Most devastating band departure

All of these were leaders or front ends, but not sole rulers of these bands.

Just let me say that more than Waters leaving Pink Floyd it was Pink Floyd leaving Waters, really.

Hackett leaving Genesis had a worse lasting impact than Gabriel leaving Genesis

Hackett leaving Genesis had a worse lasting impact than Gabriel leaving Genesis

None of the above.

When Gabriel left Genesis, for example, I was really looking forward to his solo career. And I was not disappointed.

But Patrick Moraz leaving Yes - now THAT was a shocker!

I knew right from the start the band would never again record anything as adventurous as RELAYER.

As a solo recording artist, by 1976 good old Rick had run out of steam. (About half of NO EARTHLY CONNECTION was good, just a few tracks on CRIMINAL RECORD still rocked, RHAPSODIES was a total disaster.) So I just knew he wouldn't contribute anything worthwile to Yes's career.

Just compare Moraz' superb solos on 'Sound Chaser' and 'To Be Over' with the cheesy synths you hear on 'Wondrous Stories' or 'Don't Kill the Whale'. (And no, Rick's playing on 'Awaken' never really impressed me either!)

So: Moraz' departure really meant the end of Yes's glory days.

Strange to think that, after THE STORY OF I, our Patrick never really made a decent solo album himself... Did Yes ruin him, in the same way that his departure ruined Yes?

Epignosis wrote: Finnforest wrote: Epignosis wrote: I can't look at it that way.  I look at how the solo artist turned out compared to the band he left.  Quite frankly, none of the options on the list are a big deal to me. I'm pretty content.  But the poll was about the band, not the guy who left it.  I didn't make myself clear- sorry. What I mean by that is this: Genesis went pop not long after Gabriel left.  But so did Gabriel.  Neither was as good as their sum.  My point here being that even if Gabriel had stayed in Genesis, I believe they would have become a pop band anyway. Anderson leaving Yes was not a big deal (Drama is wonderful) and Yes made some amazing albums when he returned. Waters and Pink Floyd...I personally think Pink Floyd's later output is mostly very good.  I mean, I don't get this.  People complain about how horrible The Final Cut is, which is pretty much all self-indulgent Roger Waters, and then complain that Waters wasn't in Pink Floyd after that!  How does that make any sense?

Waters leaving Floyd. They were just a bit dull after he left.

I thought Gabriel leaving Genesis would top this poll. Although Gabriel going was a big loss to the band, I think they 'grew up fast' and for afew years at least were actually a better band. Sorry, I know that's a contraversial view..

Sean Trane wrote: a few more candidates: Hackett leaving Genesis Hodgson leaving Supertramp Wyatt leaving Soft Machine   and finally ....   Godley & Creme leaving 10CC

Indeed, Hacket leaving was a bigger loss to Genesis than Gabriel going imo.

Alberto Muñoz wrote: Byron Leaving UH. Blackmore Leaving DP Lemmy leaving Hawkwind. Hensley leaving UH. Bruford leaving Yes. Bardens leaving Camel. Gillan and Glover leaving DP. Halford leaving JP. Dicksinson Leaving IM Hansen Leaving Helloween. Neil leaving MC     and many many more... as you see the change of crucial members not always ends a band.

From this list, I can say Gabriel with very little deliberation.  The horrors that Phil Collins went on to create with that vehicle make my physically ill.

As for the Waters departure...I've always thought this was drastically over-emphasized.  Given, I grew up on The Division Bell, but even so I think it's a fantastic, amazing album.  Momentary Lapse less so, but then that was really just a Gilmour solo effort dressed up in the Floyd name.  If I have to choose between The Final Cut (gag me with a spoon) and Division Bell...not even a contest.