5 Solo Hits That Prove These Artists Were Bigger Than the Bands That Made Them Famous

The article highlights five solo hits by musicians who first became famous in major rock bands, arguing that their individual success showed they could command attention beyond the groups that launched their careers. The songs also mark different stages in their careers, from a fresh start after leaving a band to a continuation of an already established legacy.

The examples are Stevie Nicks’s “Edge of Seventeen”, Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer”, Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way”, Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Band on the Run”, and Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”. The article notes that Mike Campbell wrote Henley’s song for Tom Petty, who turned it down, while Walsh released his track after leaving the James Gang; McCartney’s hit followed the Beatles, and Osbourne’s came on his first solo album after Black Sabbath.