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This past weekend, my good buddy Matt Reigle and I put together a list of six bands who got better or more successful after replacing original members.
Now that there is a dedicated comments section to our articles, we were able to see plenty of our readers sound off on who we missed, so now we are going to go through some of the most discussed omissions, according to you, our dear readers.
Without further ado, let’s right some wrongs!
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Journey: Steve Perry for Gregg Rolie
American rock group Journey poses in New York in June 1979. From left are guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Ross Valory, keyboard player Gregg Rolie, singer Steve Perry, and drummer Steve Smith. (Michael Putland/Getty Images)
When Journey formed in San Francisco in 1973, they did so with Gregg Rolie pulling double duty on keyboards and lead vocals.
The band spent the next few years toiling away as a jazz fusion group, but when they finally decided to make a change and bring in a dedicated vocalist to allow Rolie to focus solely on keyboard duties, they had no idea the diminutive Steve Perry (no relation) would be the key to unlocking their success.
Every massive hit Journey has ever produced has been with Perry at the helm, and they certainly owe their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and millions of albums sold to their front man.
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The ’80s wouldn’t have been the same without the marriage of Steve Perry and Journey, so they deserve a spot on this list.
Van Halen: Sammy Hagar for David Lee Roth
Guitarist Eddie Van Halen, bassist Mark Anthony, singer Sammy Hagar and drummer Alex Van Halen pose for a photo session at Eddie’s house studio on Coldwater Canyon in Los Angeles circa 1985. (Ann Summa/Getty Images)
This one pains me as a Roth-era Van Halen fan, but there is no denying the band found incredible radio success with new frontman Sammy Hagar in the fold.
It could be argued Van Halen was the biggest act in the world by 1985, so it came as a complete shock when they decided to jettison their acrobatic lead singer and go back to the drawing board.
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With hits like “Panama,” “Jump” and “Hot for Teacher” catapulting them to superstar status, it was thought that no one would be able to fill the shoes left by Diamond Dave.
Enter Sammy Hagar, the fuzzy-headed solo act behind radio staples like “I Can’t Drive 55” and “Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy,” and the rest is rock history.
With a slew of radio-friendly hits over the next decade, it’s safe to say “Van Hagar” didn’t miss a beat with the new guy behind the microphone.
I love both iterations of the band, and while it’s hard to argue the band got “better” with Hagar in tow, they were certainly able to at least replicate their success from the ’70s and early ’80s.
Fleetwood Mac: Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham for Peter Green
John McVie, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac pose for a portrait in 1975. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Most of you reading this know Fleetwood Mac thanks to their monster pop efforts from the mid to late ’70s like “Rumours” as well as their 1975 self-titled album.
What you may not know is the band started as a blues rock outfit in the late 60s with a man named Peter Green taking lead vocal duties.
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Green exited in 1970 and the band entered a transitional period before settling on the singer/songwriter duo of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
Nicks and Buckingham’s penchant for brilliant and catchy melodies coupled with their creative and romantic tensions made Fleetwood Mac a musical tour de force, and the band became one of the most successful acts of the 1970s.
You couldn’t go five minutes without hearing songs like “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams” or “Don’t Stop” while flipping through your radio dial, and the addition of the on-again, off-again lovers is a big reason for that.
The Eagles: Joe Walsh for Bernie Leadon
Guitarists Joe Walsh and Steuart Smith perform with the Eagles at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 27, 2019. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Eagles were already one of the most popular bands in America by 1975, so much so that they had a greatest hits album from that year that would go on to be one of the best-selling records of all time.
How do you improve upon that success?
Well, you go out and get Joe Walsh to replace one of your guitarists and then lay down what is, perhaps, the most iconic rock song in music history.
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When tensions started to arise between guitarist and founding member Bernie Leadon and the rest of the group, The Eagles put out a “help wanted” sign and ended up with solo act Joe Walsh.
With Walsh on board, the quintet would release two of their most critically and commercially successful albums in their discography, “Hotel California” and “Long Run.”
The title track for the former also contains one of the most recognizable guitar solos of the 20th century, courtesy of Walsh and Don Felder.
Just for that contribution alone, Walsh would have found his way onto this list.
Pink Floyd: David Gilmour for Syd Barrett
Psychedelic rock group Pink Floyd poses for a portrait shrouded in pink in Los Angeles in August 1968. From left are Nick Mason, Dave Gilmour, Rick Wright and Roger Waters. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
If there was one band who got mentioned more than any other in the comments section of our previous article, it was Pink Floyd.
I caught a lot of flak for not including them (though if you took the time to watch our video, we included them in our honorable mentions, but I digress), so here I am to make amends.
It was a crying shame not including the great David Gilmour in our article of band replacements, because he might be the most notable of them all.
Never has there been a more drastic change in trajectory for a band than when Gilmour stepped in for the mercurial Syd Barrett.
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Under Barrett’s lead, the band was a psychedelic outfit that had potential but was a little too eclectic to ever make it to the universal heights they would achieve in their later years.
Gilmour’s iconic guitar sound and smooth vocals paired perfectly with the songwriting chops of bassist Roger Waters, and although the two can’t stand each other, they made some of the most iconic music in history.
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Pink Floyd is arguably one of the most popular and influential rock bands of all time, and they wouldn’t hold that distinction if it weren’t for the addition of David Gilmour.
I will take my lumps like a man for not including this one on our list. Gilmour is a legend and deserves his place among the pantheon of great rock replacements.
