7 Artists That Switched Musical Genres

Most musicians have reached their pinnacle by sticking to one type of sound, but these seven artists that switched musical genres during their careers prove that a little experimenting can sometimes go a long way. From hip-hop to electronic, rock to pop, and R&B to punk, the switch-overs happen in all music scenes, and can potentially bring out hidden talents in an artist. And while some famous industry names were more successful than others when it comes to exploring new grounds, we don’t discriminate, so this list features hits and flops all the same.

Last week we proved that mixing musical genres can be hugely beneficial by presenting you with the 14 best music mashups of 2014. This time we’ll focus on the artists themselves – instead of skilful DJ’s – to uncover some surprising facts about renowned superstars. Who started their career as a Christian rock singer and who was a punk back in the days? Here are seven artists that switched musical genres.

7. Kanye West

Kanye made a name for himself in the hip-hop scene over a decade ago with the album College Dropout, and gained most of his current success after releasing Graduation in 2007. But following his mother’s death that same year, the rapper took a steep creative turn towards electronic music. With the album 808s & Heartbreak (2008) Kanye experimented with his voice, using Auto-tune and synths. The result was a success, but only two years later he ventured back home to hip-hop with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.