Top 10 Singers Who Experienced a Big Resurgence Years Later

#10: Natasha Bedingfield

Most singers don’t break into the mainstream with just one song. Natasha Bedingfield has at least two that we’ll never forget. The British singer-songwriter behind “Unwritten” and “Pocketful of Sunshine” has begun to enjoy some of the fame and adoration she received when she debuted in the mid-2000s. Part of that revival has to do with “Unwritten” being included in the hit 2023 romcom “Anyone But You.” As a result, Bedingfield has seen a return to the Billboard charts for the first time since 2007. Guess she was right. The rest really was still unwritten.

#9: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

In 2001, all of the UK seemed to be dancing to “Murder on the Dancefloor.” The peppy disco-pop song is still an earworm after all these years, and it seems the creators of "Saltburn" agree. The track and singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor experienced a viral moment in 2023 after it was featured in a pivotal, not quite safe-for-work scene. Suddenly, Ellis-Bextor was performing it live on TV again two decades after its release. Fame can be so bizarre: all it takes is the right song in the right movie to put a singer back on top.

#8: Tony Bennett

This late crooner has the distinction of spending almost 85 years in the music business, but not all those years were sunshine and roses. Tony Bennett experienced major personal and professional setbacks in the 1960s and 70s. He spent years trying to turn his career around. In the 1990s, he embarked on a resurgence that lasted almost the rest of his career. Releasing two duet albums with other, more modern singers, he reintroduced himself to younger audiences. This culminated with a years-long collaboration with pop star Lady Gaga that lasted until the very end of his career in 2021.

#7: Johnny Cash

A myth and a legend, it’s hard to imagine that the famous “Man in Black” wasn’t always at the forefront of his industry. Still, when he was sidelined by lifestyle-related health issues, low record sales, and a breakup with his longtime label, Columbia Records, he became less prolific. In 1994, he began a collaboration with producer Rick Rubin to release an album consisting of Americana songs. Upon its success, the “American” album became a series that saw Cash fully embracing his status as a folk icon. This new phase of his artistry climaxed with one of his last singles: a devastating cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.”

#6: ABBA

Given the long reach of their music through the years, this Swedish group actually had a shockingly brief time together. The amount of great, catchy pop songs they produced between 1972 and 1982 can’t be overstated. After all, they had enough great songs to fill an entire Broadway musical and two movie adaptations. But they didn’t actually reunite to make music together until 2016. This, a hyperfuturistic digital avatar concert residency, and the release of “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” had ABBA back on our radar. At least for those of us who weren’t still cranking “Dancing Queen” at every opportunity.

#5: Cher

Having a resurgence once is a tall enough order, but Cher’s made a comeback several times at this point. Her career with then-husband and manager Sonny Bono started in 1964, and was almost over by the late 60s due to record sale dropoffs and unpaid taxes. With each reinvention, she seems to get more famous. She made a comeback through television in the 70s, movies in the 80s, and then - just when her music career seemed doomed - she released the game-changing single, “Believe,” in 1998. She embarked on a so-called “Farewell Tour” in 2002 only to release a hit album ten years later, sending her on tour again.

#4: Dolly Parton

She’s always had her fans, and so many people love her that it’s hard to think of a time when she wasn’t as successful or famous. Dolly Parton cut her first record in 1967, and, as of 2025, her music is still charting and was even an inspiration for Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album. But the Queen of Dollywood has had her leaner periods, too. Although she’s always been recording and releasing, her new music didn’t gain as much traction during the 2000s. In the late 2010s, she was suddenly in the mainstream again. With projects at Netflix, a few prestigious life achievement awards, and a renewed engagement with newer pop stars, Parton’s never been more beloved.

#3: Tina Turner

As one half of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, she was a megastar of the 60s and 70s. Then, it all went away. Even if you haven’t seen the biopic based on her life, you’ve probably heard about Tina Turner’s story of triumph and survival. Following her contentious divorce in the late 70s, Turner’s popularity and fame faded. In 1984, she staged what’s been called one of the most unlikely and miraculous comebacks in music history. “What’s Love Got to Do With It” earned her back her public favour, secured some Grammy Awards, and ultimately, won her career back. She rode that wave until the end of her career, largely retiring in 2009 after a worldwide farewell tour to mark her 50th year in the business.

#2: Tracy Chapman

Several publications cited this 2024 Grammy performance as the best moment of the night. Tracy Chapman’s appearance with Luke Combs was about as surprising as her song, “Fast Car,” returning to the charts after more than 30 years. Combs’ cover hit #1 on the country charts. It led to renewed interest and love for Chapman’s heartbreaking song and reintroduced her to another generation of music lovers. Chapman expressed gratitude and surprise to find her song on the country charts. The success of Combs’ cover also made her the first Black artist to win the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year.

#1: Kate Bush

In 2022, the song “Running Up That Hill” was featured on an episode of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” The show sent it skyrocketing to #1 in several countries, 37 years after it was released. Kate Bush’s fanbase can be described as relatively small but deeply devoted, so this was actually the first time she had a top 10 hit in the U.S. Her eccentric persona and high-pitched singing voice have dazzled her cult following for years since her initial hits in the 1970s and 80s. But the renewed attention to that song also brought new eyes on her catalog of other distinctive and unforgettable songs.

What artist do you think deserves a career revival? Tell us in the comments.