When it comes to the drummers in a band there are often jokes flying around poking fun at them and at times their musicianship. There are no doubt many examples to show how unfair that is, and I dare say a few that will prove it right too. Some drummers go beyond the basics to make their point and avoid the jokes. That's the case here with seven drummers from classic rock bands.
They aren't often the lead person in a band; that usually falls to the front man or woman, the lead singer, or the lead guitarist. Those tend to get the glory and acclaim, other than a drum solo moment in a gig when the one with the sticks receives the spotlight.
But at times, the drummer can and does take a front spot. Yes, it’s time for a few classic rock drummers from top bands to step up to the microphone.
You do often see drummers filling in with backing vocals. You see or hear them taking the lead vocals on a song much less frequently. Some find it very difficult to do so live. Dave Grohl, for example, is well known as a drummer with Nirvana and as lead singer and guitarist with Foo Fighters. But he made the switch from drums to vocals and guitar.
Seven top classic rock drummers who sang lead vocals
In framing this list, some criteria have to be applied to keep the focus on quality lead vocals by a drummer. So my quick rule is that for this list of seven sparkling examples, they need to be in a top classic rock band, have sung lead vocals on a few songs, and at least one of those has to have been a hit single. That keeps this list of seven top singing drummers a bit more exclusive.
Phil Collins
Phil Collins took a massive stride towards personal fame when he stepped out from behind the drum kit as the new lead singer of Genesis. It was a big shoe to fill after the charismatic Peter Gabriel, but Collins proved an excellent choice. I say he stepped out from behind the drums, but he has remained the band’s drummer for a good few years.
That did vary in live shows, with Chester Thompson taking up the sticks. Thompson was also the touring drummer for Collins' solo gigs. However, the converted singer sometimes joined in on a second set.
Collins proved to be far more than a drummer who sings a bit. His huge solo career as a singer came in addition to his work with Genesis and the jazz fusion band Brand X. There are too many examples of Collins-led songs to quote, but a superb one as both drummer and singer is “In The Air Tonight.” It reintroduced the concept of air drums for listeners.
Don Henley
I wonder how many of the lovers of Eagles' music realise it was drummer Don Henley on vocals for many of the band's top songs. Or perhaps many didn't know Henley was the drummer, even though they knew his name as part of the band. Henley’s voice was distinctive, bluesy, and perfect for many of the band's songs.
They had an array of talent and voices, but Henley was lead or co-lead on many of the band's hits. These few stand out as top examples of his work: "Witchy Woman,” "Desperado," "Best of My Love," "One of These Nights," "Hotel California," and "Life in the Fast Lane." These are all amazing songs and hits with his great voice.
Levon Helm
Levon Helm was a superb multi-instrumentalist, but his true home on stage with The Band was at the drum kit. From there, he could control the pace and beat of the songs while also delivering some great vocals. He brought his style to the vocals as one of the co-lead singers for The Band.
Helm had a Southern-style accented sound, which was quite distinctive. You can especially hear that from him on some of their biggest songs like - The Weight," "Up on Cripple Creek," and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."
Peter Criss
Peter Criss is a slight variation to the list; those so far have all been lead vocalists, but Criss with Kiss was on more occasional duty. Stories tell of him having a Wilson Pickett sound on vocals when he sang at a drumming audition for Kiss in front of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
The voice and his drumming convinced the pair to sign Criss up as a founder member. He has appeared on several of the band’s songs, but perhaps their best-known song with his vocals is the classic rock ballad “Beth.”
Ringo Starr
Let’s have another occasional rather than lead vocalist with a top classic rock band. Ringo Starr didn’t take the lead vocals on many of the band's songs, but it was more than a handful. He expanded on that when he set up the All-Starr band solo.
With the Fab Four, Ringo’s voice was often better suited than the others to the more whimsical songs from their repertoire. So the likes of “Yellow Submarine” and “Octopus’s Garden” usually come to mind. Aside from those, he led vocally on quite a few others. But I reckon the top Beatles song with Ringo as lead singer is "With a Little Help from My Friends."
Don Brewer
Brewer often took the lead on vocals as the Grand Funk Railroad drummer. His voice contrasted with the tones of the other main singer, Mark Farner. Brewer took the lead on the band's considerable number-one hit, “We’re An American Band.”
He was also prominent, sharing the vocals by verses with Farner on “Some Kind Of Wonderful.” Brewer sang plenty more of the band's songs, but those two would be the bigger and better-known examples.
Roger Taylor
Queen left many of their vocals to Freddie Mercury, and no wonder! But the band had a part to play in the backing vocals, and at times on lead. Roger Taylor included. His falsetto voice was a great feature alongside Mercury.
Taylor, though, did take the lead on vocals on a song or two across many of the band’s albums, often tracks he had written himself. Three top examples are “I’m in Love With My Car,” “Modern Times Rock And Roll,” and “Drowse.”
Taylor didn't take the lead singing on any of the Queen singles. But his solo career meets the criteria. It’s often overlooked that he had six solo albums released and a collection of singles from those. Three of which made it to the top 40 in the UK.