3 Lead Singer Changes that Revitalized and Reimagined These Classic Rock Bands

To a certain extent, bands are like businesses. If one piece isn’t working, then the rest of the organization is dysfunctional. What do you do with that broken piece? Well, you replace it, of course. Bands aren’t much different, and for them to execute their full potential, they need to have the right personnel. That being so, here are three lead singer changes that revitalized and reimagined these classic rock bands.

Videos by American Songwriter

Fleetwood Mac & Stevie Nicks

We’ve said it before, and we’re going to say it again: following the lineage and unofficial family tree of Fleetwood Mac is like following the British Royal family’s. However, we are going to break down part of it nicely and neatly for you. Prior to Stevie Nicks taking over as the lead singer, the lead singers of Fleetwood Mac from 1970 to 1974 were Bob Welch and Christine McVie.

From 1970 to 1974, Fleetwood Mac was in a transitional phase and received moderate commercial success with their albums, Future Games and Bare Trees. However, when Stevie Nicks joined the picture, well, we all know what happened after that.

Van Halen & Sammy Hagar

In 1985, David Lee Roth left Van Halen after consistent struggles over creative control with Eddie Van Halen. Nevertheless, in 1985, Van Halen was looking for someone to fill some incredibly large shoes, as they were in fact one of, if not the biggest, rock bands at the time. Well, they did find someone, and that someone was Sammy Hagar.

When transitions and lineup changes such as this happen, it’s difficult to believe that a band can get better. Well, Van Halen arguably did. After Roth’s departure and Hagar’s entry, Van Halen went on to score numerous No. 1 hits with Sammy Hagar behind the mic.

Genesis & Phil Collins

Before Phil Collins was the lead singer of Genesis, fellow soft-rock smooth singing artist Peter Gabriel was. However, in 1975, Gabriel decided to leave the band for personal reasons. During Gabriel’s time as the lead singer, Genesis was a more progressive rock band and did, in fact, achieve some major success. Although once Phil Collins stepped in, Genesis became a monster success.

Of course, fans to this day still debate which rendition of Genesis is better. It is a fair question, but what they can’t argue about are the facts. There is a lot of evidence pointing towards Collins’ era as the more successful one, and the premier one is that Genesis had their only No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 during Collins’ time. That No. 1 hit was their 1986 single, “Invisible Touch”.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic