10 Best Solo Albums From Former Rock Band Members
Some rock superstars were made to go it alone.
As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and that includes great rock bands.
Be it on good terms or, most likely, via a series of ferocious arguments and fist fights, every band calls it a day at some point, even if only until they need more money for alimony cheques.
Whilst plenty of artists have returned to bands over the years, some have stuck it out and gone it alone, making a good career for themselves as a solo artist. There have been plenty of examples of musicians going solo in rock, but the following ten are some of the very best to ever take matters into their own hands.
A few disclaimers first; this list is only going to include albums that were released after the artists in question officially left their previous band or they broke up. For example, the album Bella Donna by Stevie Nicks was released whilst she was in Fleetwood Mac, so that won't be on here, even though it's excellent.
Also, this is not counting people who were in pokey bands in high school or college; that's cheating and you know it's cheating.
10. My Winter Storm - Tarja Turunen
Initially a prodigy in the field of classical music, Finnish singer Tarja Turunen surprised everyone when she co-founded a heavy metal band in 1996.
With her impressive vocal range and operatic stylings, Turunen helped catapult Nightwish to national and international fame, but things soon got dicey when she and her husband/manager started to drift apart from the other members. In 2005, the rest of the group published an open letter stating that they didn't want to work with Turunen anymore, accusing her of putting money over creativity.
Not to be deterred, the now-ex Nightwish singer embarked on a solo career, which led to the release of her second studio album, My Winter Storm, in 2007.
A mammoth 18-song project, the record received high praise for its overarching narrative and strong use of metaphor. Naturally, Turunen's beautiful singing voice was also a highlight.
Considering the star is now on solo album number eight and that she's found success in other mediums, such as appearing as a coach on the Finnish version of The Voice, that open letter feels a very long way away.