10 classic rock songs that are not performed by the lead singer
When looking at the construct of any massive rock band, the singer usually gets labelled as the de facto boss of the situation. They have the microphone in their hand, and most of the biggest bands in the world tend to use the singer as the mouthpiece to help sell anything they’re trying to bring across. There’s always more to a band than just the singer, though, and acts like Oasis and Aerosmith realised that they could also hang behind the mic.
For as much as fans might recognise a specific voice behind the band, some songs tend to shake things up, and some of the silent players step up and sing one of the tracks. While this typically comes from egos and people just wanting to assert their power in the group, each musician falls into the lead role perfectly, giving a different feel than what people would typically hear on the record.
Of course, not every musician has the same register, and having a new singer gives artists an opportunity to flex their muscles with different vocal melodies. The lineup might not have changed, but the difference in tone feels like listening to a completely different band.
Since all fans know is the original singer half the time, it’s nice to get someone’s different take on the band, working for the group in a much different way and letting the singer breathe a little bit more in between belters onstage. It might not be what many fans expected, but putting these tunes on the record brought much more character to the entire track.
10 rock songs that are not performed by the lead singer:
‘Liquid State’ – Muse
Muse is never really going to be hurting for a lead singer as long as they have Matt Bellamy in the band. Being equal parts Freddie Mercury as he is Thom Yorke in his delivery, Bellamy’s theatrical approach to vocals has steered the band into the arena-sized venues of rock and roll over the years, putting on some grand rock spectacle that seems destined to reach other planets. Change is always in the air for most prog musicians, and sometimes being progressive means Bellamy taking a back seat.
Amid the more glitchy effects going on in their electronic album The 2nd Law, the back half of the record actually features two tracks sung by bassist Chris Wolstenholme. While ‘Save Me’ might be a nice straightforward ballad about his own struggles, ‘Liquid State’ is definitely the greater of the two, written about his struggles with alcoholism over the years. Although the riff from this song might be reminiscent of the more metallic side of the band that turns up on tracks like ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, Wolstenholme’s lower register suits this song a lot better, taking a break from Bellamy’s high-end vocals.
Even when they play the song live, Wolstenholme is no slouch either, putting a lot more drama into his voice whenever he reaches the height of every chorus. He might not be replacing Bellamy any time soon, but this is the kind of song that lets the rest of the guys flex their chops a little more.
‘Cold Dark World’ – Weezer
When looking back at the hot mess that is Weezer’s discography, The Red Album is a bit of an odd case. Although it’s sandwiched in between two of the more contentious records in the band’s catalogue, this album was more about them trying new things whenever they could, both for better and for worse. Even though people have soured on ‘Troublemaker’ over the years, the most adventurous parts of the record come when Rivers Cuomo isn’t behind the mic.
On the back half, every single member of the band takes the lead on a song, with ‘Cold Dark World’ easily being the best of the bunch from Scott Shriner. Starting off as a warm-up exercise that he used to get his fingers moving before shows, the tune is a lot less threatening lyrically than it sounds, as Shriner talks about wanting to woo a lady in whatever way she desires.
Although Cuomo can be heard contributing the backing vocals towards the end of the song, his and Shriner’s voices blend fairly well, with Shriner playing the more cynical version of Cuomo’s nerdy self. Shriner’s vocal prowess seemed to impress even more behind the scenes, eventually singing the B-side ‘King’. Considering all of the experimental disasters that happened on Raditude later, this is the perfect example of Weezer taking a risk and having it pay off.
‘Mankind’ – Pearl Jam
The mid-90s wasn’t necessarily the best time to be a member of Pearl Jam. Even though grunge was already waning ever since Kurt Cobain passed away, Pearl Jam was already going through their fair share of problems before then, including taking on Ticketmaster and getting more and more eccentric on their album Vitalogy, which had one or two moments that left fans scratching their head. No Code was the project where the ‘anything goes’ mentality applied, so why not give Stone Gossard some time behind the microphone?
While Gossard had already been playing double duty working with his side project, Brad, around this time, ‘Mankind’ is actually one of the few shots of optimism on this record. Since Eddie Vedder was trying to downplay his rock star self, that led to tracks that were either too standoffish or straight-up alienating on tracks like ‘Off He Goes’ and ‘Red Mosquito’. Besides those tracks, this is practically a true blue power pop song, with Gossard having a much different delivery than what’s expected from a Pearl Jam record.
While he’s nowhere near Vedder’s wail and is a little bit skittish behind the mic, it works wonders in context, giving the tune an almost new-wave feel with how nervy he sounds whenever he has to bark out the words. No Code might be where the band morale was at its lowest, so it’s nice to hear one of the few times they were actually having some fun.
‘Medicine Jar’ – Wings
There was no real need for Paul McCartney to form a completely new band after leaving The Beatles. Even though Wings may have worked well together, there’s a good reason why the record company labelled them as ‘Paul McCartney and Wings’ for the longest time, making sure everyone knew the ex-Beatle that was taking the reins on the lion’s share of the songs. After Band on the Run set the world on fire, Macca figured it was time to spread lead vocal duties around a little bit more.
Even though Denny Laine had been with the band since the very beginning, the best non-Paul vocal on a Wings record comes courtesy of Jimmy McCullough, who brings a lot of swagger to the song ‘Medicine Jar’. Being the new kid in the band, McCullough comes through with a song that was almost too perfect for Wings’ first arena rock project, combining the sounds of Aerosmith-style boogie rock with the more technical prowess of a song like ‘Money’ by Pink Floyd. While the beat and groove are perfect for a rock concert, the lyrics are a lot more serious, as McCullough talks about the mortality rate in rock and roll, taking inventory of how his friends are dead due to drugs and how dangerous narcotics can be.
It’s just a shame that he never bothered to follow his own advice, dying of a drug overdose shortly after Wings disbanded. There’s a certain attitude in this song that’s missing in most of Wings’ material, but it’s also a testament to how nasty that medicine jar can get.
‘In the Cold Cold Night’ – The White Stripes
For as long as The White Stripes have been a thing, there have been countless fans that unfairly criticise Meg White’s role in the band. While it’s true that her fills are fairly rudimentary compared to what Jack is doing both behind the mic and with his guitar, that was always the intention, almost bringing a child-like sense of whimsy into every single one of their songs. When Meg wanted to, she could also get a lot more sinister.
Right after settling into the groove of Elephant, ‘In the Cold Cold Night’ is one of the most haunted recordings to be found on a White Stripes record, being nudged along by Jack’s dead simple acoustic guitar riff, all while Meg sings about being left out in the cold and asking if someone will come to help her. Although there’s not a ton going on, the ton it captures is a lot more interesting than the instruments.
With only those few elements guiding the way, it’s almost like being right there on the trail with Meg, trying to make a path through snow in the moonlight, waiting for anyone to come to the rescue. The song fades out before any of those people can come, though, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what actually happens. For all the listener knows, she could still be out in the cold to this day.
‘Walk on Down’ – Aerosmith
No one’s going to be debating why Steven Tyler is the lead singer for Aerosmith. Blending the sounds of Mick Jagger and Robert Plant into one voice, Tyler’s takes on his sexual exploits became the perfect soundtrack to the ‘70s for hard rock fans. Tyler always had a partner in crime in his antics, and it was about time Joe Perry got some face-time during the ‘90s.
Though Perry would occasionally share lead vocal duties with Tyler on songs like ‘Combination’, ‘Walk on Down’ is one of the first times he co-opts an entire track for himself. Despite Get a Grip being seen as one of the group’s ‘sell-out’ records, Perry is in fine form here, bringing the same energy as his heroes like Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards with his delivery.
During a time when most Aerosmith fans were being spoonfed pop gems like ‘Cryin’ and ‘Amazing’, it’s nice to hear a song that throws it back to classic influences like The Yardbirds every now and again. Is he going to be replacing Tyler any time soon? Hell no, but this is a nice palette cleanser from the scrubbed-clean take on classic rock.
‘Coming Down Again’ – The Rolling Stones
Most rock and roll singers that have come and gone over the years are still aping the kind of delivery that Mick Jagger was doing. While there are seeds of everyone from Little Richard to Chuck Berry in his delivery, Jagger was always influenced by the more blues-based singers that he heard in his youth from John Lee Hooker to Muddy Waters, tapping into something a bit more primal in his delivery. There were always two ‘Glimmer Twins’, though, and Keith Richards was wearing his heart on his sleeve by the time the band got to cutting Goats Head Soup.
Still being on the high of their incredible output on records like Exile on Main Street and Sticky Fingers, it’s easy to hear the weariness in Keef’s voice on ‘Coming Down Again’, as if he’s coming off another heroin binge. Although the connotations might immediately point to this song being about drugs, he’s working through other complicated issues in his life, like his romantic affairs falling apart and even trying to make peace with Brian Jones, who had to be fired from the band and died shortly afterwards.
As much as Jagger may have his sensitive side on ballads like ‘Angie’, Richards is the only person who would have done this song justice, embodying the lonely troubadour trying to find some peace at the end of the day. The rock and roll lifestyle might sound fun, but if this song is any indication, it can definitely take its toll on someone as well.
’39’ – Queen
Even if the other members of Queen were able to sing, who the hell even cared? When you have someone like Freddie Mercury in the band, no one needs to worry about a damn thing with the vocals, being the consummate showman and the musical genius behind ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. They may have had the musical equivalent of a Ferrari behind the mic, but sometimes the more delicate tunes require another band member’s touch.
Centred around a folksy ballad, ‘39’ was sung by Brian May trying on his Bob Dylan impression, albeit a Bob Dylan that’s actually in tune. Taking the tired trope of a man sailing off in search of new lands, the twist of this song has the hero going on board a spaceship, looking to leave his family for a year to find his true calling. While the tale of the song is fairly whimsical, the production is just as detailed as any other Queen song, like the voyage section being soundtracked by Roger Taylor’s falsetto slowly rising before jumping right back into the song.
Some voices never truly go away, though, as Mercury is still heard in the background when May sings the final verse, explaining that the main character has been going at lightspeed for a year and comes back to an Earth that has aged a century in his absence. Wait a minute…time dilation effect…coming back after years when you’ve only aged one year? Sounds like Christopher Nolan was taking notes.
‘Marigold’ – Nirvana
In Dave Grohl’s own words, he never thought in a million years that he would contribute any tunes to Nirvana’s catalogue. Even with all of his talent working with the Foo Fighters, Grohl knew that he was never going to disrupt the kind of chemistry that happened when he played the drums to Kurt Cobain’s melodies, turning those simple tracks into something extraordinary. One of his demos did peak Cobain’s interest, and it was stashed away on the B-side of ‘Heart Shaped Box’.
Recorded during the In Utero era, it’s easy to hear the more frayed nature of ‘Marigold’ the minute it comes on, almost like hearing a demo version of what the song should sound like. Only based around a handful of chords, Grohl already knows his way around a hook, never straying away from the main melody most of the time and having a gradual crescendo in the chorus, with the most fundamental drums ever put to tape in Nirvana’s catalogue. Though Cobain initially took this as a sign that the rest of the band could contribute, the fully collaborative Nirvana album would never come to pass, leading to Grohl creating Foo Fighters as a new creative outlet.
Time has been strange with this song, always being yelled out by fans on the first Foo Fighters tours and annoying Grohl to no end. With years of it in the rearview, though, Grohl seems to have made his peace with his simple little song that got the ball rolling in the grunge days.
‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ – Oasis
For all of the great songs that Noel Gallagher wrote for Oasis, there was a reason why Liam Gallagher was tasked with singing every one of them. No matter how much his voice may have deteriorated over the years, Liam was always known as the rock star in the group, and the attitude that he brings to every single one of their classics is unmatched by any other rock vocalist in the ‘90s. When it came time to step up to the big leagues, Noel did decide to keep one classic for himself.
Although Noel’s solo tracks were normally saved for the B-side of singles, he gave Liam a bit of an ultimatum when they were cutting the tracks for What’s the Story Morning Glory, saying that he had the option of either singing this song or ‘Wonderwall’. While Liam opted for the tune that would become the soundtrack to open mic nights the world over, ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ might be Noel’s single greatest moment as a songwriter, making something that could hold its own next to the greatest other classics like ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven’.
Having a distinctly British flair to the vocals, every part of this song is exactly where it needs to be, moving around the chord changes as Noel tells the tale of what sounds like a bittersweet breakup song, which may or may not have been a true story of what happened when he was living on the road. Then again, this song doesn’t have to be a breakup at all if people don’t look into it. Life always throws a few punches one’s way, and it’s up to them whether or not to look back in anger.
