Didn’t there seem to be two basic forms of comeback artists in the '80s? One was when really huge superstars of some years before faded and got repopularized during the early MTV era (i.e. Starship, David Bowie, Aerosmith). Then you had artists who had been around for awhile and had established fanbases, but didn't really explode with the public until they made steps to go more mainstream. Like the Phil Collins era of Genesis or alot of new wavers. Someone like Rod Stewart is kind of in both categories. He never really fell away and always had some degree of success by following trends even up to his '90s AC material.

We can include Peter Gabriel, also of early Genesis.

Uh you forgot Donna Summer. She pretty much defined the mid to late 70's sound sorta like a producer like Timbaland is doing now and she was the queen of disco in my opinion. Donna did have a couple hits in the 80's: 1983's She Works Hard For the Money and 1989's "This Time I Know Its For Real"  I the song was called.

^there was also 'On The Radio', 'The Wanderer' and 'Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)'.

But anyway, Tina Turner also had a big comeback in 1984. She was the kind of artist that faded away and became popular again.

Here are two more, not necessarily comeback, but still around. An unlikely pairing.

Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKuMZaINLLY

Blackmores Night.  Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow) with wife Candace Night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmeDiiQFuTg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQnXGT3CYzo

I have all their albums, but Ritchie takes the minstrel/renaissance thing to a whole new level.

Nina Hagen into the Hare Krishna thing.

From her new album "Sweet Lord"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLDbP4DAR8

Peter Murphy (Bauhaus) and best friend ??? Trent Reznor.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=n8W4tslqVSg

Another collaboration of Peter and Trent. Peter has a great voice.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IeUbj_xpv7c

^there was also 'On The Radio', 'The Wanderer' and 'Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)'.

But anyway, Tina Turner also had a big comeback in 1984. She was the kind of artist that faded away and became popular again.
Uh I never heard "The Wanderer" or "Love Is In Control(Finger On Trigger)". I know about "On the Radio" but I thought that song might have been from from the 70's. What year in the 80's was "On The Radio" a hit though?

yeah Tina Turner had a huge comeback in the 80's.

What about the band "Heart"? Didn;t they have hit songs in the late 70's and than they had that real huge comeback in 1986.

George Harrison was another artist that came out of nowhere(well I Know he was with the Beatles) but for him to have a hit in 1988(I Got My Mind Set On You) thats a pretty incredible feat.

Wgat about the R&b/soul band "The Whispers" I mean once the funk sound faded in 1982 they reall didn't do much after that but "Rock Steady" was a huge hit in 1987.

The Beach Boys were comeback artists too in the 80's when they netted their 1988 hit "Kokomo".

What year in the 80's was "On The Radio" a hit though?

1980.

What about the band "Heart"? Didn;t they have hit songs in the late 70's and than they had that real huge comeback in 1986.

I totally forgot about Heart! Thier comeback began in 1985, with the song 'What About Love'.

There's also artists who had brief comebacks ... 4 popular 70s British artists all returned to the Canadian Top 40 in the 80s with a song that gave them their only hit in the 80s ...

Roxy Music - Take A Chance With Me
Mike Oldfield - Family Man
Nick Lowe - Stick it Where the Sun Don't Shine
10cc - Don't Turn Me Away

Roy Orbison also had a nice comeback in the 1980's, although he sadly passed away in 1988.  :(

Roy Orbison also had a nice comeback in the 1980's, although he sadly passed away in 1988.  :(


That was quite sad.  His comeback was actually more recieved in other countries than it was in the States ...

Year 19881988198919891989 1989 1992 1992

Song Title Crying <w/ k.d. Lang> ................................................ Handle With Care <w/ Traveling Wilburys> ..................... End of the Line <w/ Traveling Wilburys> ....................... You Got It ................................................................. She's A Mystery to Me ................................................. California Blue ............................................................. I Drove All Night ......................................................... Heartbreak Radio ........................................................

US -#45#63#9- - #74 -

CAN #2#6#29#1#13 #75 #22 #31

UK #13#21#52#3#27 #77 #7#36

'Crying' was a UK hit in 1992

Roy Orbison also had a nice comeback in the 1980's, although he sadly passed away in 1988.  :(


Yeah, I think he was part of the late '80s pop/classic rock revival. "You Got It" is a catchy song, and I agree it's sad that he died just as he was making a huge comeback. He also did a Traveling Wilburys album just before then.

I totally forgot about Heart and Tina Turner, but I agree with them. I even remember "These Dreams" being on the radio in early 1986 (I'm positive of the timeframe because it was when I was living at a certain house that we moved out of that Summer).

Uh you forgot Donna Summer. She pretty much defined the mid to late 70's sound sorta like a producer like Timbaland is doing now and she was the queen of disco in my opinion. Donna did have a couple hits in the 80's: 1983's She Works Hard For the Money and 1989's "This Time I Know Its For Real"  I the song was called.


I agree. Donna Summer is definiately the queen of disco, NOT Thelma Houston.

Cher! She had a comeback with 'I Found Someone' in 1987. She faded away in the mid 70's...

Cher! She had a comeback with 'I Found Someone' in 1987. She faded away in the mid 70's...


That's true, I remember the tail end of her soft pop/arena rock comeback in 1990 and 1991. She was in that movie Mermaid, and did a cover of "The Shoop Shoop Song" (one of the very first videos I saw on VH1 back then). I also really like "Love and Understanding".

Heck, if you count "Believe" in 1999, she's had TWO huge comebacks. That's pretty amazing.

I would have to throw in a vote for Teddy Pendergrass.

He was out of action following his crippling car accident, but came back brilliantly.

Yes with "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and The Moody Blues with "Your Wildest Dreams".

how about tina turners comeback album "private dancer?  now that was a comeback!

One artist that been studiuosly glossed over is Meat Loaf.

The man who was a Monster in 1978-80, then pretty much forgotten until 1995, is still plowing the charts & lighting the stage on fire.