10 Rock Bands That Survived Major Line-Up Changes

Throughout the early 70's, there was no stopping the Motorhead train. The raucous sound that erupted from this power trio signaled the beginnings of heavy metal while also having the no-frills attitude and speed of punk rock. Given the band's monstrous sound, it's crazy to think every incarnation of the band was usually just 3 people.

The beating heart of the band has always been Lemmy Kilmister, who put together the classic lineup of guitarist Fast Eddie Clark and drummer Phil Taylor on classic albums like Overkill and Ace of Spades. Though this lineup produced some of the most furious rock and roll ever laid to tape, the magic of the lineup quickly dissipated, which led to a revolving door of drummers and guitarists.

Many fantastic musicians joined the ranks of Motorhead from Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy to former Saxon drummer Pete Gill, but the lineup reached its absolute pinnacle with the ferocious drumming of Mikkey Dee and the rock and roll swagger of Phil Campbell. The arrival of second guitarist Wurzel even led to the band expanding to a four piece for a brief period in the 80's. Throughout every new lineup, the quality of the music never suffered for it because Lemmy, quite frankly, is Motorhead.