Bands that Benefitted from Changing Their Singer
Bands that improved by changing their lead singer or frontman, either because the original singer was not a good fit, passed away, or due to creative differences.
Pink Floyd are an English progressive rock band formed in 1965 in London, England. They gained international acclaim with their innovative, conceptual music blending progressive rock and psychedelia. The classic lineup included Syd Barrett (vocals and guitar), David Gilmour (vocals and guitar), Nick... read more Syd Barrett was a talented musician and, from what I've heard, an all-around good person. However, the vocal chemistry of Roger Waters and David Gilmour cannot be denied. It is due to their vocals syncing with one another that Pink Floyd became one of the most successful groups of the 1970s.
Maybe it's a predictable choice, but their most iconic songs were made after Barrett's departure.
Black Sabbath were a heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968 by guitarist and songwriter Tony Iommi, singer John "Ozzy" Osbourne, bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. Their self-titled debut album received mixed reviews, but they quickly gained a strong following... read more To preface something, I have nothing against the Ozzy Osbourne era, given how it had some of the band's most memorable tunes. However, the Ronnie James Dio and Tony Martin eras, respectively, gave them a new sense of identity and direction, helping them develop even more impressive momentum.
Genesis was an English rock band formed at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, in 1967. The band's longest-existing and most commercially successful lineup consisted of keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, and drummer/singer Phil Collins. In the 1970s, during which the band... read more This might be a fairly unpopular opinion, but I do prefer the Phil Collins era of Genesis over the Peter Gabriel era.
Generally speaking, though, both Collins and Gabriel would go on to have more successful solo careers than during their time with Genesis. Collins taking on the vocal mantle did help keep them afloat, so I think their inclusion is necessary.
AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band founded in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Bon Scott was the lead singer until his death in 1980 from alcohol poisoning. He was succeeded by Brian Johnson... read more
Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band formed in July 1967 in London. The band has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music acts of all time. Their 1977 album Rumours is one of the best-selling albums ever, with over 40 million copies sold globally... read more
Alice in Chains is an American grunge/alternative metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The band's most notable hits include "Man in the Box," "Down in a Hole," "Heaven Beside You," "No Excuses," "What the... read more Layne Staley was an iconic frontman, one of the most powerful singers of the '90s. It cannot be overstated enough.
However, William DuVall has helped them maintain a solid ground, and while their newer stuff is fairly hit or miss, they still have a dark, moody sound that resonates just as much as it did with Layne.
Faith No More is an American alternative metal band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before adopting their current name in 1983, they performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. The band gained widespread recognition with their 1989 album The Real Thing, which featured... read more Chuck Mosley was their original singer, and while he was fairly competent, he didn't stand out much, if at all, vocally.
Mike Patton helped them become a household name overnight and made them one of the most iconic bands of the 1990s within seconds. So it goes to show, I'd say.
Van Halen was an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. From 1974 until 1985, the band's lineup consisted of guitarist Eddie Van Halen, vocalist David Lee Roth, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony... read more
Suicide Silence is an American deathcore band from Riverside, California, formed in 2002. As of 2025, the band has released seven full-length studio albums, one EP, and numerous music videos. They are known for their aggressive sound and have been influential in the deathcore genre. Mitch Lucker was an iconic frontman with a distinctive voice. His death was tragic and unexpected for the band.
Their new singer, Hernan Hermida, has proven to be just as versatile and talented as a frontman, being able to hold a tune and still maintain their signature aggressive sound.
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Their most critically acclaimed period is widely considered to be from 1983 to 1989, during which they released landmark albums like Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Somewhere... read moreThe Newcomers
Deep Purple is an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. They are regarded as pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has changed over the years. They originally played progressive rock, but shifted to a heavier sound around 1970... read more
Queen is an English rock band formed in London in 1970. The original lineup was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar). Before Queen, May and Taylor had played together in a band named Smile. Freddie Mercury, a fan... read more
Yellowcard was an American pop-punk band that formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997 and were based in Los Angeles beginning in 2000. The band is well known for its singles "Ocean Avenue", "Only One", and "Lights and Sounds". Ben Dobson was their original singer in the late '90s. They had more of a hardcore sound, but in general, it seemed like they got into a better groove with William Ryan Key.
A hardcore sound with a violinist seems a bit jarring, so their pop-punk/alternative direction with Key helped them stand out in a way that was impactful and good.
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. As great as Jesse Leach was (and is), Howard Jones is undoubtedly the best lead singer they ever had and one of the greatest metal vocalists ever.
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Kevin Coleman, Greg Camp, and Paul De Lisle. Their first big hit was Walkin' On the Sun in 1997, they would then get more exposure in 1999 for the song All Star... read more Steve Harwell had a unique voice, and Smash Mouth's ska sound, which sometimes ventured into straight-up power pop, was fairly interesting for a while. Everyone knows them for All Star, but they did have some other good songs, such as Walkin' on the Sun, When the Morning Comes, and Pacific Coast Party.
Due to health concerns, Zach Goode took on the mantle as lead frontman. Harwell has also tragically passed away. RIP. I think with enough time, Goode will prove himself as a frontman and make fairly engaging tunes, but I figured I'd add them as well.
Survivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978 by Jim Peterik. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s, garnering many charting singles, especially in the United States. If they hadn't swapped out Dave Bickler for Jimi Jamison, they wouldn't have had so many songs considered their greatest hits, like Burning Heart, I Can't Hold Back, High on You, The Search Is Over, and quite a few others.
It's very possible that if they had stuck with Bickler, they would have had around four hits and a much shorter tenure as a band.
The Cranberries are an Irish rock band who formed in Limerick in 1989. The band consists of lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Their original singer was a generic male vocalist, from what I can gather. None of the band members felt impressed by his singing, but when they stumbled across Dolores O'Riordan, they knew they had found something special that had been missing.
The band became a household name in the mid-to-late '90s, and Zombie remains one of the most iconic songs to emerge from that decade.
Flyleaf is an American rock band formed in Bell County, Texas, in 2002. The band has charted in the mainstream rock, Christian rock, and Christian metal genres... read more
Linkin Park is an American alternative rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The current members include Mike Shinoda (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar), Brad Delson (guitar), Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (bass), Joe Hahn (DJ), Emily Armstrong (vocals), and Colin Brittain (drums). Linkin... read more They originally went by the name Xero and had Mark Wakefield as their lead vocalist. Mark wasn't bad. He just sounded average and didn't have a distinct enough voice for their sound to emerge. He also had notorious stage fright and didn't like the idea of performing live.
Once Chester Bennington joined the lineup, they became one of the most successful bands of the 2000s.
Sum 41 is a Canadian pop-punk band from Ajax, Ontario. Originally called Kaspir, the band was formed in 1996 and disbanded in 2023. The final lineup included lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Deryck Whibley, lead guitarist Dave Baksh, co-lead guitarist Tom Thacker, bassist Jason McCaslin, and drummer... read more Jon Marshall was their first singer, and he was pretty mediocre, honestly. Their former manager would go on to suggest Deryck Whibley as their frontman, and the rest was history, honestly.
Without Deryck's gritty vocal tone, I don't think they would have been nearly as successful as they ended up being. I figured I'd give them a spot, but I wasn't going to put them super high on the list.