4 Times Replacement Members Made Classic Rock Bands 10 Times Better

Band lineups, especially those of famous classic rock bands of the 20th century, had a tendency to be a revolving door. People left (or died, sadly), and new members would come, and that would often go on for years. When it comes to the following four times replacement rock band members got on board, they tangibly made their bands even better than they were before. Let’s take a walk through classic rock music history, shall we?

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Phil Collins

Genesis had gone through a handful of drummers after they debuted in 1967. By 1970, they scored Phil Collins, and what an excellent choice that was. Collins was around as basically “just” a drummer for four albums. But by 1975, he had taken on a more intensive role in the band as their lead singer to replace the recently departed Peter Gabriel. While Gabriel was an incredible asset to Genesis, Collins really did keep the ball rolling with some of the band’s best work. A Trick Of The Tail, Abacab, and other records from Genesis’ Collins era are some of their absolute best.

Peter Cetera

Chicago had a surplus of lead singers back in the day. Their debut album alone had three. Eventually, though, guitarist Peter Cetera had taken over the role of lead singer for much of the band’s music. Their second self-titled record featured Cetera, front and center. He is also the voice behind the band’s first major hit song, “25 Or 6 To 4”. Soon, Cetera became the focal point of the band and even penned many of their songs, from “Wishing You Were Here” to “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”.

Bruce Dickinson

Iron Maiden rocked before Bruce Dickinson got involved, but his involvement was exactly what the band needed. Like many heavy metal outfits of their stature, Iron Maiden went through quite a few lineup changes. In 1981, Paul Di’Anno was struggling with addiction, and he was dismissed from the group. Dickinson was his replacement, and there couldn’t have been a better frontman to take on the job. Dickinson’s first album with the band, The Number Of The Beast, was the group’s first No. 1 hit in the UK.

Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks

This entry’s a twofer, solely because I’m not sure that Fleetwood Mac would have had so much success in the 1970s if both Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had not gotten on board. They’re two of the most famous replacement classic rock band members of all time, after all. From Fleetwood Mac to Rumours to Tusk, these two brought songwriting talent, musical ability, and a bit of drama to the now world-famous folk rock band.

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