From punk to pop: bands that changed styles with new members

Yardbarker

From punk to pop: bands that changed styles with new members

Jeff Mezydlo

Posted: 29 July 2023 | Last updated: 5 March 2024

<p>Sometimes when bands change members, it's for the best. And often, the overall sound of the group changes. It's always for the better but enough to bring the critical and commercial success that had been lacking. Here are some of the more notable bands that changed their sound after adding new members or repurposing existing members.</p>

Ron Pownall/Getty Images

Musical acts that changed styles after getting new members

Sometimes when bands change members, it's for the best. And often, the overall sound of the group changes. It's always for the better but enough to bring the critical and commercial success that had been lacking. Here are some of the more notable bands that changed their sound after adding new members or repurposing existing members.

YouTube

Black Flag

In the late 1970s, Black Flag was a promising hardcore punk outfit amid the ever-growing Los Angeles and Southern California punk community. When lead singer Keith Morris quit in 1979, charismatic and lurching Henry Rollins helped Black Flag become, perhaps, the most influential American hardcore punk band. Rollins had an aggressive and devoted stage presence, looking as if he was in pain and always ready to unleash his musical aggression. Thanks to Rollins' vast musical influence, Black Flag went from a raw punk focus to offering elements of jazz and breakbeats — playing longer, drawn-out songs as opposed to the frenetic pace of, say, the Ramones. Black Flag is also known for using spoken word tracks, which would become a staple of Rollins' career.

YouTube

Chicago

For roughly a decade spanning the late 1960s and '70s, Chicago made a living as a highly talented rock band that fused jazz, blues, and R&B. It was most notably known for its innovative brass section. However, after leader and guitarist Terry Kath died from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1978, and the 1980s rolled around, Chicago became a soft-rock band. The addition of keyboardist/vocalist Bill Champlin and producer David Foster's growing influence on the mainstream pop sound made Chicago a lot of money, with tunes still heard in dentist offices around the United States.

YouTube

Fleetwood Mac

From its beginning in the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, Fleetwood Mac was a guitar-driven blues-rock band that also had some progressive tendencies. When Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined prior to its 1975 eponymous album, Fleetwood Mac became a commercial pop-rock band. Buckingham's songwriting was a big reason for the group's consistent mainstream success that followed but so was the personal tension within the band during the late 1970s and into the '80s.

You may also like: The 25 coolest TV characters of all time

<p>Here's a case where it wasn't the addition of new members but the departures of vocalist Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett that eventually allowed Genesis to shed its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pteh5hdZlg">critically acclaimed but not-so-commercially-successful progressive rock sound</a>. Drummer Phil Collins became the main vocalist, almost as important as adding a new member. The three-piece Genesis with Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks became a full-fledged pop-rock band that was in heavy rotation on Top 40 radio and MTV thanks to hits like "No Reply at All," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpmiZ7zsHXY">"Invisible Touch,"</a> "Land of Confusion," and "I Can't Dance."</p><p><a href='https://www.msn.com/en-us/community/channel/vid-cj9pqbr0vn9in2b6ddcd8sfgpfq6x6utp44fssrv6mc2gtybw0us'>Follow us on MSN to see more of our exclusive entertainment content.</a></p>

YouTube

Genesis

Here's a case where it wasn't the addition of new members but the departures of vocalist Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett that eventually allowed Genesis to shed its critically acclaimed but not-so-commercially-successful progressive rock sound. Drummer Phil Collins became the main vocalist, almost as important as adding a new member. The three-piece Genesis with Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks became a full-fledged pop-rock band that was in heavy rotation on Top 40 radio and MTV thanks to hits like "No Reply at All," "Invisible Touch," "Land of Confusion," and "I Can't Dance."

YouTube

Iron Maiden

It can be argued that the first two Maiden records with Paul Di'Anno had a more punk feel. Not entirely, but enough so that when Bruce Dickinson became part of the band for The Number of the Beast, the album had a more polished overall sound. With Dickinson in the mix, Maiden successfully progressed from lyrical and composition standpoints, showing the complexity that influenced countless metal bands that followed.

You may also like: The 25 most fun fantasy films

Paul Natkin/Getty Images/Getty Images

Journey

Spawned from Santana, with ex-members Neil Schon and Gregg Rolie as the driving forces, the early Journey years featured a steady dose of jazz fusion and progressive rock. They were more of a jam band but started heading in a commercial direction. Things truly took off for the band when singer/songwriter Steve Perry joined in 1977. Former Montrose drummer Steve Smith was added, and Journey enjoyed extensive mainstream success as an arena rock/Album Oriented Rock (AOR) with 1979's Evolution. When keyboardist/guitarist and songwriter Jonathan Cain came aboard following Rolie's departure for the massively popular Escape (1981) record, Journey's musical direction shifted again to a pop-rock arena sound.

YouTube

Kiss

Maybe it's not necessarily any new members who helped the Kiss resurgence of the early 1980s, though Eric Carr, Peter Criss' replacement on drums, seemed to breathe new life into Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. When the makeup came off for 1993's platinum-selling Lick It Up, the group had essentially shed the glam rock/late-era disco sound for something that fit well on MTV and within the hair metal movement. That pop-metal sound continued in earnest with the addition of Bruce Kulick on guitar.

YouTube

New Order

Sadly, in the case of New Order, it was the 1980 death of Ian Curtis, frontman of post-punk stars Joy Division, that caused surviving members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris to move on. Adding keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, New Order still harbored the post-punk tendencies of Joy Division but fused with synth-pop and electronic dance elements that made the group one of the first mainstream alternative acts.

YouTube

No Doubt

Like Genesis, No Doubt's success wasn't the result of an actual new member in the mix but instead some new responsibility. Following singer John Spence's suıcide and new vocalist Alan Meade leaving the band, backup singer Gwen Stefani stepped to the forefront. With charismatic Stefani the new focal point, No Doubt progressed from a raw ska/punk band to commercially successful mainstream pop-punk giants following the release of the MTV-favorite Tragic Kingdom in 1995.

You may also like: Classic TV shows we'd like to see rebooted

Bob King/Redferns/Getty Images

Pantera

In the early days of Pantera, when the band was a favorite in the Southwest, its sound was heavy but comparable to those glam metal bands of the early-to-mid 1980s. Pantera was the support act for hair rockers like Dokken and Stryper. Pantera's first three records got progressively heavier with each release, but they were still very much rooted in glam. However, when singer Phil Anselmo joined in the late '80s, he was heavily influenced by the burgeoning thrash metal scene. That was obvious on Power Metal (1988), Pantera's first album with Anselmo. Though it would be two years later, with Cowboys from Hell, the band's major-label debut, that its mix of groove, speed, and thrash metal unveiled an influential sound that paved the way for some extensive international success.

YouTube

Pink Floyd

When David Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in late 1967, it was to bring some stability to the group because Syd Barrett was becoming more unreliable on and off stage. However, Gilmour brought so much more as a guitar player and a songwriter. His polished, mature, melodic approach to songwriting turned the Floyd from a quality semi-psychedelic, progressive rock act of the late 1960s into a commercial musical juggernaut. Meddle is the true coming-out party for Gilmour, even though he'd been with the band for a while. He had a hand in the overall creation and execution of major Floyd hits like "Echoes," "Time," "Wish You Were Here," and "Comfortably Numb."

You may also like: 15 essential Queen live performances

<p>That funk/alternative rock sound has defined the Chili Peppers' legacy. However, the addition of young, talented John Frusciante to the band's fourth studio album <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLROyqwBgBE"><em>Mother's Milk </em>(1989)</a> opened the door for mainstream success. Through his songwriting and overall guitar play, Frusciante delivered a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLvohMXgcBo">more melodic focus</a> to RHCP's overall sound while not compromising the importance of rhythm that dominated its previous albums.</p><p><a href='https://www.msn.com/en-us/community/channel/vid-cj9pqbr0vn9in2b6ddcd8sfgpfq6x6utp44fssrv6mc2gtybw0us'>Follow us on MSN to see more of our exclusive entertainment content.</a></p>

Kristian Dowling/Getty Images

Red Hot Chili Peppers

That funk/alternative rock sound has defined the Chili Peppers' legacy. However, the addition of young, talented John Frusciante to the band's fourth studio album Mother's Milk (1989) opened the door for mainstream success. Through his songwriting and overall guitar play, Frusciante delivered a more melodic focus to RHCP's overall sound while not compromising the importance of rhythm that dominated its previous albums.

<p>The addition of two members opened the door for success within REO lore. When guitarist/songwriter Gary Richrath joined in late 1970, he helped take the band from a popular local Midwest attraction to a national story. The Richrath-penned <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BurWYoB1XsQ">"Ridin' the Storm Out"</a> is one of the great classic rock tracks. </p><p>Meanwhile, Kevin Cronin joined the group in 1972, left, and returned in 1975. The Cronin-Richrath songwriting duo brought the band much more commercial success with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeHkaSH0Xw8"><em>You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish</em> (1978)</a> and turned them into mainstream, pop-rock giants via <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJzNZ1c5C9c"><em>Hi Infidelity </em>(1980</a>). Following the latter, Cronin steered the band in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpOULjyy-n8">more soft rock direction</a>, leading to Richrath's departure in the late 1980s. </p>

Ross Marino/Getty Images

REO Speedwagon

The addition of two members opened the door for success within REO lore. When guitarist/songwriter Gary Richrath joined in late 1970, he helped take the band from a popular local Midwest attraction to a national story. The Richrath-penned "Ridin' the Storm Out" is one of the great classic rock tracks.

Meanwhile, Kevin Cronin joined the group in 1972, left, and returned in 1975. The Cronin-Richrath songwriting duo brought the band much more commercial success with You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish (1978) and turned them into mainstream, pop-rock giants via Hi Infidelity (1980). Following the latter, Cronin steered the band in a more soft rock direction, leading to Richrath's departure in the late 1980s.

Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images

Scorpions

With the great Uli-John Roth functioning as the lead guitarist and the most prominent songwriter from 1974-77, the Scorpions were a tried and true hard rock band. When Roth left, and Matthias Jabs joined in 1978, the Scorps' sound became more corporate and eventually aligned with the hair metal movement of the 1980s, especially when the group started incorporating more power ballads.

YouTube

Survivor

It can be argued that Survivor went from a solid rock band to a pop-rock act during the mid-1980s. The band's first three records, Survivor (1979), Premonition (1981), and Eye of the Tiger (1982), had an edge. Eye of the Tiger made the group international stars thanks to the title track's association with Rocky III. Then, lead singer Dave Bickler was forced to leave due to health issues. When the late Jimi Jamison came aboard, Survivor scored another mainstream hit with the more pop-tinged "Moment of Truth" from The Karate Kid. Vitals Signs (1984) went platinum thanks to the ballad "The Search is Over," and lite-rock MTV hits "High on You" and "I Can't Hold Back."

You may also like: The best covers of Bob Dylan songs

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Van Halen

The Dave vs. Sammy argument will never fizzle out. Van Halen was a popular rock band with David Lee Roth through the late 1970s and into the '80s but didn't really enjoy mainstream success until 1984 came out. When Sammy Hagar joined the band in time to cut 5150 (1986), Eddie Van Halen's synthesizer use increased, and the music had a more made-for-MTV vibe. The result: four straight U.S. No. 1 records with Hagar in tow: 5150, OU812 (1988), For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), and Balance (1995).

George Rose/Getty Images

Whitesnake

The number of members who have come and gone during Whitesnake's history is bigger than the populations of some small towns. The one consistent has been frontman David Coverdale. The Deep Purple off-shoot offered a bluesy, hard-rock sound in its early years. However, on the band's breakout self-titled 1987 release, which featured veteran John Sykes on guitar and '80s hair-metal staples Adrian Vandenberg and, eventually, Rudy Sarzo, its image and overall sound fit in more with the glam metal movement of the day. Also, working with famed A&R exec John Kalodner (Aerosmith, Sammy Hagar, Cher) to make the group a more mainstream commodity can't be understated.

Did you enjoy this slideshow? Follow us on MSN to see more of our exclusive entertainment content.