American Songwriter has published a retrospective piece looking at three pop and R&B performers who left successful groups to launch acclaimed solo careers during the 1980s. The article traces how George Michael, Lionel Richie and Bobby Brown each stepped away from established acts at the height of their popularity, a bold move that ultimately reshaped their careers and produced some of the decade's most memorable hits.

George Michael departed Wham!, the duo he formed with Andrew Ridgeley, to release his debut solo album Faith in 1987, featuring the title track and "Freedom! 90". Lionel Richie left Motown group the Commodores, issuing a self-titled solo album in 1982 before his 1983 breakthrough Can't Slow Down, which included "Hello" and "All Night Long". Bobby Brown exited New Edition in the mid-1980s and released his debut solo record, King of Stage, in 1986, the first of five solo albums he put out during the decade.