8 hours Ago By Jeff Mezydlo
Whether overlooked or underappreciated, here's a look at some of standout lead singers and frontpersons who haven't or never did receive their proper due. Listed in alphabetical order. Marty Balin Often overshadowed by co-vocalist Grace Slick within the confines of Jefferson Airplane (and later Jefferson Starship), Balin founded the iconic 1960s psychedelic/acid rock band and was its principal songwriter for most of its early works.
He co-wrote such classics as "Let's Get Together" and "Volunteers," the latter an example of his stellar co-lead vocal work with Slick. However, there was always a sense of underappreciation when it came to Balin's vocals that he could never shake. Black Thought Black Thought, AKA Tariq Trotter, has long been considered an elite rapper and MC, especially from a critical standpoint.
However, when it comes to notoriety, Trotter often gets lost among the collective musical brilliance of The Roots. In addition, Questlove's prominence as the essential focal point of the band, at least in terms of visibility (Questlove's role as bandleader on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as perhaps the clearest example), has also left Trotter/Black Thought as a somewhat forgotten member of the group — even if he excels at his job. Jack Bruce When you're in a legendary band with rock heavyweights like Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, being underappreciated is understood as a given.
It doesn't matter that Bruce composed and sang lead on iconic Cream hits "Sunshine of Your Love," " White Room" and "I Feel Free, " or that he's one of the most influential bass players of all time. He's just usually not the first name that pops up when talking about the members of Cream. Burton Cummings In his native Canada, Cummings is a legend.
However, on the international stage, Cummings' name doesn't always come up when discussing the great classic rock lead singers of all time. Cummings, though, is co-founder and lead singer of The Guess Who, which gave the world time-lasting hits like "American Woman," "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature," "These Eyes" and "No Time." Cummings has also enjoyed a lengthy and relatively successful solo career, though still not commercially celebrated.
Brad Delp Guitarist Tom Scholz is the mastermind behind the band Boston. However, Delp's voice and vocals are among the most synonymous within the realm of classic and arena rock. Yet, the late Delp's talent seem a bit underappreciated when it comes to the great rock frontmen of the 1970s and '80s.
It also didn't help that Boston wasn't around very long. While the band's music lives on and still appeals to generations of rock fans, Delp's legacy should be more celebrated. David Draiman The brooding arms and bald head only add to the aura that is David Draiman, the driving force behind Chicago metal favorites Disturbed.
Draiman doesn't sport the long hair or growl like most metal singers. Instead, he delivers haunting and often piercing vocals. He can be aggressive and melodic at the same time.
Yet, when it comes to celebrating the great hard rock/metal voices of all time, Draiman doesn't often come to mind right away. At the moment, there aren't many better. Marie Fredriksson While fronting Swedish pop-rock duo Roxette, Fredriksson was known for voicing such radio-MTV hits "The Look," "Listen to Your Heart," " It Must Have Been Love" and "Joyride.
" However, during Roxette's heyday of the late 1980s and a good chunk of the 90s,' Fredriksson, who died in 2019 — 17 years after being diagnosed with a brain tumor — was never singled out for her exceptional ranging vocals and versatility as a singer. Yes, Roxette was a pop group, but Fredriksson was a rocker at heart, and among the great female vocalists of the period. Corey Glover Some fans of Living Colour, or those who fancy hard rock and alternative metal with a healthy dose of funk, might forget that Glover starred in Oliver Stone's 1986 Vietnam classic Platoon .
But music proved to be Glover's true calling, and he joined Living Colour, at the urging of New York City-based buddy and exceptional rock guitarist Vernon Reid. Though the Grammy Award-winning band enjoyed success with hits like "Cult of Personality," Glover's reputation as a singer is still highly underappreciated. Nearly 40 years later, Glover's vocals are as intense and passionate as ever Lzzy Hale For nearly 30 years, Hale was been fronting Halestorm, the hard rock/alternative metal band she co-founded with her brother, Arejay.
The versatile Hale has more than held her own in a hard rock world filled with plenty of testosterone. An accomplished guitar player as well, Hale also did a short stint singing lead for Skid Row at some 2024 live shows. Considering her longevity and success with Halestorm and beyond, why isn't Hale mentioned alongside other great female vocalists of the genre like Joan Jett or Lita Ford? Kay Hanley When it comes to 1990s alternative rock bands, Boston's Letters to Cleo never really received its due.
However, Hanley's vocals and bouncy stage presence made the group a must-see live act. And it still delivers today, thanks to Hanley. In addition to her work fronting Letters to Cleo, Hanley has worked with Dropkick Murphys, was the musical voice of Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook) in the 2001 cult-classic musical comedy Josie and the Püssycats , a backup singer for Miley Cyrus and has written and performed for various children's programming.
James Hetfield Metallica's Hetfield is one of the great rhythm guitar players in the realms of hard rock and heavy metal. He's also an exceptional songwriter and a major influence when it comes to setting the bar high in the thrash metal community. However, Hetfield's voice doesn't get enough credit.
It's not over the top, doesn't shriek, but is edgy, gritty and exudes power and control. It's not that Hetfield is overlooked in the band — after all, it's his baby, along with drummer Lars Ulrich — but let's give a little credit to Hetfield for his overall frontman duties. Susanna Hoffs Perhaps it's unfair to say, but Hoffs was the most popular member of the famed 1980s favorite The Bangles because she was attractive.
And she sang lead on most of the band's biggest hits, like "Eternal Flame" and "In Your Room." However, Hoffs was much more than a pretty face and a nice body. She was a prominent songwriter for the band and had a sultry, flinty voice that stood out among the pop-rock landscape of the time.
Notably, Hoffs also seemed compared too often to Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle, who gained notable success as a solo artist. Inspectah Deck Group-mate Method Man has gone on record saying that Inspectah Deck (or his given name Jason Hunter) might be the most underrated rapper within Wu-Tang Clan. Though perhaps not as well-known to the masses like the aforementioned Method Man, Ol' Dirty Båstard, RZA, GZA, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon within Wu-Tang, Deck has been praised for his potent lyrics, precise rhymes and impactful songwriting that helped fuel Wu-Tang Clan as one of the great rap acts of all time.
His verse on the group's 1997 hit single "Triumph" remains one of rap's greatest openers. Maja Ivarsson Sweden's Ivarsson is not a household name in America, but the frontwoman of The Sounds, an underrated alternative rock/new wave/punk band that has been touted by Dave Grohl over the past two decades, is dynamic in more ways than one. Yes, Ivarsson can sing, but her true strength is her stage presence, complete with tattoos, tight shorts and high leg kicks.
She works hard on stage and has that rock-and-roll badåss attitude that many singers lack these days. Alexis Krauss A sixth Sleigh Bells album surfaced in 2025,. Which gives alternative and noise-pop fans another opportunity to appreciate Krauss, one-half of the act and one of the premier voices in that particular genre.
Sure, Sleigh Bells might not be for everyone, and the distortion sometimes associated with Krauss' vocals can be a bit abrasive on the ears. However, her high-energy and passion-filled performances add to those infectious vocal tendencies that drives Sleigh Bells' success. Mark Lanegan Screaming Trees was among the early grunge bands out of the Pacific Northwest, but the group never earned consistent mainstream success like contemporaries Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and, to a certain extent, Melvins.
At the forefront of the band, which also dabbled in psychedelic and country rock, was Lanegan. Often overshadowed by popular frontmen Layne Staley, Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder from the scene, Lanegan had a steady voice that could deliver regardless of the tempo. The late singer was also a member of grunge supergroup Mad Season and played with Queens of the Stone Age.
Taylor Momsen Fans of a certain age might remember Momsen from the television hit Gossip Girl. For awhile now, though, Momsen has become quite an accomplished singer and songwriter. In fact, music has pretty much been a full-time job for Momsen, who has not made a significant TV appearance since her Gossip Girl days ended in 2012.
Since the early 2010s, Momsen has fronted alt-rock outfit The Pretty Reckless to some solid acclaim. Momsen and the band earned rave reviews while opening for AC/DC in 2024. Arnel Pineda Before he became the voice of Journey in 2007, Pineda was a known commodity on the international music scene.
Gifted with amazing pipes and ever-reaching range, the Filipino singer was quickly welcomed by even the hardest core Journey fans -- even those still longing for a Steve Perry return. However, even as Perry deals with health issues and the desire to no longer be in the band, Pineda will never move out of such a shadow. That's with Perry laudeing Pineda's remarkable voice.
Andrew Stockdale Formed in 2004, Australia's Wolfmother has released six studio albums, most recently 2021's Rock Out . Singer/guitarist Stockdale has been the only consistent member of a band that blends hard, blues and acid rock. His painfully passionate vocals have allowed the band to remain active and keep a loyal following of fans.
A prime example of Stockdale's vocal brilliance is on " Vagabond," the closing number from Wolfmother's 2005 self-titled debut album that gained prominence through inclusion on the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack. Treach Before he became a notable television character actor, Treach fronted 1990s rap/hip hop favorites Naughty By Nature and still does. Though the group has been more mainstream than most of its edgier rap contemporaries of the time, thanks to hits like "O.
P.P.," "Uptown Anthem " and "Hip Hop Hooray, " Treach could be as real as it gets with his lyrics.
A more-than-potent MC, Treach had a tamer public persona than others of his ilk, which, perhaps, hurt his credibility with the hardcore rap fan community. Corin Tucker Tucker's harmonization and co-lead vocal work with bandmate Carrie Brownstein is what has made Sleater-Kinney one of the great alt-indie rock bands of the last 30 years. However, Tucker tends to take on a good chunk of the lead vocals, and her vibrato-like timbre is highly unique and can be infectious to the ears of rock fans.
While Sleater-Kinney remains an elite group with a highly loyal following, Tucker perhaps could use a little more celebration, especially as Brownstein's gained notoriety as an actress. Robin Zander The ageless Cheap Trick frontman is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He's influenced many a young musician, some who have gone on to become more popular than himself.
He's the voice of classic rock staples such as "I Want You to Want Me," Dream Police" and "Surrender." So, why isn't Zander mentioned with other iconic frontmen like Steven Tyler, Roger Daltrey, or even Mick Jagger? Maybe because Zander has essentially lived under the radar, in the shadows of eccentric bandmate Rick Nielsen, and never felt the pressure to be extraordinary. A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports, entertainment and pop culture for parts of four decades.
He was an integral member of award-winning sports sections at The Times of Northwest Indiana (Munster, Ind. ) and Champaign (Ill.
