3 Albums That Revitalized the Careers of Rock Icons

Sometimes success isn’t linear. Even the most successful musicians take a misstep every once in a while. The difference between them and those that let that misstep consume their career is an ability to get back up again. Below, find three albums that helped to revitalize the careers of rock icons after a slow period.

Videos by American Songwriter

3 Albums That Revitalized the Careers of Rock Icons

1. Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen)

It wasn’t until Born to Run that Bruce Springsteen really came into his own. That album solidified who he was as an artist: a mouthpiece for the working man and an anthem maker. His first two pursuits were enough to earn him some name recognition, but they paled in comparison to the grandeur of Born to Run.

Among the track list are “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run”–two of Springsteen’s most laudable tracks. With this album, Springsteen opened a door that would lead him down the path of becoming The Boss.

Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back
It’s a death trap, it’s a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we’re young
‘Cause tramps like us, baby, we were born to run

[RELATED: “A Very Rare E Street Train Wreck”: Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt Flub the Lyrics to a Boss Classic]

2. Alive! (Kiss) 

By the mid-’70s, Kiss’ record label (Casablanca Records) was close to shutting its doors. Despite the band’s success, it didn’t translate into making big bucks for the label. Naturally, they needed a success story–and fast.

The label and the band decided to lead with what they were best at: being a stellar live band. Alive! was a shining example of what Kiss could do on stage, bottled up into an action-packed recording. That recipe for success proved profitable. Thus their career was saved.

I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day

3. Permanent Vacation (Aerosmith)

When discussing albums that helped save a career, you’d be remiss to not mention Aerosmith’s Permanent Vacation. The album came on the tail end of a rough time for the band. From rampant drug use to in-fighting, Aerosmith’s prospects weren’t exactly on the rise. That is until the band decided to work on this masterpiece.

To drum up some much-needed success for themselves, the band looked to different collaborators, cut their addictions, and got serious about their craft. The end result was this stellar work. Revisit the album, below.

I got to take myself a Permanent Vacation
The sky’s the limit, but my plane won’t fly
My nose is clean and lordie don’t need no sedation
Yeah, yeah, and that’s the reason why

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Khayat Nicolas/ABACA/Shutterstock