10 Greatest Career Resurrections In Rock History
8. Damon Albarn
After the Britpop revolution died with a whimper after Oasis' Be Here Now, it felt like Blur were about to win the war for England's pop throne. Since they outlasted their Mancunian adversaries, it was time for the lads to actually seize the opportunity and lead the youth into the next generation. So they put one foot forward and...went on hiatus.
Even though most of the goodwill of each member seemed lost, Damon Albarn's post-'90s career began in earnest once he met Jamie Hewlett. Being roommates watching MTV day after day, Albarn got the inspired idea of working with Hewlett on an imaginary band, which morphed into the seeds of Gorillaz. Never really liking the frontman role to begin with, this afforded Albarn the opportunity to work with some of his favorite artists while never really having to show his face.
As time has gone on, Gorillaz has continued to be the one "side project" that has some serious legs of its own, finding just as many fans in the world of pop and hip hop as it has with Albarn's hangers on from Britpop. For as much as the spectacle suited Blur in the '90s, no amount of media attention can ever take away your knack for making incredible music.