Usually, a band gets weaker when an iconic member of the band leaves (or the band is starting to deteriorate and they see the writing on the wall). But a few bands got better. For me, it's Pink Floyd after Syd Barrett and ACDC after Bon Scott. Who is it for you?
I'd agree with Floyd, personally, and although I enjoy the Peter Green and Bob Welch eras, the Buckingham/Nicks era of Fleetwood Mac is my favourite... Acdc though, the Bon era is my favourite, but I did grow up with Bon era Acdc
I would suggest that Syd didn't become iconic until well after his departure from Floyd. Disagree with that one anyway, and AC/DC. Sabbath improved for a while after Ozzy left, but only because their last couple of records with him weren't nearly as good as the earlier ones. Indeed, are we talking overall or just at the time of departure?
Motley Crue, Although Vince wasn't necessarily the ICON of the band, he was their frontman, and in getting Corabi, they got a frontman as well as a second guitar player, and the album they made with Corabi, is the only one I listen to in their catalogue.
I only got into the Hollies after Graham Nash left. Enjoy their 70's output much more than the 60's stuff.
Maybe sacrilege, but I like the Leskiw/Winter era of The Guess Who, more than with Randy Bachman. I definitely think they became a better band (For my taste anyway), And I'm sure they knew replacing Randy was probably an impossible task. But, they gambled and won IMO.
The Beatles after Pete Best left the band No, I'm joking! Pink Floyd got much better after Syd Barrett left the group.
In some bands all the members are iconic. I know some folk think the Stones improved after Brian's departure. I'm on the fence about that.
Although it took them a little while to find their footing, Definitely! I wonder how they would have progressed with Syd (In the best of circumstances). I think they would have ended up being locked into what they were on that first album, and faded away as such as one of those "Where are they now" bands, but who knows.
There's a strong case to be made for Marillion getting (even) stronger after Fish was replaced by Hogarth.
Seconding the remarks about Brian Jones (even though we have the same birthday). I also prefer the later iterations of the Mothers, rather than the original band or the Flo and Eddie band.
Interesting mix of opinions here. I would agree that Floyd got better post-Syd (just a taste thing I guess, but I strongly prefer their run from Meddle through The Wall over anything else they did before or after). Also prefer the Buckingham/Nicks era of the Mac. Ones I disagree with: Motley Crue (their early albums are the best ones, and Corabi, while a much more skilled singer than Neil, has about 1/10th as much sonic personality), Marillion (like the Fish era, only marginally interested in any of the Hogarth stuff I've heard). WAR is a really good call. Almost all their best work was post-Burdon.
I'm struggling to come up with anyone really. Only one I can think of is The Waterboys going on to make Fisherman's Blues after Karl Wallinger left to form World Party. Is he iconic though? Maybe to some. Not really to me. Oh, and I'll throw in post-Gabriel Genesis, just for fun.
I love original Sabbath and Ozzy will always be one of the Godfathers of metal, but I think the band actually got better with Dio.
Sabbath became a tighter, more cohesive band with Dio, but I think that's only because the wheels were coming off during those last couple of years with Ozzy. I love the Dio albums, and the timing was perfect when he joined, but I can't place those albums above the first six albums with Ozzy. But this is a controversy that will never be settled among Black Sabbath fans.
True of several nominees in here, in truth. A lot of this stuff just comes down to taste and preference. I prefer Ozzy-era, but it's apples and oranges; not only are they very different singers, the band itself transformed around Dio when he joined. This isn't like later Journey albums where they tried to do basically the same thing and make the new guy imitate the old guy. (Or even Johnson-era AC/DC, where the vocalist is distinct but otherwise the engine just kept running.)
