Top Musicians/Bands Who Found Success in Other Genres
We al know that it didn’t work for Bruce Springsteen. But changing your genre should either be a breeze for a really great musician, or it can fail horribly for the ‘musician’ who wants more likes on Youtube for example. If music is your passion and you are a musician first and foremost, learning about a new genre is an absolute bonus for their following. Here is a list of artists who have successfully added a different genre to their repertoire.
Darius Rucker
From a fairly successful cover artist to alternative, to country. Why do so many American musicians prefer the country genre? Is it because they know the market is wide and the material not too difficult to master? That said, every second musician you meet will have a country song or two in their repertoire. Darius Rucker is one of the few people who really got it right in spite of starting off in a completely different genre.
Katy Perry
From gospel to pop. It may be that she didn’t give up her religion when she became famous, however, Katy Perry has completely moved away from gospel and started gaining popularity when she enlisted the help of producer Glen Ballard. As many gospel or Christian bands will tell you, the music industry is tough and making it big in a specialized genre with a smaller possible following, can be fatal to a young artist’s career. Katy Perry has a beautiful voice and we are happy she could make it big!
Kenny Rogers
Another one who left their original genre for country. Did you know that Kenny Rogers was an accomplished but not yet famous jazz and rock artist? We only took note of him when Lucille hit our radios. And the Gambler was the one that got him into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Youtube still has some of his earlier work and you will be surprised at his skill as rock artist.
Ed Sheeran
From behind the scenes pop music, to singing his own songs, to dabbling in rap. Ed has been given a lot of flack by media these days after his latest album was released. Since his earlier days, he has been writing songs for Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, to name but a few. In spite of the fact that Ed wrote something like more than 200 possible songs for his latest album, the change in genre showcases his musical ability is almost not from this earth. Why do certain people feel they have the claim on a genre? Well done Ed, we cannot wait to see what else you come with next!
Elvis
Did you know that Elvis first sang in his church choir? His contributions to music include rock, country and gospel. Few people are aware of the fact that he started by singing gospel since he was so judged for the way he used his hips. Church goers often boycotted his shows, not even realising that the man was religious himself and had his start in the gospel industry.
