CaptainPlanet's Blog

Many popular musical groups have a break out star, however the question then becomes: are these stars better after they go solo, or should they have stayed loyal to their former group members?  Beyonce has become a household name and as a solo artist she has released many chart-topping tracks.  However, Destiny's Child was one of the prominent musical groups of  the last decade, and the unforgettable combination of her and Kelly Rowland is what's really Irreplaceable. (Note that I chose not to include Michelle Williams as one of the reasons Destiny's Child was so successful).  So is Beyonce better off solo or with Destiny's Child?  Diana Ross seemed to have no problem keeping audiences hanging on after she left the Supremes.  However this seemed to have a worse effect on the Supremes then on Diana.  Sting and the Police were broken up for years, however on this past weeks  American Idol, contestants chose to sing Police tracks such as Every Breath You Take.  In fact much of what Sting is famous for comes from his days with the Police.  I noticed that nobody chose to sing a track off of Songs from Labyrinth (Sting's latest album).  While we're on the subject of American Idol, we have to bring up Gwen Stefani.  While I guess she has enjoyed being a solo artist after planning her Sweet Escape from No Doubt, her sound has completely changed.  Was this for better or for worse? 

What other musical groups launched the careers of one breakout member, leaving the rest behind?  Is the solo artist usually better than the group? 

Note:  I realize that the exception to the rule is Justin Timberlake saying Bye, Bye, Bye to
N Sync.
 

*Off topic:  For those of you who happened to see the American Idol results show this week...what was Akon's purpose?  I believe he sang for a total of 11 seconds.  I'm not sure him and Gwen are the best combination...Nobody Wants to See Them Together.*