hit, with its success spilling into the following year when her debut album ''Animal'' became a big seller. However, her music, while popular with young listeners, attracted scorn outside of her demographic for what they perceived as very crass and juvenile content. Her second album ''Warrior'', released in 2012, earned similar criticism as well, while its lead single "Die Young" came under fire following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that same year. Around this time, she had a CreatorBreakdown brought on from recurrent sexual abuse at the hands of her RecordProducer Dr. Luke behind closed doors. Stipulations in her contract prevented her from releasing any new music for five years, resulting in a drawn-out legal battle to liberate her from her obligations. She checked into rehab for bulimia too, brought on by the stress of the whole situation. In 2017, following the trial's resolution, Kesha, now free to make music again, released ''Rainbow'', which signified a significant departure from her previously-established style. Not only did it debut at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and became her biggest-selling album to date, it also finally garnered the acclaim from critics that her past albums lacked. Her next one, ''High Road'', was also released to similarly positive reception in 2020, although its corresponding tour was cancelled due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic.

* '''Music/MileyCyrus''' would go on to experience this herself. After first appearing in a role in her father's series ''Doc'', she landed the aforementioned StarMakingRole as the title character of ''Series/HannahMontana''. Despite some controversies which strained her image as an all-American, clean-cut [[IdolSinger teen idol]], she was one of the biggest stars in pop, both in her ''Hannah'' persona and later under her own name. She adopted [[HotterAndSexier a more adult image]] in 2010 with her album ''Can't Be Tamed'', which suffered slower sales. Her films ''Film/{{LOL}}'' and ''Film/SoUndercover'' tanked, causing her to retire from acting, and this was followed by yet another scandal in which she sniffed a bong of salvia on a New Orleans street in a leaked video. After a low profile year, she departed Disney-based Hollywood Records for RCA, [[ImportantHaircut got a blonde-dyed pixie haircut]], and broke up with longtime boyfriend Creator/LiamHemsworth, her co-star in the film ''Literature/TheLastSong'' after a yearlong engagement. She released the NewSoundAlbum ''Bangerz'' in 2013, a more adult album with hip-hop influences and [[SirSwearsALot Explicit]] [[ClusterFBomb Lyrics]]. She promoted the album with a notorious performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards (teddy bear costume, dancing in lingerie, twerking on Robin Thicke, tongue sticking out). Interest skyrocketed with the "new Miley", and ''Bangerz'' became a best-seller, with "Wrecking Ball" topping the Hot 100.
** However, many fans quickly grew tired of her antics surrounding the release of ''Bangerz'', and she then largely disappeared from the spotlight for a few years. Her 2015 album ''Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz'' was released to stream for free on [=SoundCloud=], and received mixed reviews. But in 2016, she took a gig as a judge on ''Series/TheVoice'' and rekindled her relationship with Hemsworth, and her 2017 single "Malibu" (about her relationship with Hemsworth) has been praised for its stripped-down production, marking her return to the top 40.
** In 2023, her song "Flowers" became her first #1 hit in nine years.

** Eminem's return with ''Recovery'' involved a GenreShift to a PopRap sound and image that met with initial acclaim, but led to increasing backlash over the course of the 2010s, culminating in 2017's ''Revival'' - an album blasted for its [[DancingBear empty]] hypertechnical rapping, {{Glurge}}y pop features, [[ConsciousHipHop earnest political tone]], overuse of puns, and Eminem's shock-humour style being outdated and inappropriate. (In addition, Eminem, previously known for his [[PrettyBoy delicate and slightly androgynous appearance]], grew a patchy beard.) Many viewed him as a [[TwoDecadesBehind 00s relic]], confused by modern hip-hop, and begged him to retire. In 2018, Eminem dropped ''Kamikaze'', in which he abandoned his pop elements for an up-to-the-minute sound and went fully into TakeThatCritics, insulting everyone who said horrible things about ''Revival'' as well as the state of the rest of hip-hop, creating a firestorm between critics (who still hated it), Eminem's fanbase (who felt [[WeWantOurJerkBack the villain of rap was back]]), and FandomRivalry with any of the "mumble rappers" he insulted on the album. Music/MachineGunKelly - a rapper he'd dissed on ''Kamikaze'' - responded with "Rap Devil", arguably the strongest diss Eminem had ever been hit with in his career, and seen at the time as a real threat to it. Eminem responded with "Killshot", a [[TheDissTrack diss]] to Kells that became the highest charting diss track of all time, debuting at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became the most viewed audio-only [=YouTube=] video ever, and the biggest debut for a hip-hop track on the site (eventually beaten by Daniel "Tekashi 6ix9ine" Hernandez's BileFascination record "GOOBA" two years later). The diss track [[OvershadowedByControversy did serious damage]] to Kells' reputation, was praised by critics, and served to re-establish Eminem's relevance - and even his shock value, which had been thought [[RatedGForGangsta long extinguished]]. 2020's ''Music to Be Murdered By'' and ''Side B'', his following double album, was received by critics as a solid entry in his discography, and even generated some genuine moral panic not seen around him since 2002 with his mass-shooter concept song "Darkness" and the shock COVID-19 violence in "Gnat". (And his initially loathed beard filled out.)

* '''Creator/SelenaGomez''' was one of the biggest stars to come from the Creator/DisneyChannel in the late 2000s, along with Miley Cyrus (see above) and Demi Lovato (see below). She not only had a hit on television with the KidCom ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'', but also a decent singing career as the lead vocalist of her band Selena Gomez & The Scene. The group released three well-received pop rock albums from 2009 to 2011 before disbanding, with ''Wizards of Waverly Place'' finishing its run one year later. Gomez started moving towards more mature territory, with initially successful results thanks to the critically acclaimed ''Film/SpringBreakers''. Gomez's next lead role, however, was in the widely reviled ''Film/{{Getaway}}'', with her lead performance receiving harsh criticism plus a nomination for a UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward. The film, which was released in 2013, came out the same year as her first solo album, ''Stars Dance''. Though a decent financial success, it received divisive reviews from critics who took issue with its electronic-heavy production style. Her career cooled down considerably for the next two years before she released her next album, ''Revival''. It became both her best-selling and her most widely acclaimed album at the time, with reviews citing how she was finally able to break free from her Disney roots. She took over five years to release another album: but said album, ''Rare'', surpassed ''Revival'' profit and praise-wise in 2020. In 2021, she got her biggest acting role to date starring opposite Creator/SteveMartin and Creator/MartinShort in the Creator/{{Hulu}} comedy series ''Series/OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding''. The show, on which Gomez also serves as executive producer, became a major hit for the streaming service and received several UsefulNotes/EmmyAward nominations.

* After spending TheEighties as one of the decade's most critically and commercially successful {{funk}} acts, '''Music/{{Prince}}''' spent TheNineties becoming an increasing subject of public mockery thanks to his feud with Creator/WarnerBrosRecords, which led to diminishing returns in his output and him adopting a deliberately-unpronounceable stage name that resulted in the press referring to him with the unwieldy and widely-mocked nickname "the Artist Formerly Known as Prince". However, 2004's ''Musicology'' would result in renewed success for Prince, peaking at number 5 on multiple countries' album charts. With a few exceptions, his following albums would continue to be critical and commercial successes, and he would further rebound as an in-demand live act until his death in 2016.

* '''Music/{{Weezer}}''' was one of the few acts to experience a resurrection solely through the power of the internet. In late 2017, a young fan created a Twitter account called @weezerafrica with the goal of convincing Weezer to cover "Africa" by Music/{{Toto}}. After months of the campaign spreading around social media, Weezer responded, although first with a cover of "Rosanna", before releasing "Africa" days later. The "Africa" cover went on to become Weezer's biggest hit in many years, hitting the Billboard ''Hot 100'', crossing over to pop radio (rare achievements for a veteran rock band in the late 2010s), and becoming their first #1 on alternative radio in the 2010s. With the one-two punch of the surprise all-covers "Teal Album" & the long-awaited "Black Album" in 2019, aided by the success of their HairMetal[=/=]ArenaRock-inspired 2021 album ''Van Weezer'', as well as being announced as part of the lineup for the Hella Mega tour alongside Music/GreenDay and Music/FallOutBoy, it seems they won't be looking back anytime soon.

* '''Music/KellyClarkson'''. Hot on the heels of her 2004 album ''Breakaway'', which went on to become one of the defining pop albums of the 2000s, she released the more abrasive and far less commercial "My December" in 2007. The album alienated a significant portion of her fan base (especially her older fans), and thus, Clarkson was written off by many as a has-been. Her 2009 follow-up ''All I Ever Wanted'' was mostly a return to the lighter pop of ''Breakaway'', and although sales for that album still fell short of the 1 million mark in the US, it re-established her as a major force in the pop music world, with its lead single, "My Life Would Suck Without You", becoming a massive hit. Her comeback was solidified through her 2011 album ''Stronger'', which was both a critical and commercial success, spawning several hugely successful singles and fully bringing her career back on track. In 2013, she released a Christmas album, ''Wrapped in Red'', which included the instantly iconic ''Underneath the Tree'', a song many predicted would become a Christmas pop classic (and since it is often played during the holiday season, were proven right). Her following albums, ''Piece by Piece'' and ''Meaning of Life'', were also well received. In 2018, she joined ''Series/TheVoice'' as a coach. In 2019, she began hosting her own Emmy-winning daytime variety talk show on Creator/{{NBC}}.

* After a plagiarism scandal in 1994 killed his career, '''Music/MichaelBolton''' was for the longest time a pop culture punching bag widely derided for recording ''nothing'' but SillyLoveSongs. And then Music/TheLonelyIsland [[http://youtu.be/GI6CfKcMhjY featured him in one of their videos]]. While he was hesitant to do [[ClusterFBomb a particularly filthy comedy song]] at first, "Jack Sparrow" proved to be a massive viral hit. It gave Bolton a semi-ironic [[NewbieBoom new generation of fans,]] which he embraced with a 2017 Creator/{{Netflix}} special, ''Film/MichaelBoltonsBigSexyValentinesDaySpecial.''

* '''Music/MichaelBolton''' was for the longest time a pop culture punching bag for recording ''nothing'' but SillyLoveSongs. And then Music/TheLonelyIsland [[http://youtu.be/GI6CfKcMhjY featured him in one of their videos]]. While he was hesitant to do [[ClusterFBomb a particularly filthy comedy song]] at first, "Jack Sparrow" proved to be a massive viral hit. It gave Bolton a semi-ironic [[NewbieBoom new generation of fans,]] which he embraced with a 2017 Creator/{{Netflix}} special, ''Film/MichaelBoltonsBigSexyValentinesDaySpecial.''

* '''Music/RickAstley''' was a massively popular pop act in the 1980s, only to get sick of ExecutiveMeddling and leave his record label. He then did a dramatic shift and doing soul in the early 1990s (which he stated is the kind of music he always wanted to make in the beginning). Despite scoring another hit with 1991's "Cry for Help", Astley's career stalled shortly thereafter and he retired from the music industry in 1993. Fast forward to 2007, when his signature song "Never Gonna Give You Up" reached the internet as the JustForFun/{{Rickroll}} and [[MemeticMutation quickly hit critical mass, exploding even beyond the scope of the internet]], Rick Astley started to get back in gear. He then reached a level of popularity not seen since his peak in the late 1980s, and released his first single in many years, making him probably the first musician to have his career solely resurrected by the power of the internet. His appearance at the 2008 UsefulNotes/MacysThanksgivingDayParade didn't hurt either. [[DiscreditedMeme Despite the Rickroll experiencing a downturn in respect and popularity]], in 2016, his album ''50'' debuted on top of the British charts, becoming his first #1 album back home since ''Whenever You Need Somebody''.

* '''Music/{{Madonna}}''' has experienced a couple of these throughout her decades-long career. Having first established herself in TheEighties as the Queen of Pop, she scored hit after hit with [[Music/MadonnaAlbum her self-titled debut album]], ''Music/LikeAVirgin'', ''Music/TrueBlue'', and ''Music/LikeAPrayer''. She got attention for re-inventing her image between albums, from the cutesy, "mall rat" image she was first known for to adopting a more risqué, "sex kitten" one starting around ''True Blue''. However, 1992's ''Music/{{Erotica}}'', her next album after ''Like a Prayer'', was criticized as an exaggeration of her new, sexually charged image to the point that it seemed to be provocative without a purpose. She toned down her racy side with ''Music/BedtimeStories'' and ''Music/RayOfLight'', with the latter album widely considered her MagnumOpus. While her follow-up album ''[[Music/MusicAlbum Music]]'' got positive notices, 2003's ''Music/AmericanLife'' became her worst-received yet. Released when the UsefulNotes/IraqWar just started, it became controversial for her attempts at espousing political and social commentary during a heated time in America. Critics even noted that what she had to say in the album was shallower than presumed, with the lyrics delving deeper into personal problems than the greater picture. It further divided fans for its failed forays into rap and folktronica, with the TitleTrack becoming her lowest-charting single (exacerbated by its anti-war first music video being swapped out by MTV for a less triggering one at her request) while none of its following singles even reached the chart. Fortunately, she soon bounced back with the well-received ''Music/ConfessionsOnADanceFloor''. It was considered her best album since ''Ray of Light'', with its corresponding concert tour becoming one of the top-20 highest-grossing tours of the 2000's. Lead single "Hung Up" topped the charts in 41 countries, despite peaking at #7 in the USA. In 2008, she was inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame,and she headlined the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show in a performance deemed one of the best in recent memory.

* The UK dance-pop group '''Steps''' formed in 1997 and had a good career for over four years, selling over 22 million records worldwide and supporting Britney Spears on tour in 1999. Personal differences, however, led to discord within the group, with members Claire Richards and Ian "H" Watkins departing to work on their own thing while the remaining three members disbanded in December 2001. Every one of them tried making their own forays into solo work, though none of their projects were that successful. By 2011, all five members had drifted into obscurity before they reunited for a documentary special. That gave the group renewed exposure and led to them releasing their greatest hits album, which was a smash success in Europe. They promptly got back together and went on to release three new albums, making them popular to a new generation.

* '''Music/DemiLovato''' was one of the top stars of the Creator/DisneyChannel in the late 2000s, thanks to lead roles in the ''Film/CampRock'' series of movies, their own KidCom ''Series/SonnyWithAChance'', and a successful IdolSinger career. Although their history as a childhood bullying victim was well known, she had secretly fallen into bulimia, self-harm, and fits of "self-medication" during the height of their stardom, which led to an infamous meltdown in which they began having vocal problems on their 2010 ''Camp Rock'' tour, then physically attacked a personal assistant in their dressing room after the assistant confronted them about their demons. Family and friends intervened, and Lovato went into rehab (where they were diagnosed as bipolar and given medication) to get better (they spent New Year's Eve in the rehab center, much to their sadness). Rehabilitated a year later, Lovato left their sitcom and completed their ''Unbroken'' album, releasing singles such as the empowerment anthem "Skyscraper" and catchy dance floor hit "Give Your Heart a Break", arguably the biggest hit of their career. An inspirational documentary for {{Creator/MTV}}, "Stay Strong", documented Lovato's downfall and recovery. They later joined the judges' panel of ''Series/TheXFactorUS'', and completed and released a new album for May 2013, the self-titled ''Demi''.

* '''Music/DemiLovato''' was one of the top stars of the Creator/DisneyChannel in the late 2000s, thanks to lead roles in the ''Film/CampRock'' series of movies, their own KidCom ''Series/SonnyWithAChance'', and a successful IdolSinger career. Although their history as a childhood bullying victim was well known, they had secretly fallen into bulimia, self-harm, and fits of "self-medication" during the height of their stardom, which led to an infamous meltdown in which they began having vocal problems on their 2010 ''Camp Rock'' tour, then physically attacked a personal assistant in their dressing room after the assistant confronted them about their demons. Family and friends intervened, and Lovato went into rehab (where they were diagnosed as bipolar and given medication) to get better (they spent New Year's Eve in the rehab center, much to their sadness). Rehabilitated a year later, Lovato left their sitcom and completed their ''Unbroken'' album, releasing singles such as the empowerment anthem "Skyscraper" and catchy dance floor hit "Give Your Heart a Break", arguably the biggest hit of their career. An inspirational documentary for {{Creator/MTV}}, "Stay Strong", documented Lovato's downfall and recovery. They later joined the judges' panel of ''Series/TheXFactorUS'', and completed and released a new album for May 2013, the self-titled ''Demi''.

* '''Music/{{Slade}}''' were hands down ''the'' biggest band in the UK around 1973, but by 1980 their records were selling next to nothing and they were ready to call it a day. Then Ozzy Osbourne had to pull out of the Reading Festival and Slade were offered his slot instead, so they took it up - still with the intention of just going out for one last show and then splitting. But they went down so well that they were hailed as the hit of the festival, and instead of splitting up they remained together for another decade, enjoying a second run of hits in the UK and even achieving the US success that had (not for lack of trying) eluded them in the 70s.

* '''Music/TinaTurner''' with her 1984 ''Music/PrivateDancer'' album. She had attained recognition alongside her then-husband Ike in TheSixties and TheSeventies as one of that epoch's most iconic musical duos, before she called it quits both personally and professionally after enduring Ike's DomesticAbuse for too long. After the split, Tina kept a low profile for the next few years before majorly rebounding with ''Private Dancer''. The multi-platinum status album contained the now-legendary song "What's Love Got To Do With It", which won the Grammy for Record of the Year and also became her first and only #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She would go on to sell over 100 million records worldwide and thus solidified herself as music royalty.

* '''Music/{{Aerosmith}}''': In 1979, at the peak of their drug use and in the middle of recording a record, guitarist Joe Perry left the band. The following two albums were disappointing musically and commercially (the second one in particular, as the other original guitarist left too). [[PuttingTheBandBackTogether They soon reunited]], moving from Creator/ColumbiaRecords to Creator/GeffenRecords. While ''Done with Mirrors'' did not make much impact, 1987's ''Permanent Vacation'' and a team-up with popular rap group Music/RunDMC on a remake of their old song "Walk This Way" brought them back to the spotlight, and the follow-up ''Pump'' is widely considered one of their best albums. By 1993, Aerosmith was popular enough to get their own video games, ''Quest for Fame'' and ''VideoGame/RevolutionX''. It wasn't until 1998 that Aerosmith finally topped the ''Hot 100'' with the ballad "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing", from the movie ''Film/Armageddon1998''. Aerosmith was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, and they're still considered rock royalty.

** One further CareerResurrection occurred when, after a couple of failed studio albums, Elton reunited with Bernie Taupin for the aptly titled ''Reg Strikes Back'' in 1988, became sober in 1990, toned down his costumes/glasses, and went from CampGay to StraightGay with a hair weave and Versace suits. This was motivated by a highly public feud over false allegations made against him by ''[[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers The Sun]]'' which Elton eventually won, forcing the tabloid to apologise. He also gained a new audience by writing songs for ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'', and sent up his more diva-like tendencies with the reality TV movie ''Tantrums and Tiaras''. "Candle In The Wind 1997", though written in tragic circumstances with Princess Diana's death, was one of the best selling singles of all time, increasing his profile (though it would lead to inevitable HypeBacklash).

* '''Music/{{Madonna}}''' has experienced a couple of these throughout her decades-long career. Having first established herself in TheEighties as the Queen of Pop, she scored hit after hit with [[Music/MadonnaAlbum her self-titled debut album]], ''Music/LikeAVirgin'', ''Music/TrueBlue'', and ''Music/LikeAPrayer''. She got attention for re-inventing her image between albums, from the cutesy, "mall rat" image she was first known for to adopting a more risqué, "sex kitten" one starting around ''True Blue''. However, 1992's ''Music/{{Erotica}}'', her next album after ''Like a Prayer'', was criticized as an exaggeration of her new, sexually charged image to the point that it seemed to be provocative without a purpose. She toned down her racy side with ''Music/BedtimeStories'' and ''Music/RayOfLight'', with the latter album widely considered her MagnumOpus. While her follow-up album ''[[Music/MusicAlbum Music]]'' got positive notices, 2003's ''Music/AmericanLife'' became her worst-received yet. Released when the UsefulNotes/IraqWar just started, it became controversial for her attempts at espousing political and social commentary during a heated time in America. Critics even noted that what she had to say in the album was shallower than presumed, with the lyrics delving deeper into personal problems than the greater picture. It further divided fans for its failed forays into rap and folktronica, with the TitleTrack becoming her lowest-charting single (exacerbated by its anti-war first music video being swapped out by MTV for a less triggering one at her request) while none of its following singles even reached the chart. Fortunately, she soon bounced back with the well-received ''Music/ConfessionsOnADanceFloor''. It was considered her best album since ''Ray of Light'', with its corresponding concert tour becoming one of the top-20 highest-grossing tours of the 2000's. Lead single "Hung Up" topped the charts in 41 countries, despite peaking at #7 in the USA. Her following albums were also hits while dodging the divisive reception of ''American Life'', and she headlined the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show in a performance deemed one of the best in recent memory.