# Established bands who have successfully changed lead singers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187 "2011-03-02T08:06:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/1 "2011-03-02T08:06:53Z")
I can only think of two right off the top of my head: -Van Halen. Wildly successful with David Lee Roth as the lead singer. Replaced with Sammy Hagar, and the band continued to be successful. -Genesis. Peter Gabriel was the lead singer for the band, from its onset in 1967 until 1976. The band continued to enjoy popularity after he left and Phil Collins took over lead vocals. I know other bands have tried it (Motley Crue with John Corabi instead of Vince Neil for one). I’m not looking for bands that didn’t become popular/established until they replaced their original singer. Just bands that were already well-known before the replacing happened. Are there any others that I can’t recall? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/2 "2011-03-02T08:09:39Z")
Blood, Sweat and Tears. Journey. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/3 "2011-03-02T08:14:55Z")
Black Sabbath did pretty well for itself during the Ronnie James Dio era. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/4 "2011-03-02T08:54:41Z")
**AC/DC**. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/5 "2011-03-02T08:55:15Z")
I’m not a Marillion fan, but Steve Hogarth seems to have done well enough as a replacement singer. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/6 "2011-03-02T09:05:20Z")
_Fleetwood Mac_ were very successful in the U.K. with Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer as lead vocalists, and, later, successful worldwide with Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham. Of course, they also changed their whole sound. (There were others singing lead in between, such as Danny Kirwan and Bob Welch, but the band was not so successful in that period.) ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/7 "2011-03-02T09:58:03Z")
Pink Floyd replaced Syd Barrett with David Gilmour. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/8 "2011-03-02T10:08:25Z")
The Doobie Brothers replaced Tom Johnston with Michael McDonald. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/9 "2011-03-02T10:17:53Z")
I have been told that the Sugababes replaced their lead singer three times, attaining number ones each time. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/10 "2011-03-02T10:57:17Z")
Probably the champions at this were the Drifters. > I think the Temptations did alright after Ruffin and Kendricks left. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/11 "2011-03-02T10:58:43Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I have been told that the Sugababes replaced their lead singer three times, attaining number ones each time. That is stretching the concept of a “band” to breaking point. is it…perhaps…an **rubber band** aha…ha ha …ha…ha…ha oh, sod yer then! ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/12 "2011-03-02T11:09:10Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > That is stretching the concept of a “band” to breaking point. > is it…perhaps…an **rubber band** > > aha…ha ha …ha…ha…ha > oh, sod yer then! Sorry about that, but I’ve no idea who they are. I’m an ageing hippie and proud of it! ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/13 "2011-03-02T11:18:54Z")
There’s plenty of metal bands who’ve changed singers, some several times. Off the top of my head - Iron Maiden Iced Earth Helloween Cannibal Corpse Mayhem ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/14 "2011-03-02T12:08:37Z")
Off the top of my iHead: Deep Purple. Napalm Death. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/15 "2011-03-02T12:23:24Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > Sorry about that, but I’ve no idea who they are. I’m an ageing hippie and proud of it! Believe me, you are better off not knowing. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/16 "2011-03-02T12:37:28Z")
Steel Dragon. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/17 "2011-03-02T12:44:22Z")
Black Flag had four vocalists: Keith Morris, Ron Reyes, Dez Cadena, and Henry Rollins. The band was pretty popular in punk circles during Dez’s stint, and remained popular (and is probably best remembered, much to the chagrin of some purists) during Henry’s time at the microphone. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/18 "2011-03-02T12:55:18Z")
The Dropkick Murphys might count, though I may be misremembering how popular their first album (with Mike McColgan) was. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/19 "2011-03-02T14:13:46Z")
Manfred Mann ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/20 "2011-03-02T14:32:47Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I have been told that the Sugababes replaced their lead singer three times, attaining number ones each time. Sort of - there is no lead singer, they’re a vocal group where each member is, in theory, on the same level as the others, and while they haven’t had number ones with every lineup they have managed to stay successful. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187.md?page=2)