24 Recording Artists Who Reinvented Themselves Early in Their Career
Some of the most famous recording artists in music history started out on very different paths. Maybe they knew they had talent, but were yet to find their niche in the industry.
Others may have moved with certain trends. As one genre of music faded, they changed to catch the next wave of interest. Some call that “jumping on the bandwagon,” but it’s better to remain in the public eye than fade into obscurity.
The list is a mix of artists covering many styles, but what unites them is the act of reinventing themselves for a variety of reasons.
Bob Dylan
One of the most controversial moments in music history took place at the Newport Folk Festival in July 1965. The gathering was supposed to be a celebration of folk music, and Bob Dylan seemed a perfect fit at the time.
Dylan took to the stage, but instead of providing a set of wistful tunes, he had “gone electric.” Along with a backing band, he delivered a set of rock and roll songs and was booed off stage for his trouble.
Marc Bolan and T. Rex
Bob Dylan wasn’t the only high-profile artist to switch from acoustic to electric guitar. Marc Bolan did this much earlier in his career, and there are conflicting theories about why he took this route.
Some say that Bolan was forced into the change after his former band, John’s Children, had all their equipment repossessed by their record label. Others suggest he was more comfortable as an acoustic duo. Early Tyrannosaurus Rex releases are valued by fans, but Marc Bolan and his band finally broke through with their first electric single, “Ride a White Swan.”
Donovan
Scottish folk singer Donovan was a contemporary of Bob Dylan. His career began in 1965 at a time when he was seen as one of the pioneers of the growing folk movement.
According to reports, there was tension and rivalry between the two artists. Dylan made his own changes, while Donovan embraced the late-60s psychedelic era, delivering brilliant songs such as “Sunshine Superman and “Hurdy Gurdy Man.”
Status Quo
Perhaps the most dramatic change of image came from Status Quo. With their double denim and repeatable chords, they produced some of the catchiest rock tunes of the 1970s and 1980s, but it all started very differently.
Status Quo enjoyed early success as part of the psychedelic scene, and their 1968 hit, “Pictures of Matchstick Men” was a great example. Uncomfortable with their image, Quo ditched the suits, put on their jeans, and dramatically reinvented themselves.
Mick Hucknall and Simply Red
You’ll likely know Mick Hucknall as the flame-haired singer in the soul band Simply Red, but he was once a pioneer of the 1970s punk movement. Hucknall was one of many future musicians who attended an influential gig by the Pistols at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976.
Bands that were formed following the show included Joy Division and the Fall, while Mick Hucknall founded The Frantic Elevators. The punk act even performed an early version of “Holding Back the Years,” before Hucknall found his soul voice.
Kid Rock
Some would argue that Kid Rock’s transformation wasn’t that extreme, but that’s before they listen to his early releases. In the late 1980s, he was a member of a hip-hop group by the name of Beast Crew, and when he went solo, he stayed faithful to that genre.
1993’s album The Polyfuze Method began the transformation with its rockier sound. As his career progressed, Kid Rock covered many different genres and he’s tricky to categorize, but that harder edge to his tracks is light-years away from his first recordings.
David Bowie
Surely no other artist has changed their image as much as David Bowie. His early career, including his debut single “Can’t Help Thinking About Me,” featured inoffensive pop songs that were typical of the mid-1960s.
Bowie’s distinctive voice is obvious in these early recordings, but it’s unlikely he would have transformed into a global superstar by keeping the same style. Thankfully, Ziggy Stardust and the rest of his incredible creations were just a few years away.
Alanis Morissette
Most music fans will know Alanis Morissette through her 1995 release Jagged Little Pill. It’s a raucous masterpiece, with themes of breakup and resentment running through its 13 tracks.
If you’re only familiar with her later career, you may be shocked to learn that Morissette was once considered a “pop princess.” Prior to that 1995 production, she released two dance-pop albums and was once referred to as Canada’s answer to Debbie Gibson.
Midge Ure
Few artists have reinvented themselves as many times as Scottish singer Midge Ure. Most will know him as the frontman of the electronic band Ultravox and as one of the driving forces behind 1985’s Live Aid.
Ure started his career with the band Slik, which started in 1974 as a glam rock outfit. They followed trends, switching to bubblegum pop and new wave. Slik disbanded in 1977 and Midge joined Glen Matlock in the power-punk group Rich Kids. He even enjoyed a brief stint with rockers Thin Lizzy before resurrecting Ultravox.
Tori Amos
Singer-songwriter Tori Amos went it alone to enjoy the boom period of her career in the 1990s. Tracks such as “God” and “Cornflake Girl” thrust her into the limelight, and she proved an inspiration for many to follow.
Amos had begun as a solo artist before taking a different direction with her first band, Y Kant Tori Read. They were a synthpop group, whose debut album flopped. The track “The Big Picture” was the most memorable from that period, but Tori Amos swiftly ditched the band and returned to her solo career.
Japan
Most fans of Japan will know them as part of the new romantic movement in the early 1980s. With songs such as “Quiet Life” and “Life in Tokyo,” singer David Sylvian and other members were considered as a driving force of that genre.
In fact, Japan had formed in 1974, and their earlier releases crossed between Glam Rock and Hair Metal. They made little impression on the charts, and it’s curious to look back on the band’s initial heavy sound.
Rod Stewart
With his sharp suits and clean-cut image, the 1960s version of Rod Stewart earned him the nickname “Rod the Mod.” He was caught up in the modernist movement of the time, but looking back, Stewart seemed out of place.
His gravelly voice was better suited to a more raunchy version of rock and roll. He initially found a better fit as lead singer for The Faces before Rod Stewart embarked on one of the most successful solo careers of all time.
Genesis
It’s debatable whether we can consider Genesis’ change to have come early in their career. Having formed in 1967, their initial success came on the back of Peter Gabriel’s vocals and theatrical stage persona.
They were darlings of the prog-rock scene, but when Gabriel left and Phil Collins assumed vocal duties, the band adopted a more commercial sound. The change came in 1975, and because Genesis continued until 2022, we can genuinely argue that this was an “early” switch.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry’s commercial successes couldn’t be further removed from her debut album. Performing as Katy Hudson, she released a series of Christian Rock tracks in 2001.
The album was simply called Katy Hudson, and it made a small impression on the Christian charts at the time. The production included a song titled “Faith Won’t Fail,” and presumably some buyers would have been horrified at the thought of Katy Perry singing “I Kissed a Girl” just seven years later.
Amy Grant
Her career path was similar to that of Katy Perry, but Amy Grant caused far more controversy when she abandoned Christian Rock music. Unlike Perry, Grant had been long established in the genre, before crossing into more mainstream pop in 1985.
Amy Grant enjoyed global success with her 1991 hit “Baby Baby,” and while she still carries the label “The Queen of Christian Pop,” some early followers resent the dramatic career change.
Joy Division and New Order
In the case of Joy Division, the band questioned whether they should carry on following the death of singer Ian Curtis. They had made a huge impression in a short space of time, with Curtis’ haunting lyrics against a post-punk backdrop.
The group changed its name to New Order and decided not to play Joy Division songs at their early gigs. A switch to electronic music also helped distance themselves from their previous incarnation.
Pantera
They may not want to admit it, but hard-edged rockers Pantera once had a much softer side. When the group formed in 1981, glam rock was the focus, despite the fact that this genre had left its heyday behind in the 1970s.
Dimebag Darrell was known as “Diamond” Darrell at that point, but there was little sparkle surrounding Pantera and their first three albums. In 1986, singer Phil Anselmo joined the band, and Pantera enjoyed overdue success with their new, heavy direction.
Slade
It’s never been easy to pigeonhole UK rockers Slade: They are most frequently identified with the glam rock movement, but while their stage costumes fitted that glitzy scene, the songs had a harder edge.
Before all that, the group started as Ambrose Slade and they were a punk band. With little commercial success, they grew their hair long, cut their name, and became one of the best-selling acts of the 1970s.
Spandau Ballet
Looking back, Spandau Ballet will always be linked with the New Romantic movement, but there is a huge difference between their earlier work and their later catalog.
The band’s debut single 1980’s “To Cut a Long Story Short,” shows a harder edge and the involvement with the New Romantic sound is more obvious. Contrast that with their 1983 hit “True,” and it’s clear that Spandau Ballet had shifted to a softer, more ballad-led image.
Dexys Midnight Runners
The style of music showcased in Dexys Midnight Runners’ first two albums couldn’t have been more different. 1980’s Searching for the Young Soul Rebels featured an entire brass section, that spawned the hit single “Geno” along with a host of other great tracks.
By 1982, the brass had gone, and Kevin Rowland led the band in a completely new direction. The album Too-Rye-Ay featured Celtic rhythms and Dexys’ biggest hit, “Come on Eileen.” Over forty years later, fans of the band are divided over which era was the best.
Split Enz
If you’ve heard of Split Enz, you’ll likely know them as the precursor to New Zealand’s most successful band, Crowded House. If you’ve heard any of their music, it probably includes their 1980 hit, “I Got You.”
By that stage, Neil Finn had joined his brother Tim in the band, and Split Enz headed in a new direction. That 1980 number one was a melodic and catchy tune, but the group had started in 1972 with a much heavier progressive/art rock style.
Deep Purple
Their legacy will focus on the world of heavy rock, and only a few Deep Purple fans will remember how the band started. When they formed in 1968, the group’s early recordings included a more melodic style, centered around original vocalist Rod Evans.
Deep Purple’s debut single “Hush” underlines their sound at the time. Similarly to Status Quo, they abandoned the hippy and psychedelic eras and found their style among the developing heavy metal movement.
Beastie Boys
Before they took their brand of brash hip-hop around the world, the Beastie Boys were just another punk band. In 1979, Mike D was part of a group known as The Young Aborigines, which failed to make any impression on the charts.
The band changed its name to Beastie Boys when Adam Yauch joined in 1981. It didn’t take long before they switched to their genius hip-hop style, and their transformation was complete.
The Cult
A band with a long history stretching back over forty years, The Cult now falls into the generic “rock” category. In their early days, they flirted with post-punk and the early goth movement and were tough to pigeonhole.
Between their first album Dreamtime, and the 1985 follow-up Love, there was a noticeable progression. Love was full of goth influences, and won The Cult many new followers. Those fans were therefore shocked when the band went “heavy metal” with the next album. 1987’s Electric was a surprising departure and one which split the fanbase.
