![\"Genesis](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Genesis-1974-Far-Out-Magazine-1140x855.jpg\")
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Credit: Far Out \/ Genesis<\/p>\n
Wed 17 June 2026 8:42, UK <\/p>\n
Any rock band trying to replace their singer has to deal with some serious questions before they even start auditions. For many, the vocalist is the one person people identify with every time they see you in concert, and now that the face of the group is gone, is it really worth it trying to continue on if all the personality got sucked out of everything? <\/p>\n
A group like Genesis<\/a> didn\u2019t necessarily have small shoes to fill when Peter Gabriel left, either, but when performing \u2018Squonk\u2019, they realised that the next best option for a vocalist was already in the group.<\/p>\n Finding a replacement for a frontman is often one of the most difficult challenges a band can face. Audiences frequently associate a group\u2019s identity with its singer, making any transition a risk not only creatively but commercially as well.<\/p>\n No matter who they went with for a potential replacement, though, Gabriel had already cast a firm shadow over all of their lives. After all, Gabriel had helped start the group back in the late 1960s, and considering his habit of dressing up like a flower or performing with a fox\u2019s head on his face during the show, their shows went from prog rock concerts to borderline theatrical productions with him out front.<\/p>\n Gabriel\u2019s larger-than-life stage presence helped distinguish Genesis from many of their contemporaries. His costumes and storytelling transformed concerts into immersive experiences that blurred the line between rock performance and theatre.<\/p>\n By the time The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was underway, though, Gabriel felt they had done all they could together. Now, with his newborn baby at the house, the frontman figured it was time to step down, leaving the group right after the accompanying tour and turning them into a four-piece.<\/p>\n While Phil Collins had sung a few tracks for the group to take the edge off of Gabriel\u2019s antics, it\u2019s not like he was itching to get in front of the stage. Let\u2019s face it: The Beatles didn\u2019t get to where they were by having Ringo Starr up there singing all the songs, so how would this be looked at differently?<\/p>\n Further reading: From The Vault<\/strong><\/p>\n But after one too many failed sessions with new singers, Collins was at the end of his rope when he asked the rest of the group if he could try his hand at singing, telling Behind the Music<\/a>, \u201c[The last singer] didn\u2019t sound that great, and I said, \u2018Can I have a go? I know I can do better than this.\u2019 So I went down to the studio and sang the song, and everybody went, \u2018Yeah, it sounds great.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Listening to A Trick of the Tail, though, there are a lot of similarities between Collins\u2019s and Gabriel\u2019s vocal tones as well. While \u2018Squonk\u2019 is a lot heavier than the other tracks that Genesis would create, Collins\u2019s knack for cutting through the mix had the same soaring quality that Gabriel brought to \u2018Supper\u2019s Ready\u2019 years before.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not like they forgot about their progressive rock roots. While everyone and their mother talks about how Collins is the one who ruined Genesis by stepping up and turning them into a pop group, that didn\u2019t get started until And Then There Were Three, leaving the next few albums to be massive exercises without having to be tied down by Gabriel\u2019s antics.<\/p>\n If anything, Collins brought the more authentic progressive edge back to Genesis after spending years silent behind the drum stool. So next time people try to use tracks like \u2018Invisible Touch<\/a>\u2019 as ammunition to use against Collins, just play them \u2018Dance on a Volcano\u2019 and see if they change their tune. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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