3 Rock Bands From the 1980s That Saw Multiple Members Go Solo

The 1980s were a fertile time for rock music. There were fans of the bombastic genre everywhere. So, perhaps it’s no wonder that many of the groups from the era had multiple members break off and try solo careers.

In fact, that’s just what we wanted to dive into here below. We wanted to highlight three acts from back in the day that gave fans much more than one project. Indeed, these are three rock bands from the 1980s that saw multiple members go solo.

Journey

Formed in San Francisco more than 50 years ago, Journey gave music fans songs like “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Open Arms”. The Bay Area-born band was known for sky-scraping music and enough energy to power a small town. But it was in 1987 when Journey split (for the first time), and that’s when some of its members pursued solo careers. Journey’s lead guitarist, for example, Neal Schon released his debut solo LP Late Nite in 1989, followed by nearly a dozen more. In addition, keyboardist Jonathan Cain has released solo material, as have keyboardist Gregg Rollie and banshee vocalist Steve Perry.

Genesis

The British-born band Genesis is one of the most prolific rock groups of the 20th century. Even before the 1980s hit, the outfit released nine albums, most of them with lead vocalist Peter Gabriel. But when Gabriel left the band in 1975 to go solo, Genesis’ drummer Phil Collins took over as the frontman. With that, Genesis released four more albums in the 1980s (and another two in the 1990s just for good measure). But while Genesis remains quite the popular throwback band, it’s Gabriel and Collins who seem to have transcended their former group project.

KISS

Like Journey, KISS got going more than 50 years ago. And also like Journey, KISS has had multiple members go off and enjoy solo careers. Fans of the band know that the group produced big names like bassist Gene Simmons and guitarists Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley, all of whom have released significant solo projects in the past. In fact, by now, the members’ solo catalogs are beginning to outnumber KISS’ total output—and that‘s really saying something.

Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images