- HOME
- This Just In
- Bonus
- sessions
- Blogs
- Events
- social
- Video
Michael Lello
When a band shifts its lineup, it can be a traumatic experience. Changing singers, you would think, would be extra problematic. You’re changing the sound most listeners immediately connect with — the voice — and the signature of the band. But many successful groups have gone on to bigger, and arguably better, things after replacing a singer. Bringing in a third singer, however, rarely works, and often has led to the death of the band or bringing back one of the previous vocalists.
Here’s a brief look at some bands that have had pretty strong second acts after breaking in a new frontman.
Van Halen
The Sammy vs. Dave debate will rage on forever. This might seem like sacrilege to some, but I prefer Hagar. Despite way too many songs with the word “love” in them, I think Sammy’s a better singer, and I think the band as a whole improved when Sammy replaced Diamond Dave, who, let's face it, is a fun but clownish frontman. The Sammy albums — “5150,” “OU812,” “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” and “Balance” — are all tremendous, and in my opinion, besides “5150,” which gets its due, somewhat underrated.
When the band went with a third different singer in the late ’90s — Gary Cherone from Extreme — it was a relative flop. After years of animosity, Dave came back in ’07 and apparently is still part of the band.
Genesis
To many fans, especially Americans, Genesis and Phil Collins mean basically the same thing. But before Phil stepped in front of the drumkit to take over frontman duties, Peter Gabriel handled lead vocals. The band played odd, complex art rock, with Gabriel wearing costumes during lengthy, multipart songs. He left at Genesis’ then-peak, after 1974’s “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” But with Collins at the helm, Genesis became a massive pop-rock machine. Many diehard fans of the more progressive Gabriel era see the Collins years as lightweight sellout material, but they fail to recognize that the first few Collins-sung albums were quite adventurous, and even the latter, poppier albums included some exploratory moments (like “Domino” on “Invisible Touch” and “Driving the Last Spike” and “Fading Lights,” both on “We Can’t Dance.”)
When Collins quit, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks brought in the relatively unknown Ray Wilson to record “Calling All Stations.” The album and tour did well … in Europe. That was the end of that venture, and Collins came back in ’07 for a ballyhooed reunion tour.
Iron Maiden
It’s hard to imagine Iron Maiden without the operatic and larger-than-life Bruce Dickinson, but Maiden first put out two great albums, “Iron Maiden” and “Killers,” with singer Paul Di’Anno. Di’Anno was gruff, punky and perfect for the earlier, rawer, in-your-face Maiden sound. But the band reached new, fanciful heights when Dickinson took over for 1982’s legendary “The Number of the Beast.”
When Dickinson left, Maiden tried the third-singer thing with Blaze Bayley. That did little more than remind listeners how much they love Dickinson, who eventually returned.
So there you have it. In the world of rock singers, two times is often the charm and three different singers is one too many, usually leading to a return to the familiar.
About the Author
Education
Penn State University, University Park
Bachelors degree: Journalism, English minor
Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia
Masters of arts degree: Writing studies
Manchester University, Manchester, England
Communications
Selected Publications
The Weekender, LexisNexis Securities Litigation, ESPN.com, The Associated Press, Philadelphia Daily News, Philly Edge, Universitywire.com, The Daily Collegian
From
Pittston
Resides
Scranton