Career: Meat Loaf stayed quiet through the 1980s, putting out a series of records which never got any airplay or chart position in the US. He appeared in films Out of Bounds (1986) as a pilot, and The Squeeze (1987) with Michael Keaton. But after reuniting with Steinman, he delivered a powerful sequel Bat Out Of Hell II which went to number one in the US and UK. Bat II has now sold an excess of 20,000,000 copies. It is considered one of the biggest musical comebacks in music history. He won a Grammy for the stand-out song I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That). Movie credits include Crazy in Alabama (1999) and Fight Club (1999). He released his latest album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear, in 2010. In a bid to boost sales of the album in America, he agreed to be one of the contestants on the 2011 series of The Celebrity Apprentice.

Career: By the early 1980s, Michael was an established solo performer with a string of hit singles, and acclaimed album, Off the Wall. In 1983 he released Thriller, which became the biggest-selling album of all time. Despite continued success with such releases as Bad and Dangerous, the strain of celebrity status began to show in the 1990s, as tabloids began featuring unflattering stories about him. His physical appearance also changed dramatically, and his career was less successful in the latter years of his life. In March 2009, Michael announced a series of comeback concerts titled This Is It at the 02 arena in London. A 50-date residency in London was due to start in July, 2009, but less than three weeks before the first show was due to begin, Jackson died on June 25th after suffering cardiac arrest. After his death, Michael became the best-selling artist of 2009 following a surge in album sales. Thirty-five million albums were sold worldwide in the 12 months following his death. Michael, the first of 10 proposed new albums with previously unreleased material, went on sale in November 2010. Despite mixed reviews, the album has sold well around the world.

Career: Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola signed Carey immediately after hearing her demo tape. Her debut 1990 album caused a stir thanks to her versatility. It sold six million copies and won a Grammy. Her 1991 follow-up, Emotions, proved just as successful, as did her next four albums. It appeared the bubble burst in 2001 when her contract was scrapped following her flop film Glitter and its accompanying album and she was reportedly hospitalised following an emotional breakdown. However, she made a triumphant comeback with the Grammy-winning album The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005 and has spent more time at number one in the American singles charts than the Beatles. She was nominated for a number of awards for her acting role in the 2009 film Precious and in 2012 joined the judging panel of American Idol.

Career: In 1983, Dion became the first ever Canadian to receive a gold disc in France. Five years later, representing Switzerland, she won the Eurovision Song Contest. Her first English language album Unison was released in 1990, and a year later, she recorded the theme tune to Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Her 1996 disc Falling into You sold more than 25 million copies, while in 1998, she scored an international hit with the Oscar-winning song My Heart Will Go On from the film Titanic. After taking a break in 1999, she returned to performing in 2002, released a new album, A New Day Has Come, and in 2003 signed a multi-million dollar deal to appear at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas for three years.