# Biggest Band Drop-off After One Quits/Fired **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 15, 2019, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681 "2019-08-15T01:53:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/81 "2019-08-16T19:42:14Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > Though I really liked Kieth Godchaux’s (RIP) early time spent with The Grateful Dead playing with and taking over for PigPen (RIP) I feel the band got better after their termination Feb 17th 1979. Brent (RIP) added what Keith never could…Sadly Brent “fired” himself 10 years later…Bruce Hornsby did a good job in the interim getting Vince Welnick (RIP) up to speed. > > Donna and Keith definitely needed replaced…the other keyboardists not so much. Totally posted in wrong thread… The Dead got BETTER after Keith and Donna left…my bad. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/82 "2019-08-16T21:02:22Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > This, though the drop-off is yet more drastic for me: I can’t stand anything after _New Adventures in Hi-Fi_, and I love almost everything up to and including that. Absolutely the same for me. I like every album up to “New Adventures…”, this one especially as one of the great “on-the-road” albums, but everything that came after does nothing for me. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/83 "2019-08-16T21:40:22Z")
The Clash weren’t so hot sans Mr. Jones when he hit the road… ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/84 "2019-08-16T22:13:19Z")
Everything the Sex Pistols put out after Glen Matlock left was nothing more than gimmicks (you can argue that everything the Pistols ever released was a gimmick, but at least with Matlock is was musically solid). The best musician in the band left for a non-musician, and it showed. (That changes nothing about the fact that I like “The Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle”. It’s eccentric, bizarre and fun, but also merely a novelty.) ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/85 "2019-08-17T01:28:25Z")
I’m a long-time Pink Floyd fan, and my favorite albums are probably Animals and Wish You Were Here. As for the post-Wall albums, I really like The Final Cut and The Division Bell, and most of Waters’s solo stuff, but I can’t stand most of A Momentary Lapse of Reason. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/86 "2019-08-17T03:49:48Z")
Joy Division after Ian Curtis died and the band changed its name to New Order. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/87 "2019-08-17T08:43:00Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > It may not have been in a way you or I would have liked, but Genesis was far, FAR more successful after Hackett left. They had a string of 6 consecutive Platinum (US) albums after he left. They never had one with Hackett or Gabriel. That’s true but record sales are not what I consider the mark of a good band. In the case of Genesis the albums that sold more records were not as good as the earlier ones. That’s a drop-off. And the biggest drop-off in song/album quality and musicianship? It was after Steve Hackett left the band. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/88 "2019-08-17T13:02:20Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Joy Division after Ian Curtis died and the band changed its name to New Order. I just realized that I posted this in the wrong thread. This was supposed to be in the biggest improvement thread… ---
**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:** [August 17, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/89 "2019-08-17T13:11:06Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > That’s true but record sales are not what I consider the mark of a good band. The OP didn’t specify “biggest drop-off” in WHAT. So it seems to me that a drop-off in commercial success, a drop-off in quality, or a drop-off in how much you personally like them are all legitimate interpretations. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/90 "2019-08-17T14:49:46Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The OP didn’t specify “biggest drop-off” in WHAT. So it seems to me that a drop-off in commercial success, a drop-off in quality, or a drop-off in how much you personally like them are all legitimate interpretations. I agree. As long as you don’t call commercial success “the band got better”. It pains me that I’ll never see a concert with the Peter Green version of Fleetwood Mac, but I’ll admit the Buckingham/Nicks version was more successful. And, am I the only person in the world who likes every Pink Floyd album? I feel kind of lucky… to have liked Waters _and_ Gilmour. Gabriel _and_ Collins. And Van Hagar was _almost_ as good… Kooper _and_ Clayton-Thomas. Eno _and_ Ferry… And Best _and_… naah, had to be Starr. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/91 "2019-08-17T16:06:06Z")
There’s some good songs on the Buckingham/Nicks album… Of course, Buckingham was hired, but he said they were a packaged deal, so Stevie Nicks showed her loyalty by firing him for SMIRKING! I especially love “Long-Distance Winner” but I preferred Peter Green and Danny Kirwan (especially when they were together, moving from Jeremy’s Spencer’s Bo Diddley slide guitar stuff)… Bob Welch had a hell of a voice. I like “Rumours” and maybe 3-4 songs on their double album “Tusk”, but not really anything after. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/92 "2019-08-17T17:23:57Z")
> [@digs](#): > > And, am I the only person in the world who likes every Pink Floyd album? No. I happen to think _A Momentary Lapse of Reason_ is a fine album. The whole “A New Machine/Terminal Frost” suite is fantastic. > [@](#): > > I feel kind of lucky… to have liked Waters _and_ Gilmour. Gabriel _and_ Collins. And Van Hagar was _almost_ as good… Kooper _and_ Clayton-Thomas. Eno _and_ Ferry… And Best _and_… naah, had to be Starr. This. Genesis has always been one of my favorite bands. I totally agree with the others in this thread who have stated there was a drop off in quality after Hackett left. But that doesn’t mean their later output was bad. Some of the poppier tunes I could do without (like “Follow You Follow Me,” I can’t stand that song), but each later album had at least couple of tracks that stayed somewhat true to their glory days. Likewise with Hagar and Van Halen. The Roth years were the best, but the Hagar years were almost as good. Their sound matured, they lost a little of the raw power, but that’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/93 "2019-08-17T20:56:31Z")
Whew, thanks for agreeing with me, GESancMan. Since I posted that, I’ve been wondering if I’m just too positive for my own good. Oh, and The Kingston Trio lost a creative genius when Dave Guard\* left, but the later albums (and the witty live performances) with John Stewart soon made up for that. \*(what, you don’t keep up with the Hawaiian banjo scene?) ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/94 "2019-08-18T04:31:49Z")
There’s been a lot of mention of Genesis, but the biggest drop off was when Phil Collins left. Rutherford and Banks put out Calling All Stations with Ray Wilson and it was a horrible flop. The US tour was canceled and the band returned to playing smaller arenas in Europe that were more reminiscent of where they played in the early 1970s. No more sold out stadiums and arenas until Phil came back for the reunion tour. And, it’s good that they all get along to this day. I’ve heard a story that they even kept drummer John Mayhew’s royalty checks from Trespass when he disappeared after he was replaced by Phil Collins and gave them to him once he re-emerged. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/95 "2019-08-18T04:41:40Z")
Unless I missed something, nobody mention Keith Moon and The Who. They were good with him gone, but not the same. I’d say the same about Montrose after Sammy Hagar left. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/96 "2019-08-18T06:04:35Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > And, it’s good that they all get along to this day. I’ve heard a story that they even kept drummer John Mayhew’s royalty checks from Trespass when he disappeared after he was replaced by Phil Collins and gave them to him once he re-emerged. That’s a great story! ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/97 "2019-08-18T18:25:52Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > Unless I missed something, nobody mention Keith Moon and The Who. They were good with him gone, but not the same. You missed two somethings. Posts 22 and 49. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/98 "2019-08-18T20:18:06Z")
I think The Who died with Keith… The replacement drummers not only didn’t fit in, they weren’t great to begin with. Just being a member of a successful band, or the son of a successful drummer shouldn’t be everything (I hate nepotism, especially in art) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/99 "2019-08-19T02:44:34Z")
My kid made the comment “All my favorite bands are part dead.” Huh? “Beatles, Zep’lin, Ramones, Who… half dead guys.” First I said “Someone raised you right.” Then I had a brilliant idea: “You name-checked a band with a bass player and drummer gone, and one that’s only got those left. So let’s get _The Whotles_ to go on tour.” Wouldn’t Ringo have been a better replacement for Keith Moon? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681/100 "2019-08-19T03:07:44Z")
The posters can all read “Who are The Beatles?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-band-drop-off-after-one-quits-fired/838681.md?page=6)