Hit Songs By Bands That Were Sung By Someone Who Was NOT The Lead Singer

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by greatmuta, Mar 31, 2016.

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  1. greatmuta

    greatmuta Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Colorado
    Thought this would be fun and interesting. :cool: Here's some songs to begin with :cheers:

    Steely Dan- Dirty Work. Sung by David Palmer
    Strawberry Alarm Clock- Incense And Peppermints. Sung by a friend of the band
    Pink Floyd- Have A Cigar. Sung by Roy Harper
    Eagles- Take It To The Limit. Sung by Randy Meisner
    Squeeze- Tempted. Sung by Paul Carrack
    Toto- Africa. Sung by David Paich
    Kiss- Beth. Sung by Peter Criss
    Night Ranger- Sister Christian. Sung by Kelly Keagy
     
  2. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dixie
    "Barbara Ann" -- Beach Boys. Sung by Dean Torrance
     
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  3. footprintsinthesand

    footprintsinthesand Reasons to be cheerful part 1

    Location:
    Dutch mountains
    The Cars - Just What I Needed...

     
  4. JohnnyQuest

    JohnnyQuest Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paradise
  5. JohnnyQuest

    JohnnyQuest Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paradise
    Beach Boys - Help Me, Rhonda
     
  6. Cassiel

    Cassiel Sonic Reducer

    Location:
    NYC, USA
    "Silver Machine" - Hawkwind - Lemmy lead vocal.
     
  7. the sands

    the sands Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oslo, Norway
    R.E.M. - Superman

    Lead vocals by Mike Mills. I'm not sure how big a hit it was but I think it was a single and it is a great song. :)
     
  8. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
    Grand Funk Railroad- We're An American Band
     
  9. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Jimi Hendrix Experience - She's So Fine
     
  10. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC

    I think Benjamin Orr and Rick Ocasek traded lead vocals pretty evenly in The Cars, didn't they?
     
  11. the sands

    the sands Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oslo, Norway
    Wings - Cook of the House

    Lead vocals by Linda McCartney. It was the b-side of "Silly Love Songs" generally but the a-side in some countries for various reasons.
     
  12. Chuckee

    Chuckee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Upstate, NY, USA
    I remember reading once it was about 60/40 Rick.
     
  13. Cassiel

    Cassiel Sonic Reducer

    Location:
    NYC, USA
    Nothing personal and not trying to be mean, but here's where this thread will start to deviate from the OP's criterion (hit songs with a different-than-usual vocalist for the band) to "name any song sung by a different vocalist than the band's usual one"). She's So Fine = not a hit, not a single, I've never even heard it on the radio, and I'd be willing to bet that more than a few listeners have skipped it when listening to the album.
     
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  14. Amnion

    Amnion Forum Occupant

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Rolling Stones "Happy" sung by Keith
     
  15. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Though Todd Rundgren was the lead singer and guitarist, Utopia's only Top 40 song Set Me Free was sung by bassist Kasim Sulton. All four band members sang lead vocals, and harmonized like nobody's business:

     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2016
  16. LitHum05

    LitHum05 El Disco es Cultura

    Location:
    Virginia
    The Ramones, "Wart Hog" (calling it a "hit" might be stretching it, but it was on their best of compilation).
     
  17. RichC

    RichC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC
    David Palmer WAS the lead singer of Steely Dan at the time, but was later fired after Fagen realized he could do it himself.
    The Eagles had at least four separate lead vocalists across their albums, and definitely two lead singers, Glenn and Don. If you're counting Randy as a non lead singer, you need to count Joe Walsh as well.
    KISS had two lead singers (Gene and Paul) AND Peter sang lead on several hit songs besides Beth (like Hard Luck Woman). If you count New York Groove as a KISS song and not an Ace solo hit, then EVERY member of KISS was a lead vocalist.

    Oh and Toto had about as many lead singers as hit singles....
     
  18. the sands

    the sands Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oslo, Norway
    Wings - Deliver Your Children

    Lead vocals by Denny Laine. Again, bascially a b-side to "I've Had Enough" but flipped over in some countries. It made #9 on the top 40 chart in the Netherlands.
     
  19. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    "Black Water" was the only major Doobies hit with lead vocal by Pat Simmons, I think.
     
  20. Dean Torrence wasn't even the lead singer of Jan & Dean, much less the lead singer of The Beach Boys. I read somewhere it wasn't even planned. Dean just wandered into the studio.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2016
  21. Mike Bass

    Mike Bass Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    The Kinks- "Death of a Clown"

    Dave sings lead
     
  22. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    And of course a few famous Who songs like "Boris The Spider," "My Wife" and "Eminence Front" didn't include Roger Daltrey.
     
  23. RichC

    RichC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC
    I can't believe all the Beatles lovers on this thread haven't yet mentioned Yellow Submarine, Something, and Here Comes The Sun. (Unless every member of the Beatles counts as the "lead singer." In which case, carry on.)

    More recently, Heart's first #1 hit (These Dreams) came with Nancy Wilson singing lead, rather than Ann, the lead vocalist on every other song.
     
  24. footprintsinthesand

    footprintsinthesand Reasons to be cheerful part 1

    Location:
    Dutch mountains
    Great song, not a hit; same goes for this gem
     
    MikaelaArsenault and O Don Piano like this.
  25. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Rosanna and Africa both had parts sung by Paich and others by Bobby Kimball.
     
    Nostaljack likes this.
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