This year, some surprisingly old musicians made some surprisingly fresh music, more than a decade past their prime. Ignore the long waits and the missteps; these albums were watershed moments in careers already full of them.
Read about them below, then head over to our 2013 in Lists section for more Year-End fun.
Top 5 Comeback Albums of 2013
5. Suede
Bloodsports
(Suede Ltd.)
Suede's return was inevitable; releasing one of their best albums wasn't. Bloodsports saw the Londoners recapture the poise and sharpness they hadn't exuded since 1996's Coming Up. (Cam Lindsay)
4. Black Sabbath
13
(Universal)
The first name in metal gathered up three-quarters of their original lineup and released their best album in 30 years. 13 showcases the band's legendary sluggish doom metal with an intensity — and songwriting smarts — that no one saw coming. (Greg Pratt)
3. David Bowie
The Next Day
(ISO/Columbia)
Presumed to be a recluse who'd given up on music, David Bowie stunned everyone with his first album in a decade. A commercial and critical success, The Next Day was arguably Bowie's best work since 1980's Scary Monsters. (Cam Lindsay)
2. My Bloody Valentine
m b v
(Independent)
What's shocking isn't that m b v was great, but that it came out at all. After decades of promises that Kevin Shields was working on a follow-up to the monumental Loveless, m b v dropped suddenly in February, and lo and behold, it was magnificent. (Stephen Carlick)
1. Carcass
Surgical Steel
(Nuclear Blast)
The last time we heard from Brit death metal legends Carcass it was a boogie-death album in the mid-'90s. But on Surgical Steel the band delivers the grinding and melodic death metal they were known for during the early '90s Heartwork era. (Greg Pratt)
Read about them below, then head over to our 2013 in Lists section for more Year-End fun.
Top 5 Comeback Albums of 2013
5. Suede
Bloodsports
(Suede Ltd.)
Suede's return was inevitable; releasing one of their best albums wasn't. Bloodsports saw the Londoners recapture the poise and sharpness they hadn't exuded since 1996's Coming Up. (Cam Lindsay)
4. Black Sabbath
13
(Universal)
The first name in metal gathered up three-quarters of their original lineup and released their best album in 30 years. 13 showcases the band's legendary sluggish doom metal with an intensity — and songwriting smarts — that no one saw coming. (Greg Pratt)
3. David Bowie
The Next Day
(ISO/Columbia)
Presumed to be a recluse who'd given up on music, David Bowie stunned everyone with his first album in a decade. A commercial and critical success, The Next Day was arguably Bowie's best work since 1980's Scary Monsters. (Cam Lindsay)
2. My Bloody Valentine
m b v
(Independent)
What's shocking isn't that m b v was great, but that it came out at all. After decades of promises that Kevin Shields was working on a follow-up to the monumental Loveless, m b v dropped suddenly in February, and lo and behold, it was magnificent. (Stephen Carlick)
1. Carcass
Surgical Steel
(Nuclear Blast)
The last time we heard from Brit death metal legends Carcass it was a boogie-death album in the mid-'90s. But on Surgical Steel the band delivers the grinding and melodic death metal they were known for during the early '90s Heartwork era. (Greg Pratt)
