In 1983, he formed the Ben Vaughn Combo.  The band was together five years, releasing two albums and touring the U.S. several times.  They received rave reviews in Rolling Stone and People magazine and video airplay on MTV.  The attention inspired Marshall Crenshaw to record Ben's "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)" for his Downtown album.

Ben embarked on a solo career in 1988, recording several critically acclaimed albums, touring extensively in Europe and the U.S. and receiving more MTV exposure.  During that period he produced three records for the Elektra Records American Explorer series (Memphis rockabilly legend Charlie Feathers, Muscle Shoals country soul singer Arthur Alexander) and recorded Cubist Blues, a collaboration with Alan Vega and Alex Chilton.  He also scored two films (Favorite Mopar and Wild Girl's Go-Go Rama), as well as appearing as a frequent guest commentator on nationally syndicated NPR radio shows “Fresh Air” and "World Cafe." 

In 1995, Ben moved to L.A. and released Instrumental Stylings, an album of instrumentals he composed in a variety of styles.  A guest appearance on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" led directly to being hired as the composer for the hit TV sitcom 3rd Rock From The Sun.   That 70s Show soon followed, and for the next ten years Ben would provide award-winning music for a dozen other TV shows and pilots (Men Behaving Badly, Normal, Ohio,Grounded For Life).  He also provided scores for several films (Psycho Beach Party, The Independent, Scorpion Spring) and continued producing records (Ween, Los Straitjackets, Mark Olson of the Jayhawks, Nancy Sinatra, and the Swingers soundtrack CD). 

Somehow Ben found time to create the legendary Rambler '65.  Recorded entirely in his car, this much-publicized album (and subsequent short film) is still considered by many to be a classic document of a man and his dream.

In the years following, Ben has released a variety of acoustic albums, works with The Ben Vaughn Quintet, and even experienced international success with an Italian dance remix of his song “Hey Romeo.” Bob Dylan is a fan, as well— he included Ben’s “Jerry Lewis In France” on his radio show with a recitation of Ben’s resumé.

As a producer, musician, and composer, Ben brings a spirit of experimentation and determination to all of the projects he explores. Whether it is pairing the eccentric, off-color Ween with the traditional Nashville A-Team players on 12 Golden Country Greats or Tex-Mex interpretations of his Vaughn originals with Doug Sahm’s Austin, TX band on Texas Road Trip, Ben takes an idea and runs with it in the studio, with fascinating results.

This experimental energy inspired his latest work with Deer Tick, who recorded his now-signature song “Too Sensitive For This World” on their album Mayonnaise in 2019. After a few live performances together, the band backed Ben up in their Rhode Island studio to create Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions. Ben ditched his guitar and had the band cook up new-to-him arrangements for his songs, bringing a whole new perspective to his work through creative collaboration. The album will be released via Yep Roc on October 30, 2026.

Ben continues to tour both nationally and internationally, particularly in Spain and France. You can catch him on the airwaves weekly with his syndicated radio show The Many Moods Of Ben Vaughn. And for the full story, don’t miss his creative memoir podcast project, Straight From The Hat With Ben Vaughn, where he shares stories about all of the colorful characters he has met along the way in his long and one-of-a-kind career in music.