What makes a truly great comeback song, and how does an artist return after years away, declining commercial fortunes or a dramatic change in the musical landscape?

In the Tracks On Trial Season 2 finale, Sam, Andy and AJ explore some of the greatest vocal-driven comeback songs in music history, putting the songwriting, vocal performances, production and cultural impact behind several extraordinary career revivals on trial.

From Cher's "Believe" and its enormous influence on modern pop production to ABBA's return after four decades, Heart's powerhouse "Alone", Meat Loaf's remarkable career resurrection, and Duran Duran's reinvention with "Ordinary World", this episode asks what an artist actually needs to achieve for a new release to qualify as a genuine comeback.

Is commercial success enough? Does an artist need to have disappeared completely? Can a change of sound rescue a declining career? And is the greatest comeback the one that recreates past success, or the one that finds an entirely new audience?

We explore the stories behind famous comeback songs and discuss how artists adapt their voices, songwriting and production as musical tastes change around them.

In this episode:

• Cher and "Believe", one of pop music's most influential comeback records
• How the distinctive vocal production of "Believe" helped popularise an entirely new pop aesthetic
• ABBA's extraordinary return after a 40-year hiatus and the challenge of revisiting an enormous musical legacy
• Heart's "Alone" and the power of Ann Wilson's vocal performance
• Meat Loaf and one of rock music's most remarkable career revivals
• Duran Duran's "Ordinary World" and the band's transition from 1980s pop phenomenon to a more mature 1990s sound
• What actually defines a musical comeback
• Why great singers can survive enormous changes in genre, production and popular culture
• The relationship between nostalgia, reinvention and commercial success
• Songwriting and music production techniques behind enduring comeback records
• Music trivia, games, quickfire recommendations and the final Topper or Flopper verdict

Along the way, the conversation inevitably goes considerably off course. There are strong opinions about the Spice Girls' vocal abilities, confusion involving Dolly Parton and Stevie Nicks, and the rather extraordinary conclusion that one legendary country singer occasionally sounds like a billy goat.

And because this is the Season 2 finale, there's another matter to settle.

After an entire season of pitches, quizzes, bonus points, dubious tactical decisions and arguments over what does and does not constitute good music, the final scores are decided and the Tracks On Trial Season 2 champion is crowned.

Tracks On Trial is a music podcast for people who want to go deeper into the songs they love. Each episode explores music history, songwriting, music production, famous artists, classic songs, forgotten tracks and the stories behind the music, with three hosts from Europe, Australia and the USA arguing their cases before delivering the ultimate verdict:

Topper or Flopper?

Can a single song change the course of an artist's career?

In this episode of Tracks On Trial, we're putting two of the most extraordinary comeback stories in music history under the microscope. Roy Orbison and Tina Turner both returned from career setbacks to produce some of the most celebrated music of their lives, but whose comeback deserves the ultimate verdict?

Roy Orbison's remarkable resurgence during the late 1980s introduced a whole new generation to one of rock and roll's greatest voices. Meanwhile, Tina Turner's Private Dancer transformed her into one of the world's biggest stars after years of personal hardship and professional uncertainty.

But which comeback was the more significant? Which artist overcame the greatest obstacles? And which music has stood the test of time?

As always, the courtroom is open.

Alongside our main debate, we also bring you our favourite Quickfire Picks, discuss the latest music news, exchange plenty of questionable opinions, and inevitably descend into complete musical chaos before delivering our final verdict.

Whether you're a lifelong fan of classic rock, soul, pop, or simply love discovering the stories behind legendary artists, this episode is packed with passionate discussion, humour, and deep musical analysis.

Featured artists include:

• Roy Orbison
• Tina Turner
• The Traveling Wilburys
• Plus a host of other legendary comeback artists discussed throughout the episode.

Tracks On Trial is the weekly music debate podcast where three producers, songwriters and lifelong music fans battle to decide which songs, artists and albums deserve to be crowned the week's ultimate Topper.

Subscribe now and join us every week for new musical arguments, surprising discoveries, and plenty of courtroom drama.

When does an artist's reinvention become genuine artistic evolution... and when does it become career suicide?

In this episode of Tracks On Trial, Sam and Andy put some of the greatest musical transformations in history under the microscope, exploring the artists who walked away from the sound that made them famous and risked everything in pursuit of something new.

Unlike electronic pivots or studio gimmicks, these are organic reinventions built on musicianship, songwriting and performance. Real instruments. Real players. Real creative risks.

The episode examines how Linkin Park shocked fans with The Catalyst, why Bob Dylan electrifying his sound changed popular music forever, how Peter Gabriel reinvented himself after leaving Genesis, why Kings of Leon evolved from Southern garage rock into stadium-filling headliners, and how The Verve discovered that sometimes the biggest songs come from doing less rather than more.

Along the way, Sam and Andy discuss whether artists should stay true to the sound that made them successful or continue evolving, even at the risk of alienating their audience.

This episode also features:

• The News, with another week of satirical music headlines
• A musical news montage inspired by one of the week's strangest headlines
• Dogs or Bollocks? separating music fact from fiction
• Tracks Back From The Future • What The F***? featuring famous cover versions and musical reinventions
• Sound Check quizzes
• Quickfire recommendations
• Topper or Flopper final verdicts

Featured artists include Linkin Park, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, The Verve, Kings of Leon, U2, Fleetwood Mac, Snow Patrol, Johnny Cash, Talking Heads, Amy Winehouse, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Van Halen, The Kinks and many more.

As always, expect passionate debate, songwriting analysis, music production insights, ridiculous tangents, terrible jokes and the occasional unexpected history lesson.

If you've ever wondered why some artists become bigger by changing everything, while others lose the audience that made them famous, this is the episode for you.

Tracks On Trial is the music podcast where iconic songs, legendary artists and unforgettable albums are put on trial.

Every week, three music obsessives from Europe, Australia and the USA debate, analyse and ultimately decide one thing:

Topper or Flopper?