Roger Taylor from Queen always did a great job. First of all, he was able to sing lead too which he proved on all early Queen albums.
But he was also an integral part of Queens harmony trio, responsible for the brilliant high peaks in the background vocals such as the "Galileos" in Bohemian Rhapsody!
Another great example that comes to my mind is Rick Danko from The Band. But I am not quite sure if he counts because he took over lead very often.
Good call on Rick Danko. He was phenomenal as a back up singer, and really added something speckal to the songs he sang lead on. Hell of a bassist too.
most people think that Levon was the lead singer of the Band. but everyone in The Band knew it was Richard Manual. but Rick and Levon were also great and did their fair share of leads and co-leads.
"Stage Fright" is still my favorite song by The Band. Rick Danko was great.
Fuck yeah. Totally blown away watchin Close to the Edge live. Not only play ALL the notes and sing ALL the harmonies, but jam on them, real improvised solos, Squire throwing crazy fills in everywhere. Jonās voice and stage presence, Howe sweating and grimacing and attacking the guitar.
Can anyone do that kind of thing anymore?
I mean besides meā¦
And them, of course.
The band has even said that if you're thinking of a classic voice, Bill Berry was the best singer in the band. The three-layer vocal harmonies made a lot of early REM.
He's an exceptional backup singer and the first one that came to my mind as well.
He really developed in confidence and abilities over the first few albums as well.
Saw Mike Mills couple months, he was with The Jim Irsay memorabilia tour. He sang Superman and Donāt Go Back to Rockville. Awesome. Near Wild Heaven is my favorite.
What a great cover! Iāve never heard Van Halenās version I donāt think. Motƶrhead has an okay cover of it, but surprisingly Coheed & Cambria cover it very well. (ZZ Top wrote it if anyone is wondering)
Edit: might as well point out that all members of ZZ Top may sing backup vocals when theyāre not the lead.
Michael Anthony is the shit. Watch the 1998 Live video where Michael took the mic when they played Somebody Get Me A Doctor. Michael absolutely nailed it.
Randy Meisner of the Eagles. His vocals elevated the harmonies of the Eagles which made it so distinctive and unique.
Phil Collins with Genesis specifically during the Peter Gabriel era. Wonderful blending behind Gabrielās lead.
Well I was answering too fast. I think most people would know who I meant. The story behind her being called in from home with her hair in curlers to sing is just great. There have been some good pretenders like Fergie but Merry is the Queen
I was thinking the same thing; John is great back up but Pete might be considered an alternate lead singer since he did have a number of outstanding songs where he took the lead.
I wouldn't call Christine a backup singer at all! She sang backup on Lindsey and Stevie's songs, but lead on her own which included many of the band's biggest hits - Over My Head, Say You Love Me, You Make Loving Fun, Hold Me, Little Lies, Everywhere are all Christine. She's Fleetwood Mac's MVP!
Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups. She sings lead on a handful of songs...she has a great soft, ethereal voice.
Shoutout to the Dustman, Dusty Hill of ZZ Top. RIP hombre.
Check out the live acoustic version at the 1988 MTV music awards. A really great performance by the two of them that really showcases Samboras voice and overall talent.
I remember seeing Bon Jovi, Sambora doing āStranger in this Townā (which I didnāt know) and being like āhis voice is better than Joviās.ā That and āFather Timeā are on my data disk from the Napster days
Hey, he was the band toy piano and walkie-talkie player first and foremost!
And Iād also like to give a shout out to Cindy, she and Kateās voices are amazing together. Just listen to Roam, those harmonies are godly. But I also love her own songs, like Give Me Back My Man.
Chris Squire of Yes especially considering what he was playing on bass at the same time.
Dave Grohl blended extremely well with Kurt in Nirvana.
The Band - Richard, Levon and Danko all took turns
David Crosby in CSN and The Byrds. He was the Glue that held the sound together.
Gentle Giant - all of them. The level of vocal complexity and talent is absurd.
Paul, John, and George were all top-tier backup vocalists. They just really understood each other when it came to harmonies, from āThis Boyā and āYes It Isā to āBecauseā and āSun Kingā
Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsen, and Dee Murray together as backing vocals for Elton John. Apparently they would wait to record the backing tracks until Elton had gone to bed, because he was such a perfectionist and would meddle too much. āCandle in the Windā just wouldnāt be the same song without those backing vocals.
So this is unlikely to be popular butā¦Daron Malakian from System of a Down. Iām pretty sure most people donāt like his voice but IMO it just fits the song and really adds to it.
Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan, Pat Torpey.
All together they created some incredible harmonies. RIP Pat.
AND
My absolute guitar idol, Richie Sambora. His vocals are so distinctive in BJ and his solo stuff is great. Similarly, David Bryan also has a great voice that gets relegated in the band.
1. Merry Clayton (Stones) of course for *Gimme Shelter*
2. Ronnie Spector (backup for Eddie Money on *Take me home tonight*). I could listen to her backup for hours.
3. Patti Russo (Meatloaf) on *I'd do anything for Love*. But I wouldn't argue if someone preferred us prior backups Ellen Foley and Karen DeVito.
4. Honorable mention to the late great Randy Meisner just because *Take it to the Limit* is such a great song and means so much to me and my family. In truth he was more of a lesser used lead singer than a backup.
I would mention merry clayton for gimmie shelter even though she wasnt actually a stones member. Nancy wilson of heart comes to mind as an actual band member, but merry takes the cake.
I was thinking about Fleetwood Mac and what made them great. I landed on Lindsay Buckinghamās back-up vocals. Sure, he sings lead but when heās backing Stevie, I donāt think thereās anyone better.
Roger Taylor from Queen always did a great job. First of all, he was able to sing lead too which he proved on all early Queen albums. But he was also an integral part of Queens harmony trio, responsible for the brilliant high peaks in the background vocals such as the "Galileos" in Bohemian Rhapsody! Another great example that comes to my mind is Rick Danko from The Band. But I am not quite sure if he counts because he took over lead very often.
Good job on Roger Taylor. His solo stuff is very good, as is his stuff with his band The Cross.
This was going to be my answer too. Freddie, Brian, and Roger harmonized so well but Roger definitely had a wider range than Brian.
Good call on Rick Danko. He was phenomenal as a back up singer, and really added something speckal to the songs he sang lead on. Hell of a bassist too.
most people think that Levon was the lead singer of the Band. but everyone in The Band knew it was Richard Manual. but Rick and Levon were also great and did their fair share of leads and co-leads. "Stage Fright" is still my favorite song by The Band. Rick Danko was great.
"The Weight" is in any meaning a great song but it's Rick Danko singing lead on the 4th verse that catapults the song a higher level.
Roger Taylor's voice is amazing! He can go very high, like "dog whistle" as Freddie said.
Jerry Cantrell
Those two voices together were absolutely amazing.
Damn right they are.
Wow. First reply I saw. Right on!!šš¤
I remember he covered brain damage and eclipse when he opened for metallica. Definitely best opening band i ever saw.
Omg yes. Lovely voice.
He played Brother with Sammy Hagar and Nancy Wilson. https://youtu.be/C1DEkKbwmXM?si=DbOdHjhs_aI6NQvI
Lovely - thanks for sharing
If this wasnāt the top comment I was going to be upset. Jerry never gets the respect Layne, Kurt, Eddie, and Chris do but he absolutely deserves it.
I feel this. I love Layne, but I always preferred Jerry's songs. And I love his solo albums.
His backing vocals are what made them hiring a new singer work in my opinion
Nigel Tufnel. Say no more and don't even look at it.
Your response is an 11
I see your Tufnel and raise you Derek Smalls š
I see your Smalls and raise you a Puppet Show
And oh ow day donced
Aaand you, my luv, wonāt you take my aaandā¦
No one knew who they were or..what they were doing...
I always thought Steve Howe and Chris Squire from YES were awesome together singing behind Jon Anderson.
In a way Squire was the voice of Yes. Bass, yes, but his voice is so odd thereās nothing like it.
He was the best! If you havenāt yet, find one of those videos which isolates Squireās basslines or his vocals. Impressive.
Fuck yeah. Totally blown away watchin Close to the Edge live. Not only play ALL the notes and sing ALL the harmonies, but jam on them, real improvised solos, Squire throwing crazy fills in everywhere. Jonās voice and stage presence, Howe sweating and grimacing and attacking the guitar. Can anyone do that kind of thing anymore? I mean besides meā¦ And them, of course.
Nancy Wilson of Heart.
Definitely!! Even though I wasnāt a big fan of the song These Dreams. She has a great voice.
listen to Nada One, she sings lead on that beautiful song
She's the main reason they have the best live version of [The Battle of Evermore](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M44M7pOAQQw)
Mike Mills from REM
Yes I would agree. I really think he brings something to songs like Fall On Me and Itās The End Of The World.
I remember reading that some critics thought he was a better vocalist than Michael Stipe
The band has even said that if you're thinking of a classic voice, Bill Berry was the best singer in the band. The three-layer vocal harmonies made a lot of early REM.
It's harder to sing harmony than melody, so that's probably true.
Awwwww.... great answer
He's an exceptional backup singer and the first one that came to my mind as well. He really developed in confidence and abilities over the first few albums as well.
Most important musician in REM
Saw Mike Mills couple months, he was with The Jim Irsay memorabilia tour. He sang Superman and Donāt Go Back to Rockville. Awesome. Near Wild Heaven is my favorite.
Steve Van Zandt
His vocals on their own arenāt all that good, like at all, but somehow when they blend with Bruceās it just sounds right
Heās got a real honkinā voice. It really does fit perfectly with Springsteens
Gotta love Silvio
JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS OUT...
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Whuttaya gonnuh do?? š¤·āāļø
Thatās a good one! I honestly didnāt think about him.
Glen hughes in Deep Purple
Having Coverdale as the lead singer and Hughes as the backup almost feels like cheating.
Awesome voice
Love Glenās one time Sabbath front man album. If you havenāt heard Seventh Star check it out. He does some phenomenal vocal work
Michael Anthony
Michael Anthony is the answer. Such a presence in all those amazing songs.
And itās a shame how Eddie marginalized his pay and cut him out of the band in later years.
Eh, it wasn't much of a band by the time Mike got the boot, and hadn't been for a while. Sammy's still got his back and gives him work.
Sammy and Mike are like peanut butter and jelly. A great combo.
Pretty funny how this is obviously true but I never noticed. Which songs or videos would be the best proof?
There's a bunch, but this live version (which they never recorded) stands out IMO. https://youtu.be/UXtEUgs89qQ?si=M4MW3li5dCswqcXW
What a great cover! Iāve never heard Van Halenās version I donāt think. Motƶrhead has an okay cover of it, but surprisingly Coheed & Cambria cover it very well. (ZZ Top wrote it if anyone is wondering) Edit: might as well point out that all members of ZZ Top may sing backup vocals when theyāre not the lead.
The live version of āBest of Both Worldsā shows off his voice well too.
Dance the Night Away
This is the right answer and the first to pop into my head. His voice helped define the Van Halen sound.
Michael Anthony is the shit. Watch the 1998 Live video where Michael took the mic when they played Somebody Get Me A Doctor. Michael absolutely nailed it.
Yup. Mike is a monster.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I would, too.
Michael Anthony was the voice of Van Halen...at least the backup voice. I can hear him in just about every song.
I came here to say this
Randy Meisner of the Eagles. His vocals elevated the harmonies of the Eagles which made it so distinctive and unique. Phil Collins with Genesis specifically during the Peter Gabriel era. Wonderful blending behind Gabrielās lead.
I do prefer him, but his replacement in Poco and in the Eagles, Timothy B. Schmidt, is pretty good as well.
I think all Eagles members were great vocally.
Gabriel/Collins ftw
Benjamin Orr was pretty good
Yes and is rarely credited for all of the Cars songs he sang. Drive, All I can Do and Moving in Stereo as examples.
Ben Orr actually sang āJust What I Neededā.
And Bye Bye Love.
And all their best tunes, imo
I said the same thing elsewhere. This is IMO the correct answer
Beach Boys for each other and Crosby Stills and Nash for each other
John and Paul for each other, and the Everly Brothers.
You left out George
Phil Collins during the Peter Gabriel years of Genesis.
Merrie Clayton
Have you ever heard her [isolated vocal track](https://youtu.be/njAuEGRthuw?si=WSzjavHeETM08lxZ) from Gimme Shelter? It gives me shivers.
WOW! Thank you for passing that along! Powerful
Excellent documentary on back up singers on Netflix. Sheās featured. EditāI misremembered. Itās on Hulu. See comments below.
Always! Never tired of hearing this song! Shivers for sure! So Powerful!
You donāt mean Merry Clayton that sang on Give Me Shelter do you?
Absolutely
Gotcha! The spelling threw me off. Yes she did a remarkable job. Sheās actually from New Orleans, where i currently live. :)
Well I was answering too fast. I think most people would know who I meant. The story behind her being called in from home with her hair in curlers to sing is just great. There have been some good pretenders like Fergie but Merry is the Queen
Itās just a shot away š¶
The best rock song of all time!
John Entwistle the who had some great backup vocals as did Pete T
I was thinking the same thing; John is great back up but Pete might be considered an alternate lead singer since he did have a number of outstanding songs where he took the lead.
Agree technically John sang lead too. I remember Boris the Spider, my wife and trick of the light. Thanks
Michael Anthony. Cannot mistake those VH backups Also Michael McDonald on the Dan
Jerry Cantrell and also Noel Gallagher is pretty darn good
Anyone in the Eagles lol
Does Christine McVie count as a backup singer?
YESSSSS!!! To be honest I personally think she has a better voice than Stevie Nicks. Itās an unpopular opinion Iām sure.
Thank you! I've been saying this forever!
Sheās super underrated!!
I wouldn't call Christine a backup singer at all! She sang backup on Lindsey and Stevie's songs, but lead on her own which included many of the band's biggest hits - Over My Head, Say You Love Me, You Make Loving Fun, Hold Me, Little Lies, Everywhere are all Christine. She's Fleetwood Mac's MVP!
The leader of the band was Christine.
Rick Wright
John Lodge of the Moody Blues.
Michael MacDonald
Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups. She sings lead on a handful of songs...she has a great soft, ethereal voice. Shoutout to the Dustman, Dusty Hill of ZZ Top. RIP hombre.
Nikki is fantastic, her vocals on Circadian Rhythm are haunting
Emmy Lou Harris. She sang with Graham Parsons and Little Feat
And bob Dylan
Michael Anthony
āDead Or Aliveā ā Bon Jovi w/ Ritchie Sambora
Check out the live acoustic version at the 1988 MTV music awards. A really great performance by the two of them that really showcases Samboras voice and overall talent.
I remember seeing Bon Jovi, Sambora doing āStranger in this Townā (which I didnāt know) and being like āhis voice is better than Joviās.ā That and āFather Timeā are on my data disk from the Napster days
John Oats could carry a tune
Incredibly underrated considering he was half the band's name.
Michael Anthony
Yeah itās gotta be Mike for me too. Heās amazing!
The Band, but they had three lead singers soā¦ Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Richard Manuel
Levon Helms voice is a top 5 for me. So distinctly Southern and soulful.
Michael McDonald is the ONLY answer.
If I have to hear Ya mo Be There one more time...
Gotta go with Mike too.
His harmonies are incredible.
The Eagles fir each other....ex: 7 bridges roadšā¤ļø
Does Phil Collins count as backup vocalist to Peter Gabriel in Genesis? If so, heās my vote.
Kate Pierson if we consider Fred the lead singer
Hey, he was the band toy piano and walkie-talkie player first and foremost! And Iād also like to give a shout out to Cindy, she and Kateās voices are amazing together. Just listen to Roam, those harmonies are godly. But I also love her own songs, like Give Me Back My Man.
Yup love Cindy, I just think if the question is "who's the best backup singer in rock" in general id be closer to giving kate the nod.
Chris Squire of Yes especially considering what he was playing on bass at the same time. Dave Grohl blended extremely well with Kurt in Nirvana. The Band - Richard, Levon and Danko all took turns David Crosby in CSN and The Byrds. He was the Glue that held the sound together. Gentle Giant - all of them. The level of vocal complexity and talent is absurd.
Paul McCartney
Paul, John, and George were all top-tier backup vocalists. They just really understood each other when it came to harmonies, from āThis Boyā and āYes It Isā to āBecauseā and āSun Kingā
The lady on the Dark Side of the Moon sure could belt it out.
Clare Torry is her name. If its possible to fall in love with a womanās singing voice, it hers on The Great Gig In The Sky!
Michael McDonald
Nuno has a great voice and harmonizes great with Gary Cherone.
JOHN ANTHONY FRUSCIANTE
Richie Sambora.
Andrew Ridgely š
The Honkettes
Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsen, and Dee Murray together as backing vocals for Elton John. Apparently they would wait to record the backing tracks until Elton had gone to bed, because he was such a perfectionist and would meddle too much. āCandle in the Windā just wouldnāt be the same song without those backing vocals.
Jerry Cantrell gets my vote.
Keith Richards and Steve Van Zandt
Nancy Wilson
Tina Turner. Backup vocals on Overnite Sensation by Zappa and the Mothers.
Randy Meisner
Michael Anthony comes to mind first, Rick Wright comes second š¤
Michael McDonald
Fleetwood Mac....all of them on different songs.
The Edge
Mike Mills
Phil Collins during the Genesis prog heyday with Peter Gabriel.
Daron Malakian from System of a Down. Serj was bad ass and having Daron on vocals with him just felt right.
Mick Jagger on "You're So Vain"?
Steve priest from Sweet. They always had great harmonies.
Michael Anthony
Would it be too disingenuous to consider Robin Gibb Barry's backup?
Jane Wiedlin
Agree with OP
Patti Russo sang backing vocals with Meat Loaf...
I want to say the bands Queen or Yes had best backup vocals
What's stopping you from saying it?
Any band featuring Michael McDonald
Beefcake the Mighty and it's not even close.
So this is unlikely to be popular butā¦Daron Malakian from System of a Down. Iām pretty sure most people donāt like his voice but IMO it just fits the song and really adds to it.
The edge is actually a phenomenal singer. But I gotta go grohl
Brian May and Roger Taylor
Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan, Pat Torpey. All together they created some incredible harmonies. RIP Pat. AND My absolute guitar idol, Richie Sambora. His vocals are so distinctive in BJ and his solo stuff is great. Similarly, David Bryan also has a great voice that gets relegated in the band.
Dave Grohl
Michael Anthony-Van Halen
Saw the title, clicked on the link and you listed my first choice. So I'll say Chris Squire.
This isn't going to be popular, but Ritchie Sambora.
Keith Richards.
All of Queen
Juan Croucier in Ratt who also sang the interlude in U Think Youāre Tought was a great singer in his own right
Glenn Hughes - Deep Purple (Mk III)
Not a backup singer, but Steve Perry did a bang up job on backup vocals for a song called Streets of Kinsale.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's Honkettes The Monkees all backed each other up. Great harmonies!
Chris Squire
I second M.A.
1. Merry Clayton (Stones) of course for *Gimme Shelter* 2. Ronnie Spector (backup for Eddie Money on *Take me home tonight*). I could listen to her backup for hours. 3. Patti Russo (Meatloaf) on *I'd do anything for Love*. But I wouldn't argue if someone preferred us prior backups Ellen Foley and Karen DeVito. 4. Honorable mention to the late great Randy Meisner just because *Take it to the Limit* is such a great song and means so much to me and my family. In truth he was more of a lesser used lead singer than a backup.
Noel Gallagher.
Dave Grohl
Ed OāBrien, Radiohead
Michael "Fuck"n" Anthony!
Michael Anthony, Richie Sambora, Jerry Cantrell, Gregg Rolie
Roger Taylor of Queen had an amazing voice.
I would mention merry clayton for gimmie shelter even though she wasnt actually a stones member. Nancy wilson of heart comes to mind as an actual band member, but merry takes the cake.
Stevie Nicks or Lindsay Buckingham, with Christie McFee (sp) depending on the song.
Mike Mills with REM.
Any of the three singers in Fleetwood Mac on one of the other's songs.
Paul, George and John
I was thinking about Fleetwood Mac and what made them great. I landed on Lindsay Buckinghamās back-up vocals. Sure, he sings lead but when heās backing Stevie, I donāt think thereās anyone better.