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I find the "return to form" comebacks most interesting. Who cares if an artist comes back from a 5 year hiatus if he or she still sucks? The "Band on the Run" album by Paul McCartney & Wings elevated his status among critics who had given up on him after 3 years of awkward attempts. And it was his 2nd full-length album of that year, which proves that a so-called comeback need not require absence.

david byrne's (luaka bop) release of shuggie otis in the late 90's is an interesting illustration of a 'pullback' as john coined. since it re-introduced his music to a whole new (younger) audience.

Colin Hay from Men at Work! Does a successful solo career count?

elvis was a hell of a performer [i'll leave the obvious double entender alone]. my own notions of the world, and, race politics in relation to around rock & roll, would make it ever so juicy, to try and put him down. however, i won't take that easy route. i have got to give him credit,for being who he was; one helluva historic musical phenom !

Great Comeback-Original Van Halen lineup minus Michael Anthony in May 2008.
Sold out the Garden. I was too young to see the band in their 80's heyday. I completely changed the way I played the guitar from that show. The audience of many ages were on their feet the entire show. People were also very generous with drinks and other party favors. It was a great party. These middle ages guys outrocked our generation.

I turned on MTV the other morning while flipping through channels and caught a Dr Dre video. He was doing a workout, lifting weights, and sweating. He looked really old.
I had the sound turned down, so could not tell if he still had his rapping skills. But when the video ended with Dre in the cemetary putting flowers on Easy E's grave, I realized that most of the viewing audience wouldn't care or know about someone who died over 10 yrs ago...

how about the flaming lips with the soft bulletin?

It seems this topic is collapsing some categorically different things under the category of 'comeback.'

There is a difference between a comeback in the spirit of a boxer who has a comeback fight to win the title, maybe this should be a return to form. Dylan's "Time Out of Mind" strikes this category.

There is a literal comeback as return, they have been gone and then they return. The Cars maybe.

While there is a comeback that is a return to relevance, doing something new which revives a career. Johnny Cash.

So we have: return to form, return from the long absence, and finally a return to relevance.

Some chart-topping artists from the '60s & '70s never had to "come back"...they were constantly adapting and fitting in with the popular styles of a particular decade: (Eric Clapton comes to mind, and the Allman Bros. who can still tour and fill large venues just about anywhere.

Billy Ray Cyrus is one comeback I NEVER expected.

Not sure if it's a comeback or more of a reunion tour kind of thing but The Dismemberment Plan...

The Cars new album coming out in May is certainly a comeback (effort) whether they tour behind it or not.

The Big Audio Dynamite made a bouyant and thrilling musical return at Roseland Ballroom on Tuesday night. I don't consider them a "comeback" band because of Mick Jones, who is an eternal figure in music; one that 'has never left.' The show at Roseland was super-charged, tight and fresh, due to each member energetically and joyfully delivering their distinctive beats to our grateful ears. Add to that the presence of greatness, Mick Jones, and you have one of the best shows in NYC.

Daryl Hall. Great web show and finally getting respect as a first-rate pop songwriter.

aerosmith + run dmc = ultimate come back!

How about Weird Al Yankovitch. He never actually goes anywhere but everything he does is called a come back!

If LL Cool J suddenly has hit record again, would we be permitted to call it a comeback?

The Pixies sounded great when they first re-formed, but now they're just going through the motions. Write some new songs or hang it up.

Okay, so it's not a 100% musical comeback, but Ice-T turning up on Law & Order: SVU - that's got to be some worth something! And thank god he did!

burt bacharach and his collaboration with elvis costello was a memorable come back!

Two years? No. That's considered a sabbatical.

Great, undeniable comeback: The Beach Boys in the 1980s, Mike Love's "cocomo" and the Brian Wilson "sloop John-B" cover.

I thought The Specials had a pretty good comeback. I wasn't sure I wanted to see them perform again but I was really surprised how energetic they were when I saw them last year. Albeit they had industrial fans all over the stage.

Let's not confuse a come-back with a reunion!
A come-back is a reinvention of an artist after having been away for a long time - with the intention of re-creating the first time success.
My favorite example is Elvis, who did it to reclaim his standing as a great musicians after doing Hollywood for 10 years.
A reunion is an attempt to revamp the old repertoire for old time's sake.

Vanilla Ice should have stayed melted.

My favorite comeback has to have been the reappearance of the aparsely recorded but still amazing soul legend Howard Tate ; his shows with the Uptown Horns were a music collector's
wet dream...even Lou Reed showed up for them!

I would not of called his previous music "pop" but don't forget Robert Plant

My favorite "comeback" has been the one done with PROXIES for the group!
With "Jersey Boys", Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli managed to completely bring their music & group back in a way a physical reunion never could have; AND it gave forceful cross promotion to Valli's own tours. Brilliant!

you'd have to mention the Alarm's incredibly frustrating and revealing attempt at a restart, where as i understand it, they secretly released a song and video by a "new" young hot band (like milli vanilli, not that band's audio but rather the same old Alarm providing the music) and that song became somewhat of a buzz track, until it was discovered that it was the Alarm, who had been toiling in obscurity with no interest in their later releases until this trick. i suppose even that didn't work except to prove youth reigns in most markets.