# Bands that underwent big transformations

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-underwent-big-transformations/955080>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** music\
**Created:** [November 28, 2021, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-underwent-big-transformations/955080 "2021-11-28T19:13:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-underwent-big-transformations/955080/81 "2021-12-06T20:49:47Z")

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I know of several bands with long, multi-decade careers, during which they released songs and albums in a wide variety of musical styles. But they were still, in some fundamental sense, the same band, so I hesitate to call them bands that “underwent big transformations.”

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-underwent-big-transformations/955080/82 "2021-12-06T21:55:08Z")

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I’ll mention Renaissance. The group still was a mix of classical and rock (though the first album was more baroque classical, and changed away from that), but it had a complete turnover of personnel between the first album and the second.\*

\*There was an album between the two with the original lineup, but it wasn’t released until after the second.

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**Author:** ![Mortimus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mortimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortimus)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-underwent-big-transformations/955080/83 "2021-12-06T22:35:58Z")

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> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> I’ll mention Renaissance

Thanks for mentioning! I had completely forgotten about them. Was really into them in my college stoner days, which is probably why I had to do a You Tube search to refresh my memory 🙂

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**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-underwent-big-transformations/955080/84 "2021-12-09T16:10:18Z")

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The |Beach Boys went from 2 minute surf and hot rod songs in the early 60s to Pet Sounds & Good Vibrations in just a few years.

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**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-underwent-big-transformations/955080/85 "2021-12-09T17:22:22Z")

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Pantera was originally a straight-up 80s glam metal band. Aside from the distinct guitar, would anyone even recognize Dimebag Darrell from this?  
[![](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1f/39/b8/1f39b86cf75f96ad3a58cf70a2564fb6--dimebag-darrell-pantera.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1f/39/b8/1f39b86cf75f96ad3a58cf70a2564fb6--dimebag-darrell-pantera.jpg)

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