12 Greatest Ever Hard Rock Solo Artists

Hard rock has always been a band-centric genre. Given the amount of volume that you need to put into every single speaker, it's always best to be known as a collective rather than just one single entity. Then again, some artists are so talented that they can often do just as well on their own.

Of course, solo artists can come from all sorts of different places. Whereas many artists rise to the forefront from the ashes of another band, some have launched their own fully-fledged band and put their name on it rather than assigning a creative name. At the same time, bands have come to the forefront who started out as a collective group, but the focus quickly shifted into one person's beast over time.

Sometimes, a band even finds it easier to slap a name on their project rather than take all the spotlight for themselves, which has led to a "solo" effort that features more collaborative elements. Regardless of which way, shape, or form, these acts have given the rock world their fair share of thrashings without having to ask for help from their cronies.

It seems a daunting task, but sometimes, you CAN make it on your own.

At the start of the 80's, hair metal didn't really have a name yet. While everyone was starting to ride the coattails of Van Halen , the earlier decade of mullet rock was still lingering. When some of these bands were taking the cheesier elements of their predecessors, Bon Jovi emerged on the scene to blaze the trail for hair metal.

As opposed to the more manufactured products at the tail end of the decade, Jon Bon Jovi had a band around him who could really play, with Richie Sambora delivering an extremely tasteful combination of bluesy fire and pop hooks. Even though the band is technically its own entity, the origins show it to be Jon's vehicle through and through.

From the first single "Runaway," Jon has been the primary focus and actually assembled the band after he had cut his biggest hit by himself. However, their collaborative years in the 80's yielded some of the band's greatest successes like Slippery When Wet and New Jersey.

As time has gone on, the band's sound and mindset has shifted to be an elaborate version of Jon's solo outfit. Though we may be a ways away from hard rock these days, what Bon Jovi gave to the hair metal genre is nothing short of miraculous.