# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/41 "2011-03-05T12:59:44Z")
The Miracles had a #1 single (“Love Machine”) without Smokey Robinson- does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Skinny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Skinny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skinny)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/42 "2011-03-05T13:15:34Z")
I don’t know how successful they are now, but Journey found their new singer on youtube. I’m not much of a fan, but it’s a pretty neat story and he sounds very close to what was a distinctive voice. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/43 "2011-03-05T14:02:57Z")
> [@Skinny](#): > > I don’t know how successful they are now, but Journey found their new singer on youtube. I’m not much of a fan, but it’s a pretty neat story and he sounds very close to what was a distinctive voice. That brings up a question- how do you decide which bands have been “successful” with their new singer? Is it record sales? Then many of the bands mentioned earlier (Deep Purple, Genesis, Chicago, Van Halen, Jefferson Starship) qualify. They’ve had big hit singles and/or gold albums with more than one singer. But Journey has only had real commercial success with Steve Perry on lead vocals. They were a minor prog-rock/jazz-rock band when Greg Rolie was the singer, and they haven’t had any hits since Perry left (though you’re right- the new singer sounds very good, and Journey remains a popular live act). Similarly, all of Boston’s successful recordings have Brad Delp on vocals (no disrespect to the newer guy). And Styx has never had a hit without Dennis DeYoung (though they still draw good crowds on the concert circuit with Dennis’ replacement). ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/44 "2011-03-05T14:06:50Z")
(Ritchie Blackmore’s) Rainbow was pretty successful with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, then MORE commercially successful with Joe Lynn Turner on vocals. ---
**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 5, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/45 "2011-03-05T14:18:25Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > (Ritchie Blackmore’s) Rainbow was pretty successful with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, then MORE commercially successful with Joe Lynn Turner on vocals. They did alright with Graham Bonnet singing as well. Has anyone mentioned Nightwish yet? I believe their most recent album, with the new singer, is their most commercially successful. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/46 "2011-03-05T14:21:38Z")
Alice in Chains are doing fairly well without Layne Staley now. They took years off, but finall replaced him with William Duvall. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/47 "2011-03-05T14:29:34Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I know, some people might say it wasn’t the same band, but the only reason for the name change is that Rod Stewart is tall. The original Small Faces really WERE small; Mariott, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones were all little guys, averaging about 5 foot 5 inches. When the much taller Stewart joined, they weren’t Small any more. Huh. I was going to post that they did continue to use the name Small Faces anyway for their first album with Stewart. Fortunately, I checked before posting, and discovered that this was a concession to the record company that was done only for the U.S. release, and in the U.K., _First Step_ was credited to Faces. Never knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Chapulin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Chapulin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chapulin)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/48 "2011-03-05T18:06:34Z")
K-Paz de la Sierra’s lead singer was murdered by the drug cartel, his brother replaced him and they are doing great! ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/49 "2011-03-05T21:16:53Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > It’s my understanding that Steely Dan enjoyed greater commercial success after Michael MacDonald jumped ship to the Doobie Brothers, but not for very long. But McDonald never sang lead for Steely Dan. Or were you intending to describe the success of the Doobie Brothers after changing lead singers? Because I think that would count. For another suggestion: Possibly Bad Company could count, although they were never quite as successful as in their first incarnation. Also, the changes were almost to a completely different band that only shared the name. (And to further mix it up, the original lead came back years later). ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/50 "2011-03-05T21:58:06Z")
Damn you guys got the first ones I was going to psych you out with (the obvious ones): Deep Purple, Black Flag, Genesis. How about Bob Wills and (his) Texas Playboys? For you old-timers, Count Basie Orchestra had a few 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/51 "2011-03-06T00:18:35Z")
The Beatles did OK after Paul’s replacement after he died. Sorry.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/52 "2011-03-06T04:54:51Z")
Iron Maiden ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187/53 "2011-03-06T19:58:12Z")
Annihilator changes singers regularly - the heart and soul of the band is lead guitar Jeff Waters. Who also happens to have an ego the size of my… well, it’s big anyway. He regularly rotates drummers, singers and bassists out when they threaten to have _gasp_ fans and recognition of their own. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/established-bands-who-have-successfully-changed-lead-singers/573187.md?page=2)