10 Worst Rock Band Member Replacements
1. Gary Cherone Replaces Sammy Hagar - Van Halen
The words "Van Halen" on a list like this might lead some to think about Sammy Hagar taking over from David Lee Roth, but at least Hagar's version of the band produced some fun songs.
There is another singer swap in Van Halen's past that went much, much worse.
Hagar himself parted ways with the rockers in 1996 and, since Roth wasn't available to re-join them at the time, a completely new member was needed. The man they settled on was Gary Cherone, formerly of the band Extreme, and, well, it was a total disaster.
The only album released by this line-up was 1998's Van Halen III, which was neither a commercial hit nor critical success. Cherone brought nothing new to the band's output and plans for a second album with him on it were promptly shelved.
Cherone was gone by the following year and it would take Van Halen 14 years to release another collection of new songs, by which time Roth had returned to the fold.
An ill-fated experiment from one of rock's biggest bands, Cherone's time in Van Halen ended up being an Extreme disappointment.