24:7's Nicola Mostyn takes a look at those who trod the lonely path of a solo career and made it -- and some who might wish they hadn't bothered.

Richard Ashcroft

BELOVED as he is in the indie and rock circles, you could say that Richard Ashcroft is a victim of his own success.

As the lead singer of the Verve, Ashcroft was the king of philosophical, brooding tunes, their final offering Urban Hymns a brilliant album lauded by critics and fans alike.

Then, at the peak of their fame, the Verve split, and Ashcroft began his solo career. Ashcroft was the face and creative force of the band, so when he released his debut solo album Alone With Everybody, the expectations were high.

The album was a soul searching, spiritual venture full of melancholic strings and captivating melodies, and although it did very well, topping the UK chart in summer 2000, there was nothing to quite top the sweeping, captivating The Drugs Don't work or Bitter Sweet Symphony.

New album, Human Conditions, is equally as earnest with titles like Check the Meaning, Paradise and God in the Numbers proving that Ashcroft continues his existential quest. And while this seems to appeal to the fans, many critics are finding Ashcroft's weighty treatment of cod philosophies about life, death and love a wee bit trite.

Of course, going solo is always a risky business, with the chance of soaring even higher just as likely as the chance that you'll end up as yesterday's news, your bubble well and truly burst.

Robbie Williams

Leaving Take That when they were at their peak was the best move that young Bob ever made. In the group he was merely the "fat dancer" who larked about at the back. And yet upon leaving the band Williams' own charisma become clear. First single, Freedom 90, wasn't a huge hit but the lyrics said it all. Williams, free from the boundaries of his boy-band lifestyle, was about to make it. Debut album Life Thru A Lens went big-time and now, seven years on, Williams has signed the second biggest recording deal of all time for his new album Escapology. Nuff Said.

Michael Jackson

Perhaps the most obvious example of a man born to solo success, Jacko first felt the limelight at the age of four when he appeared with his siblings in The Jackson Five. After hits I Want You Back and ABC, Michael was singled out as a solo performer and began his ascent to true stardom. Following the 1982 release of Thriller there was no looking back for the singer. While sister Janet has also managed to attain a huge amount of success, other siblings such as La Toya and Jermaine never quite managed to reach the same dizzy heights. Music was no longer a family affair.

Bjork

So successful is Bjork's solo career that many people won't even know that the singer started out with Icelandic pop group The Sugacubes. Bjork founded the band in 1986, but in 1992, the quirky singer went solo, releasing her first solo album, Debut. Hits like Human Behaviour and Big Time Sensuality established her as a considerable talent which the singer went on to prove with her subsequent albums. Whether starring in a film, recording an album, or turning up to a premier in a swan dress, Bjork captures the public's imagination as a unique performer who is definitely one in a million.

Don't Leave Me This Way - when solo doesn't always spell success

Gary Barlow

Acclaimed as the genius behind the mighty Take That, it could surely only be a matter of time before Barlow's songwriting talents knocked Williams off his pop pedestal. Erm, we're still waiting. In interviews Barlow seems as perplexed as us why Robbie made it and he didn't. Could it be that homely, chunky piano playing blokes aren't as appealing as their troubled, tattooed, charismatic counterparts? Yep, it's a fickle thing, this pop business.

Mel B

Another victim of the pop band, this time of the all-girl variety. Geri evidently worked out that the first one to leave has the greatest chance of solo success. For Mel B, however, a solo career was a fast track to the dumper. She failed to set the charts alight with a series of okay singles, was dropped by her label, and ended up doing a stint as a TV presenter on This Is My Moment. Well, Mel, it looks like you've had yours.

Mick Jagger

The Rolling Stones might still be going strong, but Mick Jagger can't seem to crack the art of achieving solo success. Despite the Stones' enduring popularity, Jagger's solo releases have met with a muted response, though this hasn't stopped him trying. Trouble is, if your band is still together, it seems that fans don't really take your solo stuff too seriously. As Jagger himself might say, he can't get no satisfaction. Shame.

Ian Brown

Okay, Brown has recorded a couple of very decent tracks, particularly the wonderful F.E.A.R. off recent album, Music Of The Spheres. But since the Stones Roses were akin to The Beatles of the Madchester era, whose first album no kid worth his baggy jeans and psychedelic hooded top would have been without, Brown's solo work doesn't inspire the awe which greeted the mighty Roses. A case of Fool's Gold, I'm afraid.