The Top Ten All Time Best Replacement Lead Singers in Rock and Roll

The Misfits' Michale Graves

​Nothing pisses rock fans off worse than the lead singer of their favorite band being replaced. This happens across genres, but it's most common within hard rock -- pop, country and R&B vocalists' departures are usually a precursor to their solo efforts; very rarely does their band continue without them. Hard rock and heavy metal fans, on the other hand, see their favorite bands as a cohesive unit, so when a singer leaves, the rest of the band often make an attempt at continuing without them. Additionally, metal singers are more likely to storm off and leave a popular band -- they're apparently a moody lot.

We have lots of sympathy for the folks called in to replace departing vocalists. Oftentimes, tensions within the band caused the original vocalist to leave; the new singer is thrown straight into the lion's den. If the rest of the band accepts them, they must then overcome the hurdle of the fans' devotion to the original lead singer. It's even more difficult if the band found success with the original singer; the sound changes with a new guy (or girl), and fans, who became so attached to the original sound, don't even give the replacement a chance. Critics and music journalists, who should by all means be the voice of reason, are just as apt to drink the haterade; brief Googling produces endless lists of the Worst Replacement Singers Ever.

So, in support for the brave men and women who have dared attempt to fill the shoes of departing vocalists, we've collected our top 10 favorite replacement singers. Because replacement singers are common in hard rock, this list leans toward the heavy side of music. If we've forgotten anyone, let us know in the comments; please also feel free to rip our choices to shreds. We understand that this is your way of showing us you care. 

​10. Michael Graves (the Misfits). Glenn Danzig's boozy bellowing helped put the Misfits on the map, but Graves' spot-on live capabilities arguably make him the better singer. Graves' tone was much cleaner than Danzig's, which of course made lots of Misfits fans mad, but the Misfits put out several solid, underrated albums with Graves (most notably 1998's American Psycho), and were able to update their sound for a new generation. Nowadays, they've gone the Genesis route and chose their singer from within the ranks (bassist Jerry Only), but their stint with Graves was the last stand for that band making any musical progress.

​9. Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest). When your fantastic lead singer leaves, you have two  options: you can replace him with someone who sounds different (see: Van Hagar), which often necessitates a complete revamp of the band's sound. Or, you can do like Priest did upon the departure of legendary frontman Rob Halford. You can find a soundalike. Priest were too far along in their career to find a singer who might change their sound, so they recruited Owens, who at the time was fronting a Priest cover band in Akron, Ohio. Owens' tale is the stuff of legend: plucked from obscurity to replace one of the greatest vocalists in history, he capably handled the position, and his rags-to-rock star story was inspiring enough to make a movie about it (the Marky Mark flop Rock Star). After Halford rejoined Priest, Ripper continued on as the last word in tribute vocalists; he's now fronting Dio's Disciples. Soundalikes aren't very well accepted by fans; Ripper, the only soundalike vocalist on this list, remains the most beloved.

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​8. Graham Bonnet (Rainbow). When the departing vocalist is as peerless as Ronnie James Dio, it might be prudent to look outside the box when replacing them, as Rainbow did when they recruited Bonnet, a disco crooner with powerful lungs. Rainbow began as a solo project for Deep Purple's Richie Blackmore, although the band later became more closely associated with Dio's name. Bonnet was only with the band for two years before the mercurial Blackmore fired him; this was par for the course for Rainbow's swiftly rotating lineup (Blackmore blew through 21 accompanying members in the band's 20-year career). Rainbow had more success with Joe Lynn Turner, who joined after Bonnet, but Bonnet was the better vocalist.

​7. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen). When a band replaces their vocalist with someone who sounds nothing like the original guy, it often changes the entire landscape of the band's music. This explains the howls of protest that emanated from Van Halen fans when the band replaced the legendary David Lee Roth with Montrose frontman Hagar. But here's the thing about Sammy: Although he couldn't hold a candle to Roth's charisma, Sammy was a more consistent live vocalist; his studio tracks were great; and his tone was distinctive and appealing. Van Hagar successfully changed their sound to accommodate Sammy, and they put out an impressive body of work that was more commercially successful than their work with Roth.

​6. Phil Collins (Genesis). If your singer leaves, you can begin the frantic search for a new one. Or, if you're Genesis, you can simply get one of the other guys in the band to sing. After Peter Gabriel left, Genesis reportedly auditioned hundreds of lead singers before finally settling with what they already had.