Garth Brooks

Gradual evolution has served all of the legendary bands featured in this article well; in fact, some of the problematic times for star brands occur when they stray too far from what their fans expect and have rewarded with loyalty in the past. Success in the market can usually be attributed to specific brand strengths, and completely abandoning those traits rarely results in greater acceptance or sales.

Whereas U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Sting have improved and embellished on their musical strengths to increase their popularity over the years, Garth Brooks almost brought his career to an abrupt halt with a bizarre twist on total reinvention.

Brooks almost single handedly led the migration of country music into mainstream culture. Wearing a cowboy hat, western jeans, and a country boy grin, he combined the electricity of a KISS concert with the beat of the Rolling Stones’ or AC/DC’s music to create a new genre of music that struck a deep, rousing chord with Americans from a vast array of socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds. Some called it crossover, some called it country rock, but nearly everyone called it sensational. It crossed the wide chasm that had traditionally divided rock and country audiences. But even beloved stars can go too far in pushing the envelope of originality.

After several platinum albums, numerous Grammy awards, and a string of sold out stadium concerts, Brooks assumed the identity of Chris Gaines, a fictitious character he created to allow himself to explore different artistic channels without alienating or diminishing the Garth Brooks band. Then people were told that Gaines was really Brooks. Try as he might to explain to his fans and the media why he suddenly looked like someone in the witness protection program, many thought he had lost his marbles and didn’t buy the new album.