Whether it be a singer or band from earlier decades, who are some who had a period of absence from popular music, but made a popular comeback in the 80s?

A big one that comes to mind is Marvin Gaye.  Chartwise, he struggled in the late 70s, despite achieving the pole position in the US with Got to Give it Up in 1977.  Outside of the R&B charts however, he wouldn't chart another major hit until Sexual Healing in 1982, which some consider to be his signature song.  I often wonder just how much more popular his comeback would have furthered had his life not come to a tragic end. 

rjlSiASsUIs

Eric Carmen, lead singer for The Raspberries.  They had 7 charting singles in the US/Canada from 1972-1974 before Carmen went solo in 1975 to grand success with several singles.  His 1978 song Change of Heart was his last Top 40 single in the US/Canada until 1985 when he peaked at #35 in the US with I Wanna Hear it From Your Lips.  Two years later, he released Hungry Eyes which became his comeback for most of the rest of the world and one of the most recognizable songs of the decade!

DAC0qaTCM08 2ssCL292DQA

Tina Turner.


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


Cat

Tina Turner.
Cat


Probably the single biggest of the 80s comebacks.

Probably the single biggest of the 80s comebacks.



Yup.


Cat

How about Cher? She had hits in the 60s and 70s. Maybe very early 80s. Then she took some time to do some acting. Then in late 80s came back as a powerhouse.

Beach Boys. They had the bulk of their hits in the 1960s, and a small number of 1970s hits. But in 1988 they had a big hit with "Kokomo."

I would definitely put Michael Jackson in this category.

^

Michael Jackson/The Jacksons never really went away for long since they hit it big in 1970. They just took their fame to new heights.

Commercially, David Bowie's 1983 Let's Dance album with the mega hit title track and "Modern Love" took his sales to new heights, even if meant an artistic sellout. A far cry from his early '70s glam rock and mid-'70s funk rock styles.

Chicago 16 with "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" was another great example of being commercial, yet selling your soul, even though that warning was hinted as early as Chicago X.

Aretha Franklin had a pretty big comeback around 1985 with "Freeway of Love" and "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" with Annie Lennox.

Then in a special case both in terms of music and TV, the Monkees had a big one in 1986 when MTV and later Nickelodeon and even some other syndication outlets aired their classic shows (there was even a Monkees marathon), and there was also a reunion tour.

The Kinks came back in 1983 with "Come Dancing".

Then you had more of those who never truly went away: The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, even Pavarotti, who if anything, received even more recognition in that decade than what he had built up previously. The last three mostly appealed to the over 35 crowd though during the 1980s as unlike the others, they didn't receive MTV airplay, being non-rock singers.

The Monkees.

I was going to say Aerosmith, but I guess that was more of a return to the spotlight than a comeback.

How about Roy Orbison and the Traveling Wilburys members?

Paul Simon

Paul Simon
Just by the release of his discs, especially during the 70s, he never went away.

In 1987, Dan Hill recorded Can't We Try with singer Vonda Shepard.  It peaked at US #6 and was his first chart hit in the US since 1978's Let the Song Last Forever.  It also became his 5th US hit and the 2nd of only two Top 40 hits he would have on Billboard (the other being Sometimes When We Touch, which peaked at #3 in 1977)

It could technically also be considered a comeback in Canada as it was his first Top 40 hit here since 1978's Let the Song Last Forever, but he had a few minor hits in between which still received lots of radio play, as well, he was one of the featured singers on the 1985 charity single Tears Are Not Enough by Northern Lights which topped the Canadian chart and appeared on the historic We Are the World album


gaMzEJYAJ5s

Gordon Lightfoot is a legendary singer who at the time had never really went away, but as far as mainstream hits went, his last charting single in Canada was 1978's Daylight Katy.

In 1986, he enlisted the help of David Foster, and the resulting single Anything For Love gave him his first Top 40 hit in Canada since 1977's The Circle is Small (I Can See it in Your Eyes).  However, during the 80s, it was his 5th Adult Contemporary Top 40 hit in Canada and in the US, it was his 3rd

This is one of the most beautiful songs of the 80s!  I loved it then, and I still love it!

vJThTu2qesY

Steve Winwood. In the 60s till 1971 he was with Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, Ginger Baker’s Air Force. Then took a break. A late 70s album didn’t do much. Until the 80s he had Valerie, followed by a bunch more hits.

Steve Winwood. In the 60s till 1971 he was with Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, Ginger Baker’s Air Force. Then took a break. A late 70s album didn’t do much. Until the 80s he had Valerie, followed by a bunch more hits.


Good one! Actually, he was with Traffic until they disbanded in 1974. I saw their last tour in 1974! (They briefly reformed for a tour and album in 1994).

Michael Jackson/The Jacksons never really went away for long since they hit it big in 1970.


Yes, since "Off the Wall" each of his albums were spaced about 3-5 years apart.

Marianne Faithfull. After her big hit "As Tears Go By" in the 60s she spent most of the 70s drug addicted, strung out and even homeless for a time. Technically her huge comeback album "Broken English" (featuring Steve Winwood, among others), came out in November 1979, but it broke big in 1980 and paved the way for her comeback with her newer "mature" (i.e. ravaged) voice.

Tina Turner