Glenn Hughes recently made a heartfelt confession about his future in solo music, sharing his thoughts during an interview on the Jay Jay French Connection.
The legendary musician opened up about the challenges facing artists in today’s music industry and his personal struggles with creating solo albums.
“Well, you can see I’m kind of smiling and kind of sad because this probably will be my last solo album because nobody really buys them anymore,” Hughes said. “I don’t like streaming. People buy an album, listen to one or two songs, and it’s done. It’s painful sometimes for me to write these albums. I mean, these songs are very personal to me. These lyrics are very personal.”
Hughes continued to express his frustration with the current state of the music industry.
“I don’t think I can continue to do that anymore,” he continued. “I think the live work is way more important for me. We don’t live in long player world anymore. We don’t live there anymore. We live maybe a single here and there, maybe a live thing coming out. Albums don’t really mean anything unless you have a huge fan base.”
Despite these challenges, Hughes revealed his plans to move forward with a fresh approach to his career.
“The way I feel about it is look, I’ve been playing the legacy songs for a couple of years now,” he said. “I don’t know if you know I’ve been doing this Deep Purple classic show and I come to the point well I’ve done that now and I’ve done it years ago I’m going to go back to being simply Glenn with all those other great songs. I’ve done 18 solo albums. They’ve done really well. I’ve got other things to play. I’m getting into a new era when I want to play new songs. I look different. I feel different. I’m happy.”
The musician concluded with his vision for connecting with audiences in new ways.
“I can’t keep regurgitating these old catalog,” Hughes said. “I love them, don’t get me wrong. People want to hear them, but my audience now is ready for something new. They’re ready for something more dangerous and more exciting. And I am the man to do that.”
Hughes’ comments come at a time when his latest work continues to receive critical acclaim and demonstrates his enduring musical prowess.
His 2025 solo album Chosen represents what may be his final studio effort. Louder Sound described it as “surprisingly heavy, more like his work with Black Country Communion than his previous solo record, 2016’s Resonate.” The album blends hard rock, progressive elements, and funk. It earned recognition as one of the year’s top rock releases.
Despite his concerns about the future of solo albums, Hughes remains committed to live performance. Penn’s Peak reported that he has a scheduled performance in April 2026. This highlights his continued focus on connecting with audiences through live shows rather than studio recordings.
The veteran musician’s career spans decades of both solo work and collaborative efforts. Classical Music noted that Hughes has been dubbed “The Voice of Rock.” He has thrived in supergroups like Black Country Communion alongside his solo successes, demonstrating his versatility across different musical formats.
Hughes’ shift toward live performance reflects broader changes in how rock veterans are adapting to the modern music landscape. His decision to potentially step away from solo albums while maintaining his live presence represents a strategic pivot that many established artists are considering in an era where streaming has fundamentally altered how music is consumed and monetized.
