At least with '80s music, this always seems to be the case. Solo songs tend to have even more synths/keyboards, or a dance/pop sound. Not that their band's songs aren't pretty pop too, but they usually rock a little harder, with more of a "band" sound.

Examples:

Phil Collins: "Sussudio" vs Genesis' "Land of Confusion"
Lindsey Buckingham: "Trouble" vs Fleetwood Mac's "Big Love"
Dennis Deyoung: "Desert Moon" vs Styx's "Mr. Roboto"
Lou Gramm: "Midnight Blue" vs Foreigner's "Urgent"
Peter Cetera: "Glory of Love" vs Chicago's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry"

Hmm, maybe for those artists, but I think it's far from the 'norm.' Upon going solo many artists tried hard to break with the norm, but their reputation sort of afforded their music - which may not have been all that pop - greater stature. But I dunno, not being familiar with the 80s, or most of those artists you list.

How do you determine if an artist is solo? There are very few artists that are completely solo. Almost all of them have a backing band of some sort! And many of them (Gwen Stefani, Frank Zappa) use most of their normal band...?? It confuses me.

How do you determine if an artist is solo? There are very few artists that are completely solo. Almost all of them have a backing band of some sort! And many of them (Gwen Stefani, Frank Zappa) use most of their normal band...?? It confuses me.



If you have a backing band, it doesn't mean you're IN a band.  Gwen Stefani is a member of No Doubt.  When she does music with them, they are billed as No Doubt.  When Gwen made a solo album, she didn't record it with the other members of No Doubt.  She recorded it with a different set of musicians, but she didn't make a band with them and then name it.  Therefore, that was a SOLO album.  Of course these people will have a band behind them; very few musicians out there play all the instruments necessary to make an album.  Having a band behind you doesn't mean you're IN a band.  Mariah Carey has a band behind her, is she in a band?  No.

Stevie Nicks made quite a few solo albums with different session musicians as her band while still a member of Fleetwood Mac.  She wasn't making solo albums with the members of Fleetwood Mac.

If you have a backing band, it doesn't mean you're IN a band.  Gwen Stefani is a member of No Doubt.  When she does music with them, they are billed as No Doubt.  When Gwen made a solo album, she didn't record it with the other members of No Doubt.  She recorded it with a different set of musicians, but she didn't make a band with them and then name it.  Therefore, that was a SOLO album.  Of course these people will have a band behind them; very few musicians out there play all the instruments necessary to make an album.  Having a band behind you doesn't mean you're IN a band.  Mariah Carey has a band behind her, is she in a band?  No.

Stevie Nicks made quite a few solo albums with different session musicians as her band while still a member of Fleetwood Mac.  She wasn't making solo albums with the members of Fleetwood Mac.


:P Then it should be called Gwen Stefani with the... Whatever-She-Called-It band. But she DID record it with Tony Kanal and ... That guitarist's name from No Doubt... I wanna say Adrian Young, but I think that's the drummer.

:P Then it should be called Gwen Stefani with the... Whatever-She-Called-It band. But she DID record it with Tony Kanal and ... That guitarist's name from No Doubt... I wanna say Adrian Young, but I think that's the drummer.



Why should she call it "Gwen Stefani and......" when she's being billed as a solo artist?  That makes absolutely zero sense.  Zero sense.  And just because a couple of members of the band performed on certain tracks on the album, doesn't mean it's a No Doubt album.  BTW, the guitarist's name is Tom Dumont. 

I will give you the same example I did before; Mariah Carey has session musicians that play the instruments on all her albums.  Are you trying to tell me she's not a solo artist?  Despite the fact of course that she's never been in a band, toured in a band or recorded an album in a band. 


Recording an album with session musicians as your band doesn't mean you're in a band.  That's just silly talk.

Why should she call it "Gwen Stefani and......" when she's being billed as a solo artist?  That makes absolutely zero sense.  Zero sense.  And just because a couple of members of the band performed on certain tracks on the album, doesn't mean it's a No Doubt album.  BTW, the guitarist's name is Tom Dumont. 

I will give you the same example I did before; Mariah Carey has session musicians that play the instruments on all her albums.  Are you trying to tell me she's not a solo artist?  Despite the fact of course that she's never been in a band, toured in a band or recorded an album in a band. 


Recording an album with session musicians as your band doesn't mean you're in a band.  That's just silly talk.


Well, Nine Inch Nails is just that, and he/they aren't considered solo..

I was just wondering how you'd determine it, is all...

Well, Nine Inch Nails is just that, and he/they aren't considered solo..


I don't know what you're asking, but Nine Inch Nails is a band.  There's 5 people in the band, one of whom is Trent Reznor.  He says the band has two separate entities; the "studio" band which is mostly himself (he does all the work for the albums) and then the "live" band, which are the other members of the group.