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

Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike

 

Sorry, guess I screwed up with the "hit" criterion.

 

My first thought

 

John Oates - He sang lead on the top 40 hits "How Does It Feel To Be Back" and "Possession Obsession"

 

Squeeze's Tempted was sung by Paul Carrack
Slade's Radio Wall of Sound was sung by Jim Lea
Status Quo's Living on an Island was sung by Rick Parfitt.

 

I thought about it actually but then I decided that they didn't have a lead singer. They were more like a harmony group where all took turns or what to say. I did Wings instead.

 

The Beatles drummer sang, Yellow Submarine.

 

The Velvet Underground - After Hours (Maureen Tucker)

 

Numb, U2.
Moonlight Shadow, Mike Oldfield (is this cheating??)

 

Jim Hodder, drummer for Steely Dan, sang the lead on "Midnite Cruiser".
Don't know if it was a "hit song" though. I like it.

 

The Doors - Runnin' Blue

Lead vocals by Robbie Krieger. I'm not sure how big a hit it was but it was released as the a-side of a single in 1969.

 

Fooled Around And Fell In Love by Elvin Bishop.
Lead vocals by background vocalist Mickey Thomas.

 

Moreover, "Dirty Work" was never a hit

Beach Boys, "Do You Wanna Dance," "Help Me Rhonda," "Sail on Sailor"
Strawberry Alarm Clock - "Incense and Peppermints"
Spanky and Our Gang - "Like to Get to Know You"

 

The KLF - Justified And Ancient (sung by Tammy Wynette):



#2 U.K., #11 U.S.

 

Oddball plan, a "lead singer" who only sang lead on two out of ten songs from the studio album. But it's true "Dirty Work" wasn't a chart hit.

 

Should also mention "In Another Land", sung by Bill Wyman. At the very least it was released as a single in 1967

 

You're telling me Brian's not singing with him? Totally is

 

Go Now by the Moody Blues (sung by Denny Laine)

 

The Crusaders - Street Life
ABBA - Does Your Mother Know

 

I considered but ultimately didn't include any Beatles. When you have a song you sing on nearly every album, are you not "a" lead singer?

I didn't consider any Who song sung by Townsend either.

 

Denny Laine was the lead singer of that band at that time.

 

Ozarks Jackie Blue sung by drummer Larry Lee.

 

Lighthouse "Sunny Days", lead vocal by drummer Skip Prokop.

Not sure how it charted elsewhere, but it was a big hit for them in Canada. Up until then, all of their singles were sung by Bob McBride.

 

Oasis, "Don't Look Back in Anger" (Noel's first lead on an album, though he did have a few b-sides and eventually became more of a co-lead vocalist)
Blur, "Coffee and TV" (sung by guitarist Graham Coxon, a UK hit)
Strawberry Alarm Clock, "Incense and Peppermints" (sung by a friend who wasn't even in the band)

 

I think Who songs by Pete or John are fair game because Roger was clearly "the lead singer".

However, the Fabs didn't have one "lead singer", so I agree that none of their songs fit the thread.

Same goes for Kiss or the Eagles or the Bangles - sure, those bands had two singers who dominated, but all the members sang lead and no one was the "lead singer"...