Bands that are prisoners of their era

[Yavin4]

Name a band that were good/great for their particular time period, but just don't do as well outside of their era. For example, The Thompson Twins are totally 80s. Don't really work outside of the era"

[FreepFryer]

1. Most prog rock supergroups fit this definition.

Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Rush, Etc.

Genesis and Led Zeppelin would be two who bucked the trend somewhat, but in opposite ways. genesis changed to singles pop, and Led Zeppelin just kept rocking (and drinking) and wound up epitomizing the harder turn of the post prog heavy metal shift.

[LuvLoogie]

2. They didn't really work for me in the 80s either.

Most 80s bands and earlier can't, don't, won't do it any more. Some of those bands' music transcends the era of their birth/ They are few. Even fewer can still do it and make relevant music. Rolling stones and U2 come to mind, so does Radiohead.

[msongs]

3. most any hair band nt

[Lithos]

4. Almost any atmospheric band

Coldplay
The Verve

L-

[Stare Decisis]

5. U2

[blitzen]

6. The Archies....except for the fact that they weren't good. Billboard #1 hit of the year 1969...

not to mention the fact that the session musicians were real people and the "band" were fictional characters. Some were prisoners no doubt--I'm not sure who.

[TexasBushwhacker]

7. I would say disco

But then you put some good stuff together for a soundtrack like The Deuce and it's still pretty fun.

I think the thing that some 80s bands had going against them was there was SO much focus on music videos at the time. Marginal bands became hot because of a popular video and better bands were passed over because they just didn't have video appeal. Having the right look is still pretty important to get a major label interested in you now, but it was worse in the 80s. That's how we got Milli Vanilli.

[Yavin4]

8. Good point. That also trapped them in the era. Duran Duran never made it out of the 80s.

Unless they went through a huge makeover.

[TexasBushwhacker]

9. They still have their fans though

I have a friend who's seeing DD in Miami in February. They play smaller venues with 2-3000 seats now. They release new records every few years too.

[Yavin4]

11. Yeah, there's always the nostalgia tour

Motley Crue has been living off nostalgia since the 80s. That and sex tapes.

[Mosby]

10. pretty much every heavy metal band

Especially guns and roses.