5 Bands That Survived Losing Their Singer (and Came Back Swinging)

Here is a video about the greatest comeback in rock history, the way AC/DC lost their voice and soul when Bon Scott died in 1980, gambled everything on a Geordie singer named Brian Johnson, and came back months later with Back in Black, one of the best selling albums of all time.

That gamble should have failed. Replacing the voice of a band almost always ends in disaster. But once in a while a new singer walks in and the whole thing gets even bigger. Here are 5 bands that survived losing their frontman and came back swinging. Crank it up.

Watch the video: AC/DC's Back in Black and subscribe on the Rock with PJ Pat channel for more rock breakdowns.

1. Black Sabbath fired Ozzy and hired a tiny giant named Dio

In 1979 Black Sabbath did the unthinkable and fired Ozzy Osbourne, the voice that basically invented heavy metal. Most bands do not survive cutting their own face off. Sabbath replaced him with Ronnie James Dio, a five foot four powerhouse with a voice like a cathedral, and the result was "Heaven and Hell" in 1980. It did not just keep Sabbath alive, it gave them a second classic era and a whole new sound, more operatic, more sword and sorcery. Dio also brought the devil horns hand sign into metal for good, a gift from his Italian grandmother. Sabbath swapped one legend for another and somehow won twice.

2. Genesis lost Peter Gabriel, so the drummer started singing

When art rock genius Peter Gabriel quit Genesis in 1975, the band auditioned a mountain of singers to replace him and came up empty. Then their drummer cleared his throat. Phil Collins slid out from behind the kit, took the microphone, and Genesis kept rolling. Here is the wild part. Under Collins the band did not just survive, they became massively bigger than they ever were with Gabriel, racking up huge hits like "Invisible Touch" and turning into one of the biggest acts of the 1980s. A drummer nobody pictured as a frontman ended up one of the most recognizable voices on the planet, and launched a monster solo career on top of it.

3. Van Halen replaced David Lee Roth and scored their first number one

This one still starts arguments. In 1985 Van Halen and their wild showman David Lee Roth split, and fans figured the party was over. Eddie Van Halen brought in Sammy Hagar, already a successful solo rocker, and the new lineup that everyone nicknamed Van Hagar dropped "5150" in 1986. The twist nobody saw coming. With all of Roth's classics behind them, it was the Hagar album that gave Van Halen their first ever number one record. They went more melodic, more arena friendly, and stacked up a run of chart topping albums. Two great singers, two great eras, and a debate that rock fans will never settle.

4. Alice in Chains came back from the loss of Layne Staley

Some losses are not a firing or a walkout, they are a tragedy. Layne Staley, the haunting voice of Alice in Chains, died in 2002 after years of addiction, and it seemed impossible the band could ever continue. A few years later guitarist Jerry Cantrell carefully restarted the band with a new singer, William DuVall, who could honor Layne's sound without imitating it. In 2009 they released "Black Gives Way to Blue," an album that paid tribute to Staley right in the title and proved Alice in Chains could make powerful new music again. They have kept going strong ever since. A respectful comeback done the right way, with grief and gratitude built into it.

5. Journey found their new singer on YouTube

This might be the best feel good story in rock. After years without their iconic voice Steve Perry, Journey needed a singer who could hit those impossible high notes. In 2007 guitarist Neal Schon stayed up late watching clips online and stumbled onto a Filipino singer named Arnel Pineda fronting a cover band in Manila. He sounded uncannily like Perry. Schon emailed him out of the blue, flew him to the United States for an audition, and Pineda got the gig. A working musician from the other side of the world went from singing covers in clubs to fronting a stadium rock legend almost overnight. Journey roared back to sold out tours, and the whole thing became a documentary. The internet found Journey their voice.

More on What Rocks: The Rise and Fall of Grunge, 5 Master of Puppets Stories, and The Most Underrated Rock Band.

Wear it loud

If you ride for the bands that refused to quit, gear up like a lifer. Two picks for the certified rock heads:

Rock Hand Sign Graphic Tee →
The devil horns Dio gave to metal, on your chest.

Volume Knob Rock Baseball Cap →
Because a comeback record should never be played below 11.

If you missed the Back in Black video, the embed is right at the top of this post. Subscribe to the Rock with PJ Pat YouTube channel for more rock breakdowns.

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Rock on 1 louder!

PJ Pat