List of musicians changed career with better success...


Hi I followed musicians from certain bands that were much higher class and caliber than the band they used to play and here’s my nominees:

1. Mike Stern -- Blood Sweat and Tears reached his prime as virtuoso fusion guitarist and set up quite a few interesting projects
2. John Paul Jones -- Led Zeppelin. He can play various instruments and created great projects especially one with Diamanda Galas which is far more creative than his carreer in Led Zeppelin.
3. Andy Summers -- Police became jazz guitarist and created great albums in 90’s
4. Gary Brooker -- Procol Harum -- pianist and vocal of Procol Harum. His solo albums are more interesting than ones with Procol Harum
5. Colin James Hay -- Men At Work -- multi-instrumentalist, bassist and vocal released very few albums that are definitely beyond the class of Man At Work
6. Steve Stevens -- guitarist who performed with Billy Idol created great solo albums...
7. Finally among the Beatles, I believe the most successful solo career that goes beyond the Beatles I believe belongs to George Harrison.

Welcome to chip-in...
czarivey
I would submit Natalie Merchant after leaving 10,000 Maniacs.
Diana Ross after she left The Supremes.
Rod Stewart after leaving The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces.
Eric Clapton after time with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers , The Yardbirds, and Cream.
I personally put the early work of Clapton in a very high place. Every bit of it.  Some of the post-Blind Faith solo work hits me but I find so much of it to be over-commercialized and totally disposable.  Different strokes.
And I feel somewhat the same about Rod.
David Sylvian since he left (or disbanded?) Japan.
Phil Collins post Genesis is a good  example of commercial success and (for my tastes) musical degradation...

Ministry - went from synth pop to thrash metal/punk and never looked back. 


sevs - Speaking of Japan, did you ever hear their first LP?  It was a really bad arena rock attempt.  Nothing like the New Romantic sound they went for afterwards.


Also, sevs, I think Peter Gabriel moved in a great direction after Genesis.


Chrissie Hynde went from music reviewer to lead singer of the Pretenders.


Oh, - Robert Gordon did fair as a punk rocker, but his career improved once he embraced Rockabilly.