Top 10 Bands that Survived Losing Their Leader

Whether the original band leader died, left, or was kicked out, here are some bands that survived the loss of their original leader from the lineup.

They survived, or may have even thrived. Let's begin!

1. Pink Floyd

   

   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

   These guys are number one, not just for being a great band, but also because they lost not one but two band leaders and still survived. The first time was when they lost Syd Barrett in 1968 because he was kicked out for acting too neurotic. After Syd's departure, they experimented a lot with their sound and didn't really have a leader until 1973 when Roger Waters started taking over. He transformed them into the political prog rock band many people know today.

   However, Roger Waters left the band in 1985 because he could no longer get along with the other members, and David Gilmour took over for the rest of their recording career.

2. The Rolling Stones

   

   The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Their first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar and harmonica), Mick Jagger (lead vocals and harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass), and Charlie Watts (drums), while Ian Stewart continued working with the... read more

   Brian Jones formed the band in the early 60s. While he didn't write many songs for the Stones, he came up with many creative musical ideas that helped define the band's iconic 60s sound. He was kicked out in 1969 and died shortly afterward. They replaced him with Mick Taylor in the 70s, and the rest is history.

3. The Velvet Underground

   

   The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Active until 1973, the band was managed early on by Andy Warhol and became influential for its experimental sound and lyrical themes. Members included Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker.

   The band kinda survived after Lou Reed left in 1970. While their last album without him wasn't great, they still managed to survive without him.

4. The Byrds

   

   The Byrds were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. They achieved early commercial success and played a significant role in popularizing folk rock. While they did not maintain the same level of popularity as the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, their influence on 1960s rock... read more

   Gene Clark left the band in 1966 during the production of their third album, "Fifth Dimension." He later returned to the band, but not until the 70s, and they continued to make music without him throughout the rest of the 60s.

5. Moby Grape

   

   Moby Grape is an American rock band formed in the 1960s. They are known for their unusual approach, with all five original members contributing to both singing and songwriting. Their music blends folk, blues, country, and jazz with rock and psychedelic influences.

   Skip Spence formed Moby Grape in 1966 after leaving Jefferson Airplane. With Skip, the band mostly made folky/bluesy psychedelic rock for their first four studio albums. However, Skip, like Syd Barrett, started becoming more neurotic and left the band in 1969.

   After leaving, Skip recorded the now-legendary psychedelic folk album "Oar," while Moby Grape transitioned into a country rock band.

6. AC/DC

   

   AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band founded in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Bon Scott was the lead singer from 1974 until his death from acute alcohol poisoning in 1980. He was succeeded by Brian Johnson.... read more

7. The Soft Machine

   Kevin Ayers left the band after their first album, where he had a huge influence. After he left, the band started shifting away from psych rock and became more influenced by jazz and prog.

8. Genesis

   

   Genesis was an English rock band formed at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey, in 1967. The band's most commercially successful and longest-running lineup consisted of keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, and drummer/singer Phil Collins. In the 1970s, the group also included... read more

   Peter Gabriel left the band in the mid-70s. After he left, they shifted more toward pop rather than prog.

   Their best album, A Trick of the Tail, doesn't have Peter Gabriel on it.

9. The Doors

   

   The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and occasionally controversial rock acts of the 1960s, largely due to Morrison's poetic... read more

   Jim Morrison died in 1971, and the band tried to continue as a trio for a while.

10. Big Brother and the Holding Company

    

    Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the psychedelic music scene. They are best known for launching the career of Janis Joplin, who joined the band in 1966. The band achieved significant fame with the release of its 1968 album Cheap... read more

    In 1968, Janis Joplin left the band to start a solo career and died two years later in 1970. Despite that, the band continued to make music. While it was never as legendary as their first two albums with her, they still created music long after Janis' death.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Sepultura

    

    Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984. Their debut album, Morbid Visions, was released in 1986 and featured an early blend of black metal and death metal. Over the years, their sound has evolved to include elements of thrash metal, groove metal, and death metal.

12. ?

    Blind Melon

    

    Blind Melon is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in March 1990. The original lineup included musicians who had moved from Mississippi and Indiana. The band became known for its neo-psychedelic alternative rock style and achieved mainstream success with its hit song No Rain.

The Contenders

13. Fleetwood Mac

    

    Fleetwood Mac was a British-American rock band formed in July 1967 in London. The band sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling music acts of all time. Its 1977 album Rumours is one of the best-selling albums ever, with more than 40 million copies sold globally... read more

    With Peter Green, the band played blues rock and occasionally experimented with psychedelic rock. However, after he left around 1970, they slowly shifted away from that sound and became more of a soft rock band, which most people know them for today.

14. Black Sabbath

    

    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

15. Judas Priest

    

    Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are frequently ranked among the greatest metal bands of all time and are commonly called "The Metal Gods," after their song on the 1980 album British Steel. Their influence on the development of heavy metal is profound,... read more

16. Journey

    

    Journey is an American rock band. It was formed in San Francisco in 1973. Its founding lineup included former members of Santana and Frumious Bandersnatch.

    But their replacement singer was awful.

17. Van Halen

    

    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

18. Alice in Chains

    

    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

    Their original singer Layne Staley died, but they continued to make music afterward.

19. Three Days Grace

    

    Three Days Grace is a Canadian post-grunge and alternative rock band formed in Norwood, Ontario, in 1992. The original lineup consisted of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer and backing vocalist Neil Sanderson, and bassist Brad Walst. Initially named Groundswell, the band changed its... read more

20. Linkin Park

    

    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 Park... read more

21. Queen

    

    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

    They are still around without Freddie.

22. Escape the Fate

    

    Escape the Fate is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, originally formed in Pahrump in 2004. The band gained early recognition with its debut EP and first full-length album. Its debut studio album, Dying Is Your Latest Fashion, was released in 2006.