OT – Same rock band, different lead singers. Who’s better?
Every so often, the lead singer of a rock band would leave. Some went solo, some died, and some got kicked to the curb. A few bands used several lead signers on the same album. Here’s a short list to get the conversation started. Let’s debate opinions – which one is better and why?
We’ll start with an easy one:
Band: Journey
1. Greg Rollie – first three albums (also lead on Santana’s “Black Magic Woman”)
2. Steve Perry – just about every other song they released.
(Hint: there’s a reason Greg wanted to bring on a new lead signer)
Band: AC/DC
1. Bon Scott – first seven albums; rock voice with range and cool Aussie accent
2. Brian Johnson – remaining albums; no range in his voice, boring English accent.
(Verdict: Bon is the OG for this band)
Band: Fleetwood Mac
1. Lindsey Buckingham – “The Chain” and “Go Your Own Way”
2. Stevie Nicks – “Dreams” and “Gold Dust Woman”
3. Christine McVie – “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun”
(All hits on a great album; hard to say…)
Band: Van Halen
1. David Lee Roth – VH’s first decade and then reunited for the last 13 years
2. Sammy Hagar – VH’s second decade
(Verdict: VH’s top songs and albums on Spotify are all with D.L.R. – can’t argue with that)
Band: Eagles
1. Don Henley – “Hotel California”, “One of These Nights” or “Life in the Fast Lane”
2. Glenn Frey – “Already Gone”, “Take it Easy” or “Lyin’ Eyes”
3. Randy Meisner – “Take It to the Limit” and “Try and Love Again”
(All hits again; Randy had fewer. Coin flip the other two)
Band: Genesis
1. Peter Gabriel – First six albums
2. Phil Collins – All the rest
(Verdict: Their first commercially successful album was their seventh, when Phil took over - they never looked back. Peter did have a successful solo career.)
These are all old school bands; I wasn’t paying attention to liner notes in the 90’s and beyond. Got any others to compare against each other?
August 12th, 2022 at 9:33 AM ^
My favorite era of journey is when Greg and Steve share vocal duties, like the songs ‘feeling that way’ and ‘anytime’. Their styles have a nice juxtaposition. The albums ‘infinity’ and ‘evolution’ are my favorite journey albums for that very reason.
August 12th, 2022 at 11:19 AM ^
Many of these aren't really one or the other choices, as if one succeeded the other. I.e., my favorite Journey song is Feeling That Way, in which Rollie Sings the verse, and Perry wails on the chorus, and it's a nice balance. Lots of bands like the Eagles, Pink Floyd, were interesting because of their use of multiple singers. Fleetwood Mac have a great balance of sounds with Nicks and Buckingham on different songs (McVie, blah). CSN had three guys, none of which I really like a great deal alone, but whose different voices work really well together.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:33 AM ^
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young > Crosby, Stills & Nash
Creedence Clearwater Revival >∞ Creedence Clearwater Revisited
NWA w/ Ice Cube >> NWA w/out Cube
August 12th, 2022 at 9:49 AM ^
I'm not a fan of Neil Youngs vocals... "Wooden Ships" is my go-to CSN song. "Love the One You're With" was, sadly, a way of life when I was young and foolish. Still a good song, though! The four of them jam on the "4 Way Street" live album.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:07 AM ^
Not a huge fan of his vocals either but "Southern Man" gives me chills.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:09 AM ^
The guitar play really fits that song.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:18 AM ^
Absolutely does.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:24 AM ^
Damn, I could listen to Neil Young all day. To each their own I guess.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:29 AM ^
NWA on the rocks vs NWA neat
FFS
August 12th, 2022 at 9:36 AM ^
Band: Eminem
1. Marshall Mathers LP - Marshall Mathers
2. Slim Shady LP - Slim Shady
3. 8 Mile soundtrack - B Rabbit
August 12th, 2022 at 9:38 AM ^
Have been to post-Cetera Chicago concerts and post-Perry Journey concerts, and was surprised at how well the replacement singers were able to duplicate the voice of the originals.
Will miss the recently deceased Judith Durham and Olivia Newton-John. Loved to listen to both voices, but particularly to Durham's.
August 12th, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^
Don't forget Terry Kath, who gave Chicago that bass-y soul sound. He died in 1978, and I think Chicago became much more pop-y after that. Could've been the times, could've been Cetera's voice, or a combination of both.
August 12th, 2022 at 1:07 PM ^
Couldn’t agree more. I turned on Chicago when they went full Cetera.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:38 AM ^
Band: Drive-By Truckers
- Patterson Hood
- Cooley
- Jason Isbell
Verdict: Cooley is probably the best singer, especially because Jason Isbell was young and drunk while with the Truckers. Isbell had the highest efficiency rating, but overall I like the most Patterson songs, I think. It's close.
Band: Fugazi
- Ian MacKaye
- Guy Picciotto
Verdict: Gotta go with Ian on this, even though Guy was great. He shined more in Rites of Spring. Maybe the best "both of them sang in the same song" band, e.g., Waiting Room.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
I am a patient boy
August 12th, 2022 at 9:49 AM ^
I wait, I wait, I wait, I wait
August 12th, 2022 at 10:22 AM ^
My time, is water down the drain.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:59 AM ^
Fugazi is an odd choice (for this thread) because both were in the band the entire time and both did vocals whereas the OP is talking more about guys getting replaced.
kinda like "would?" from alice in chains. Staley does chorus while cantrell does the verses.
side note: absolutely love Fugazi. one year they were supposed to do lollapalooza so i got tix ... then they didn't do it because the ticket prices were too high. they used to have a $5 max per ticket rule. was still fun concert.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:12 AM ^
Yeah, I was following the Rumours example in the assignment ("A few bands used several lead signers on the same album.").
August 12th, 2022 at 10:16 AM ^
Fugazi were pioneers in the whole 90s ethic of refusing to "sell out." They refused decent production and marketing until the end. I'm positive they would have been as big as some of the bands the inspired just a few months later (PJ, Nirvana).
August 12th, 2022 at 10:30 AM ^
That was never the point of Fugazi. Their whole point was to be as DIY as possible. Hence, no shows more than $5, all shows all ages, no setlists, etc. In the beginning, they didn't even want to record their music. They wanted to only do live shows. They only decided to record albums because they realized there was a big enough demand that someone was going to start bootlegging shows, and then it would be out of their control.
August 12th, 2022 at 11:08 AM ^
fun fact: they also pioneered the whole "straight edge" thing, refusing to partake in alcohol, tobacco and drugs, though admitted they didn't think or want it to become a "movement." It was just how they felt about drugs and alcohol.
August 13th, 2022 at 3:10 AM ^
Technically, the term was coined in the song "Straight Edge" when Ian was the singer for Minor Threat.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:46 AM ^
Correct. Both shared vocal duties so it isn't really one taking over for the other. I preferred Ian over Guy. Fun fact: saw Fugazi play at the Union in Summer of 1990.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:24 AM ^
Band: Culture Club
1. Boy George
2. John Moss
3. Mikey Craig
Band: Koala Club
1. Mean Joe
2. mGrowOld
3. Maizanator
Pick-em
August 12th, 2022 at 11:11 AM ^
I'll do reverse order
3. Mean Joe - Always drunk on stage and can barely tell what he's saying. Like Axl Rose.
2. mGrowOld - old age sucks as i slowly slip into her grasp. username reminds me of this.
1. Maizanator- i like to imagine he killed maizen by dropping him slowly in a vat of molten steel so that puts him on the top.
August 12th, 2022 at 11:08 AM ^
If you're a Drive-By Truckers fan you might enjoy this story. Mike Cooley is a family friend, and one day he stopped by to drop something or other off (our kids grew up together) and he noticed in the corner of our living room the guitar the my mother-in-law had just given me -- her 1962 Epiphone Sorrento (hollow body sunburst with dual pickups). Anyway, Mike asked me if he could play it, and of course I said he could. He plugged it in, adjusted some knobs on the amp, and proceeded to absolutely shred it for about 15 minutes right there in my living room.
August 12th, 2022 at 12:47 PM ^
That is literally a cool story, bro.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:44 AM ^
Music is the best. Egos and drugs/alcohol (as if alcohol isn't a drug) have taken a lot of great musicians away / broken up a band. That said, I was never given hundreds of thousands of dollars at one, mixed with fame in my early twenties. I imagine not every decision is based on logic in those conditions.
Well... I have my head phones and am going to stare at excel spread sheets all day!
August 12th, 2022 at 10:31 AM ^
"Rock n' roll's a loser's game.
It mesmerizes and I can't explain
the reasons for the sights
and for the sounds.
We went off somewhere on the way
and now I see we have to pay
The rock n' roll circus
is in town."
The Ballad of Mott the Hoople
August 12th, 2022 at 10:48 AM ^
Well, Billy rapped all night about his suicide
How he'd kick it in the head when he was twenty-five
Speed jive, don't want to stay alive
When you're twenty-five
And Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks & Sparks
And Freddy's got spots from ripping off the stars from his face
Funky little boat race...
All the Young Dudes. Love that song
August 12th, 2022 at 10:36 AM ^
had a conversation with an old musician many years back.... We were talking about the Doors, how fantastic their music is and how they were only actively making music (with Morrison) for less than six years.... I said, "Imagine if Jim could have stayed away from the drugs and they had a 20 year run." His reply was, if Morrison wasn't on drugs he wouldn't have been 1/2 the song writer that he was.
hadn't considered that.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
You left one off for VH! (I am shocked..shocked I say... that you ignored Gary Cherone after he left Extreme to begin what is clearly Van Halen's greatest era ever). In all honesty though., DLR probably had the worst "chops" of all three, but I would pick his work in VH over the other two any day. Just like in sports, talent alone is only part of the equation. Whether it was his energy, the way he synergized with the other band members or whatnot...or maybe his self awareness of his limitations...but give me their first album or 1984 any day.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:52 AM ^
I left Gary off because I wasn't listing to new VH at that time. I should spin those albums up on Spotify and give him a listen.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:59 AM ^
I actually owned Extreme III (Nuno can play) so it was just something I was aware of...but I think any reasonable person would leave Gary off the list. There are some who prefer Sammy, but no one rightly claims Gary. Not dumping on him, just not even remotely VH's best work
August 12th, 2022 at 11:03 AM ^
One thing to say to Gary Cherone's credit - and correct me if I'm wrong - but IIRC he is the only lead singer who left Van Halen on speaking terms with the rest of the band.
August 12th, 2022 at 1:10 PM ^
Please do not listen to Van Cherone.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:24 AM ^
There is a recording of DLR/VH playing Hot For Teacher at a concert in Japan, and DLR was clearly drunk off his ass. He couldn't remember, or pronounce, some of the lyrics, and what he was able to sing sounded absolutely horrible - off key, broken, screechy. If there was a case for autotune, that was it! I've only heard it a couple of times on SiriusXM, and I don't care to ever hear it again. Kind'a ruined the DLR version of Van Halen for me, although I still do love the music.
August 12th, 2022 at 1:27 PM ^
I saw DLR at Cobo for the Eat ‘Em & Smile tour in 86 I believe (junior in HS). General admission floor tickets and it was fucking nuts. Made it to the fencing in front of the stage and had to lock my elbows in place to keep from getting squished. Could only take it for 10-15 minutes at a time and would have to bail to the fringes to rest and get high.
anyway, his voice was shot already, so not sure how long he could have hung with VH tbh. he still jumped around and tried to scream and howl but it was a disappointment.
The dig for me on DLR was his insistence on old cover songs.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
Another Ship of Theseus thread! I prefer this to the KK thread below.
And you forgot (not really) Fatboy Slim, "The band of the 90's, if you wanna call it a band, because it's a one man name!"
August 12th, 2022 at 10:12 AM ^
+1 for making me head to the googles for "Ship of Theseus" reference.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:17 AM ^
Just so long as you avoid the thread below about the odds of Chris Evans becoming Kim Kardashian's next boy-toy.
August 12th, 2022 at 10:49 AM ^
Too late! Some things you just can un-see.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:49 AM ^
This caused me to remember that Gary Cherone sang for Van Halen for a bit. I don't vote for that version.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:54 AM ^
The Doobie Brothers had significant hits with Tom Johnston, and then later, Michael McDonald as lead vocalists.
August 12th, 2022 at 9:56 AM ^
Terry Kath > Peter Cetera when Chicago was at their peak. Chicago after Kath was never as good, just more pop. Cetera has the better singing voice, but Kath had the energy and passion that marked their earlier albums. (Side Note: I saw them last year, and the horn section was just as tight as ever. Worth the price of admission all by themselves.)
August 12th, 2022 at 10:19 AM ^
One of my favorite Chicago songs is "Make Me Smile," for the very reason you cite: Terry Kath's lead vocals are bluesy, energetic, and has a gritty edge. It's great.
August 12th, 2022 at 4:14 PM ^
Rick Beato has a popular series. One episode is "Make Me Smile." Awesome stuff all around.
August 12th, 2022 at 11:13 AM ^
Yeah, in high school I was a big fan of their first five albums, which was sadly when Kath played a Russian Roulette game he shouldn't have.
Actually another band you could have this debate for is Chicago's tour partner Earth Wind and Fire. Although Philip Bailey's falsetto was a shining star (sorry) of their signature sound, Maurice White's lower register brought a lot to their sound as well.
August 12th, 2022 at 6:12 PM ^
Totally agree. Maurice White was underappreciated.