Black Sabbath. Elvis Presley. Tina Turner. It’s easy to understand why those and other iconic artists have topped the charts for decades with nary a bump. Sure, their struggles to get to the top are legendary. But what many don’t realize is that recapturing success after an absence or a fall from grace is just as complex, if not more challenging. But many have proven it can be done.
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Doubt it? Consider these five comeback albums from artists that regained previous musical heights.
1. Kate Bush – Hounds of Love (1985), slated for 2023 re-release
Think age means a musician can’t regain lost ground? Or even come back bigger than ever?
Sixty-something English singer/songwriter Kate Bush disproved that more than once. The British singer/songwriter’s most recent comeback is thanks to the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” When season four of the sci-fi series aired in 2022, the inclusion of Bush’s 1985 hit, “Running Up That Hill,” pushed the single right up the charts to No. 1 in the U.K. and Australia. Plus, it hit the global Top 200 chart and grabbed the No. 4 chart on the Billboard Top 100. That marked her first U.S. Top 10 hit. Plus, Spotify noted it was the most-streamed song globally, reaching one billion streams by June 22, 2023.
It is reported that Bush will re-release the 1985 album from which it came, “Hounds of Love,” in vinyl and on CD late in 2023. The popularity of Bush’s 1985 release marks almost half a century since the artist’s music made its first impression on music lovers. The success of “Running Up the Hill” brought her an estimated $2.3 million from royalties.
2. Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell – 1980
Black Sabbath was formed in 1968 as a way for its four members, who were schoolmates in Birmingham, England, to escape a life of factory work. The band’s 1970 self-titled debut album was released to negative reviews but commercial success. That success continued with subsequent albums, including Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and Vol. 4. It seemed the band could do no wrong.
But as the band’s success grew, so did frontman Ozzy Osbourne’s drug use. The band fired Osbourne. Although Ronnie James Dio replaced him, fans and even the group’s label thought losing Ozzy spelled the end of the band. But the 1980 release, Heaven and Hell, went to No. 28 on the U.S. charts. It was the group’s highest-charting album since Sabotage released in 1975. Heaven and Hell was certified Platinum in 1986 for 1 million U.S. sales.
Band founder Tony Iommi said it was difficult for Dio to face Black Sabbath fans who chanted “Ozzy, Ozzy” during shows “But eventually, Ronnie Won Them Over.”
3. Johnny Cash – American Recordings (1994)
When music fans think of Johnny Cash, they likely think of his hit songs – “I Walk The Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” – his Man in Black outfits and his activism for prisoners, Native Americans, and other oppressed populations.
It’s easy to forget that Columbia Records dropped the icon in 1986 after almost three decades of musical hits, even when alcohol and amphetamines caused him to “spiral out of control.” Even his divorce from his first wife, Vivian, arrests for a series of misdemeanors, and a return to drugs didn’t derail his success, which included 13 Grammy Awards from 35 nominations. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 at age 48, the youngest inductee in its history.
Although Cash’s records didn’t chart high during the 1980s, his tours, a duet with Bob Dylan and The Johnny Cash Show remained popular. Still, Mercury Records ended its four-year contract with Cash in 1991. Cash’s career had a resurgence thanks mainly to an agreement with producer Rick Rubin. The collaboration resulted in the critically acclaimed 1994 album, American Recordings, which included covers of songs by contemporary artists, including Loudon Wainwright III and Tom Waits. It won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
The album launched a decade of tributes and collaborations, including with Brooks & Dunn, Bob Dylan, plus members of Soundgarden, Nirvana, and Alice in Chains. A collaboration with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, produced by Rubin, won the 1998 Grammy for Best Country Album.
4. Elvis Presley – Singer Presents: Elvis, better known as the ’68 Comeback Special (1968)
The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, started his career in 1956 with the release of “Heartbreak Hotel,” which became a No. 1 hit and would sell more than 10 million records. Beyond that, it launched Presley’s stardom. An array of top hits, best-selling albums, and sold-out concerts followed.
But almost a decade’s worth of Presley acting in cheesy movies nearly ended Presley’s career. In fact, the sewing machine company Singer wanted to feature Presley on a TV music special. Other artists signed to Singer TV specials included Hawaiian singer Don Ho and Liberace.
Col. Tom Parker, Presley’s long-time manager, wanted the Singer show to launch many holiday TV specials and recordings for Presley. Presley teamed with the TV special’s Steve Binder to use the show as a retelling of Presley’s life and career. His tight, black leather suit, smoldering, sexy performance, and spot-on performances of classics, including “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Jailhouse Rock,” won rave reviews and ushered in a new era of touring and recording.
5. Tina Turner – Private Dancer (1984)
Tina Turner was a nostalgia act after her musical partnership with ex-husband Ike Turner ended. By 1983, she contracted with Capitol Records and released a cover of Al Green’s song “Let’s Stay Together.” The single went to No. 1 on Hot Dance Club Songs, resulting in Capitol agreeing to Turner recording an album.
Private Dancer went into the Top 5 on several charts, was certified 5x Platinum in the U.S., and sold 10 million copies worldwide. It also contained her first and only No. 1 single, “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
The album launched a new popularity for Turner – featured in movies, and on videos, and teamed with Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and others on duets. She also won an array of awards, including eight Grammys from 25 nominations.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
