10 Musicians That Saved Their Careers By Changing Genres
The True Musical Chameleons.
When you finally find success in music, it can be oddly restricting. As opposed to finally getting your freedom, you also start to feel the added pressure of trying to reproduce the same type of magic over and over again on each record. However, it's the risk takers who end up paying off in the long run.
Throwing caution to the wind, each of these artists managed to move outside of their respective genres and come through with great records anyway. Instead of being dead in the water, these artists used these new sounds to their advantage, turning into completely different musicians as a result of it. While the foundations of their earlier work is still accounted for, the difference in musical construct from one song to the next is almost like night and day. That didn't come without it's fair share of pushback though, with most of the core fanbase of each of these artists chastising them for daring to step out of their comfort zone.
Considering these artists are still being talked about as the greatest in their field, it's fair to say that they've had the last laugh on their critics in the end. This might not be the sound you're looking for, but it might just be the sound that you need.
10. Bruce Springsteen
Ever since making it big with Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen has certainly carved out a unique voice for himself. Being as relatable as your average Joe across the street, the way Bruce puts real life grit into his songs all but invented the heartland rock that we know and love today. You'd say that now though....not so much when he was just getting the ball rolling.
While still in the realm of rock and roll, Springsteen's early bids for the top were a lot more word-y and rambly than many would have preferred. On albums like The Wild The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle, Springsteen's real voice hadn't been fully dialed in yet. Though the actual stories are still amazing, the delivery seems to have a bit too much in common with Bob Dylan, which the critics absolutely loved.
That wasn't really a lane that Springsteen was all that comfortable with though, which led to him kicking down the door of rock and roll with Born to Run, bringing with him an added sense of drama and some of the greatest stand alone stories condensed into just a few minutes. Even though his first records were beautiful for what they were, it took a bit more effort before Springsteen was actually appointed to the Boss.