bands with multiple lead singers

[Bigboote]

I discovered many years ago that most of my favorite bands have multiple lead singers. The best-known would include the Beatles, CSNY, Fleetwood Mac, the Beach Boys. Some of my faves include the Rascals, Gentle Giant, Renaissance (always had a female and male), Earth Wind and Fire . . . (Background/harmony singers don't count.)

So post something. Could be a song with two people alternating lead or two songs with two different leads.

Here's one from early Gentle Giant. Phillip Schulman begins (Kerry Minnear on harmony), Derek Schulman comes in at the end of the verse.

 

[Bigboote]

Blues-voiced John Kay sang lead on most of Steppenwolf's songs, but drummer Jerry Edmonton (and later bassist George Biondo) took one or two per album. This one features John and Jerry alternating lines in the verses.

Jimi Hendrix said he loved the guitar intro/accompaniment. Fast forward 15 secs or so; it fades in slowly.

 

[Bigboote]

Symphonic metal usually has male growls and female soprano leads. This is one of my favorites of those, plus you gotta love a band that leads with quantum physics.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I could be wrong, but I think this band is quite unique in having co lead singers on pretty much every song. Not alternating lead, just both all the time.

 

[nwhoopfan]

The best-known would include the Beatles, CSNY, Fleetwood Mac, the Beach Boys.

...the Eagles? They have at least 3, right?

edit--oh man, there were tons in an earlier era; add The Mamas and Papas and ABBA to the list.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Rhett Miller sings lead on a majority of the Old 97s songs, but Murry Hammond gets lead on 1 or 2 songs per album, and they are almost always among the best. Here's two from the same album--Too Far To Care. I'm not gonna say it's the best alt country album of all time...but it probably is.

Rhett first.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Murry

 

[nwhoopfan]

Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit. Younger sister Klara is the lead singer, although they harmonize a lot, and they blend together so well it's almost impossible to distinguish their voices from each other at times. But Johanna sings lead on one of my favorite songs of theirs.

Klara

 

[nwhoopfan]

Johanna

 

[stamfordhusky]

Grateful Dead

 

[nwhoopfan]

As my colleague @Bigboote pointed out many of the Euro metal bands use both a male and female lead vocalist. For Lacuna Coil the male mostly does growling now, but he used to do some clean vocals as well.

 

[Scud49]

Jefferson Airplane - Grace Slick and Marty Balin. The way their voices interweave on this song is glorious:

 

[nwhoopfan]

Maybe there's something about alt country. I'm feeling too lazy to figure out who sang lead on which songs, but a number of the bands used multiple lead singers. Way back at the beginning there was Uncle Tupelo. The 2 leads had creative differences, so the band split, each starting his own, and we ended up w/ Son Volt and Wilco (in that order...go ahead and fight me!). BR549 and the Derailers both started w/ 2 leads, I think 1 left in each case. Jayhawks also had multiple vocalists I'm pretty sure. And then members of several of those bands formed the super group Golden Smog, which of course had multiple vocalists.

 

[FairView]

Buffalo Springfield

 

[Cuango]

 

[Hoops66]

Not sure if this counts but both Sinatra and Stafford sang with Tommy.

 

[CL82]

Well, it's not really what the original poster intended, but I will go with Van Halen who had both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar as lead singers, just not at the same time.

(When I first saw the thread title title, this is actually what I thought you meant.)

 

[64Zcode]

The Warning - Disciple. Live at the Pepsi Center in Mexico City. (Another great pick would be from Teatro Metropolitan)
Paulina (drummer) and Daniela (guitar) trade lead vocal in this song.

There are other songs where Paulina sings lead but Daniela is considered to be the lead vocalist.
The bass player, Alejandra, will also take the lead if Dany is not feeling well, or needs a break, but prefers not to, even though she has a wonderful voice and perfect pitch.
Their harmonies are wonderful, especially on some of the ballads they have.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I will go with Van Halen who had both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar as lead singers, just not at the same time.

Wasn't there a third lead singer for them? I think the guy from Extreme took over for a little while. Gary something.

 

[CL82]

Wasn't there a third lead singer for them? I think the guy from Extreme took over for a little while. Gary something.

I didn't remember that, but google did:

(Also, when did David Lee Roth morph into Sting?)

 

[socalhusky]

anyone say Chicago ? Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm. And I think the op meant in the band at the same time so Van Halen doesn’t count

 

[Centerstream]

Not sure if this counts (and I wonder if they would perform together nowadays)

 

[Bigboote]

The Warning - Disciple. Live at the Pepsi Center in Mexico City. (Another great pick would be from Teatro Metropolitan)
Paulina (drummer) and Daniela (guitar) trade lead vocal in this song.

There are other songs where Paulina sings lead but Daniela is considered to be the lead vocalist.
The bass player, Alejandra, will also take the lead if Dany is not feeling well, or needs a break, but prefers not to, even though she has a wonderful voice and perfect pitch.
Their harmonies are wonderful, especially on some of the ballads they have.

I’d love it if Pau could sing every song, but lordy she puts so much energy into the drumming, I’d fear for her life if she sang lead every song.

 

[Bigboote]

View attachment 110375anyone say Chicago ? Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm. And I think the op meant in the band at the same time so Van Halen doesn’t count

Yeah, I was definitely thinking they were high on the list. I think Terry is one of the most underrated musicians ever — great singer and great guitarist.

To follow up on your post:

 

[Centerstream]

Cream, the first great power trio