4 Bands That Shocked Fans by Switching Genres (And Succeeded)

Bands, especially those who started out in rock music, switch genres all the time. Sometimes reinvention is needed to really make it in the music industry. However, plenty of bands have tried and failed to hit a sound that resonates with audiences. These four famous rock bands managed to master the art of switching genres. Let’s take a look!

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1. Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy started out in the early 2000s, and they looked and sounded quite different than they do today. In their early years, Fall Out Boy was associated with the early 2000s pop-punk and emo movements, as well as the Chicago punk scene. 

Today, their sound is much more mainstream… And for their sake, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Fall Out Boy could quite firmly be defined as arena pop nowadays.

2. The Byrds

The Byrds are probably the most famous example of bands switching genres for the better. The Byrds were major pioneers of folk rock as well as psychedelia, and they were experts in those particular genres. 

However, change is usually a good thing at some point in one’s career. The Byrds teased what they were ready to get into with “Satisfied Mind” back in 1966. With the release of Sweetheart Of The Rodeo in 1968, The Byrds quickly became pioneering icons in the world of country rock.

3. The Go-Gos

You probably know The Go-Gos from their hit power pop track “Our Lips Are Sealed”. Surprisingly, the band sounded much different just a few years before that hit climbed the charts. 

The Go-Gos started out in the Los Angeles punk scene and performed alongside some of the biggest names in underground California punk rock. Gina Schock and Charlotte Caffey joined the band and pushed it toward new wave, and that ended up working out for them.

4. Fleetwood Mac

Here’s one of the most successful examples of bands that mastered switching genres. Fleetwood Mac was formed in the 1960s and produced mainly blues hits like “Black Magic Woman”. The band went through quite a few lineup changes through the years, but were still firmly a blues band until the mid-1970s. 

When Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the band in the mid-1970s, their sound evolved into a more mainstream folk-rock style that they became massively famous for.

Photo by Herbert W. Worthington; Courtesy of Apple

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