4 Artists Who Stepped Away From Popular Bands To Record Standout 1982 Albums

The music scene was changing at a blistering pace in the early 80s. Established artists had to make crucial decisions about how to proceed. In many cases, that meant well-known singers leaving their long-time bands. In some cases, they were gone for good. And in others, it was just a little hiatus. No matter the scenario, these four important albums from 1982 showed off just how prevalent that going-solo trend was at the time.

‘The Nightfly’ by Donald Fagen

Steely Dan was the quintessential 70s act, with their studio perfectionism matched with ennui-drenched lyrics. As the 80s dawned, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker finally started to feel the strain of their meticulous tendencies and decided to part ways. But Fagen headed back into the studio not long after to begin yet another drawn-out album-making process. The Nightfly allowed him to try writing in a thematic bent, something that he’d never done with the Dan. He manages to combine some of the gee-golly enthusiasm of growing up in the 50s with the well-worn cynicism of a guy looking back at that era. And he does so with hooks aplenty on tracks like “I.G.Y.” and “New Frontier”.

‘Hello, I Must Be Going!’ by Phil Collins

Phil Collins pulled off something of a miracle with Face Dances, his 1981 debut solo album. The guy known for the meandering soundscapes of Genesis (at least as they were then constructed) pulled off a chilly singer-songwriter effort that found a mass audience. When he returned with Hello, I Must Be Going! a year later, he broadened his approach with some more overtly crowd-pleasing tendencies. The Motown cover “You Can’t Hurry Love” was a layup for him, while the horn-drenched “It Don’t Matter To Me” showed off his playful side. On the flip side, he went back to the imposing tone of Face Value now and again, most notably on the hammering “I Don’t Care Anymore”.

‘Pictures At Eleven’ by Robert Plant

For just a short stretch of time, Robert Plant actually thought of shucking music to the side in the wake of John Bonham’s death in 1980 and Led Zeppelin’s subsequent breakup. Eventually, he started to find the old creative fire once again. When he returned with one of the finest albums of 1982, Pictures At Eleven, he found himself both trying to branch out a bit and making concessions to the rocker that he once was. He placed the latter vibes up front and center with the singles “Burning Down One Side” and “Pledge Pin”, both of which allow Plant to aggressively wail like the old days. But much of the remainder of the album stays on the atmospheric side. He’d lean into that type of music much more on his solo LPs to come.

‘Lionel Richie’ by Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie transformed The Commodores during his time with the band. When they began in the mid-70s, they focused on a harder-edged, funk-based sound. But once Richie started churning out pillowy ballads that crossed over with regularity to the pop charts, they couldn’t really turn back. Having duetted with Diana Ross on the monster single “Endless Love” at the start of the decade, Richie’s self-titled debut couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Lo and behold, his very first single, “Truly”, scratched the public’s itch for his sensitive balladry and hit No. 1. The soulful “My Love” and sprightly “You Are” showed his versatility, and Richie as a solo juggernaut was off and running.

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