It's usually a good idea for musicians, especially pop musicians, to move outside of their comfort zone and try out new things, but these six artists took this practice to an extreme by making music that can't be considered pop at all. Here are six pop stars that went avant-garde.
1. John Lennon
John Lennon was typically considered to be the "arty" Beatle, with his relatively raw, experimental style often contrasting with Paul McCartney's more traditionally arranged songs. Lennon would bring his interest in avant-garde music to the Beatles' "White Album" with the song "Revolution 9," an eight-minute sound collage, and release three experimental albums with his wife Yoko Ono from 1968 to 1969: Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins, Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions, and Wedding Album. Lennon would never again release anything as experimental as these albums for the rest of his career.
2. Alex Chilton
Though these days Alex Chilton is best known as the singer and guitarist for '70s power pop band Big Star, he actually started off his career as the lead vocalist for pop band the Box Tops, which had seven Top 40 hits, including a number one hit with its debut single "The Letter." Chilton would never again achieve such mainstream successes, and after the break-up of Big Star in 1974, he would explore more raw and experimental styles of rock music with his solo work and during his time with post-punk band Tav Falco's Panther Burns.
3. Kanye West
Though Kanye West may still be the most popular musician in the world, his music hasn't gotten any friendlier or more accessible since he started. After achieving mainstream recognition with his production work on Jay-Z's 2001 classic The Blueprint, West went solo with the triple platinum The College Dropout, which he followed with the also massively successful Late Registration and Graduation. However, West's more recent albums, especially 2013's Yeezus, have explored more conceptual and experimental territory, and though he's more acclaimed than ever, his sales have taken a hit as a result of his harsh new sound.
4. Kate Bush
Kate Bush's music has always been eccentric, but this didn't hold her back from commercial success in the '70s and '80s. With her debut single "Wuthering Heights," Bush became the first female artist to hit number one on the UK charts with a self-written song, but her music gradually became stranger. Bush's 1982 album The Dreaming, the first she produced by herself, has an unsettling and percussion-heavy atmosphere, while 1985's Hounds of Love features a 26-minute song suite, something not usually found on a Top 40 pop album.
5. Björk
Björk might not be considered a massive pop star in the U.S., but worldwide, she's a multi-platinum act. Her earliest work, including her albums Debut and Post, are filled with idiosyncratic yet still digestible electronica and dance-pop songs, many of which became top 40 hits. However, she's occasionally taken full-album detours into experimental music, including her 2004 album Medulla, which was almost entirely a cappella.
6. Scott Walker
The most extreme example of a pop star moving into the world of experimental music is Scott Walker, who first achieved fame as the lead vocalist for '60s pop band the Walker Brothers. After achieving several number one hits, the band split in 1968, but when the band reformed in 1975, Walker brought a considerably darker edge to its music, particularly on its final album Nite Flights. After the band split again in 1978, Walker abandoned pop almost entirely, opting instead to make oppressively dark and even terrifying albums such as Tilt and The Drift.
What other pop artists have made experimental music? Let us know in the comments section!
