10 Artists Who Left Amazing Bands To Create Something Better

9. Phil Collins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0qBaBb1Y-U This entry might be considered a cheat by some, but I will argue for its inclusion all the same. Phil Collins rose to musical fame as the drummer for the 1970s progressive rock band Genesis. In its earliest days, the true star of Genesis was its lead singer, Peter Gabriel. The group€™s 1974 concept album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, is considered one of the greatest prog-rock records of all time. By 1975, Gabriel left Genesis and - after a long search for his replacement - Collins took over on lead vocals. The Collins-led group immediately changed the image and sound of the band, relegating the elaborately theatrical live shows into a thing of the past. By 1977, the band scored a top 40 hit in Follow You Follow Me, which was off its first U.S. Platinum-certified album, ...And Then There Were Three... Collins officially embarked on a solo career in the early 1980s, where he emerged as one of the decade€™s most successful recording artists. Songs like You Can€™t Hurry Love, Easy Lover and A Groovy Kind of Love topped off at No. 1 in the U.K., while Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now), One More Night and Sussudio (among others), all hit the top spot in the U.S. Collins also reformed Genesis on multiple occasions (sans Gabriel), but by that point he was the driving force and influence on the group€™s sound. Some have criticised Collins for €œselling out,€ but one can€™t argue with his results.