There are many pitfalls that can await a band on their musical journey, but losing a lead singer is usually curtains for a band's career. Standing front and center to take all applause and criticism, it is a difficult balance to keep both a band and one's self on the straight and narrow. Be it through tragedy, incident, or the classic trope of 'musical differences', losing a vocalist is such a difficult thing to survive for any musical ensemble.
Despite losing the sound and aesthetic that so often characterizes an artist's output, not all bands are resigned to the scrapheap when their vocalists depart. There are a select few bands who went on to find success with a new frontman, delivering classic records and sold out shows all over the world.
10 AC/DC
Original Singer: Bon Scott
While Angus Young and his schoolboy attire will forever be the public face of the band, Malcolm Young ran the show from day one, and Dave Evans recorded one song before his arrival, the flame-throated, sin-inducing, untamable voice of Bon Scott was considered the heart and soul of AC/DC. Be it the "nudge and a wink" sexual innuendo, feeling as though you're part of the world's most dangerous (and drunk) gang in town, or needing a dirty deed to be done dirt cheap, Bon felt like he characterized so much of what makes AC/DC one of the greatest rock n' roll bands of all time.
Following his untimely ing in February 1980, AC/DC were determined to continue the band. After an audition process that included names like Fat Lip's Allan Fryer and Terry Slesser (who impressed when opening for the band with Back Street Crawlers), AC/DC were recommended their new singer by Highway To Hell producer, Mutt Lange. Bon Scott had been an irer of Geordie vocalist, Brian Johnson, too, and after he record vocals on the legendary "Back In Black", the rest is history. Brian Johnson is a more playful but no-less thrilling singer, and his years in AC/DC have been largely great.
9 Queen
Original Singer: Freddie Mercury
Since the release of the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic, Queen have literally never been bigger than they have been in the last half a decade. They have the unique advantage of having a back catalog of music that shrugged off the trends of the time in favor of brave, fantastical ideas, and that keeps their music timeless. It's only fair that the band should share that with its fans, despite the obvious missing factor.
It has been a wise decision for the remaining of Queen to not write any new material. Opting instead to concentrate on touring, Queen are armed with one of the most impressive greatest hits collections in the history of rock music. In Adam Lambert, they have someone confident and talented enough to fill unfillable shoes. His personality, voice, charisma, drama and unique vocal flair ensures that Lambert does a great job of replacing the near-irreplacable Freddie Mercury. The live show is great, Adam is magnificent, and so "The Show Must Go On".
8 Black Flag
Original Singer: Keith Morris
Henry Rollins is one of the most impactful forebears of hardcore. His book, Get In The Van, is a no-punches-pulled of the dangers and hardship that came with touring in Black Flag through the early '80s, and on My War, Rollins personified the nihilistic tone of Black Flag and the album that would be one of the most influential for the bands of the early '90s Alternative movement. That being said, Rollins himself will tell you he doesn't sing on the best Black Flag release.
The First Four Years is a compilation album that collects the earliest work of Black Flag and contains a grand total of four different vocalists. Keith Morris is the band's most famous early singer, who formed Circle Jerks after falling out with Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn. There are also vocals from Ron Reyes, bassist Chuck Dukowski on one track, and Dez Cadena, who was the vocalist who wanted to switch to guitar that caused Rollins to the band. It is an exhilarating album that's still nasty over 40 years after its initial release.
7 Pantera
Original Singer: Terry Glaze
Formed by the Abbot brothers, Vinnie and Darrell, Pantera were arguably the greatest metal band of the '90s. Their mixture of Southern fried metal and inventing what would be known as Groove Metal, the "Stronger Than All" vocals of Phil Anselmo were a vital component in Pantera's success. There was, however, a much different story from before the band were flexing their vulgar displays of power.
It's no great secret or source of shame that Pantera were a far more glam-leaning band in their early years. Original vocalist Terry Glaze was the right man for Pantera's Van Halen and Judas Priest worship on albums like Metal Magic, and Anselmo himself would start his time in Pantera on the equally Glam album, Power Metal. But it would be Anselmo and Cowboys From Hell that would change the band and heavy music's trajectory forever.
6 Genesis
Original Singer: Peter Gabriel
Genesis are a band with two very successful but incredibly different eras and singers. Most of the world knows Genesis for their pop-leaning hits of the mid-to-late '80s and early '90s. The likes of "Invisible Touch", "Land Of Confusion", and "I Can't Dance" became international mega hits, with the band's former drummer, Phil Collins, taking over vocals. He would take the mic in 1975 and continue their Prog Rock blueprint, but the band would embrace their more pop-leaning sound following Collins' massive solo career in the mid-'80s.
For their work in the 1970s, Genesis are considered Prog Rock legends for their work with Peter Gabriel on vocals. His arty stage aesthetics, conceptual lyrics and flamboyant approach to vocals were ahead of their time. Genesis work with Peter Gabriel was not commercially viable, but it continues to age impeccably.
5 Black Sabbath
Original Singer: Ozzy Osborne
Widely considered to be the band that gave birth to heavy metal, the Ozzy Osborne fronted line-up of Black Sabbath are one of the most respected bands of all time. Their melancholic narratives about war and demonic forces, doom-laden riffs, and anthemic songwriting and sloganeering remain the cornerstones of heavy music. Osborne's solo career might have had a great sense of fun, but his legacy with Black Sabbath is in evil and darkness.
Ronnie James Dio had already created a reputation for being one of the most technically gifted singers of the late '70s; His work with Elf and on hits like Man on the Silver Mountain with Rainbow were rightly heralded for his phenomenal range and power. ing Black Sabbath after Osborne, the Dio era of Sabbath has its own unique but beloved flavor. This is personified by their reunion in the group Heaven And Hell in 2009. Sabbath would have other singers, most notably Ian Gillan and Tony Martin, but it is Dio whose work remains most acclaimed.
4 Electric Callboy
Original Singer: Sebastian 'Sushi' Biesler
German electro-metallers Electric Callboy have been one of metal's standout successes in recent years. Their take-no-prisoners approach to a party atmosphere and Electric Callboy's unrelenting Euro-Pop meets Metal flavor sounds like Limp Bizkit ate The Vengaboys. It really is that good. The likes of the irrepressible "We Got The Moves" and their recent collab hit with BABYMETAL, "Ratatata", have become fun-fueled floor-fillers in clubs and at festivals all over the globe.
It's worth ing that the band's fortunes changed entirely when they recruited unknown Nico Sallach from To the Rats and Wolves. Sebastian 'Sushi' Biesler had been with the band since their inception, but left to pursue darker sounds with his project, Ghostkid. Electric Callboy's first track with their new vocalist was the viral internet sensation "Hypa Hypa" in 2020 and the band have only gone from strength to strength since.
3 Van Halen
Original Singer: David Lee Roth
Eddie Van Halen and his brother Alex revolutionized rock music and the guitar itself in the late '70s, and Van Halen were a driving force behind the sound of the whole genre in the '80s. Most of Van Halen's definitive work was recorded with David Lee Roth on vocals, with the likes of "Jump", "Running With The Devil", "Hot For Teacher", "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and more becoming rock staples forever. Later years may not have been kind to the man's singing ability, but Diamond Dave has always been the life and soul of the party.
That fact isn't to dismiss the band's following work. The incredible evolution Van Halen undertook with Sammy Hagar yielded great results (though we can totally disregard their one album with Extreme's Gary Cherone on vocals). 5150 is one of the best albums in Van Halen's arsenal, and while Hagar's voice may not have the sex and danger of Diamond Dave, his peerless power and range was more in keeping with the musicians in the band. It's understandable that if your Van Halen was about keg parties and unruly behavior, Van Hagar's more corporate, Coca Cola rock may have been a little nice. But are you really going to sneer at "Poundcake"?
2 Iron Maiden
Original Singer: Paul Di'anno
On their first two albums, Iron Maiden had all of their trademarks that would go on to define the band as one of the most important heavy metal bands of all time. Their gallop was in a spikier and more confrontational sound as they spearheaded the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement, and Eddie was front and center as the mascot that they still use today and who set the template for metal bands to utilize them. Vocalist Paul Di'anno had attitude and spite, but Maiden needed something else to reach their goals.
At the time fronting Samson, Bruce Dickinson ing Iron Maiden changed heavy metal forever. He left his band to Iron Maiden in 1981, with Dickinson's theatrical and powerful Human Air Raid Siren approach instantly changing the band's sound from his first work with the band, the classic "Number Of The Beast". Despite leaving the band and being replaced by Wolfsbane's Blaze Bayley for a few years in the '90s, he still fronts the band in front of thousands of fans today.
1 Fleetwood Mac
Original Singer: Peter Green
Best known for Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and Christine McVie's six-legged trifecta of vocal awesomeness, Fleetwood Mac took a full eight years before they found their definitive vocal line-up. Focusing on a poppier, more charismatic, and personality-driven vocal approach, the likes of "Go Your Own Way", "Rhiannon", and "Don't Stop" would go on to become some of the most popular rock songs in existence. Their popularity continues to find new generations, with TikTok embracing the band's hit, "Dreams", a few years ago in a viral trend.
It is an accepted fact that Fleetwood Mac's early, blues-driven years are considered their best work in some quarters. Peter Green was Fleetwood Mac's creative hub for essential hits like "Black Magic Woman" and "Albatross", before he would leave the band in a chemical haze in 1970. Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, Bob Welch and, most notably, Christine McVie would deputize before Buckingham and Nicks ed the band and changed the face of popular rock music forever.