10 Greatest One Man Band Albums

10. Both Sides - Phil Collins

A lot of rancor has been thrown Phil Collins for being the one who dumbed down Genesis for the pop market. Although he may not have even wanted to tidy up the sound all that much, the fact that the bald pariah of prog rock stepped up to the plate and made something like Invisible Touch has some fans still unwilling to forgive him for his crimes. Then again, it's not like Collins forgot his musical chops along the way.

Across his solo album Both Sides, Collins is the real deal on almost every single track, playing virtually every instrument save for a few orchestral arrangements in the background. Keep in mind this came at a time when Collins was working on his own while Genesis was in a bit of a tailspin, giving each of these tracks a bit of a world weary sound to them.

Compared to his usual solo work, there's not really that many In the Air Tonights to speak of on this record, instead being a plaintive look into Phil's creative process that he'd kept under wraps when being behind the kit for so long. For as much as the music community was itching to slag him off at the time, Both Sides is Phil Collins breaking off ties with both his prog past and pop present to make way for an even more adventurous future.