With the release of Paramore's new album, Twilight's Kristen Stewart rocking her best Joan Jett for an upcoming bio-pic and Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O leading an all-star cast of indie rockers on the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack, it's really not a bad time to be a chick in a rock band. But of course, all chicks fronting rock bands face the age-old question at some point: To go solo or not to go solo? It's a question Paramore's Hayley Williams had to quash when rumors swirled this summer over a possible solo move when she contributed a track to the Jennifer's Body soundtrack. She's stayed adamant that Paramore is going nowhere, but this got us thinking -- as tempting as it is to reach for the brass ring, is going solo always a good idea? We lined up a few examples Ms. Williams might want to consider for future reference. (And please to be remembering: if you dig Paramore, solo projects, Wild Things, or all of the above, then get on the jet with a Rhapsody subscription -- try it for free right here, right now.)
Jeffers
on Airplane vs. Grace Slick
Though she'd recorded these tracks previously with the Great Society, it wasn't until Slick joined Jefferson Airplane that "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" helped define the San Francisco Haight-Ashbury acid rock scene. Solo Slick, on the other hand, never quite discovered terra firma. In the '80s, her solo albums committed various synthesizer crimes. She eventually reunited with the band for 1989's Jefferson Airplane. In 1996, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Side note: Though Jefferson Starship/Starship were more commercially successful than Jefferson Airplane, they are banned from competition based on illegal use of "We Built This City."
Fleetwood Mac vs. Stevie Nicks
While the trembling rhythm of "Edge of Seventeen" is certainly catchy and her duet with Tom Petty on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" difficult to resist, solo Stevie, like solo Slick, got a bit stuck in '80s trendville (ahem, "Stand Back"). And the Mac's Rumours was such a high-water mark, it was almost pointless to try to outdo it. Like Slick, Nicks reunited with Fleetwood Mac, which lead to the mega-selling The Dance, and the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Blondie vs. Debbie Harry
You can't deny the timelessness of 1978's Parallel Lines, with tracks like "One Way or Another," "Hanging on the Telephone" and "Heart of Glass." Blondie helped put punk, new wave and the CBGB's crowd on the mainstream map. Debbie solo, on the other hand, didn't quite have the beat, though 1981's Kookoo is a noble effort. Like Slick and Nicks, Harry has continually gone back to her first love: Blondie, also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
No Doubt vs. Gwen Stefani
This battle is a toughie. When No Doubt released one of the dumbest songs of 2002, "Hella Good," their mojo was clearly flagging. Sure enough, a year later Gwen released her solo debut, which ditched the ska-rock in favor of straight up dance-pop. Though she's seen plenty of success on her own, none of her solo work packs the punch that No Doubt's does. And, like those before her, she's back on top ... touring with her band.
Hole vs. Courtney Love
Love her or despise her, Courtney Love was a key player in the early '90s grunge scene. With her band Hole, she was making her mark even before her relationship with Kurt Cobain overshadowed everything. Still, Hole's Live Through This stands as one of the great albums of the grunge era. It wasn't until after the band dissolved that Love tried her hand at a solo career, releasing her debut America's Sweetheart in 2004. The album was a commercial flop. So while this rock battle is still up in the air (Love has a follow-up set to release in 2010), Hole's work has Love's pretty much pinned.
So does this mean going solo is a bad idea? Definitely not. Prime example: Bjork, whose former group the Sugarcubes could never compete with the Icelandic oddball's influential work. With Bjork setting the precedent (and Hayley Williams possibly on her way?), here are a few other rock chicks we think could help break the going-solo curse:
Metric's Emily Haines (who already has one solid solo disc), Evanescence's Amy Lee, The Duke Spirit's Liela Moss, Noisettes' Shingai Shoniwa, The Kills/The Dead Weather's Alison Mosshart, Gossip's Beth Ditto, Black Mountain/Lightning Dust's Amber Webber, Flyleaf's Lacey Mosley and Karen O (sans the Kids).
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
All these front women made their respective bands. Oh, BTW, how many of the other bandmates can you name or would you recognize if you bumped into them at the local deli? Not many I would venture to guess.
Keep on rockin ladies, and BTW, I am single.
Hayley(from Paramore)is the best singer ever!!!
ps the band is awesome too ;)
A couple notables missing...Natalie Merchant (originally fronting 10,000 Maniacs) did well with her early solo efforts. I think the jury's still out on Dolores O'Riordan (from The Cranberries). Interesting that she's got a new solo album and new work with the Cranberries forthcoming.