Some classic rock icons who made names for themselves earlier in the 20th century staged an incredible return to form in the 90s with comebacks that should be talked about more in the modern day. The following three icons and bands are fantastic examples of musicians making incredible comebacks, in my opinion. And if you were around in the 90s to experience these comebacks, you might just agree with me.
Neil Young
When one thinks of folk rock’s peak in the 1970s, Neil Young inevitably comes to mind. Ahead of dropping his magnum opus, Harvest, in 1972, he was also an icon of folk in the 1960s with Buffalo Springfield. But by the early 1980s, Young’s popularity had more or less faded for a while. That is, until the grunge movement of the 90s resurrected him. Or did he inspire it?
Some would say that Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World” and Ragged Glory inspired the grunge sound. Either way, he earned the nickname “the Godfather of Grunge” and would get namedropped by the likes of Nirvana and Pearl Jam as an inspiration. By 1995, he had made it back to the Top 10 with the No. 5 hit record, Mirror Ball, which featured Pearl Jam.
Santana
Maybe I’m biased, considering Carlos Santana is one of my favorite guitarists of all time. But, considering how strong of a comeback his 1999 hit song “Smooth” was, I think he’s worthy of a spot on this list.
Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Santana and his band of the same name had hit Latin rock records out the gate, with albums like Abraxas and Santana III hitting the top of the Billboard 200. By the 80s, the band’s popularity and success on the charts had waned. The record Milagro from 1992 didn’t even break the Top 100. Then, a few years later in 1999, the band was back at the top of the charts (all of the charts, in fact) with Supernatural. That iconic album featured the Rob Thomas collab “Smooth”, which was basically the song of the year. From then through the 2010s, the band enjoyed Top 20 albums back-to-back.
Aerosmith
The rock band Aerosmith kicked off their career in the early 1970s with a bang, enjoying nothing but Top 40 records through the rest of the decade. Their 80s and 90s output, though, drew mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. I think they more than deserve a spot on our list of classic rock bands that staged killer 90s comebacks, simply because both of their 90s records (Get A Grip and Nine Lives) managed to stay at the top of the Billboard 200 despite going up against the grunge explosion of the era. Aerosmith endured, and they did so gloriously.
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