# Greatest Hits By (Not the lead singer) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601 "2013-12-17T22:37:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/21 "2013-12-18T04:41:17Z")
> [@Gleena](#): > > “Just the Same Way” - Gregg Rollie sings this Journey song, although Perry backs him and does the middle eight. (And geez his voice is different than Black Magic Woman.) > > Also “Anytime” Gregg Rolie was actually Journey’s original lead singer. The band brought in Steve Perry aftertheir first several albums, and the original intent was apparently that Perry would be the lead singer, but that Rolie would continue to handle some of the singing, as well. That only lasted for a couple of albums, before Rolie left. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/22 "2013-12-18T04:47:04Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > OJohn Entwhistle sang a few songs on Who albums, but the closet to a hit is “Boris the Spider.” My Wife is really well-known. Ringo Starr sang Yellow Submarine, right? ---
**Author:** ![Dano83860](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@Dano83860](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dano83860)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/23 "2013-12-18T04:55:09Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/24 "2013-12-18T05:05:25Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > “Hungry Heart” by Bruce Springsteen? I’ve been trying to find out for years who is doing the vocals on that one. 😉 > (I know it’s Springsteen, but I swear they jacked with the vocal track on that song.) The track was sped up. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/25 "2013-12-18T05:13:33Z")
R.E.O. Speedwagon’s best song (imho) was written and sung by the bass player, Bruce Hall. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/26 "2013-12-18T05:18:53Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > John Entwhistle sang a few songs on Who albums, but the closet to a hit is “Boris the Spider.” > [@Green\_Bean](#): > > My Wife is really well-known. Yeah, I hear “My Wife” on classic rock radio relatively often, but “Boris” doesn’t come up very often. Entwistle wasn’t the only “singer who’s not the lead singer” in The Who, either. Each of the original members of the band sang lead vocals at least a couple of times, but after usual lead singer Roger Daltrey it was Pete Townshend who sang most often. I think the only song with Townshend on lead vocals that was a “hit” in the sense of being a single that charted was “Eminence Front”, but he sang a couple of other fairly well-known Who songs such as “Acid Queen” on _Tommy_. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/27 "2013-12-18T05:22:05Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > R.E.O. Speedwagon’s best song (imho) was written and sung by the bass player, Bruce Hall. And what is that song? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/28 "2013-12-18T05:57:21Z")
Mike Mills sang lead on two notable R.E.M. songs: “Superman” and “Texarkana.” Andy Partridge is generally known as the lead singer of XTC but bassist Colin Moulding sang lead on a number of big XTC hits: “Making Plans for Nigel,” “Generals and Majors,” “Life Begins at the Hop,” and “Ball and Chain,” to name a few. The Clash’s “Guns of Brixton” was sung by Paul Simonon. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/29 "2013-12-18T06:01:48Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > Mike Mills sang lead on two notable R.E.M. songs: “Superman” and “Texarkana.” He also sang lead on “Near Wild Heaven”. Never heard that song before. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/30 "2013-12-18T09:08:21Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > Mike Mills sang lead on two notable R.E.M. songs: “Superman” and “Texarkana.” > > Andy Partridge is generally known as the lead singer of XTC but bassist Colin Moulding sang lead on a number of big XTC hits: “Making Plans for Nigel,” “Generals and Majors,” “Life Begins at the Hop,” and “Ball and Chain,” to name a few. > > The Clash’s “Guns of Brixton” was sung by Paul Simonon. How odd. I’ve seen that video for ‘Making Plans for Nigel’ more than once and never noticed it wasn’t Andy. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/31 "2013-12-18T09:23:03Z")
“Tuesday Morning” by The Pogues, one of their most successful singles, was sung by Spider Stacy, as Shane Macgowan had left the band by that point. Spider was arguably the lead singer of the band at that point, although several members sang on that album, but he’s certainly not the singer most people think of when they think of The Pogues. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/32 "2013-12-18T09:37:52Z")
Ann Wilson normally sings the lead for Heart, but their biggest hit was “These Dreams”, sung by Nancy Wilson. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/33 "2013-12-18T10:04:29Z")
**The Eagles** single \*Take It to the Limit \* was the only A-side on which Randy Meisner sang lead. Mickey Dolenz of **The Monkees** sang \* Last Train to Clarksville\*, _(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone_ and \* A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You\*. George Harrison did lead vocals on _While My Guitar Gently Weeps_, _Something_, and _Here Comes the Sun_ for whichever band he was in. I recall the exact “who’s that” experience first time around. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/34 "2013-12-18T10:18:31Z")
Derek Holt penned and sang “I Love You”, which was a tribute to his wife and was one of the Climax Blues Band’s biggest hits. The band hated this lovey dovey song and rejected it and refused to sing on it. So Holt decided to record it himself with help of the drummer and famous Nicky Hopkins on piano. It becomes big hit but the other singers refused to perform it. It fact, it has never ever been sung live They also vetoed it from other compilation albums and for a while the song went missing when they stopped printing the original album. This is probably the main was the song wasn’t a bigger hit and the band even more popular.:o ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/35 "2013-12-18T11:18:04Z")
Carl Wilson did the lead vocals for the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” Not sure if it was technically a hit, but certainly was one of the three most popular tunes on their (by far) most critically-acclaimed album. (Lead vocals in the band were generally by Brian Wilson or Mike Love, or sometimes Al Jardine – Carl and Dennis mostly contributed harmonies.) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/36 "2013-12-18T11:30:44Z")
The Allman Brothers Band’s first and only top ten single, topping out at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart was Ramblin’ Man, sung by Dickey Betts. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/37 "2013-12-18T14:00:35Z")
I think Keith Richards does a fine job on Slipping Away. I consider The Band’s Levon Helm to be the lead vocalist, but Richard Manuel does I Shall Be Released better than anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/38 "2013-12-18T15:50:24Z")
This may not be exactly what you’re looking for, but: My earliest awareness of The Alan Parsons Project was from hearing “Eye in the Sky,” “Time,” and “Don’t Answer Me,” so I associated Eric Woolfson’s voice with the band, and only discovered after I started buying their albums that, far from being _the_ lead singer, he only sang lead on a relatively few songs. We had a similar thread a while back: [Best songs not sung by the lead singer](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15293729). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/39 "2013-12-18T15:52:56Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Carl Wilson did the lead vocals for the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” Not sure if it was technically a hit, but certainly was one of the three most popular tunes on their (by far) most critically-acclaimed album. (Lead vocals in the band were generally by Brian Wilson or Mike Love, or sometimes Al Jardine – Carl and Dennis mostly contributed harmonies.) Also on “Good Vibrations,” and more after Brian Wilson’s involvement in the band diminished post-_Pet Sounds_. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601/40 "2013-12-18T17:01:53Z")
Night Ranger’s drummer sang lead on Sister Christian, which if it wasn’t their biggest hit, it was damn near. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-hits-by-not-the-lead-singer/676601.md?page=3)