New Lead Singers

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Apr 11, 2024
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Hi
This may have been done before but the uproar about Linkin Park has got me wondering. Besides ACDC and Van Halen to some degree what other band has had any success after replacing their lead singer? INXS and Queen tried it but for me they have come across as glorified cover bands.
 
Iron Maiden started with Paul D’Anno before becoming well known with Bruce Dickinson. I’m sure there’s a couple of other examples I can come up with but it’s late and I’m tired :p
 

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Manfred Mann had two different lead vocalists, Paul Jones from 1962 to 1966 and Mike d'Abo from 1966 to 1969. They evolved into
Manfred Mann Chapter3 then Manfred Mann's Earth Band with lead vocals and brill guitar by Chris Rogers [and other?] who had a big hit with "Blinded by the Light".

Paul Jones did vocals on "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" and "Pretty Flamingo".
Mike d'Abo did vocals on "Just Like a Woman", "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James", "Ha Ha Said The Clown", "Mighty Quinn", "My Name is Jack" and "Fox on the Run".
Paul Jones went on to have a successful solo career [he was still performing last time I heard!] and I love his vocals on "High Time", "I've Been a Bad Bad Boy" and "Sons and Lovers" but Mike D'Abo's voice sounds very similar to me.
 
Iron Maiden started with Paul D’Anno before becoming well known with Bruce Dickinson. I’m sure there’s a couple of other examples I can come up with but it’s late and I’m tired :p

Cannibal Corpse are one I could think of, made their name with Chris Barnes but I think Corpsegrinder is a better vocalist personally.

Alice in Chains made a necessary change with their comeback after Layne Staley's passing, Duvall is great and he can play guitar too, voice very similar to Layne too.
 
Pantera had three forgettable glam metal albums with Terry Glaze up front. Enter Phil Anselmo and they took off.

But assuming the OP meant successful bands who replaced their lead singer and remained successful:

Fleetwood Mac. Peter Green was their founder and original singer.

Pink Floyd. Syd Barrett left and Waters/Gilmour took over the vocals.

Deep Purple. In Rod Evans' era they were moderately successful, Ian Gillan replaced Evans and they went from strength to strength. Gillan was fired and replaced with David Coverdale for another great era.
 
Dutch Symphonic Metal Group The Gathering started with a male lead singer from 1989 to 1993 before going through a few short-term lead singers.

In 1994 they found soprano singer Anneke van Giersbergen who was their lead singer during the bands most successful era, and when she left in 2007 she was replaced by Silje Wergeland who has been their lead singer ever since.
 
Accept successfully replaced Udo Dirkschneider with Mark Tornillo.

Black Sabbath got a brief shot in the arm after replacing Ozzy with Dio. Same when Anthrax replaced Joey Belladonna with John Bush.
 
Chicago.

Terry Kath died in 78, Peter Cetera left in 85. That's two of their three principal singers gone (Robert Lamm being the other).

They continued to chart until the late 80s and still tour as a band, with three of the original members (Lamm, Jimmy Pankow and Lee Loughnane).
 
Toto.

Bobby Kimball was the original lead singer. Others to take the lead vocalist role over the years:
Fergie Frederiksen
Joseph Williams
Jean-Michel Byron
Steve Lukather

Never stopped them from being a great band.
 

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Cannibal Corpse are one I could think of, made their name with Chris Barnes but I think Corpsegrinder is a better vocalist personally.

Alice in Chains made a necessary change with their comeback after Layne Staley's passing, Duvall is great and he can play guitar too, voice very similar to Layne too.
Agree with Cannibal Corpse
 
Accept successfully replaced Udo Dirkschneider with Mark Tornillo.

Black Sabbath got a brief shot in the arm after replacing Ozzy with Dio. Same when Anthrax replaced Joey Belladonna with John Bush.
Black Sabbath also had Tony Martin on vocals for 3 albums. An underrated period for them in my honest opinion
 
I didn’t know Lukather did lead vocals, incredible guitar player of course
He was lead singer for a fair chunk of the 90s, from about 91 to 98, at which stage Bobby Kimball rejoined the band.

He took lead vocal duties on two albums, Kingdom of Desire and Tambu, released during this period.

That's why I thought I would include him on the list, as he wasn't just a temporary fill in or take the occasional lead vocal role.

You're right, he's an amazing guitarist. And prolific too, his session work is extensive.
 
He was lead singer for a fair chunk of the 90s, from about 91 to 98, at which stage Bobby Kimball rejoined the band.

He took lead vocal duties on two albums, Kingdom of Desire and Tambu, released during this period.

That's why I thought I would include him on the list, as he wasn't just a temporary fill in or take the occasional lead vocal role.

You're right, he's an amazing guitarist. And prolific too, his session work is extensive.

Yeah right, didn’t know all that. Not hugely into Toto but you should never fade out the intro to Rosanna, **** me he rips out some tasty licks there
 
Yeah right, didn’t know all that. Not hugely into Toto but you should never fade out the intro to Rosanna, **** me he rips out some tasty licks there
I went through a Toto phase a few years ago, I realized I had liked them in their charting days but had never listened to anything of theirs since. They have put out some seriously good stuff over the years.

As for Luke, here's a tune from Mindfields (1999) with him on lead vocal. He goes ok behind the microphone.
 
numerous in metal but depends how you define success. the moments in priest/maiden with ripper/blaze i wouldn't consider a success for example.

napalm death, sepultura, anthrax, anathema off the top of my head. even bands like nightwish and other opera/folk metal when the lynchpins of their sound are changed they still get plenty of listens.
 

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