Bands that dramatically changed their sound for the better?

[nickpc]

I just commented about this thread to my daughter, and she brought up what should have been the #1 example:

Taylor Swift

3 Album of the Year awards in 3 different categories - I think that qualifies.

 

[Richland123]

Alanis Morissette went from a dance pop teenager to an angst rocker. This one is a very drastic change.

 

[Richland123]

None of that was Billy stretching even a little.
I was thinking more along the lines of no Billy vocals and not Billy songs, not ZZ formula again.
Billy adding his guitar slinging to different songs by a different creative force... maybe even covering great blues songs from past masters.
Even more, I would like to see a change of pace from Angus Young, the few times I've seen video of him jamming with other people it was great.

I agree. Billy sure likes to stay in his comfort zone.

 

[mrcbass]

I would have to say Pink Floyd. They have moved from their underground psychedelic rock beginnings to a much fuller and more melodic sounding progressive act. Quite a difference over their lifespan thus far, IMHO.

This is the band I was going to add. I personally have no love for the Sid Barret psychedelic era of the Floyd. Am huge fan of the Gilmore version.

I haven't read the whole thread, but a couple of other of my favs have morphed over the decades. Can't say better or worse as I enjoy all of their eras:
I consider the Doobie Brothers to have 5 distinct eras: Pre-Michael McDonald (early 70s), with Michael McDonald (mid-late 70s), the "reunion years" (late 80s) and post reunion (90s -~2000), post Tiran era.

Little Feat is a chameleon when it comes to genre. In my book, there's the Lowell George era and the Paul Barrere era. I like both, but prefer the latter; every album they put out has a distinct flavor, but always packed with quality and energy.

 

[marchone]

Spinal Tap.

 

[Richland123]

Bryan Adams quickly went from disco with "Let Me Take You Dancing" to pop, rock, and power ballads.

 

[Richland123]

Rick Springfield switched from bubblegum tunes to pop rock.

 

[Richland123]

Styx was very much a prog band for their first several albums before becoming a hit making machine.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Please, only bands that changed dramatically -- enough to be considered a different genre -- and that most people would agree improved as a result. We can all name a million bands that simply got old and lazy, or sold out.

Retro-Garage




Electro-Metal




Hip-Hop Rave





Epic

 

[JamesAG]

Alanis Morissette went from a dance pop teenager to an angst rocker. This one is a very drastic change.

I only really became aware of Alanis Morissette around the "Jagged Little Pill" release (her first international hits) - a beautiful woman who released some very powerful songs. (Yes, I'll admit it, I thought she was damn hot back then ... and she still is today!)

Today, nearly 20 years later, many of those songs still hold up, unlike her earlier "very 1980s" pop releases.

Looking at the theme of this thread, I'm debating if the Rolling Stones belong on it or not. On one hand, they've "been around for a long, long years" (coming up on 60 years in 2022), but at the same time, they've remained very much "the Rolling Stones" over those decades. Listening to their catalog, a Stones song from the 1960s is not all that different from a Stones song from the 1990s - the production quality has gotten better, but the basic formula is still the same - their foundation in classic R&B is unmistakable.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Alanis Morissette went from a dance pop teenager to an angst rocker. This one is a very drastic change.

Conversely, Matt LeBlanc has remained steadfastly "Matt LeBlanc" .

 

[Paul New]

Pretty hard to deny that Fleetwood Mac and Rumors were incredible albums, Buckingham/Nicks were hired and lightning struck twice.
I liked the Bob Welch years as well, especially Mystery To Me album.

There's no denying that the Nicks/Buckingham and the earlier pop sound of Mystery to Me are vastly more popular, but I and a small hard core of blues fans much prefer the blues band. I agree this is a minority opinion. I did once own a copy of Rumors, but traded it for an Stax Albert King album of Elvis songs, King Does the King's Thing.

 

[Snarf]

Alanis Morissette went from a dance pop teenager to an angst rocker. This one is a very drastic change.

I have to admit I prefer pop Alanis to angry Alanis. But I am a huge cheeseball. And the production style of mid-90's rock doesn't do anything for me at all.

 

[Richland123]

Petra morphed from a country and straight forward rock band into an arena rock and metal band over the years after changing lineups several times.

 

[RayWithFlats]

The doo-wop Parliaments' transformation into acid funk rock Funkadelic's transformation, into flashlight wielding disco - mmm, no not disco - the most danceable funk of Parliament, while keeping the rock sound of Funkadelic. Not to mention the arena rock outer space spectacle that the Parliafunkadelicment thang P-Funk Earth Tour was. Or Bootsy.


Notice the lyrics

Notice the bass line

Notice Boogie Mosson on Rickenbacker and Eddie Hazel at 2:51

James Brown too. He was already great but went up another gear (IMO) when he moved from straight R&B to harder, pure rhythmic funk. I guess everyone gets better when they hire Bootsy!

 

[BrotherRay]

James Brown too. He was already great but went up another gear (IMO) when he moved from straight R&B to harder, pure rhythmic funk. I guess everyone gets better when they hire Bootsy!

Truth. He went from basic R&B to never heard before funk. Not to take anything from Bootsy' contribution, (kuz ya cain't) to be historically accurate, he was already funk when Bootsy was hired. EVERYBODY was freaked out by Cold Sweat!

 

[Michedelic]

I’m surprised no one has yet mentioned the Paul DiAnno/Bruce Dickinson dichotomy of Iron Maiden.

 

[Feral Feline]

I loved Hunters & Collectors immediately when I first heard "Talking To A Stranger", rushed out to buy the album above from the University record store.



I was a headphone freak at the time, and would lie on the chesterfield and listen to albums over and over. For this album though, I'd get up and pick up the needle and drop it past this song:



It freaked me out at first, but I eventually learned to love "Scream Who", too.



Then the band changed direction, more mainstream straight-ahead pop-rock:






Certainly the sound changed, but "for the better" is subjective. I imagine the band's pocketbook was changed for the better, but I still prefer the early exploratory Hunters & Collectors.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

R.E.M.

 

[Richland123]

The Goo Goo Dolls started out as a punk band and became a pop band.