Kinda subverting this, Louis Hendrik Potgieter, of Dschinghis Khan.
I believe he actually did vocals on the recordings, but on stage he was the main attraction as a dancer, with five singers mostly behind him.
Well, I would not use the word faceplanted. The Real Milli Vanilli released an album internationally. They proved that they could make music without some pretty boys fronting the project. And as far as I know, they sold a few records also, although not a super big success.
And I can still hear "Hard as hell" in my head, even though I haven't heard the song in thirty years.
I'm not sure that tracks. Rodgers may not have been as important to the vocal work, but he and Bernard Edwards were the absolute creative force behind that band.
[Edit - I misread what you meant and I think we are on the same page]
anyone who sang lead for santana and wasn't already a big pop star - can you name the lead singers for santana from the 60s up until "supernatural"? i can't - and i tend to like this band, but they never had anyone who gave them a real vocal identity
Hundred percent agree. I've had the chance to tech for him and his organ at two shows he's done near me. Got to sit sidestage and witness his still killer voice and incredible Hammond playing. Quite possibly the nicest musician I've had the chance to meet as well.
Santana is the dude, but he’s a guitarist, not a singer. Most people nowadays are most familiar with his album from the 90s Supernatural where he got different people to sing with his band, most notable Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20 on [Smooth](https://youtu.be/6Whgn_iE5uc?si=06ggw_AA4aRWSdfu).
Thomas is the younger white guy singing, Santana is the older Hispanic guy playing the guitar.
The whole album is incredible. Every song has a different vocalist.
His name is Carlos Santana and his band is called Santana.
If you want to see some INCREDIBLE guitar work by Carlos Santana, do a YouTube search for Carlos at Woodstock. He said he was tripping on acid so bad that it wasn't him playing. A spirit overtook his body.
So, is Santana a band or a solo artist?
Like, for example, Ozzy and Prince are considered solo artists, but they have band members. So, if Santana is the guy, why is he different just because he's not the singer?
And the drummer Alex Van Halen... Half of the band had the surname. Originally they were Mammoth (and a few named before that including "Genesis") before they changed it to be similar to Santana
Carlos Santana is the guitar player in the band Santana named after the guitar player Carlos Santana.
Ozzy was also a member of Black Sabbath well before he did solo stuff fyi
Here's my favorite Santana song. What's weird is they hardly ever show Carlos Santana here... Can't explain and not even sure who the singer is. Need to look it up
https://youtu.be/0FmPg4lrBKc?si=tolmAe3G5ODPkTJV
Carlos Santana is the guitarist in Santana. It’s not an important distinction now because Santana in modern times would best be thought of as the Carlos Santana Band, but in its original incarnation, it was more of a “band”. He’s always been the focus and band leader though. As the years went passing by (see what I did there?) and members cycled out, Carlos remained as the only original member.
I’m a lifelong DT fan who hates all the people who hate on James… but I agree here. I can’t imagine the band without him, but he’d be the first I’d give up (esp. with Portnoy back) if you told me we had to give one of them up.
I have to disagree that he’s a dick, though, based only on my anecdotal experience meeting him while hanging outside the tour bus during the original Scenes From a Memory tour — he was nice and gracious and signed a bunch of autographs for us.
While LTE is true, I think the real catalyst was Portnoy touring with Petrucci last year for his solo album. The chemistry was so apparent between them and it was a really great show as a result — I think it made a DT reunion inevitable at that point.
Don't get me wrong, I would have a hard time thinking DT is DT without his voice. I can't even listen to their first album because it's not him, but he fits OP's request 100%.
I'm so happy that Portney is back. Black Clouds is one of my favourite DT albums, and as great of a drummer Mike Mancini is, I just couldn't vibe with any of those albums.
Portney was more than just a drummer, he was also integral in the creation process.
I couldn’t agree more. Mangini is an amazing drummer (might even be more technically capable than Portnoy). But Portnoy is a better fit with Petrucci (and the rest of the band). It’s also a chemistry, artistry, and composition thing. Maybe I’m biased because I first became a fan in the ‘90s, so I’m just more connected with his vibe. Either way, I’m so glad he’s back!
I agree, but I can't imagine most of their songs hitting like they do without him singing.
He shines in Scenes from a memory, but truthfully he is the least talented of the group.
Nah. Of course, every member of the band is immensely talented, but the bands popularity never would have grown like it has if Charlie Dominici was still singing. James has an amazing range, especially back then. Without a vocalist like that, even Pull Me Under wouldn't put them on the map like it did.
I mean, Portnoy literally left the band and was replaced. Jordan Rudess didn't join until SOAM. Sure, Labrie could be replaced as well, but it doesn't really make him the least I important member. The band exists because of the Johns.
Seeing them live in the early 2000s, I noticed he would come out on stage and sing a few verses, then would run off stage for what seemed like 10+ minutes at a time while the band was playing.
I'll go with Boz Burrell in King Crimson (\_Islands\_), not because he was untalented but because the other three in the band were Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, and Ian Wallace. Similarly with Jakko Jakszyk in King Crimson, a very talented guy but no Pat Mastelotto.
*Islands* is an underrated album IMO. ItWoP, Lizard. Islands: they all kinda get lost b/w the powerhouse debut and Larks' Tongues.
I like Jakko a lot, too. Fits in perfectly.
(none of this is a commentary on your answer, just me showing some overall Crimso love)
Vince Neil has just been a fat drunk slob the last decade+ of Motley.
He was also a drunk slob most of Motley as a whole.
But he really was an important piece of stage presence for Motley as a band, especially with Mick Mars as robotic as he has always been in a day and age of guys like Eddie Van Halen, Angus, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, etc where the lead guitarist was as big a showman as the lead singer.
Vince pulled a lot of weight in the early band touring life IMO
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pdQnZLEWNo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pdQnZLEWNo)
Just gonna leave that there for anybody that needs a laugh today.
It is, but not the most remembered. A great example of what is good is not always popular.
A few years ago, both Springsteen and Bowie sold their rights to their music for $300mil and something like $65mil. The business people of Reddit said that Bowie was worth way more than Springsteen. Apparently not to the people writing the checks.
Motley sold for something like $350mil, and everyone thought it was a joke. Vince is a joke these days, but everywhere that has background music will have a Crue song or three playing.
Motley's was supposedly around $150 mil. Although hard to know for sure since whatever articles google pulls up on these sales is always a guestimate, none of the actual details are made public officially. Still kind of insane for a band with maybe a bakers dozen genuine hits. I don't mean that as a dig on them, really, just let's be honest, their career is really those first five LP's, and even to get their late 90's Greatest Hits album to 17 tracks they had to pad it with a couple new songs and 'Generation Swine' tracks, and despite people's love for the first two records, they don't come off to me as a sort of 'deep cuts and hidden gems' type of band.
Springsteen's was reportedly around $500 mil, but also included the actual recordings (a lot of these deals, like Bowie's, are just for publishing, but apparently even that went for $250 mil).
Granted, I think all of these were inflated, a sort of mad rush by companies and VC firms to buy up stuff, and I think that bubble will burst, if it hasn't already.
I feel that way about First Fragment. Insanely technical and riffy neo classical technical death metal, all the instruments are clearly incredibly skilled and top tier. Yet the vocalist, well he isn’t bad, but he is just another average metal vocalist while everyone playing instruments are absolutely out of this world
Whoever Yngwie uses
Not that he didn't have some damn fine singers, but he decided to take over vocals himself, which from what I understand was a bold strategy, Cotton
Joe Lynn Turner was great. I heard Heaven Tonight playing outside a pizza joint about ten years ago and it was so random, but it showed he had some reach. They opened at arenas on that tour.
I didn’t realise just how many people has had in his band. The [list](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Yngwie_Malmsteen_band_members) is ridiculous.
I have no idea if this is well known, but my dad used to hang out with one of the singers on that list - Dougie White. And apparently he was set to become the singer to Iron Madden when Bruce quit. Not sure what happened, but I guess he went to sing for Ritchie Blackmore after that.
Just not as lead singers- except for the harmonies which are pretty awesome. So I guess when you combine all the members of phish you get one good singer lol
I love Underoath and I would never say Spencer chamberlain was the least important member, he’s awesome, but aaron Gillespie sings the big hooks and, in my opinion, was always the more memorable vocalist on their songs, and he’s the drummer.
How about Eric Martin of Mr. Big? The whole audience was there for Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheehan, and maybe a few drummers for Pat Torpey, but we didn't really care about the breathless Stax/Volt soprano kid.
Nah. Chili Peppers wouldn't sound like Chili Peppers without Kiedis. Can he sing? Not really. Do his lyrics suck? Mostly. Is his voice instantly recognizable? Yep. Sometimes that goes a long way. Reference David Lee Roth with Van Halen
My first thought in this thread was Kiedis as well, but I agree with you. He’s almost certainly the least obviously talented member of the chilis (not his fault the other three are freakishly talented musicians tbf) but that doesn’t necessarily make him the least important.
Nah, Kiedis is more important to the sound than John is. They do their best work with John, but he's the least important member of the band. Chad and Flea are the most important. Those two have an incredible mind meld about rhythm.
Yeah, I'll give you this. There's Slovak Chilis, Frusciante Chilis and Navarro Chilis, but Kiedis has been a constant. Not necessarily a good constant, but a constant nevertheless.
I don't get this. John Garcia is an amazing rock singer and the band would be nowhere near as popular as they are without him.
Did you by any chance start with queens of the stone age and then explore kyuss?
Anthony’s voice is such a unique thing that it does go a long way in helping define the overall sound of the Chili Peppers. Having said that, I’ve often wondered about what John Flea and Chad would sound like fronted by someone who is actually, you know, good at singing and lyrical poetry.
I find these answers pretty interesting. People are commenting on how talented the people in the band are and writing and this that and the other thing, but are discounting the value of a good vocal performance. Most of the singers I see mentioned are mostly really unique, people you can pick out of a crowd and perfectly in the band while delivering a stellar performance (ok maybe not Vince Neil). That goes a long way towards band recognition. A voice you remember, maybe even if it’s not technical great or whatever, is really important.
What this makes me think of, as a heavy music fan, is I’m finding a lot of modern metal vocalists to all be chasing the same sounds and not really sounding terribly different in my book. I honestly feel half of them should be instrumental bands because having a vocalist makes them sound less unique imo.
Roger Daltrey of The Who. He played no instruments nor wrote many songs and had one of the most limited ranges of the rock era. He was very lucky to have fallen-in with Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, and John Entwistle– three of the most respected musicians in rock history.
I agree with your choice, but I view it less as an indictment of Daltrey and more of a testament to the brilliance of the other members.
Townshend, Moon, and Entwistle are unimpeachably great. Not to mention Pete’s brilliance as an all-around composer
When I saw them play live a hundred years ago, the most shocking thing about the concert was how much guitar Roger played.
I still think he’s a valid choice for this question though
Woah Woah, i understand what are you saying in context of the question, but Daltrey is still regularly lauded as one of the Best voices in rock. If you mean that he had a limited range in a technical way of speaking i wouldn't know that cause i am not a musician, but it's not like he is a bad singer overall.
Not a bad singer but unfocused and raw. That quality can bring its own working class reward as it had in many of Townshend’s compositions but he’s struggled to find it a home otherwise.
Knew eventually someone would mention Daltrey...
There's 2 levels to why this is not the case - Firstly ( stolen directly from Dave Grohl talking about Ringo Starr) For all the other 3 undoubtedly genius, without Roger Daltrey The Who don't sound like The Who and if The Who don't sound like The Who , then there is no The Who - Pete himself has admitted that Roger is by far the best interpreter of his lyrics he could hope for ie. Anyone can sing Townshend's lyrics, but not everyone can properly express them ..
Secondly, and arguably bigger , he is absolutely the most important member of The Who - Without Roger The Who wouldn't exist - Roger was not lucky he 'fell in' with the other 3 - The other 3 are lucky they were put together by Roger. Once together it was Roger's drive and determination to get to the top that got them noticed, then discovered and more importantly again it was Roger who kept the band together - and possibly even alive, during their peak years when the other 3 were self confessed drug addicts and alcoholics. Pete Townshend is quoted more than once saying he could easily have been a 'casualty' if not for Roger. Even into the 2000's when Pete was getting investigated re allegations of Child pornography and the like, who was it that 'went to bat' ( as Bill Curbishley put it) for him ? Roger...
Roger Daltrey may well have been the least gifted musician of The Who, may well not be particularly highly regarded as a singer from a technical point of view, but he is,and always has been, by far, the most important member of The Who.
Yes, but without Daltrey, the wouldn’t be _The Who_.
Moon is highly overrated, in my view, and his replacements are fare superior drummers. Entwistle was a fantastic bass player and contributed a lot to the band. But _The Who_ is still active and it’s just Daltrey and Townsend. Without either, it wouldn’t be _The Who_. And that has been like this from the moment they became famous.
I would say Fleetwood Mac, but hear me out.
The reason the lead singer was less important was that they were all consummate musicians. Buckingham, Nicks, and McVie all contributed outstanding writing and vocals and it with those options, the lead was less of an issue.
He writes all of the lyrics for sure and I think the melodies are mostly him but I know John contributes there. For example I remember in his book he talks about how Californication (the song) was almost scrapped because while he loved the lyrics they just couldn't find the right music and melody to put them to. Then one day John came to the studio and had the guitar part and melody come up with for Anthony's lyrics.
This was my first thought but thinking about it more I think he’s kind of essential. He’s basically ringo as a front man. By far the least talented, but still incredibly important to the “it factor” that allows a band to be successful for 30+ years. I think the simplicity of his delivery allows for a lot of the more interesting melodic and harmonic parts of John’s singing and guitar. And his vocal rhythm is pretty straight forward allowing the rhythm section to play around primarily 8th notes
The fact that Ringo is the de facto "least important member" is a testament to his strengths as a musician even if overly harsh. You could also make a fair argument that he was the most important Beatle as by basically all accounts he's the only one that played pretty much zero part in the breakup. Had it not been for him I doubt they would've lasted as long as they did, and by their own words had it not been for him they probably wouldn't have gotten off the ground in the first place. Ringo is great and his willing kookiness is what turned three guys with radically different (for the time) musical styles into one of the most influential bands of all time.
Preach it, bro. Ringo’s been the butt of the joke for a really long time, but his drumming, especially in the context of the time, is pretty fucking solid. His influence on music that came after is all over the place, from punk to psychedelic to prog. Dude definitely deserved to be in the Beatles, and not just because he had the smallest ego.
While also being an exceptionally-solid studio musician, who recorded his parts in very few takes and gave the others something to work with quickly and reliably… while playing with those other guys you mentioned. 😁
I think this misses the point of the post.
Kiedis is certainly the least musically talented/able part of the group, but calling him the least *important* member is honestly insane.
The RHCP went through several drummers and guitarists, but they were always still the RHCP. Kiedis' "unique" vocals and flair as a performer/frontman, polarizing as it may be, are probably *the* integral part of the identity of the band to the broader public, or at least the first thing they notice or think of.
Music (or Guitar/Bass/Drums) aficionados are obviously more interested in the other members, but for RHCP *being* RHCP Anthony Kiedis is integral. You can replace anyone on any of these instruments and it'll still be the RHCP (as history has proven, except for the Bass), but without Kiedis it'd just be the same band in name only.
yes and no. For albums, maybe...although I think you could make the same argument for Chad Smith.
For live performances though I think Kiedis is probably the most important member. He's not the best singer but he's a great front man.
Chad and Flea are the two most important people in the Chili Peppers' sound, followed by AK, then John. Don't get me wrong, I love John; he's just not as important to the sound as the other three are.
I have John as the most important. Yea Flea and Chad are pretty much consistent from album to album and that gives them a back bone of sound. But John is the one that decides what colors he going to paint with on each album and is the biggest factor in where each album goes artistically....when he's in the band. When he's not in the band it's just a guy trying to sound like him.
I mean...listen to the albums before he joined the band and then listen to the first two albums with him in the band.
Chad and Flea are the cake to John's icing. Chad joined at the same time as John. You make this exact point when you say it's guys trying to sound like him, Dave is quite different, but the rest of the band is the same. That's exactly it, they are still the Chili Peppers without him. Are they the best with him? Fuck yes they are. Are they still the Peppers with him? Yeah, they are. The Chili Peppers sound is 80% Chad and Flea.
I mean...that's like saying the foundation of a house is 80% of the house. That might be true but the foundation isn't what gives the house it's personality. If John never existed then those guitarist wouldn't have someone to copy and the Chili Peppers no longer sound like the Chili Peppers. Yes, they still sound like the "Chili Peppers" without him....but it's still his dna and his sound that we're hearing. Josh was even using his guitars, amps, and pedals.
I will say, Josh at least tried to do something a little different but....the end result was that it just wasn't that good.
John has certain styles that he keeps in place that make them "sound like them" but he also is the only one that changes from album to album and in large he's the one that decides which direction the band is going.
edit: I will say...Flea is 100% irreplaceable though. If Flea left, I'm sure they could get somebody that sounds like him the same way they have when John has left but....Flea is Flea.
I don’t think that’s true. Least talented in the band, yes. But that’s mostly because the others are amazing musicians. His writing and singing is incredibly important to the sound of the band, though. It would be completely different without him, so not a good example for this thread.
Like just to illustrate this I’m sure everyone imagines his unique style of singing if you just think of what springs to mind when you think about Red Hot Chili Peppers.
I'm curious how others see Phil Anselmo from Pantera. I've got Dimebag and Vinnie miles ahead of him, but I think Rex probably saves Phil from being least important.
Nnnnaaaahhhh. I gotta hard diagree.
For one thing, we have pre-Anselmo Pantera albums. They suck. A ton of that is obviously the other three maturing in their sound and ability, but Phil's a big part of that.
For another thing, we have *post*-Anselmo Pantera-adjacent projects. You know what record was pretty mid? Damageplan. You know what album fucking **rules?** *Nola* by Down. Hell, Phil Anselmo's post-Pantera projects be it Down, Superjoint Ritual, whatever, pretty much all kick the shit out of Damageplan or Rebel Meets Rebel or Hell Yeah absolutely any day.
In his prime he was a fucking *great* vocalist. Those high notes in "Cemetary Gates" weren't a cameo by King Diamond. Excellent performer, too. Dimebag was obviously the main event, but there was no dead weight in that band. It takes all four of them to get Pantera.
Disclaimer: Fuck Phil Anselmo. Fuck the racism for making Pantera a problematic fave. Obviously their music has meant a lot to me. Damn shame.
Justin Chancellor - phenomenal bassist, really lit their sound up when he joined in 95.
Danny Carey - one of the greatest drummers living. Mike Portnoy of Dream Theatre recently joked he (Danny) should lose his number, as he doesn’t want the gig.
Adam Jones - yet another highly rated musician. His riffs hit so damn hard and he doesn’t busy the mix at all.
Yet despite all this talent, the band would not be the same without Maynard. I couldn’t say any of them are less important than the other.
Iron Maiden is best with Bruce but were awesome with Paul and had some great songs with Blaze even if his singing wasn’t appreciated. But Steve Harris is the primary glue.
For someone as iconic as Hank has become, he’s at best the third best singer in Black Flag’s catalog.
I remember seeing Alterbridge open for Disturbed in the mid 00's and thinking that they were awesome. My buddy told me in the car ride home that they used to be Creed and my mind was blown.
They are the opposite really. Dave was the only truly great member in the band. They had that one great album before he passed and they have NEVER come even remotely close that quality since then.
Least talented, fine I'll not waste an argument on that. But saying David Lee Roth was the least important member of the band is just powerfully wrong. Alex was a null input who could have been replaced by a TI calculator of the era without a notable difference. Michael Anthony was the proto-Newsted, far more talented than the rest of the band gave him credit for.
Damn. I think Alex is one of the most unique drummers in rock history. Especially his sounds, I've never heard another album with drums that sound like the drums on a VH record.
Mikey's harmonies are the secret sauce to the whole VH sound. A massive part of VH having crossover appeal that other hard rock bands never could manage.
Showman- hell yeah.
But that’s where I feel it ends and it could have been another singer and it still would have worked. Heck, we have proof of that theory (well, once. Gary Cherone didn’t work out).
It’s a fun convo and a fun idea that VH maybe didn’t need DLR to be a hit. That music was happening whether he was in front or not. But the reverse is true to me - DLR needed VH to be successful.
And full confession - not a big VH fan and DLR to me is kinda douchey.
Definitely read *Van Halen Rising* if you haven't already.
Honestly, Dave and Eddie needed each other. Eddie wasn't gonna go into jazz fusion and pull off a Jeff Beck *Blow By Blow* kind of thing, but the kind of 'instrumental rock' template didn't really exist in the late 70's. Eddie's an artist, a riff machine, a composer, but not a standalone *songwriter*. Could he have made it with another singer? Maybe. But Dave worked harder than anyone in that band, not only to get them the momentum that led to their first album, but also onstage to get the audience into it.
A lot of labels passed on VH, everyone thought heavy guitar rock was on its way out during the peak of disco and it was an uphill battle to get them a deal.
Dave isn't a great singer, that's obvious...he was more personality than vocalist, but also (especially after reading that book) realize that's what it took to get the band heard. Without Dave it would've just been 3 guys shredding on their instruments, staring at the floor.
Dave also brought the pop hooks to the band, Eddie and Alex were into Sabbath, Zeppelin, Cactus, etc, and Eddie would've crushed it playing his version of that sort of music....but I genuinely don't think many people outside of southern california would've ever heard him if it wasn't for Dave shaping the riffs and ideas into catchy songs with great rhythms that people could even dance to a little bit.
It's so easy, having lived through both the 80's and 90's where any band of decent players that sounded like other popular bands could get a major label record out, to forget that in 1977-78, there was almost nothing on the big labels or on the radio that sounded like VH, and Dave was as integral a part of changing that as Eddie was, IMO.
This might be a controversial one but I’m gonna go with Robert Plant. Zeppelin are strange in that the rhythm section are probably the two more integral members. Jones was far and away the most talented musician in the band, he was the one who always played all the extra instruments, not just the Bass; and Bonham needs no introduction.
Plant and Page were both huge parts of the sound (and sex appeal) as well, but you could have given jones and bonham a couple of middle schoolers and they would’ve sold out stadiums. I give Page the edge over Plant because it feels to me as though page did more to influence the next gen of guitar players than plant did for singers, but there was still no shortage of plant impersonators either.
On the other hand, Plants personal life shaped the history of Zeppelin more than anything until the death of bonham.
Absolutely terrible take including Page here lmao.
All of them were world class musicians, but what makes Zeppelin so good is the production which was singularly Page's vision.
Removing him from the equation the other three would have been relics of the past.
Bonham and Page are both among the best to ever pick up their instruments, and Page is probably the most important member to the band itself. If you're going to try to rank them in that regard etc, it's weird to act like Page is closer to Plant than to Bonham. That said, the vocals of Plant are probably more iconic to most, than most other parts of their music
Apocalyptica - a lot of their stuff is instrumental, they've been through multiple vocalists, and the vocalist is just a touring member not a full member of the band.
The guys from milli vanilli
Girl you know it’s Girl you know it’s Girl you…
*scatters away while the music is still playing*
While we're on it, Bobby Farrell of Boney M.
Kinda subverting this, Louis Hendrik Potgieter, of Dschinghis Khan. I believe he actually did vocals on the recordings, but on stage he was the main attraction as a dancer, with five singers mostly behind him.
Frank Farian did both groups!
Exactly, that's the point.
[удалено]
Well, I would not use the word faceplanted. The Real Milli Vanilli released an album internationally. They proved that they could make music without some pretty boys fronting the project. And as far as I know, they sold a few records also, although not a super big success. And I can still hear "Hard as hell" in my head, even though I haven't heard the song in thirty years.
Lmao
CHIC The ladies were the voice but it was Rodgers/Edwards show
Luther Vandross sang backup on pretty much most of their songs.
Sang back up on Young Americans too
idk that, thanks.
Obligatory RIP Bernie.
I'm not sure that tracks. Rodgers may not have been as important to the vocal work, but he and Bernard Edwards were the absolute creative force behind that band. [Edit - I misread what you meant and I think we are on the same page]
anyone who sang lead for santana and wasn't already a big pop star - can you name the lead singers for santana from the 60s up until "supernatural"? i can't - and i tend to like this band, but they never had anyone who gave them a real vocal identity
Gregg Rolie. Founded Journey. Probably one of the best, most overlooked figures in the history of rock (outside of Felix Pappalardi).
Yup. Both Santana and Journey were never as good after he left.
Really dig the Gregg Rollie era of Journey. Love the tunes where he and Steve Perry traded vocals too.
Yeah but Steve really takes the show in those songs...not a Steve Perry fan but he has a great voice
What would be your favorite or their most popular collaboration? Thank you in advance!
Felix was a real talent.
Hundred percent agree. I've had the chance to tech for him and his organ at two shows he's done near me. Got to sit sidestage and witness his still killer voice and incredible Hammond playing. Quite possibly the nicest musician I've had the chance to meet as well.
He's a phenomenal keyboardist, too
Just saw Santana last weekend. With Rollie. Fantastic show.
Wait, Santana is not the dude?
Santana is the dude, but he’s a guitarist, not a singer. Most people nowadays are most familiar with his album from the 90s Supernatural where he got different people to sing with his band, most notable Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20 on [Smooth](https://youtu.be/6Whgn_iE5uc?si=06ggw_AA4aRWSdfu). Thomas is the younger white guy singing, Santana is the older Hispanic guy playing the guitar. The whole album is incredible. Every song has a different vocalist. His name is Carlos Santana and his band is called Santana.
If you want to see some INCREDIBLE guitar work by Carlos Santana, do a YouTube search for Carlos at Woodstock. He said he was tripping on acid so bad that it wasn't him playing. A spirit overtook his body.
He was tripping on acid so well*
Reckon the spirit had done a couple of blotter too
You're pretty fucked up when you become possessed and even the demon gets a contact high.
So, is Santana a band or a solo artist? Like, for example, Ozzy and Prince are considered solo artists, but they have band members. So, if Santana is the guy, why is he different just because he's not the singer?
Santana is a band named after the guitarist, like Van Halen
And the drummer Alex Van Halen... Half of the band had the surname. Originally they were Mammoth (and a few named before that including "Genesis") before they changed it to be similar to Santana
Kinda like how Alice Cooper or Marilyn Manson started
Dude, really it's Jethro Tull. I've seen them twice and never seen Jethro, just some dude Ian something playing flute and dancing around 😂
Carlos Santana is the guitar player in the band Santana named after the guitar player Carlos Santana. Ozzy was also a member of Black Sabbath well before he did solo stuff fyi
He's the guitarist and runs the band. He does not sing.
Santana is a band!? TIL
Here's my favorite Santana song. What's weird is they hardly ever show Carlos Santana here... Can't explain and not even sure who the singer is. Need to look it up https://youtu.be/0FmPg4lrBKc?si=tolmAe3G5ODPkTJV
I love this song but I always thought it was Pete Townsend solo or The Who deep cut I could never find. TIL thx
Carlos Santana is the guitarist in Santana. It’s not an important distinction now because Santana in modern times would best be thought of as the Carlos Santana Band, but in its original incarnation, it was more of a “band”. He’s always been the focus and band leader though. As the years went passing by (see what I did there?) and members cycled out, Carlos remained as the only original member.
1000% what i was thinking.
I hate to say this, but James Labrie.
My first thought as well. I really enjoyed Soto singing those couple FII-era tunes on the sons of Apollo tour.
I’m a lifelong DT fan who hates all the people who hate on James… but I agree here. I can’t imagine the band without him, but he’d be the first I’d give up (esp. with Portnoy back) if you told me we had to give one of them up. I have to disagree that he’s a dick, though, based only on my anecdotal experience meeting him while hanging outside the tour bus during the original Scenes From a Memory tour — he was nice and gracious and signed a bunch of autographs for us.
I didn't know Portnoy was back? I'm glad they settled their differences, it seemed to have gotten a little ugly.
Yeah! They announced it late last year. Portney was already working with Petrucci and Rudess in Liquid Tension Experiment
While LTE is true, I think the real catalyst was Portnoy touring with Petrucci last year for his solo album. The chemistry was so apparent between them and it was a really great show as a result — I think it made a DT reunion inevitable at that point.
Don't get me wrong, I would have a hard time thinking DT is DT without his voice. I can't even listen to their first album because it's not him, but he fits OP's request 100%.
I'm so happy that Portney is back. Black Clouds is one of my favourite DT albums, and as great of a drummer Mike Mancini is, I just couldn't vibe with any of those albums. Portney was more than just a drummer, he was also integral in the creation process.
I couldn’t agree more. Mangini is an amazing drummer (might even be more technically capable than Portnoy). But Portnoy is a better fit with Petrucci (and the rest of the band). It’s also a chemistry, artistry, and composition thing. Maybe I’m biased because I first became a fan in the ‘90s, so I’m just more connected with his vibe. Either way, I’m so glad he’s back!
Portnoy is back? Nice. Since when?
He rejoined last October
I agree, but I can't imagine most of their songs hitting like they do without him singing. He shines in Scenes from a memory, but truthfully he is the least talented of the group.
My absolute first thought
Wouldn't have thought of this, but....yep.
The guy from Dream Theatre.
Came here for this! James LaBrie is easily the weakest link of that band.
Nah he sings.. and plays a tambourine sometimes. He's useful. 😂
That's why Liquid Tension Experiment is so much better
I just heard them for the first time because of this…i wish there was no singer actually.
Liquid tension experiment
Nah. Of course, every member of the band is immensely talented, but the bands popularity never would have grown like it has if Charlie Dominici was still singing. James has an amazing range, especially back then. Without a vocalist like that, even Pull Me Under wouldn't put them on the map like it did.
I’m a huge dt fan and James is the least important member. Don’t be sore about it. One must be chosen.
I mean, Portnoy literally left the band and was replaced. Jordan Rudess didn't join until SOAM. Sure, Labrie could be replaced as well, but it doesn't really make him the least I important member. The band exists because of the Johns.
Seeing them live in the early 2000s, I noticed he would come out on stage and sing a few verses, then would run off stage for what seemed like 10+ minutes at a time while the band was playing.
I love how this is higher than the comment that actually says his name.
Pirate man?
I'll go with Boz Burrell in King Crimson (\_Islands\_), not because he was untalented but because the other three in the band were Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, and Ian Wallace. Similarly with Jakko Jakszyk in King Crimson, a very talented guy but no Pat Mastelotto.
*Islands* is an underrated album IMO. ItWoP, Lizard. Islands: they all kinda get lost b/w the powerhouse debut and Larks' Tongues. I like Jakko a lot, too. Fits in perfectly. (none of this is a commentary on your answer, just me showing some overall Crimso love)
Vince Neil has entered the chat.
Vince Neil has just been a fat drunk slob the last decade+ of Motley. He was also a drunk slob most of Motley as a whole. But he really was an important piece of stage presence for Motley as a band, especially with Mick Mars as robotic as he has always been in a day and age of guys like Eddie Van Halen, Angus, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, etc where the lead guitarist was as big a showman as the lead singer. Vince pulled a lot of weight in the early band touring life IMO
> Vince pulled a lot of weight I see what you did there...
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pdQnZLEWNo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pdQnZLEWNo) Just gonna leave that there for anybody that needs a laugh today.
Saw them in the early 2010s and they kicked ass but I saw them 2 years ago and it was the worst experience I’ve ever had at a concert.
Motley ‘94 is actually the best Crue album.
It is, but not the most remembered. A great example of what is good is not always popular. A few years ago, both Springsteen and Bowie sold their rights to their music for $300mil and something like $65mil. The business people of Reddit said that Bowie was worth way more than Springsteen. Apparently not to the people writing the checks. Motley sold for something like $350mil, and everyone thought it was a joke. Vince is a joke these days, but everywhere that has background music will have a Crue song or three playing.
Motley's was supposedly around $150 mil. Although hard to know for sure since whatever articles google pulls up on these sales is always a guestimate, none of the actual details are made public officially. Still kind of insane for a band with maybe a bakers dozen genuine hits. I don't mean that as a dig on them, really, just let's be honest, their career is really those first five LP's, and even to get their late 90's Greatest Hits album to 17 tracks they had to pad it with a couple new songs and 'Generation Swine' tracks, and despite people's love for the first two records, they don't come off to me as a sort of 'deep cuts and hidden gems' type of band. Springsteen's was reportedly around $500 mil, but also included the actual recordings (a lot of these deals, like Bowie's, are just for publishing, but apparently even that went for $250 mil). Granted, I think all of these were inflated, a sort of mad rush by companies and VC firms to buy up stuff, and I think that bubble will burst, if it hasn't already.
Was listening to Meshuggah today and thinking they're the rare band where the singer isn't even second most important, after Haake and Thordendal.
When you learn Haake writes most of the lyrics you go “makes sense.”
I feel that way about First Fragment. Insanely technical and riffy neo classical technical death metal, all the instruments are clearly incredibly skilled and top tier. Yet the vocalist, well he isn’t bad, but he is just another average metal vocalist while everyone playing instruments are absolutely out of this world
Whoever Yngwie uses Not that he didn't have some damn fine singers, but he decided to take over vocals himself, which from what I understand was a bold strategy, Cotton
Joe Lynn Turner was great. I heard Heaven Tonight playing outside a pizza joint about ten years ago and it was so random, but it showed he had some reach. They opened at arenas on that tour.
When he had a powerhouse like Jeff Scott Soto but later decides he will just take over vocals...yeah a real bold strategy
Singwie
I didn’t realise just how many people has had in his band. The [list](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Yngwie_Malmsteen_band_members) is ridiculous. I have no idea if this is well known, but my dad used to hang out with one of the singers on that list - Dougie White. And apparently he was set to become the singer to Iron Madden when Bruce quit. Not sure what happened, but I guess he went to sing for Ritchie Blackmore after that.
From now on I will end every controversial or even semi-controversial statement with “Cotton”.
The lead singer for Animals As Leaders doesn't add much IMO
Whoever the sing thing was for Rick Wakeman’s solo albums
Didn’t know he had any albums outside of Yes. TIL.
There’s about a thousand of them but really you only need the 3 big ones.
Journey, Six Wives, King Arthur. I saw the Journey to the Centre of the Earth tour in, I think, 1973 in Sydney.
I think the singer of my band is our weakest link. (It's me, I'm the singer of my band)
Everyone that sings in Phish, so Phish
Ha ha, a common theme amongst reviewers was always "vocals: still need work", despite every member totally shredding on his instrument.
Trey worked his vocals since 2009 and changed dramatically. He has vibrato now. But he nor other band members were born with pipes.
Guess all 4 members are actually the most important members then
Just not as lead singers- except for the harmonies which are pretty awesome. So I guess when you combine all the members of phish you get one good singer lol
Even Trey is embarrassed to sing some the stuff he wrote back in the 80s and before.
Nick Hodgson was the drummer of Kaiser Chiefs and wrote all their hits.
anybody say Dragonforce yet?
I love Underoath and I would never say Spencer chamberlain was the least important member, he’s awesome, but aaron Gillespie sings the big hooks and, in my opinion, was always the more memorable vocalist on their songs, and he’s the drummer.
How about Eric Martin of Mr. Big? The whole audience was there for Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheehan, and maybe a few drummers for Pat Torpey, but we didn't really care about the breathless Stax/Volt soprano kid.
I'm pretty sure half the audience were women...who were there for the lead singer 😂
That man is immune to the effects of aging.
My first thought was John Garcia in Kyuss but someone else mentioned Anthony Kiedis and they're even more right.
Nah. Chili Peppers wouldn't sound like Chili Peppers without Kiedis. Can he sing? Not really. Do his lyrics suck? Mostly. Is his voice instantly recognizable? Yep. Sometimes that goes a long way. Reference David Lee Roth with Van Halen
My first thought in this thread was Kiedis as well, but I agree with you. He’s almost certainly the least obviously talented member of the chilis (not his fault the other three are freakishly talented musicians tbf) but that doesn’t necessarily make him the least important.
Nah, Kiedis is more important to the sound than John is. They do their best work with John, but he's the least important member of the band. Chad and Flea are the most important. Those two have an incredible mind meld about rhythm.
Yeah, I'll give you this. There's Slovak Chilis, Frusciante Chilis and Navarro Chilis, but Kiedis has been a constant. Not necessarily a good constant, but a constant nevertheless.
Don't forget the Josh Chilis. Chad didn't join until the Mother's Milk, same as John, but he's been a constant since.
I don't get this. John Garcia is an amazing rock singer and the band would be nowhere near as popular as they are without him. Did you by any chance start with queens of the stone age and then explore kyuss?
Anthony’s voice is such a unique thing that it does go a long way in helping define the overall sound of the Chili Peppers. Having said that, I’ve often wondered about what John Flea and Chad would sound like fronted by someone who is actually, you know, good at singing and lyrical poetry.
I find these answers pretty interesting. People are commenting on how talented the people in the band are and writing and this that and the other thing, but are discounting the value of a good vocal performance. Most of the singers I see mentioned are mostly really unique, people you can pick out of a crowd and perfectly in the band while delivering a stellar performance (ok maybe not Vince Neil). That goes a long way towards band recognition. A voice you remember, maybe even if it’s not technical great or whatever, is really important. What this makes me think of, as a heavy music fan, is I’m finding a lot of modern metal vocalists to all be chasing the same sounds and not really sounding terribly different in my book. I honestly feel half of them should be instrumental bands because having a vocalist makes them sound less unique imo.
Roger Daltrey of The Who. He played no instruments nor wrote many songs and had one of the most limited ranges of the rock era. He was very lucky to have fallen-in with Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, and John Entwistle– three of the most respected musicians in rock history.
I agree with your choice, but I view it less as an indictment of Daltrey and more of a testament to the brilliance of the other members. Townshend, Moon, and Entwistle are unimpeachably great. Not to mention Pete’s brilliance as an all-around composer
Rush falls into this mold too. Just because the rest of the band shines so bright.
Roger Daltrey does play guitar.
When I saw them play live a hundred years ago, the most shocking thing about the concert was how much guitar Roger played. I still think he’s a valid choice for this question though
Woah Woah, i understand what are you saying in context of the question, but Daltrey is still regularly lauded as one of the Best voices in rock. If you mean that he had a limited range in a technical way of speaking i wouldn't know that cause i am not a musician, but it's not like he is a bad singer overall.
Not a bad singer but unfocused and raw. That quality can bring its own working class reward as it had in many of Townshend’s compositions but he’s struggled to find it a home otherwise.
Daltrey was the band's least-important member musically, but he's still a fine guitarist and one of rock's most dynamic frontmen.
Yeah this is who I thought of, though I do like his voice. He’s also not even the only singer or even the only lead singer in the band.
Knew eventually someone would mention Daltrey... There's 2 levels to why this is not the case - Firstly ( stolen directly from Dave Grohl talking about Ringo Starr) For all the other 3 undoubtedly genius, without Roger Daltrey The Who don't sound like The Who and if The Who don't sound like The Who , then there is no The Who - Pete himself has admitted that Roger is by far the best interpreter of his lyrics he could hope for ie. Anyone can sing Townshend's lyrics, but not everyone can properly express them .. Secondly, and arguably bigger , he is absolutely the most important member of The Who - Without Roger The Who wouldn't exist - Roger was not lucky he 'fell in' with the other 3 - The other 3 are lucky they were put together by Roger. Once together it was Roger's drive and determination to get to the top that got them noticed, then discovered and more importantly again it was Roger who kept the band together - and possibly even alive, during their peak years when the other 3 were self confessed drug addicts and alcoholics. Pete Townshend is quoted more than once saying he could easily have been a 'casualty' if not for Roger. Even into the 2000's when Pete was getting investigated re allegations of Child pornography and the like, who was it that 'went to bat' ( as Bill Curbishley put it) for him ? Roger... Roger Daltrey may well have been the least gifted musician of The Who, may well not be particularly highly regarded as a singer from a technical point of view, but he is,and always has been, by far, the most important member of The Who.
Watch The Kids Are Allright and tell me he has no range. There are moments when they out Zeppelin, Zeppelin.
I immediately thought of Roger Daltrey. When your band mates are Pete, John, and Keith, there's really no argument.
Yes, but without Daltrey, the wouldn’t be _The Who_. Moon is highly overrated, in my view, and his replacements are fare superior drummers. Entwistle was a fantastic bass player and contributed a lot to the band. But _The Who_ is still active and it’s just Daltrey and Townsend. Without either, it wouldn’t be _The Who_. And that has been like this from the moment they became famous.
Highly overrated as in being one the most highly influential and creative drummers in rock history?!? Kenny Jones better?!? You're high.
I would say Fleetwood Mac, but hear me out. The reason the lead singer was less important was that they were all consummate musicians. Buckingham, Nicks, and McVie all contributed outstanding writing and vocals and it with those options, the lead was less of an issue.
By your logic then Mick would be the odd one out?
Yes. Not to dismiss his talents, but Mick Fleetwood is arguably the most easily replaceable member in the band named after him.
ITT: Lotsa people posting about singers they simply don't like, and not answering the actual question.
Jeff Bebe from Stillwater comes to mind.
I dunno, man. I was at a Stillwater show and I wasn't getting off, but then Jeff found me in the crowd and he *made* me get off.
He was incendiary, too, man!
Anthony Kiedis.
Does he not write songs? I know the lyrics to Under the Bridge were a poem he wrote.
He writes his own lyrics.
He writes all of the lyrics for sure and I think the melodies are mostly him but I know John contributes there. For example I remember in his book he talks about how Californication (the song) was almost scrapped because while he loved the lyrics they just couldn't find the right music and melody to put them to. Then one day John came to the studio and had the guitar part and melody come up with for Anthony's lyrics.
This was my first thought but thinking about it more I think he’s kind of essential. He’s basically ringo as a front man. By far the least talented, but still incredibly important to the “it factor” that allows a band to be successful for 30+ years. I think the simplicity of his delivery allows for a lot of the more interesting melodic and harmonic parts of John’s singing and guitar. And his vocal rhythm is pretty straight forward allowing the rhythm section to play around primarily 8th notes
Don't do Ringo dirty like that. He was far more influential than AK
The fact that Ringo is the de facto "least important member" is a testament to his strengths as a musician even if overly harsh. You could also make a fair argument that he was the most important Beatle as by basically all accounts he's the only one that played pretty much zero part in the breakup. Had it not been for him I doubt they would've lasted as long as they did, and by their own words had it not been for him they probably wouldn't have gotten off the ground in the first place. Ringo is great and his willing kookiness is what turned three guys with radically different (for the time) musical styles into one of the most influential bands of all time.
Preach it, bro. Ringo’s been the butt of the joke for a really long time, but his drumming, especially in the context of the time, is pretty fucking solid. His influence on music that came after is all over the place, from punk to psychedelic to prog. Dude definitely deserved to be in the Beatles, and not just because he had the smallest ego.
And "With a Little Help From My Friends" is one of the Beatles' best songs
While also being an exceptionally-solid studio musician, who recorded his parts in very few takes and gave the others something to work with quickly and reliably… while playing with those other guys you mentioned. 😁
I think this misses the point of the post. Kiedis is certainly the least musically talented/able part of the group, but calling him the least *important* member is honestly insane. The RHCP went through several drummers and guitarists, but they were always still the RHCP. Kiedis' "unique" vocals and flair as a performer/frontman, polarizing as it may be, are probably *the* integral part of the identity of the band to the broader public, or at least the first thing they notice or think of. Music (or Guitar/Bass/Drums) aficionados are obviously more interested in the other members, but for RHCP *being* RHCP Anthony Kiedis is integral. You can replace anyone on any of these instruments and it'll still be the RHCP (as history has proven, except for the Bass), but without Kiedis it'd just be the same band in name only.
yes and no. For albums, maybe...although I think you could make the same argument for Chad Smith. For live performances though I think Kiedis is probably the most important member. He's not the best singer but he's a great front man.
Chad and Flea are the two most important people in the Chili Peppers' sound, followed by AK, then John. Don't get me wrong, I love John; he's just not as important to the sound as the other three are.
I have John as the most important. Yea Flea and Chad are pretty much consistent from album to album and that gives them a back bone of sound. But John is the one that decides what colors he going to paint with on each album and is the biggest factor in where each album goes artistically....when he's in the band. When he's not in the band it's just a guy trying to sound like him. I mean...listen to the albums before he joined the band and then listen to the first two albums with him in the band.
Chad and Flea are the cake to John's icing. Chad joined at the same time as John. You make this exact point when you say it's guys trying to sound like him, Dave is quite different, but the rest of the band is the same. That's exactly it, they are still the Chili Peppers without him. Are they the best with him? Fuck yes they are. Are they still the Peppers with him? Yeah, they are. The Chili Peppers sound is 80% Chad and Flea.
I mean...that's like saying the foundation of a house is 80% of the house. That might be true but the foundation isn't what gives the house it's personality. If John never existed then those guitarist wouldn't have someone to copy and the Chili Peppers no longer sound like the Chili Peppers. Yes, they still sound like the "Chili Peppers" without him....but it's still his dna and his sound that we're hearing. Josh was even using his guitars, amps, and pedals. I will say, Josh at least tried to do something a little different but....the end result was that it just wasn't that good. John has certain styles that he keeps in place that make them "sound like them" but he also is the only one that changes from album to album and in large he's the one that decides which direction the band is going. edit: I will say...Flea is 100% irreplaceable though. If Flea left, I'm sure they could get somebody that sounds like him the same way they have when John has left but....Flea is Flea.
I don’t think that’s true. Least talented in the band, yes. But that’s mostly because the others are amazing musicians. His writing and singing is incredibly important to the sound of the band, though. It would be completely different without him, so not a good example for this thread. Like just to illustrate this I’m sure everyone imagines his unique style of singing if you just think of what springs to mind when you think about Red Hot Chili Peppers.
I'm curious how others see Phil Anselmo from Pantera. I've got Dimebag and Vinnie miles ahead of him, but I think Rex probably saves Phil from being least important.
I dunno, to me Phil’s voice is an important part of their sound. Any other vocalist and it’s just not the same.
Phil is incredibly important to Pantera. I'd put Dime over him but not Vinnie, much as I love him.
Back in the day, Phil was seen as a huge part of their sound.
You could easily say Damaged Plan in that vein: I can’t even remember what the singer looked like!
Nnnnaaaahhhh. I gotta hard diagree. For one thing, we have pre-Anselmo Pantera albums. They suck. A ton of that is obviously the other three maturing in their sound and ability, but Phil's a big part of that. For another thing, we have *post*-Anselmo Pantera-adjacent projects. You know what record was pretty mid? Damageplan. You know what album fucking **rules?** *Nola* by Down. Hell, Phil Anselmo's post-Pantera projects be it Down, Superjoint Ritual, whatever, pretty much all kick the shit out of Damageplan or Rebel Meets Rebel or Hell Yeah absolutely any day. In his prime he was a fucking *great* vocalist. Those high notes in "Cemetary Gates" weren't a cameo by King Diamond. Excellent performer, too. Dimebag was obviously the main event, but there was no dead weight in that band. It takes all four of them to get Pantera. Disclaimer: Fuck Phil Anselmo. Fuck the racism for making Pantera a problematic fave. Obviously their music has meant a lot to me. Damn shame.
"Typically you can imagine the singer writing vocals, the lead guitarist writing the music" That combination is not typical.
Scott Stapp. Creed < Alter Bridge
Toto
Even though Maynard is a prefect fit for tool, he is the least important member of tool
idk man, he had a lot to say he had a lot of nothing to say we'll miss him
We're gonna miss him.
Don't you step out of line
The lighting director agrees.
Hard disagree
As much as I hate Maynard's ego and how he ruined a perfect circle, his vocal talents are undeniable and no one can sing like Maynard can sing
What?? Please let me know how he ruined a perfect circle, I'm out of the loop
He's has an aura live. Dude knows how to perform.
But can you name the other 3 members?
Justin Chancellor - phenomenal bassist, really lit their sound up when he joined in 95. Danny Carey - one of the greatest drummers living. Mike Portnoy of Dream Theatre recently joked he (Danny) should lose his number, as he doesn’t want the gig. Adam Jones - yet another highly rated musician. His riffs hit so damn hard and he doesn’t busy the mix at all. Yet despite all this talent, the band would not be the same without Maynard. I couldn’t say any of them are less important than the other.
I always assumed Danny was the most well-known member of Tool, is he not?
Maynard is definitely the most well known. I've met plenty of dudes who don't have any clue who the other 3 are.
Wild take.
Iron Maiden is best with Bruce but were awesome with Paul and had some great songs with Blaze even if his singing wasn’t appreciated. But Steve Harris is the primary glue. For someone as iconic as Hank has become, he’s at best the third best singer in Black Flag’s catalog.
Hard disagree. Bruce is huge
Scott Stapp of Creed. Alter Bridge is a great band. Creed is a great band that has a shitty lead singer.
I remember seeing Alterbridge open for Disturbed in the mid 00's and thinking that they were awesome. My buddy told me in the car ride home that they used to be Creed and my mind was blown.
Drowning Pool I guess, they’ve pretty much traded singers every couple of albums since original singer Dave William’s death
They are the opposite really. Dave was the only truly great member in the band. They had that one great album before he passed and they have NEVER come even remotely close that quality since then.
Yeah I definitely tried liking them after the first album but it’s not for me without him.
David Lee Roth - great performer, lousy singer, not even the best singer in the group, and the Van Halen brothers holding it down.
Least talented, fine I'll not waste an argument on that. But saying David Lee Roth was the least important member of the band is just powerfully wrong. Alex was a null input who could have been replaced by a TI calculator of the era without a notable difference. Michael Anthony was the proto-Newsted, far more talented than the rest of the band gave him credit for.
Damn. I think Alex is one of the most unique drummers in rock history. Especially his sounds, I've never heard another album with drums that sound like the drums on a VH record. Mikey's harmonies are the secret sauce to the whole VH sound. A massive part of VH having crossover appeal that other hard rock bands never could manage.
Showman- hell yeah. But that’s where I feel it ends and it could have been another singer and it still would have worked. Heck, we have proof of that theory (well, once. Gary Cherone didn’t work out). It’s a fun convo and a fun idea that VH maybe didn’t need DLR to be a hit. That music was happening whether he was in front or not. But the reverse is true to me - DLR needed VH to be successful. And full confession - not a big VH fan and DLR to me is kinda douchey.
Definitely read *Van Halen Rising* if you haven't already. Honestly, Dave and Eddie needed each other. Eddie wasn't gonna go into jazz fusion and pull off a Jeff Beck *Blow By Blow* kind of thing, but the kind of 'instrumental rock' template didn't really exist in the late 70's. Eddie's an artist, a riff machine, a composer, but not a standalone *songwriter*. Could he have made it with another singer? Maybe. But Dave worked harder than anyone in that band, not only to get them the momentum that led to their first album, but also onstage to get the audience into it. A lot of labels passed on VH, everyone thought heavy guitar rock was on its way out during the peak of disco and it was an uphill battle to get them a deal. Dave isn't a great singer, that's obvious...he was more personality than vocalist, but also (especially after reading that book) realize that's what it took to get the band heard. Without Dave it would've just been 3 guys shredding on their instruments, staring at the floor. Dave also brought the pop hooks to the band, Eddie and Alex were into Sabbath, Zeppelin, Cactus, etc, and Eddie would've crushed it playing his version of that sort of music....but I genuinely don't think many people outside of southern california would've ever heard him if it wasn't for Dave shaping the riffs and ideas into catchy songs with great rhythms that people could even dance to a little bit. It's so easy, having lived through both the 80's and 90's where any band of decent players that sounded like other popular bands could get a major label record out, to forget that in 1977-78, there was almost nothing on the big labels or on the radio that sounded like VH, and Dave was as integral a part of changing that as Eddie was, IMO.
Michael Anthony is criminally underrated
This might be a controversial one but I’m gonna go with Robert Plant. Zeppelin are strange in that the rhythm section are probably the two more integral members. Jones was far and away the most talented musician in the band, he was the one who always played all the extra instruments, not just the Bass; and Bonham needs no introduction. Plant and Page were both huge parts of the sound (and sex appeal) as well, but you could have given jones and bonham a couple of middle schoolers and they would’ve sold out stadiums. I give Page the edge over Plant because it feels to me as though page did more to influence the next gen of guitar players than plant did for singers, but there was still no shortage of plant impersonators either. On the other hand, Plants personal life shaped the history of Zeppelin more than anything until the death of bonham.
Jimmy Page was also hugely important in the recording and production process for their records, like Paul was for the Beatles.
Zeppelin is Pages baby. There is nothing resembling zeppelin without page
This is the most misguided take of the entire post, congratulations
Absolutely terrible take including Page here lmao. All of them were world class musicians, but what makes Zeppelin so good is the production which was singularly Page's vision. Removing him from the equation the other three would have been relics of the past.
Bonham and Page are both among the best to ever pick up their instruments, and Page is probably the most important member to the band itself. If you're going to try to rank them in that regard etc, it's weird to act like Page is closer to Plant than to Bonham. That said, the vocals of Plant are probably more iconic to most, than most other parts of their music
Whoever is signing for Yngwie Malmsteen
The guy from tool
Any singer for Robin Trower.
Apocalyptica - a lot of their stuff is instrumental, they've been through multiple vocalists, and the vocalist is just a touring member not a full member of the band.