Highlights
- Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel were both members of the band Genesis.
- Genesis experienced a shift in sound and became more commercially successful under Collins’ leadership.
- Collins and Gabriel have a mysterious relationship despite rumors of their feud.
For anyone who follows the music business closely, it can sometimes seem like there are constantly new feuds. In some cases that means bands feuding with each other and in other cases bandmates can’t get along.
During the early ’70s, Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel were both members of the legendary band Genesis. Then Gabriel left the band with Collins replacing him as the new vocalist. Given that Collins replaced Gabriel and the two men have never been in the same band again, many fans assume they hate each other.
Who Is Genesis’ Best Vocalist, Phil Collins Or Peter Gabriel?
In 1967, the five founding members of the band Genesis came together to form the group. Only a year later, the band’s lineup changed when a new drummer took over the reins. Little did the band know at that time that many more members would come and go.
When Genesis originally formed, Peter Gabriel was the band’s frontman. Three years later in 1970, Genesis’ other most famous member, Phil Collins, joined the band and took over playing the drums. Collins also provided backing vocals when he joined Genesis.
After Gabriel and Collins co-existed for several years, the band’s original lead vocalist decided to depart. Ultimately, it was decided that Collins would be the person to fill Gabriel’s shoes as Genesis’ new lead vocalist.
As anyone familiar with Genesis’ career will likely already know, the band changed a lot once Collins became its lead vocalist. While Genesis had already made a name for itself under Gabriel’s leadership, the band became a commercial Goliath with Collins at the helm.
Looking back at footage of Genesis’ concerts when Gabriel was the band’s lead singer, they could be labeled performance art. Gabriel would come out on stage wearing elaborate makeup and clothes as he moved around the stage in erratic ways at times.
Under Collins’ leadership, Genesis became much more mainstream. For proof of that, all anyone has to do is listen to songs like “Land of Confusion”, “Invisible Touch”, “I Can’t Dance”. “Follow You Follow Me”, In Too Deep”, and “Turn It On Again”.
In fairness to Collins’ era, Genesis still had a rebellious streak in them under his leadership. For example, when the band released the strange and amazing music video for “Land of Confusion”, it was a political statement that most bands courting the mainstream would fear.
Considering how different Genesis was with Gabriel and Collins at the forefront, it is very easy to compare the two iterations. However, that doesn’t mean it is easy to decide whether Collins or Gabriel was Genesis’ best lead vocalist.
The argument for Gabriel is pretty obvious since his version of Genesis was a lot more subversive and challenging. On the other hand, the argument for Collins is that his version of the band was a lot more successful. On top of that, when most people think about Genesis, it is Collins’ version of the band they remember.
At the end of the day, the truth is that whether Gabriel or Collins was better as Genesis’ lead vocalist is a matter of opinion. If a person grades a band on their commercial success and how much their songs impact people, they will likely choose Collins. On the other hand, if someone prefers extremely original bands, they likely will choose Gabriel.
On the bright side, however, there is a third choice that fans can make that is extremely valid. As a 2014 Pop Matters article written by Colin McGuire argues, Genesis fans don’t have to pick between Collins and Gabriel. Instead, they can appreciate what both lead vocalists accomplished as part of the band.
What Is The Relationship Between Phil Collins And Peter Gabriel?
Throughout Rock ‘N’ Roll history, there have been many examples of members of the same band feuding. In many cases, those feuds began after someone left a band and then went on to feud with their replacement.
Probably one of the best examples of that kind of feud involves the former Van Halen singers David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. After Roth left Van Halen and was replaced by Hagar, the two famous vocalists began publicly trading barbs.
Considering Roth and Hagar began insulting each other decades ago, it may seem like they had to make peace by now. However, whenever the two men get asked about each other, they continue to trade insults even in 2023.
When Peter Gabriel left Genesis in 1975, he was replaced by his former bandmate Phil Collins. After years of seeing people like Roth and Hagar fighting, fans are programmed to assume Gabriel and Collins hate each other too.
Of course, making assumptions like that can lead to mistakes. On the other hand, when two human beings are compared constantly, that can easily lead to a lot of anger and resentment. With all that in mind, it begs an obvious question. Are Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins friends or enemies?
For anyone looking for an indication that Collins and Gabriel don’t get along, 2010 was a banner year.
In 2010, the band Genesis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When a band gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they have to name which members are being included. In Genesis’ case, both Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel were inducted.
Even though there have been some very questionable Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions and exclusions, it is still considered an honor. As a result, Gabriel’s decision to skip the ceremony when Genesis was inducted raised a lot of people’s eyebrows.
However, the truth is that Gabriel’s absence was caused by a scheduling conflict. It also has been revealed that Gabriel and his former bandmates, including Collins, harbor no ill will for each other.
More than that, it is a massive understatement to say that Collins and Gabriel don’t hate each other. According to Rolling Stone, when Gabriel remarried in the early 2000s, he tapped Phil Collins to be his best man.
Source: NewsFinale
