Rod Stewart also sang lead on Python Lee Jackson’s “In a Broken Dream” which reached 56 (I think) on the US pop charts, and is on one of the Rhino “Have a Nice Day” comps.
Polly Brown had big UK and minor US hits with Honey Honey in the duo Sweet Dreams and with The Same Old Feeling in Pickettywitch, and solo with Up in a Puff Smoke.
Chris Thompson sang lead on Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s “Blinded by the Light” and “Spirits in the Night” and also on Night’s “If You Remember Me” and “Hot Summer Nights”.
Depends on what you mean by “big hits”. If you mean got a lot of play on rock radio then I give you Ronnie James Dio. Black Sabbath, Rainbow and Dio. No idea how high on the charts he ever got.
Benny Andersson’s The Hep Stars and Bjorn Ulvaeus’s The Hootenanny Singers were big in Sweden before they became the “B’s” of ABBA (and the two “A’s”, Agnetha Faltsog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were successful Swedish solo singers).
Was The Honeydrippers a legitimate band? If so, then Robert Plant with Led Zeppelin and The Honeydrippers. And Paul Rogers also had a hit (Radioactive) with The Firm.
I’m not sure if this counts as a “hit record for another group” but Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillian also sang the part of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. He also did an album with Black Sabbath but I think it bombed so wouldn’t qualify as a hit.
There were several versions of that album. There was the broadway cast album and the movie soundtrack album. The one you referred to was made in Britain with a mostly English cast (IMHO it was the best one). IIRC most never appeared on stage in any form of the play, they were put together just for the album. Washername who played Mary I believe was on all three records. I can’t find my copy right now but didn’t Murray Head (One Night in Bangkok) play Judas?
The reference is to the FIRST Jesus Christ Superstar, the orginal concept album. Yvonne Elliman played Mary, and yes, Murray Head played Judas.
Jesus Christ Superstar has been recorded in more languages than any other musical. The first Swedish recording featured Agnetha Faltskog of ABBA as Mary Magdalene.
Alex Chilton had a big hit with the Box Tops. Though his latter band, Big Star didn’t technically have any hits, they did eventually achieve a lasting popularity.
John Wetton with Asia and King Crimson… although it’s arguable whether the latter’s incredible '73-‘74-era albums (Lark’s Tongue in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black, and Red) could be considered "hits’. They didn’t much appeal to the 12-year-old girls who dictated airplay…
I was going to mention Flo and Eddie, then realized that although the Turtles had a monster hit, FZ did not (certainly not during their tenure with him anyway).
I’m suprised that no one has mentioned Ozzy yet. When he was in Black Sabbath they had albums that hit the top ten. His solo stuff has hit the charts as well.
Has Velvet revolver done anything anyone would consider a hit? I’ll throw in Scott Weiland (Velvet Revolver and Stone Temple Pilots) just in case.
Jack Blades of Damn Yankees and Night Ranger - speaking of which, I suppose there’s some potential there with Tommy Shaw and Ted Nugent, but can’t recall if Shaw sang with Styx and don’t believe Nugent sang with the Amboy Dukes, at least not until they became Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes, at which point, do you consider him solo?
I’ll stretch another one with Ace Frehley - KISS and Frehley’s Comet. (I bought the CDs. That’s enough for me to consider them hits)
I think you’re right. I just figured he must have sung some of the Guess Who’s hits, but I can’t think of one. He no doubt did background vocals, but I don’t think he was lead singer on any of their hits.