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, etc. 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?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.
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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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



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.
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.
