The greatest band frontman battles of all-time

Scott, who died in 1980, was a living embodiment of the attitude and persona of the band, which just scored huge success with Highway to Hell. But there were plenty of rock anthems ("TNT," "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap") that preceded that breakout album. However, the group trudged on with new, raspy-voiced singer Johnson in tow. A relative no-name, Johnson helped usher AC/DC into the 1980s with a more accessible -- but no less powerful -- sound. It all began with 1980's Back in Black, which features classics “Hells Bells,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Shoot to Thrill,” and the legendary title cut. It hasn't been a smooth ride since then, but Johnson and iconic guitarist Angus Young are still performing.

WINNER: Scott. A case where influence outweighs commercial success.

Many fans were stunned to learn Alice in Chains would continue on following Staley's 2002 death. After all, he was among the most prominent voices of the grunge movement thanks ti AIC classic albums Facelift (1990) and Dirt (1992). It wasn't immediate, but the band regrouped with DuVall, a Washington D.C. native, who also plays guitar while sharing vocals with guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains has released three records with DuVall: 2009's Black Gives Way to Blue, which featured the hit "Check My Brain," The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, (2013) and Rainier Fog (2018). Since DuVall joined, AIC has been nominated for three Grammy Awards.

WINNER: Staley. His musical legacy still remains unbeatable.

First off, a shout-out to Neil Turbin, the band's singer on the 1984 debut Fistful of Metal. Following a brief stint with Matt Fallon on vocals, Belladonna stepped in in 1984 and was there for the "classic" Anthrax lineup, which featured work on Spreading the Disease (1985), Among the Living (1987), State of Euphoria (1988), and Persistence of Time (1990). When he left in the early 1990s, Bush came in with a heavier vibe, brought from his Armored Saint days. His first Anthrax record was 1993's Sound of White Noise. Bush stayed until 2005, then Belladonna came back for a couple of years, then Bush returned from 2007-'10. Belladonna again returned and remains with the group.

WINNER: Belladonna. Classic lineups are tough to beat.

This supergroup was a staple of 1970s radio. Led by Hall of Famer Rodgers, Bad Company delivered classics such as "Bad Company," "Shooting Star," and "Feel Like Makin' Love." He's considered one of the great frontmen of all time, but left in the early 1980s. Howe, who made a name for himself singing for Ted Nugent's band, stepped in and was part of five studio releases from 1986-'93. The 1990 Holy Water release was a mainstream success, bringing a run of resurgence for the band. While Robert Hart also spent time fronting the band, Rodgers returned in 2008.

WINNER: Rodgers. No surprise, but Howe's contribution deserves more recognition.

Black Sabbath pioneered heavy metal, and Ozzy was at the forefront. An iconic figure, he voiced classics like "Iron Man" and "Paranoid," helping Sabbath influence a mass of hard rock and metal bands that followed. However, Dio was already a known commodity (fronting Rainbow), when he replaced Ozzy at the end of the 1970s. The Dio-fronted Sabbath was well-respected and served its purpose during the later years of the band with successful albums Heaven & Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981) and Dehumanizer (1992).  

WINNER: Ozzy. Both are rock superstars, but Ozzy's influence and popularity transcended music.

This is a rather complicated one. Kath, also an underrated guitarist, and Cetera were the prominent vocalists when Chicago broke with 1970s hits like "Make Me Smile," "Colour My World" and  "25 or 6 to 4." After Kath died from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1978, and the 1980s rolled around, Chicago became a soft-rock band, with Cetera taking over a majority of the lead work on hits "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," and "You're the Inspiration." The addition of keyboardist/vocalist Champlin and producer David Foster's growing influence on the mainstream pop sound made Chicago a lot of money. When Cetera left for a solo career, Scheff stepped in to play bass and provide vocals eerily similar to his predecessor's.

WINNER: Kath/Cetera. They laid the foundation for Chicago to enjoy decades of success.

The family tree of musicians and bands that sprouted from Deep Purple is truly amazing. In terms of vocals, some of rock's heavyweights have manned the mic (David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Joe Lynn Turner), however, we'll highlight these two. Evans is a founding member of the band and was there for the first three albums (1968-'69). But, the dynamic voice of Gillan, as the frontman of the classic lineup responsible for such important releases like Deep Purple in Rock and Machine Head, paced the band's most commercially successful period of the early 1970s.

WINNER: Gillan. Another legend.

The band's unique sound captivated the Bay Area and beyond. Mosley was the band's original vocalist and helped Faith No More earn a following through 185's debut, We Care a Lot. Patton then came aboard in 1988; his antics and stage presence made the group a popular live band. In 1989, the band enjoyed more significant mainstream success with The Real Thing and the hit single "Epic."

WINNER: Patton. The song "We Care a Lot" is an underrated gem, but Patton helped take Faith No More to new heights.

From its beginnings in the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, Fleetwood Mac was a guitar-driven blues-rock band with some progressive tendencies. The great Green, along with Spencer and Kirwan, handled vocals. Welch, too, shouldn't be forgotten, as he ably paved the way until Buckingham and Nicks joined; before 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. It should be noted that, from the early 1970s until her death in 2022, Christine McVie provided dependable and memorable vocals for the band.

WINNER: Buckingham/Nicks. They're the reason Fleetwood Mac is so iconic.

When Gabriel left Genesis in 1975, the group shed its critically acclaimed but not-so-commercially successful progressive rock sound. Drummer Collins became the main vocalist. The three-piece Genesis, with Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, became a full-fledged pop-rock band that dominated Top 40 radio and MTV with hits like "No Reply at All," "Invisible Touch," "Land of Confusion," and "I Can't Dance."

WINNER: Collins. He helped bring Genesis to the masses.

It can be argued that the first two Maiden records with Di'Anno had a more punk feel. Enough so that when Dickinson became part of the band for 1982's historic The Number of the Beast, the album had a more polished overall sound. With Dickinson in the mix, Maiden successfully progressed from lyrical and compositional standpoints, showing the complexity that influenced countless metal bands that followed.

WINNER: Dickinson. Who credits Di'Anno with getting the Maiden machine churning.

Adding singer Steve Perry in 1977 was a game-changer for Journey's songwriting and rock brilliance. Perry's voice was responsible for some of the greatest arena rock tunes of all time ("Lights," "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," "Don't Stop Believin'," "Open Arms," etc). Before Pineda became the voice of Journey in 2007, he was a known commodity on the international music scene. With amazing pipes and an ever-expanding range, the Filipino singer was quickly welcomed by even the hardest-core Journey fans as the band kept making new music.

WINNER: Perry. He's a legend.

Any rock purist knows the correct winner of this battle, but it's more intriguing than anything else. Ronnie Van Zant was the undisputed Skynyrd leader -- on and off stage. He shaped the band's gritty, gruff, blue-collar sound and lyrics. However, after he died in the tragic plane crash involving the band in 1977, brother Jonny eventually took the mic when it was decided to restart Skynyrd with those surviving members in 1987. He's still singing with the band (which no longer features any original members) and has been involved in more of its studio releases than his brother.

WINNER: Ronnie. A no-brainer.

We've included this matchup only because it was high-profile and somewhat shocking that Neil actually left the band. The parties still can't seem to agree if Neil was fired or left of his own accord in 1992. During his five-year hiatus, Corabi was brought in and did a solid job on the group's 1994 self-titled record. Of course, Neil is one of rock's most prominent frontmen, so it just wasn't the same.

WINNER: Neil. Come on!

Pink Floyd was never a one-vocalist band. Barrett, Gilmour, and Roger Waters all shared lead work, with the latter two exceptionally strong at harmonizing. That said, Gilmour joined the Floyd in late 1967 to bring some stability to the group because Barrett, the "Madcap Genius," 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 Pink Floyd from a quality, semi-psychedelic progressive rock act of the late 1960s into a commercial juggernaut.

WINNER: Gilmour. He essentially saved the band.

Rainbow was legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's baby, and much like Deep Purple, it had its fair share of lineup changes on the mic. Dio, of course, is a legend and was there from inception to 1979, and led the vocal change on the classic Rising (1976). We'll lump Bonnett and Turner together since both played a big part in the band turning more melodic and mainstream-accessible in the late 1970s and into the '80s.

WINNER: Dio. Not even close.

Some argue that Survivor shifted from a solid rock band to a pop-rock act in 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 because the title track was tied to Rocky III. Then, lead singer Bickler left due to health issues. When the late 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."

WINNER: Bickler. This is a tough one, but he's a big reason -- thanks to "Eye of the Tiger" -- Survivor made a name for itself in the first place.

This remains the biggest personnel argument in rock history. Van Halen was a popular rock band with Roth through the late 1970s and into the '80s, but didn't really enjoy mainstream success until 1984 came out. By then, Roth's ego had ballooned, and he opted to strike out on his own. When 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).

WINNER: Roth. Tough call, considered the commercial success Van Halen enjoyed with Hagar. However, during the Roth years, Van Halen was breaking new ground and became a major influence.