Lead singers who are also exceptional musicians (2024)

Sure, there are plenty of lead singers who have earned critical and commercial success simply because of their voice. Then there are those who have the musicianship to go along with a legendary vocal ability.

Here is our list of notable singers who happen to exceptional musicians, too. Listed in alphabetical order.

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No, Ian Anderson is not Jethro Tull. That's the name of the band, not a person. However, Anderson has always been the focal point of the progressive-rock giants. From his unique, somewhat scholarly voice to those wild-staring eyes to that crazy long hair to, of course, his masterful performances on the flute, Anderson has always been the heart and soul of the band. "Aqualung," "Cross-Eyed Mary,""Locomotive Breath." All rock classics that still stand up well more than 50 years after being released. And, Anderson, well he's still motoring well into his 70s.

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As we'll see, instrumental versatility will be prevalent on this list. Bellamy has essentially done it all, and at a high level, while the frontman for English rockers Muse. Whether on guitar or piano with Muse, or playing bass for supergroup Jaded Hearts Club (also featuring the Rascals' Miles Kane, Nic Cester of Jet and Graham Coxon from Blur), Bellamy tends to stand out among others on stage. With Muse, Bellamy has won two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album — The Resistance(2009) and Drones(2015).

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Among the greatest guitar players of all time, Buckingham is a rocker with an old-school flair. He rarely played with a pick, and his addition to Fleetwood Mac, along with former girlfriend Stevie Nicks, helped turn a serviceable British blues/rock group into mainstream radio legends. Buckingham penned and sang lead on such Fleetwood Mac classics "Second Hand News," "Never Going Back Again," "Tusk" and "Go Your Own Way." His guitar work on the latter makes him worthy of his Hall of Fame status alone. Especially for those who got to see in a live setting.

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Quirky and eccentric, Claypool is one of the more versatile bassists. He slaps, taps, and wails while having a good time. Perhaps Claypool's shining moment is still his performance on the Primus classic "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver,"all the while serving as principal songwriter and singer for one of the most unique alternative/metal/rock acts of all time. When it comes to listing the greatest bass players of all time, Claypool is near the top; however, his vocals deserve a serious level of praise, even if he's not always taken seriously himself.

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Once Peter Gabriel left Genesis in the mid-1970s, Collins took over lead vocals. However, he remained behind the kit, and has long been lauded one of the greatest drummers of all time. His drum work with Genesis, especially before it became a full-blown pop band in the mid-1980s, is considered genius on many levels. Collins, though, was always among the most versatile entertainers around. And, no offense to guitarist Mike Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks, but Collins was where the talent truly lied within the Genesis lineup. To no surprise, that led to a highly successful solo career for Collins, who delivered radio-friendly hits like "Sussudio" and "Take Me Home."

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Corgan has surrounded himself with some notable talent, especially with Smashing Pumpkins. However, he's always been the driving force of that group, and during a brief run with Zwan. That said, personal control has always seemed to consume the Smashing Pumpkins frontman, especially within the confines of the band. Corgan is known for his stellar guitar playing, whether talking about his screeching, metal vibe or down-tuned grunge-laden approachor through those more melodic, Pink Floyd-esque offerings. He's also quite accomplished on the piano.

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There are those rock critics and historians who consider Emmett to be one of the most accomplished rock frontmen — among those who also played instruments. Not only did Emmett provide vocals on such Triumph classics "Magic Power" and "Fight the Good Fight," but his guitar playing has often been considered among the most underappreciated aspects of his career. Post-Triumph, Emmett continues to enjoy a prosperous solo career, during which his guitar work included elements of blues, jazz, classical and bluegrass.

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Judging by the fact that Fogerty followed up a rather legendary run fronting Creedence Clearwater Revival with a successful solo career, lends itself to the fact that he was the driving force to one of rock's greatest bands. Fogerty's guitar playing was the true backbone of CCR's "swamp rock" sound.He then showed off his musicianship and versatility as a solo artist, notably during the 1980s. The centerpiece of Fogerty's solo career remains 1985's Centerfield, an album in which he played all the instruments himself. Paced by the famed title track, rollicking "Rock and Roll Girls" and CCR-reminiscent "The Old Man Down the Road," the record hit No. 1 on the Billboard200 in the United States.

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Fans of indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie know just how talented Gibbard is as a guitarist. In fact, he might be a better guitar player than singer, but it doesn't seem to matter. With Death Cab (which has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards), or fronting supergroup Postal Service (with Jimmy Tamborello and Jenny Lewis), Gibbard drew the most attention — and, rightfully so. That said, Gibbard offers an unassuming style as both a singer and guitar player, which still commands respect and has the ability to wow audiences.

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When Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in 1967, he added what proved to be a stable, and rather game-changing, element to the band — both as co-vocalist and lead guitarist. His harmonization with bassist Roger Waters ("Wish You Were Here" and "Comfortably Numb") are legendary, as is his guitar work. Now, when Waters left the group, Gilmour took over lead vocals and didn't really miss a beat. While his guitar playing still reigned supreme, he more than held his own from a vocal standpoint, whether performing Floyd classics and its post-Waters, mainstream hit album Momentary Lapse of Reason(1987).

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The famed drummer from Nirvanaand guitar-shredding frontman of Foo Fighters might actually have been the most talented member of each legendary rock outfit. Now, Kurt Cobain was a remarkable lyricist, but Grohl's musical versatility is well chronicled. Perhaps most impressive about that ability is no matter which instrument — piano and bass guitar, too — he's playing, Grohl makes it look easy. Foo Fighters was initially a cathartic musical release for Grohl in the wake of Cobain's death, but has turned into one of the most acclaimed rock bands of all time.

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It's no surprise that the Haim sisters are extremely talented, versatile musicians. They were part of a true family band with their parents growing up, and each show off said musicianship during those spirited live sets. However, Danielle tends to stand out above siblings Este and Alana. In addition to being the primary voice of the group, when the three are not delivering their brilliant harmonies, she has the ability to melt faces with her guitar playing, and can hold her own behind a drum kit. Danielle was part of Jenny Lewis' touring and played guitar and percussion in The Strokes' Julian Casablancas' solo band, as well.

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Hale's brother Arejay is a fine drummer and Joe Hottinger probably deserves more credit as a quality hard-rock guitarist for Halestorm. However, when it comes to the musical dynamic of Halestorm's growling, fast-paced, and occasionally gothic, sound, it begins and ends with Hale, herself. From her grungy, but bombastic voice to the ability to keep things tight with some underappreciated work as the band's rhythm guitarist, Lzzy Hale continues to deliver as one of the most dependable rock singers, songwriters and guitar players. Don't believe it, check out "Love Bites (So Do I)," which won a 2013 Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance.

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Metallica is the baby of Hetfield and drummer Lars Urlich, but while the latter tends to be the more easy-going, man-of-people type of guy (in addition to being a dynamic metal drummer), Hetfield is the hard-nosed, taskmaster, and undisputed life blood of the band. He's Metallica's principal songwriter and his lyrics tend to be extremely personal. However, those within the heavy metal community tend to regard Hetfield as the best rhythm guitarist within the genre — past or present. The complexity and intricacies of his playingleaves fans — and his own bandmates — in awe.

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A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while fronting and playing guitar for the Pretenders, Hynde remains a heavy influence on female rockers across all genres. Spanning generations in the process. Also the band's principal songwriter, when we speak of female empowerment in rock, Hynde is as good as it gets when displaying confidence. Whether through her contraltovocal style or workmanlike guitar talent, Hynde is responsible for such classics as "Brass in Pocket,""Back on the Chain Gang,"and "Don't Get Me Wrong."

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Cinderella never really took the hair metal/hard rock world by fire, but amid that cosmetically hokey scene, Kiefer was one of the better, honest musicians. Steeped in the blues and armed with that raspy voice, Kiefer stood out from the rest amid that saturated sound, which worked on MTV, but didn't have much of shelf life. Kiefer, though, has remained active as a solo artist. He is a stellar guitar player (just listen to his solos) and enjoyed some notable moments on the piano, as heard on the Cinderella hit "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

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A four-time Grammy Award winner, the legendary frontman of Dire Straits also happens to be one of the most acclaimed guitarists in rock history. Knopfler is one of those musicians who makes it look cool without really trying. His effortless playing has influenced countless guitarists, and he's even managed to show off his fancy for blues, country and Celtic rock through the instrument. Classic Rock magazine referred to Knopfler as a "virtuoso." That would be accurate. Just listen to his guitar work on popular tracks like "Walk of Life" and "Brothers in Arms."

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When Bob Mould fronted neo-punk heroes Hüsker Dü, he, along with bandmates Grant Hart and Greg Norton, provided inspiration for many prominent alternative acts to follow — like the Pixies and Nirvana. Mould is a subtly strong guitar player, equally good at blistering solos, keeping time or waxing melodic. It was more of the latter two when fronting Sugar during the 1990s. Though short-lived, that group remains one of the most beloved acts of the time period. Its debut Copper Blue should be considered one of the greatest alternative records around.

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Mustaine's drinking and drunk antics ultimately got him kicked out of Metallica, which fueled the guitarist to form his own band. As time has gone on, Megadeth is generally a Mustaine project with a backing band. Sure, there have been some strong musicians to fill out the lineup over the decades, but Mustaine is the true talent of the outfit. From his blistering guitar playing, to his maturation as both a songwriter and lyricist, Mustaine managed to overcome his demons (for the most part) and the sacrificing of his body to deliver some of thehardest thrash and metal songs of all time.

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The Melvins never received the long-lasting commercial success of other bands to come out of the grunge scene from the 1990s, but when it comes to influential performers within the genre, Osborne is near the top of the list. He, and his band, through their brand of hardcore punk and "sludge metal," are considered pioneers of the grunge movement. Osborne's process of downtuning his guitar to make a hollow, piercing or whining sound, was emulated by others within the genre and considered a signature aspect of grunge.