Top 10 Best Band Member Lineup Changes
Bands that changed their members. Even after changing, they were (or still are) the best.
The members on the left side are earlier members, and those on the right side are the ones who replaced them.
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Paul Di'Anno to Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)
Are we talking about Bruce? Paul isn't even a good metal vocalist, so it's a great decision that Paul was replaced with Bruce.
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John Rutsey to Neil Peart (Rush)
John was no slouch (he's kind of a cross between John Bonham and Simon Kirke), but he was nowhere near Neil Peart's level. Plus, most of Geddy and Alex's lyrics are trite compared to Neil's.
This was the best decision they made.
Neil is the best drummer ever. John isn't even close to him, so yeah, it's one of the best lineup changes.
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Dave Mustaine to Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
Dave Mustaine is a more technical guitarist, but he had addiction problems and was unreliable, so Metallica made the right decision. Besides, Metallica released their best album (Master of Puppets) with Kirk Hammett.
So, it was a good decision overall, and let's not forget that thanks to this change, we got another legendary thrash band - Megadeth.
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Bon Scott to Brian Johnson (AC/DC)
This was probably the smoothest change - they sound very similar, and Bon Scott himself selected Brian Johnson. Bon first saw Brian singing in a bar and asked for his phone number, which he then gave to Angus just in case...
Both of them are great. One great hard rock singer died, and another great singer came along, so I'd say this is the best member lineup change because the band was able to keep a good singer.
I prefer Bon, but I do think they made the right choice by bringing in Brian Johnson. He was the best man for the job.
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Ozzy Osbourne to Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath)
Dio was a way better singer than Ozzy.
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Pete Best to Ringo Starr (The Beatles)
Oh yes. Ringo has a much better sense of time, fluidity, and groove than Pete did. Just compare Pete doing Love Me Do to Ringo or Andy White. Big difference.
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Al Atkins to Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
Ha ha, Rob Halford. He wasn't the original vocalist, but it's great that he came instead of Al Atkins. So yeah, it's another great decision.
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Syd Barrett to David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
I like Syd, but I think replacing him with David was for the best, especially in terms of their long-term success. Plus, if David had never replaced Syd, most people would never have heard his guitar playing.
Syd was great, but he was heavily addicted to drugs and had mental disorders, which is why he was fired by Roger. However, David carried the band greatly, especially as a guitarist and vocalist.
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Eric Clapton to Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds)
Agree with this one. Eric was great, but I think Jeff was a better fit for the band. Plus, that meant we got the Bluesbreakers album, Cream, and Blind Faith!
Eric was great, but after his departure, Jeff did some great guitar work.
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Rod Evans to Ian Gillan (Deep Purple)
Ian Gillan, no doubt. One of the best member switches.
Agree. Ian is exponentially better, no contest.
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Jeff Young to Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
Nothing beats Marty's exotic scales and his neo-classical type playing.
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Paul D'Amour to Justin Chancellor (Tool)
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Tracii Guns to Slash (Guns N' Roses)
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Ronnie James Dio to Ian Gillan (Black Sabbath)
@Mumbizz01: Black Sabbath had no choice here. Dio left, and because Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan were friends (I think they still are), Gillan did him a favor and sang on this album. This change was a temporary solution and wasn't supposed to be long-lasting.
However, "Born Again" is one of the heaviest Black Sabbath albums, and half of the songs are very good. The screams in "Disturbing The Priest" are great. Personally, though, I prefer the albums with Dio because the songs were better (different style) and were meant for Dio's voice. "Born Again" sounds like an album meant for Ozzy's voice, especially on songs like "Zero The Hero." The material wasn't right for Gillan's voice - he is a talented singer with a 4-octave range, but most of the songs did not allow him to show his potential.
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Anders Colsefni to Corey Taylor (Slipknot)
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David Lee Roth to Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)
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Mick Taylor to Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones)
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Ian Gillan to David Coverdale (Deep Purple)
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John Greely to Matt Barlow (Iced Earth)
John Greely wasn't a bad singer, but Matt Barlow was an Oh My God singer.
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Mark Wakefield to Chester Bennington (Linkin Park)
Chester is one of the greatest singers of modern rock and also the best member of Linkin Park (for me). So I think, yes, it's a great change.
Linkin Park actually was successful with Chester as lead singer.
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Hillel Slovak to John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
RHCP's best work is with Frusciante. Slovak was necessary for the formation of the band, but Frusciante is a better guitarist.
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Mike Portnoy to Mike Mangini (Dream Theater)
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Jesse Leach to Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage)
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Anette Olzon to Floor Jansen (Nightwish)
No one can replace their first singer, Tarja, whose operatic and unique singing style was the band's major trademark in the beginning. For whatever reason she was fired by the other members, we'll never know.
What we do know, on the other hand, is that for the style of music they make - big, bombastic, and orchestral rock - a singer with a similarly big voice is needed. Anette Olzon has a great voice, but the tone of her vocal style fits better with music that is more minimalistic. I can perfectly imagine her in Nu Metal or pop rock, for that matter. She is not meant to sing about fantastical lyrics but to be more direct and modern.
Floor Jansen is not a classical singer like Tarja, but she is capable of extreme belting as well as silent whispers. She always adjusts her vocals to whatever fits the tone of the music, which sometimes means she has to contend with a full-blown orchestra. Actually, she is the best substitute for Tarja they could have gotten. Nevertheless, the two albums with Anette are masterpieces from an amazing band, but perhaps Floor would have made them even greater.
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Dave Henwood to Tré Cool (Green Day)
Tré is great, although he joined in 1990. There were several members in Green Day - several drummers - but none of them were as great as Tré. In fact, Tré is the best or most talented Green Day member.
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Charlie Dominici to James LaBrie (Dream Theater)
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Chuck Mosley to Mike Patton (Faith No More)