Best Comeback Singles Evah!

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

They'd been away, or they'd fallen from grace, or they'd been through hell, or anyway something had happened to make that new single very, very important indeed - and they pulled it off, it was one of the best things they ever did! But what was it, and who were they?

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 31 July 2003 08:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Honky Tonk Women. Before that single came out, everyone was like, "Pfft! Rolling Stones! Hahahahahaha! Who the hell listens to them anymore??" And then that song came out and it was like the greatest thing you ever heard.

― Evan (Evan), Thursday, 31 July 2003 08:56 (twenty-two years ago)

embrace. they were terrible. then they disappeared, came back with 'hooligan'. then they went downhill again. ah well.

― person#0 (person#0), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The Damned - Love Song.

The second albums was a crock of shit, there were all sorts of internal problems until eventually they split up.

Then they reformed; but without the guy who'd written the vast majority of their material (a major part of the reason they split up was because he wouldn't agree to them using the other guys' material because he reckoned it wasn't good enough), no-one seemed prepared to take the corpse, the clown and the cat-burglar seriously.

For a while they couldn't even use the name "Damned" for legal problems and discovered that as "The Doomed" they couldn't even get arrested outside London, let alone tour.

Eventually 'though, they managed to put all that behind them, convinced another record label to give them a contract (on the back of an almost equally good demo version of this same song) and they released this....

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:02 (twenty-two years ago)

New Order - Regret.

Shame about the album, mind.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Dr. Dre - "Still DRE"
I don't knwo if it counts as a comeback but MJ Blige's "Family Affair" is up there in my book
..and of course New Order - "Crystal"

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:05 (twenty-two years ago)

"Reverend Black Grape"

― Evan (Evan), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Kylie - Spinning Around

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life (shame about the rest of the comeback)
Madonna - Frozen

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 31 July 2003 10:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Still D.R.E.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 31 July 2003 10:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Human League-Tell Me When

― Paul R (paul R), Thursday, 31 July 2003 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Jane's Addiction's 'Just Because' has really grown on me, tho i wouldn't suggest it here (except i appear to just have)

tempted to say 'Expo 2000', heh

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 31 July 2003 11:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Sugababes - Freak Like Me

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 31 July 2003 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin

― pete b. (pete b.), Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

New Order's "Crystal" as well, shame about that album too.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I know I'm not supposed to call it one, but LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out

― Tom Breihan (Tom Breihan), Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:13 (twenty-two years ago)

what? ain't no shame about 'Get Ready'! Althought it does run out of steam halfway through, it's still a pretty great comeback album, so... Best Comeback Album Evah?!

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Dunno if it counts given that nothing really happened to them, but No Doubt's 'Hey Baby' just sounds like a comeback single.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm surprised that I'm the first one to mention Ignition (Remix). Now that was a comeback! Only in America.

― Leon Neyfakh, Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:24 (twenty-two years ago)

oh and England

only in America, and England.

― Leon Neyfakh, Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:25 (twenty-two years ago)

LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out

Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't call that a comeback.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"SOS" by Abba!!!! (They had three straight flops before that!!!)

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Thursday, 31 July 2003 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Aerosmith "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)"

― scott m (mcd), Thursday, 31 July 2003 13:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate Bush (again!) with "Running Up That Hill" - looked on fondly but not commercially as a bit of a kook at this point, 3 years after The Dreaming and 5 after any big hits, and suddenly this.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 31 July 2003 13:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Is "Lick it Up" considered a comeback single for KISS? I mean, it was the single off of their first unmasked album after a few poorly selling albums such as Unmasked, Music from the Elder, Creatures of the Night. IF that doesnt' count, lets not forget "Forever" from KISS' "Hot in the Shade" Was the first big hit, despite being co-written by Michael Bolton, for KISS after an absolutely abysmal late 1980's... so yeah, they're not the BEST evah, but noteworthy...

― Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Thursday, 31 July 2003 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

The Stone Roses - "Love Spreads"

― blutroniq (blutroniq), Thursday, 31 July 2003 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"Beautiful Day" - U2 coming back to rock after blowing it on Pop

― BrianB, Thursday, 31 July 2003 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

windmills "three sixty degrees"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 31 July 2003 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

the rolling stones - "jumping jack flash"

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Thursday, 31 July 2003 22:43 (twenty-two years ago)

cher - "believe"

― black plastic (black plastic), Friday, 1 August 2003 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

just out of curiosity--have we had a dr. dre thread yet? b/c i can't find one via search for obv reasons.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 1 August 2003 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Duran Duran's "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone" beat the pants off of everything else named herein. Dammit.

― Just Deanna (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 1 August 2003 20:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Wrong.

"MONEY IS NOT OUR GOD" by Killing Joke from 1990's Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 1 August 2003 20:59 (twenty-two years ago)

The Prisoners - "Shine On Me"

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Saturday, 2 August 2003 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

just out of curiosity--have we had a dr. dre thread yet? b/c i can't find one via search for obv reasons.

I'm pretty sure there's a C or D somewhere.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Saturday, 2 August 2003 00:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not sure this counts because the comeback really wasn't that comeback-y, but I loved "Rise" off the last Cult album.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Saturday, 2 August 2003 00:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't forget about Dre.

― Mark (MarkR), Saturday, 2 August 2003 00:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Honky Tonk Women. Before that single came out, everyone was like, "Pfft! Rolling Stones! Hahahahahaha! Who the hell listens to them anymore??"

presumably the same people who listened to "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Street Fighting Man," which came out a year earlier

― M Matos (M Matos), Saturday, 2 August 2003 01:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I assumed that was a joke

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Saturday, 2 August 2003 06:33 (twenty-two years ago)

not completely sure it was the comeback single, but tina turner's "better be good for me" is easily my fave solo thing of hers

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Saturday, 2 August 2003 06:36 (twenty-two years ago)

ELVIS! TWICE!

Stuck on You, I think - he didn't really know if he would have a career again after the army.

In the Ghetto - the legendary comeback as a serious artist after wasting the sixties on stupid films and trivial sountracks

Chuck Berry - No Particular Place To Go - after he was released from prison

Album: Neil Young: Freedom.

― plebian plebs (plebian), Saturday, 2 August 2003 06:45 (twenty-two years ago)

The Beegees - Jive Talkin'

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Saturday, 2 August 2003 08:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Streets of Philadelphia? Most of the Time? It's true about Come Undone, though.

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Saturday, 2 August 2003 10:44 (twenty-two years ago)

T. Rex-"Celebrate Summer"
Divinyls-"I Touch Myself"
Cyndi Lauper-"I Drove All Night"
David Bowie-"Absolute Beginners"
Kinks-"Better Days"
Grand Funk-"We're An American Band"
Boy George-"The Crying Game"
Debbie Harry-"I Want That Man" (The Thompson Twins gave away their best song ever! And nobody seemed to care. Poor Debbie.)

Favorite Comeback Album: Sparks-No. 1 in Heaven

― Arthur (Arthur), Saturday, 2 August 2003 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Kinks "Lola" - in North America, at any rate; it was their first hit in four years.

― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Sunday, 3 August 2003 20:52 (twenty-two years ago)

that's true - for my folx generation kinks 'sunny afternoon' ------> 'lola' is just a black hole

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Sunday, 3 August 2003 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

I would tend to agree with Duran Duran 'Ordinary World'.

From an Australian perspective though...

John Farnham, 'You're The Voice'

― Wordy, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 02:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Though I hated it when I first heard it, Weezer's "Hash Pipe" has grown on me quite a bit. And wasn't Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies" one too?

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 03:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Is "Lick it Up" considered a comeback single for KISS?

oh, where's alex in nyc when you need him?

speaking about the devil -- there was the Killing Joke song that got some airplay in my neck-of-the-woods in 1994 ("pandemonium") -- when the last thing heard from them anywhere near a chart was "living in the eighties."

― Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 03:07 (twenty-two years ago)

actually, i looked upthread AND ALEX LET THE KISS "COMEBACK" GO COMPLETELY UNCOMMENTED UPON!

what's up with that?

― Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 03:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Aerosmith's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" was pretty mighty stuff when compared to the crap they had done previously in the 80s.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Also:

Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence"
Their biggest hit in years, and a bloody great song too

R.E.M.'s "Daysleeper"
A huge leap in the right direction after two terrible and tuneless albums
Paul McCartney: "Young Boy"
His first huge US hit for, like 15 years or something

Culture Club: "I Just Want To Be Loved"
Their comeback hit was indeed their best single since "Love Is Love" from the "Electric Dreams" soundtrack

Human League: "Heart Like a Wheel"
Whoever mentioned "Tell Me When" must have overlooked this gem, produced by Martin Rushent like in the old days, and very much a return to form after the ill-advised "Crash" album

David Bowie: "Jump They Say"
The first thing he'd done for ten years or something that didn't make you want to throw up.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Bon Jovi 'Keep The Faith'

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 12:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Stereo MCs 'Deep Down And Dirty' (haha, i loved it)

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 12:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Three from when I was in law school...

Blondie "Maria"
Steely Dan "Cousin Dupree"
Fleetwood Mac's live version of "Silver Springs"

― John Fredland (jfredland), Thursday, 23 October 2003 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

bubba sparxxx - "deliverance"

― mohammed abba (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 23 October 2003 11:43 (twenty-two years ago)

The Dictators - Who Will Save Rock 'n' Roll?
Wire - In The Art of Stopping

Not sure if they're singles, but they've been played like they were on the radio.

― Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 23 October 2003 12:39 (twenty-two years ago)

The Stone Roses - "Love Spreads"

erm, just because it was the only tolerable moment on 'second coming' doesn't make it a comeback...

― paulhw (paulhw), Friday, 24 October 2003 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"Ten Storey Lovesong" was the only tolerable moment on "Second Coming". "Love Spreads" was not at all tolerable.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 24 October 2003 07:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Lycia - "We Back And We Funky"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 24 October 2003 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

(okay, so I made that one up)

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 24 October 2003 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Slade "Run Runaway" was actually the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. I don't think anyone brought it up -- curse you all! Though I don't know, maybe they never went away in the UK.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Friday, 24 October 2003 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

but 'Love Spreads' WAS a comeback single - and a decent one at that

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 24 October 2003 19:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Suede - 'Trash'
Dylan - 'Like a Rolling Stone'

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Friday, 24 October 2003 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)

How can "Love Spreads" be a comeback single when it was the first single after their successful debut with no intervening period of awfulness/obscurity?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 24 October 2003 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, maybe cos of the length of the 'intervening period'. (First three words of the thread: "They'd been away". The Stone Roses had been very away.)

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Friday, 24 October 2003 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, it wasn't the first single after their debut album. There was 'Fool's Gold' (which was great), and then 'One Love' (which was awful, one could argue, as you requested).

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Friday, 24 October 2003 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I disagree with a lot of the nominees above.

I might not disagree with "Run Runaway" by Slade, "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray, "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian, "Calling America" by ELO, or "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring, however. (Though I bet Slade and Golden Earring, at least, had been making good stuff all along.)

― chuck, Friday, 24 October 2003 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Not to mention "In the Ghetto" by Elvis Presley or "New York New York" by Frank Sinatra or "No Pain No Gain" by Betty Wright or "Peaceful World" by John Cougar Mellencamp or "Wishing All These Old Things Were New" by Merle Haggard or MAYBE "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton or...

― chuck, Friday, 24 October 2003 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

oops - just noticed somebody beat me to that slade song. (which means somebody might have beat me to some of the others, too, maybe.)

― chuck, Saturday, 25 October 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

three months pass...

Revive as I sing along to Calling America.

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Golden Earring's "Twilight Zone"

Yes! But, really--and since, what, 1964?--all they've done is go away and be awful in some manner and come back and be terrific in another and then sink into new oblivions and so on.

― Ian Grey (Ian_G), Friday, 30 January 2004 06:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Kelis - "Milkshake"

― Nick H (Nick H), Friday, 30 January 2004 12:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Bee Gees are responsible for two obvious entries here. First "Jive Talkin'" (which, opposed to their later disco stuff, was actually great), then "You Win Again" 12 years later when they were again considered hopelessly out of fashion)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 30 January 2004 14:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Band splits with lead singer, carried on but downward with new singer, split, got a bit back together with a new name, were rub, went oh sod it lets get the old name back, and came back with one of their best ever songs/singles.

Nothing Lasts Forever - Echo and the Bunnymen

I thang yew...

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 30 January 2004 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Whitney Houston - "It's Not right But It's OK"

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 30 January 2004 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Chuck - I don't know how "9 to 5" would be a "comeback" single for Dolly when "Here You Come Again" was such a lovely little nugget of sugar.

That said, my votes go to Dusty Springfield's guest shot on "What Have I Done to Deserve This," Aretha's "Freeway of Love" (did anyone actually like "Jump to It"?), Marmalade's "Falling Apart at the Seams," and Jefferson Starship's "Miracles" (I personally liked the stuff they did 1970-1974, but gauging from sales, no one else in the U.S. did).

― Joseph McCombs, Friday, 30 January 2004 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

in which parallel world is "like a rolling stone" a comeback single !!??

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Friday, 30 January 2004 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

way way way xpost....Mark, LL Cool J's Mama Said Knock You Out was considered a "comeback" of sorts, not strictly a commercial one, but it was him trying to get back the hardcore hip hop crowd that was very displeased with songs like Goin Back to Cali and I'm That Type of Guy.....It was him trying to get back the respect factor that he had back in the Jack the Ripper/Rock the Bells days....I think at the time he was being percieved as a Will Smith type of "entertainer"....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 30 January 2004 16:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm, I always considered that single to be a crossover attempt to win the alternative, Beasties crowd.

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Friday, 30 January 2004 16:11 (twenty-two years ago)

no way, the album is a total "back to the roots move"....that's the significance of working with Marley Marl on most of it....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 30 January 2004 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.