The Biggest Comebacks in Music History

Peaches & Herb had a string of five Top 40 hits in 1960s, culminating with “Two Little Kids” in 1968. Subsequent releases made the Top 100, but none had cracked the Top 40 again until 11 years later with “Shake Your Groove Thing.” The song was followed shortly thereafter by their only No. 1 hit, “Reunited.”

Peggy Lee, singer and lyricist, scored a Top 40 hit with “Is That All There Is” in 1969, 11 years after her last hit, “Fever.” “Is That All There Is” received a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year. Lee, born Norma Deloris Egstrom, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She collaborated with such talents as Duke Ellington, Steve Allen, and Dave Grusin.

Trumpeter and record company mogul Herb Alpert first hit the top of the charts in 1968, in a rare vocal recording of Burt Bacharach’s ballad “This Guy’s in Love With You.” His next Top 40 hit didn’t come along until 1979.

Frank Sinatra, “The Chairman of the Board,” had an 11-year hiatus between Top 40 hits before scoring with the “Theme From New York, New York” in 1980. His previous Top 40 hit was his anthem “My Way,” written by Paul Anka in 1969.

Despite his unparalleled success as a member of The Beatles and Wings, Paul McCartney had a prolonged break between Top 40 hits. His comeback song in 1982, “Take It Away,” became a Top 40 hit more than 11 years after “Another Day” landed on the Top 40 in 1971. “Another Day” was the first single he released after The Beatles broke up.