Novelty/viral acts with no real cult following that suddenly and inexplicably returned many years later

Thinking about this upon finding out that Group X (you know, the faux-Arab rap band that did "Mario Twins" and "Schfifty Five" back in the Newgrounds.com days) actually have a new album out, some 17 years later, despite the fact that no one's thought about them in well over a decade.

Only similar thing I can think of is Bigdumbface (solo project of Wes Borland, the Limp Bizkit guitarist with the freaky eyes), whose first album was actually kind of a success, mainly because the Bizkit were still big and the music was goofy enough to appeal to dorky teenagers like myself who had never heard of (say) Ween. For whatever reason he did a follow-up album in 2017 that just came and went with no fanfare.

Maybe that recent Bloodhound Gang album counts, not only because it sucked but because I can't imagine anyone who loved the group in the 90's still wanting to hear them today. And it took 'em 10 years!!

Any other examples of this? I swear this happens pretty often.

I guess Max Tundra rehabilitating Daphne & Celeste kind of counts, although the explanation was pretty obvious - they wanted to pair the duo's energy with some great weird pop :)

mudcrutch

Wizard Rock band Harry and the Potters on their first album in over 13 years
https://www.polygon.com/2019/6/21/18693490/wizard-rock-band-harry-and-the-potters-lumos-album

1982: two guys have a jaunty international hit "set" in the world of a popular TV show, under the name The Firm

1987: the same two guys have a jaunty international hit "set" in the world of a popular TV show, under the name The Firm

Lieutenant Pigeon recently released an album called 'Where's Brexit?'

I don't know where your threshold is for "cult following", but I can tell you that in the mid 2000s, there's no way I would have believed that the guy who made The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny would go on to become one of the most brilliant pop artists of the subsequent decade.

The Cheeky Girls released a song this year.

Oh wait, no they didn't, they just posted a video from 2003 this year. Still, I think about the Cheeky Girls more than is probably normal.

hi lembit

Jimmy Nail had one hit in 1985 with a version of "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", the returned seven years later with "Ain't No Doubt".

Second time around, he'd stick around for a few more hits

Billy Ray Cyrus?

The big one is 'I Like To Move It Move It' which is now a staple at all kids' parties thanks to Madagascar.

Also Gala's 'Freed From Desire' which everyone had forgotten about until a few years ago when it started to rival 'Seven Nation Army' as the big new terrace chant.

freed from desire also had the shooting stars boost

dude has released a new album every few years without a break. so to be fair to him the fact that he's only crossed over from massive country audience to massiver pop audience a few times doesn't really make him a novelty act

why am i defending billy ray cyrus on the internet.

Also Gala's 'Freed From Desire' which everyone had forgotten about until a few years ago when it started to rival 'Seven Nation Army' as the big new terrace chant.

why am i defending billy ray cyrus on the internet.

new board descrip obv

I guess Max Tundra rehabilitating Daphne & Celeste kind of counts, although the explanation was pretty obvious - they wanted to pair the duo's energy with some great weird pop :)

thought of this too but I feel like it kind of inverts this trope

baha men released their first single in 9 years in 2011, "go!" and iirc it had only about 1000 youtube views after a few months

Daphne & Celeste didn't actually need Max Tundra to rehabilitate them, they were always beloved by the 30-something internet pop crew, way more so than Max Tundra ever was. Like they definitely had a core fanbase that was delighted to see then again.

The big one is 'I Like To Move It Move It' which is now a staple at all kids' parties thanks to Madagascar.

Jimmy Nail had one hit in 1985 with a version of "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", the returned seven years later with "Ain't No Doubt".

Second time around, he'd stick around for a few more hits

a) Not a novelty/viral act
b) Stuck around the first time to release an album the following year, and singles from it
c) Had a strong mainstream following from his day job starring in, creating and writing popular prime-time television