They may not always grab the spotlight, but these musicians are the backbone of their legendary bands! Join us as we count down the unsung heroes who made their groups truly great. From bassists who laid the foundation to drummers who kept the beat, these talented artists deserve more recognition for their contributions to rock history!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most underrated, underappreciated
00:14and or hidden talents in bands.
00:20The name Stuart Copeland is one which is mentioned
00:32often within the circles of drum aficionados everywhere, and with good reason, as Copeland
00:37has long been considered to be one of the best ever to sit behind a kit.
00:46Indeed, it may be difficult to stand out from the rockstar icon which is Sting, but
00:51Copeland manages to achieve an equally impactful status, thanks to his hard-hitting physical
00:56style and incredibly energetic stage presence.
00:59The drummer has even branched out from rock music into the world of film score composition,
01:03lending his creative talents to such films as Highlander 2, The Quickening.
01:12Chris Novoselic, Nirvana.
01:21The tallest member of Nirvana might be the most underestimated.
01:24Most people discuss Kurt Cobain's writing or Dave Grohl's drums, but rarely do they
01:28give this bassist his due.
01:37Chris Novoselic gives the band a thumping heartbeat through several intense tracks.
01:42you'll hear a musician that always knows when to stand out or blend in.
01:45On efforts like Blue, the bass player adds another layer of grunge to this song from
01:50Bleach.
01:57His work on deep tracks like Lounge Act also showcases style, leading off a great piece
02:02from Nevermind.
02:03Novoselic is an essential part of the group's DNA, making the music even heavier.
02:21With their influential sound, R.E.M. became a staple of rock music in the 1980s and 1990s.
02:27Their output relied on four talented members to make it all happen.
02:30Mike Mills was their bassist, using his underrated bass parts to balance out Peter Buck's guitar.
02:42His playing and writing were an indispensable element of their work.
02:45Alongside singer Michael Stipe, Mills provided backing vocals to enrich the beautiful melodies.
02:50He even sang lead on tracks such as Near Wild Heaven, and often takes lead vocals on live
02:55performances on Don't Go Back to Rockville.
02:57As a multi-instrumentalist, the artist builds upon an impressive roster of bandmates.
03:14At the beginning of The Doors' career, Rayman Zarek was a vital driving force for the band.
03:18He's also one of the pillars of the group's sound.
03:21Playing the organ on rock tunes, the instrumentalist made the music even more unique.
03:25Jim Morrison's words took them to a psychedelic space, while Manzarek grounded them with his
03:30keys.
03:38The band member gives tracks like Light My Fire their spark.
03:41As a keyboardist, he had many opportunities to shine with cool arrangements and legendary
03:46intros.
03:47His career is filled with his incredible performances, from Hello I Love You to Back Door Man.
04:04As an influential, progressive band, Genesis helped to push the genre forward in the 1970s.
04:09The group cultivated some of the finest musicians of the decade, including Tony Banks.
04:14The keyboardist brought a classical flair to their best work, including the epic Firth
04:18of Firth.
04:26When the group changed their style, Banks created some amazing synth parts in the 1980s.
04:30The track, The Brazilian, is one example of his versatility.
04:33Filling out the dynamic roster, this player makes the work of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins
04:38even better.
04:39Through the years, he brought new ideas to an eclectic catalogue.
04:59While this singer was tremendously successful, she was also in a band with other spotlight-stealing
05:03legends.
05:04Some listeners forget that Christine McVie wrote quality music during Fleetwood Mac's
05:08most popular era.
05:09This includes both hits and underrated deep tracks.
05:12Her contributions to rumours include everything from Don't Stop to the soulful ballad Songbird.
05:22McVie's beautiful voice only adds to the fantastic collective.
05:28In a group with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, this artist made her own stamp on their
05:33music.
05:34The band provided the band with some of its finest work in the 70s and 80s.
05:56Throughout much of the band's history, the Rolling Stones had Charlie Watts backing them
06:00up.
06:01His drumming was always right for the song, never too audacious or distracting.
06:04Watts held each composition in the palms of his hands.
06:07This style gets overlooked by some, taken for granted in a sea of other drum techniques.
06:12Tracks like I Can't Get No Satisfaction or Sympathy for the Devil would be incomplete
06:16without his work.
06:24He kept time through their most successful run, creating drum parts for many hits in
06:28the 60s and 70s.
06:29The Stones have kept touring after their drummer's death, but they'll never be able to replace
06:33his singular talent.
06:51When you think of Van Halen, you probably imagine Eddie's guitar playing or the frontmen.
06:55There's one member that doesn't always get the credit he deserves, though.
06:58Bassist Michael Antony carries the songs with steady parts that let the guitarist run wild.
07:03While his playing might be more subtle, his backing vocals stand out on various classics.
07:08These provide the extra boost that turn songs like Panama into arena anthems.
07:21They also come in handy for the band's second era with Sammy Hagar.
07:25Antony appeared in multiple eras of the group, later being swapped out for Wolfgang Van Halen
07:30in the 2000s.
07:49Often overshadowed by his brother Angus, Malcolm Young was another key ingredient in the ACDC
07:54formula.
07:55The Australian musician co-created a musical framework that sent shockwaves through speakers.
08:00Together, he and his brother used power chords to energise rock music in the 70s and 80s.
08:04Malcolm Young's rhythm and backing vocals were as important as his siblings' stage
08:08presence.
08:09During the Bon Scott era, the artist added strong work to hits like TNT and Dirty Deeds
08:14Done Dirt Cheap.
08:21There's also his writing contributions to classic albums like Back in Black.
08:26He's yet another reason to rediscover this electric group's career.
08:44From the beginning of this band, Richard Wright was there.
08:46His keyboard skills brought another layer to their progressive sound.
08:50You can trace his artistry from the Sid Barrett days to the latter years with David Gilmour,
08:54lending his talents to amazing albums.
08:56The musician also supplied songwriting credits to some of their greatest work, like Time.
09:07From the Dark Side of the Moon to The Wall, Wright was a constant among other musical
09:11giants like Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Gilmour.
09:14As a writer and a vocalist, the multi-talented artist did much more than sit behind a keyboard.
09:24This epic quartet created some of the best rock anthems ever.
09:37They also feature a bass player that deserves more attention.
09:39Along with Roger Taylor, John Deacon isn't just a part of this stellar rhythm section.
09:44He further proves that each member of Queen is multi-talented.
09:54Deacon lays down some great bass parts, but he can also write.
09:57His work on Another One Bites The Dust might be the most recognisable, but it only scratches
10:02the surface.
10:03He only adds to the magnificence of his bandmates Freddie Mercury and Brian May.
10:07If you explore their catalogue, you'll see that this bassist earns his place among
10:10rock icons.
10:26Bass players sometimes get a bad rap, often hanging in the back of the stage, holding
10:30down the rhythm and not getting super involved up front with the audience.
10:34Not so much with Kim Deal, former bassist of indie rock band Pixies, who not only enjoyed
10:39a rabid fan following, but also helped co-write some of the band's biggest hits and live
10:43favourites.
10:51Deal also stepped up within the Pixies on both co-lead and backing vocals, eschewing
10:55not only bass player stereotypes, but also strengthening the role of women in rock.
11:00Not bad for someone who didn't even own a bass when she joined the band.
11:17As yet another bassist on our list, and spoiler alert, there are more to come, John Entwistle
11:22attacked his chosen instrument with a dizzying ferocity throughout the 60s and 70s, earning
11:27fans and admirers along the way.
11:31Sure, it may be tough to stand out when you're sharing a band with hard rock heroes Pete
11:38Townsend, Roger Daltrey and Keith Moon, but Entwistle held his own, even branching out
11:43with his own group in later years, playing such high-profile shows as Woodstock 99.
11:48writing and musical chops, John Entwistle was in no shortage of either one.
12:07Terence Gieser Butler isn't your average bass player, approaching his instruments with
12:10the brash, confident sensibilities of a lead guitarist.
12:14This is exactly why the criminally underrated Butler's star shone so brightly during his
12:18tenure with the mammoth heavy metal gods, Black Sabbath.
12:32The fact that Sabbath possessed a one-guitar line-up, that of band founder Tony Iommi,
12:37made it possible for Butler to spread his creative wings as both songwriter and bassist,
12:42often playing against Iommi's riffs with memorable melodies of his own.
12:45Add to this Butler's open mind for modern musical influences and you have one seriously
12:50effective secret weapon.
13:05A band is only as good as their drummer.
13:07This holds quite a bit of water when it comes to the case of Meg White and the White Stripes,
13:11as this musician's simplistic and regressive drum work is just what the doctor ordered
13:16when it comes to her band's straight-ahead brand of rock'n'roll.
13:30Jack White's garage rock riffing and direct songwriting demands an equally direct approach
13:35to the drums, an approach which Meg was only too happy to provide.
13:39To be honest, it probably wouldn't sound quite right any other way, with Meg's style
13:43driving home White's songwriting and allowing it maximum impact.
14:03If you were to look at a selection of Guns N' Roses classics from the band's back
14:06catalogue, it's highly likely that this secret weapon was responsible for some of
14:10the songwriting.
14:18Izzy Stradlin may not enjoy as big a rockstar status as lead man Slash, but Stradlin's
14:23talent is without question, having penned or co-written the massive hits, 14 Years and
14:28Patience.
14:37The guitar player even took lead vocals on tracks like the memorable Dust and Bones,
14:41before embarking on a solo career of his own with Izzy Stradlin and the Juju Hounds, after
14:46parting ways with Guns.
14:56What do you do when you're in a power trio alongside drummer Neil Peart and bassist Geddy
15:08Lee?
15:09You speak softly, and carry a big axe.
15:21It may seem strange that a guitar player with a pedigree the size of Alex Lifeson might
15:25be considered to be a secret weapon in a prog rock band, but for Lifeson, it's always
15:29been a careful balancing act between the guitarist's frenetic fretwork skills and humble, unassuming
15:34personality.
15:39Rush's muscular, progressive rock relies on the sum of its parts, and it's Alex Lifeson's
15:47reliably impressive ratio in that equation which makes him the band's devastating secret
15:52weapon.
16:13Adding to the list of bassists who bucked stereotypes, the legacy of Metallica's Cliff
16:17Burton is one which has not been diminished.
16:20Despite the metal legend's tragic death while on tour in Sweden in 1986, Burton was
16:32not a quiet bassist, preferring instead to amplify his sound with an approach which was
16:36both melodic and forward thinking.
16:38One need only to look at Burton's work on such Metallica classics as Orion and For Whom
16:43The Bell Tolls to hear how this bass player moved outside the box to create some of the
16:48band's most memorable musical moments.
16:55Sure, this Beatle has always been the brunt of good-natured jokes by the band's worldwide
17:10fanbase, but the work of this trailblazing drummer and songwriter speaks for itself when
17:14it comes to inhabiting a widely varied creative headspace.
17:27Ringo Starr has not only written and recorded plenty of LPs on his own, but the former Beatles'
17:32approach to drumming while performing alongside John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison
17:36was forward thinking and bold for the time, embodying a progressive spirit which helped
17:40craft numerous classics along the way.
17:55What can we say about John Paul Jones?
18:13Standing just out of the limelight, Jones was a songwriter, keyboardist and bass player
18:18extraordinaire, anchoring Led Zeppelin during his tenure with the Hard Rockers.
18:31Jones didn't stop there, however, and continued to be creative long after Zeppelin called
18:35it a day, collaborating with artists as varied as Lenny Kravitz, Diamanda Gallas and even
18:39Dave Grohl, with whom Jones formed the rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, remaining
18:44relevant for over four decades.
18:46That's what we call the sign of a true musical secret weapon.
18:54So, did we forget another underrated band member?
18:59Let us know in the comments below.