Top 10 Band Members Who Flopped the Hardest as Solo Artists

Some band members, such as Paul McCartney, Sting, Phil Collins, and Justin Timberlake, have had great solo careers. However, others have failed to build a successful solo career.

For this list, we are taking into account artists who were part of a successful music group. This could be a rock band, boy band, girl group, or something similar. They tried to go solo but failed to make waves on the charts. These artists must have released at least one studio album to be eligible for this list.

Which band member do you think flopped the hardest as a solo artist?

1. Joe Jonas

   

   Joseph Adam "Joe" Jonas (born August 15, 1989) is an American singer and actor. Jonas first rose to fame as a member of the pop-rock band Jonas Brothers, along with his brothers Kevin and Nick.

   After the band officially broke up, Jonas began working on a new musical project with producers such... read more

   While the Jonas Brothers were on hiatus in the early 2010s, Joe Jonas released his only solo album to this day, "Fastlife" (2011), which was influenced by R&B and electropop. None of the singles were successful, and the album charted at #15 on the Billboard 200.

   A few years later, he formed DNCE, who scored a hit in 2016 with "Cake By the Ocean," and reunited with the JoBros in 2019.

2. Michelle Williams

   

   Tenitra Michelle Williams is an American R&B, pop, and gospel recording artist. She rose to fame in the 2000s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling female groups of all time, with over 60 million records sold. More than 35 million of those were with the trio lineup that included Williams... read more

   The lesser-known Destiny's Child member never managed to make it big solo, unlike Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland. Since 2002, she has released four solo albums, but none of them achieved significant chart success.

3. Nate Ruess

   

   Nathaniel Joseph Ruess is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer of the indie pop band Fun. and was previously a member of The Format. In 2015, he began performing as a solo artist and released his debut album Grand Romantic.

   Nate Ruess really thought he could make it big as a solo artist after Fun. became runaway sensations in 2012 with "We Are Young" and "Some Nights." His duet with P!nk, "Just Give Me a Reason," also hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. He disbanded Fun. at the peak of their success to focus on his solo career.

   In 2015, he released "Grand Romantic," his only solo album to this day. While it charted at an honorable #7 on the Billboard 200, it failed to generate hits. What a way to crash your career on takeoff!

4. Patrick Stump

   

   Patrick Martin Stumph, known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor, and music critic. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, pianist, and composer of the rock band Fall Out Boy. Stump has also released solo work and... read more

   When Fall Out Boy first split in 2009, Patrick Stump took time to focus on his solo career and released Soul Punk (2011), an R&B-infused album that was very different from FOB's sound. It only charted at #47 on the Billboard 200, and the only single released from the album tanked.

5. Tom Morello

   

   Thomas Morello is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and political activist. He's best known for his tenure with the band Rage Against the Machine and later with Audioslave. Morello's also known for his innovative guitar style and his solo project, The Nightwatchman.... read more

   The guitarist, best known for his work with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, released his first solo album, The Atlas Underground, in 2018 to mixed reviews. It charted at #141 on the Billboard 200, and his following albums never charted. It goes to show that not every guitarist, no matter how great, can have the same solo careers as Slash or Carlos Santana.

6. Mel B

   

   Melanie Janine Brown (born May 29, 1975), known professionally as Mel B, is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. She gained international fame in the 1990s as a member of the Spice Girls, where she was nicknamed Scary Spice. The group has sold over 85 million records worldwide... read more

   Despite having a #1 hit in the UK in 1998 with "I Want You Back," the Spice Girl known as Scary Spice never really made it big as a solo artist. She released two albums: 2000's "Hot" (#28 on the UK albums chart) and 2005's "L.A. State of Mind" (did not chart).

7. JC Chasez

   

   The former *NSYNC member tried to go solo when he released his 2004 album, Schizophrenic, his only solo album to this day. Unlike his bandmate Justin Timberlake, he failed to make waves on the charts. His sophomore album, which was initially planned for a 2007 release, was canceled, and he parted ways with Jive Records.

8. Natalie Maines

   

   The lead singer from The Chicks (formerly known as Dixie Chicks) released a solo album, Mother, in 2013. It only consisted of covers and charted at #17 on the Billboard 200.

9. Marcus Mumford

   The lead singer from Mumford & Sons released a 2022 solo album, Self-Titled, which charted at #4 on the UK albums chart but did not receive any certification.

10. Bruce Dickinson

    

    Paul Bruce Dickinson (born August 7, 1958) is an English musician, airline pilot, and broadcaster. He's best known as the lead singer of Iron Maiden and for his solo career.

    Outside music, Dickinson worked as a commercial pilot for Astraeus Airlines and flew Iron Maiden's converted charter aircraft... read more

    Just because you're one of the greatest frontmen in rock and metal doesn't mean you'll have an equally successful solo career. Bruce Dickinson learned that the hard way when he left Iron Maiden to pursue a solo career. Thankfully, his reunion with Iron Maiden proved to be successful for him and for the band, who were declining with Blaze Bayley.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Dave Stewart

    Despite his 1989 instrumental "Lily Was Here" being a worldwide hit, Dave Stewart's solo career never really took off. Today, he's best remembered for being the other half of Eurythmics alongside Annie Lennox.

12. ?

    Liam Payne

    

    Liam James Payne (August 29, 1993 - October 16, 2024) was an English singer and songwriter. He made his debut as a singer when he auditioned as a solo artist for the British television series The X Factor in 2008. His audition song was "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra.

    His 2017 debut single "Strip That Down" and his 2018 duet with Rita Ora "For You" from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack were hits. But the following singles flopped, just like his album LP1.

    He could've had a chance at redemption in 2024, but he died accidentally after falling off a three-story hotel in Buenos Aires. Talk about a failed solo career.

The Contenders

13. Billy Corgan

    

    William Patrick "Billy" Corgan Jr. is an American musician, songwriter, producer, television writer, poet, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and only permanent member of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan also owns and operates the... read more

    The lead singer of The Smashing Pumpkins released four unsuccessful solo albums.

14. Dee Dee Ramone

    

    Douglas Glenn Colvin, known professionally as Dee Dee Ramone, was a German-American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member, primary songwriter, bassist, and occasional lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Ramones. Dee Dee was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the... read more

15. Blaze Bayley

    

    Blaze Bayley is an English singer, musician, songwriter, and lyricist. He was the lead singer of Wolfsbane from 1984 to 1994 and returned to the band in 2010 following reunions in 2007 and 2009.

    Bayley also served as the lead singer for Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999. Since then, he has released... read more

16. Keith Richards

    

    Keith Richards is an English musician, primarily a guitarist, as well as a singer, songwriter, best-selling memoirist, and founding member of the rock band The Rolling Stones. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in rock history. Richards has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall... read more

17. Tommy Lee

    

    Thomas Lee Bass, known professionally as Tommy Lee, is an American musician of Greek and Irish descent. He is the founding member and drummer of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. In addition to his music career, he has been known for his high-profile personal life and involvement in various reality television... read more

    The drummer from Mötley Crüe released three solo albums, but none of them made waves on the charts.

18. Grace Slick

    

    Grace Barnett Slick is an American singer-songwriter, musician, artist, and former model. She became widely known in rock and roll history for her role in San Francisco's psychedelic music scene in the mid-1960s. Slick was the lead singer for Jefferson Airplane and later for Jefferson Starship.... read more

    The Jefferson Airplane frontwoman released four solo albums, which were all unsuccessful. There's no chance she will release new albums anytime soon though, because she retired from music in 1990.

19. Roger Daltrey

    

    Roger Harry Daltrey is an English singer and actor. He rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the founder and lead vocalist of the rock band The Who. The group released fourteen Top 10 singles in the United Kingdom across the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including "I Can't Explain", "My Generation", "Substitute... read more

    Despite his 1973 debut solo single, "Giving It All Away," charting at #5 on the UK Singles Chart, Roger Daltrey's solo career never really took off. That didn't stop him from releasing 10 solo albums, the latest being released in 2018.

20. Scott Stapp

    

    Scott Stapp is an American singer, songwriter, and musician, known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of hard rock bands Creed and Art of Anarchy. He also has two solo albums: The Great Divide (2005) and Proof of Life (2013). Stapp is recognized for his distinctive baritone voice and anthemic songwriting... read more

    Despite his 2005 debut solo album, The Great Divide, being platinum-certified (according to the RIAA), the Creed lead singer failed to really make it big solo. Case in point, his 2013 sophomore album, Proof of Life, charted at #39 on the Billboard 200, and his 2019 album, The Space Between the Shadows, charted at #137.

21. Pete Townshend

    

    Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the lead guitarist and primary songwriter for the rock band The Who. He is considered one of the most influential rock guitarists and composers of all time. Townshend has also... read more

    While two of his solo albums have received gold or platinum certifications, his solo career was quite inconsistent. It has been three decades since he last released a solo album.

22. Gerard Way

    

    Gerard Arthur Way (born April 9, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and comic book writer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and co-founder of the alternative rock band My Chemical Romance, which formed in September 2001 and disbanded in March 2013.... read more

    He released his only solo album, Hesitant Alien, in 2014. It didn't even reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200.

23. Belinda Carlisle

    

    Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's. The Go-Go's were one of the most successful all-female bands in music history, known for their pop-punk sound in the 1980s. Carlisle later launched a solo career with hits like Heaven Is a Place on... read more

24. Graham Coxon

    

25. Mick Jagger

    

    Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the lead vocalist and a co-founder of the Rolling Stones. With a career spanning more than six decades, he has become one of the most influential frontmen in rock music history. Jagger was knighted in 2003 for... read more

    The Rolling Stones frontman released four solo albums. Some of them received certifications ranging from silver to platinum, but he definitely does not have the same energy as a solo artist that he has with the Stones.

26. Linda Perry

    

    After the 4 Non Blondes split, she released one solo album that flopped. She later became known as a songwriter for artists such as Pink, Christina Aguilera, and Gwen Stefani.

27. Brian May

    

    Brian Harold May (born July 19, 1947) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist. He is best known as the lead guitarist of Queen. He co-founded the band in 1970 and contributed iconic guitar parts and vocal harmonies on hits like Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, and Another One... read more