Top 10 Bands RUINED by a Terrible Lead Singer

WatchMojo

When a lead singer becomes more of a liability than an asset, bands can quickly lose their musical magic. We're diving into the groups whose frontmen transformed their potential greatness into a cringe-worthy spectacle of musical disappointment.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at bands whose musical quality and popularity

00:10were undermined by the lead vocalist's relatively poor ability, stage presence, or public image.

00:17That's not counting frontmen who destroyed the group with serious scandal.

00:27The Murder Junkies – G.G. Allen Amidst the subversive politics and showmanship

00:33of New York's hardcore punk scene, G.G. Allen definitely stood out.

00:41The prolific frontman's twisted act claimed infamy with the Murder Junkies. Their dynamic

00:46musicianship was overshadowed by Allen's guttural raving of the most morbid lyrics.

00:57On stage, he terrified audiences with mad antics, disgusting stunts, and self-harm. Offstage,

01:05he was known for extreme views and substance use, leading to his death at the age of 36.

01:11The Murder Junkies carried on, but with less attention. Still, Allen's deliberately divisive

01:17aesthetic had narrowed the band's following while revolting critics and audiences. Even some punks

01:24feel he cheapened their confrontational culture. Whatever one thinks of Allen,

01:28he's considered one of the most shocking rockers to ever defile the stage.

01:39The Smashing Pumpkins – Billy Corgan There's no denying The Smashing Pumpkins

01:44frontman's versatile talent as a songwriter and guitarist. As a singer, though, Billy Corgan has

01:50always divided audiences with his weak voice and brash delivery. It never fully fit the band's

02:02otherwise tight sound, despite Corgan's insistence that he is the band. His notorious ego is evidence

02:16in live performances of more swagger than actual energy or charisma. Never mind the

02:21offstage drama behind regular band turnover through the years. In the meantime, Corgan

02:32has had polarizing vanity projects, a scandalous love life, pretentious interviews, and more.

02:39The Smashing Pumpkins remain a beloved staple of 90s alt-rock. Still, even fans say they could

02:45have been more if Corgan had the leaderly chops to back up his reputation.

02:568. The Strokes – Julian Casablancas The Strokes' infectious artistry was

03:02indispensable to the rise of garage rock revival in the 2000s. But is Julian Casablancas

03:09really so indispensable? Though he's a talented songwriter, his bombastic and

03:21seldom melodic vocals have divided listeners. The same goes for his slumping about and

03:33preoccupation with crowd work during concerts. It may drag down the flashy musicianship for

03:39some. One thing people can agree on is that Casablancas' brazen public image and conflicts

03:44with his bandmates are distracting. That he's given so much attention to his mixed-reviewed

03:54side project, The Voids, is also an outrage to some fans. Certainly, The Strokes deserve

04:00the underground renown. It's just that if they've lost a wide audience, consistently over time,

04:07Casablancas stands at the center. 7. Five Finger Death Punch – Ivan Moody

04:19Five Finger Death Punch exemplifies inflammatory mainstream metal,

04:23with a frontman to at least match that brand.

04:27Ivan Moody's harsh songwriting, vocals, and stage presence are definitely not for everyone.

04:47But even the band's niche has been disheartened by his volatility.

04:51This has compromised live performances and led to serious conflict within the band.

04:56Even more disturbing is a history of violence against women.

05:03When Moody finally went to rehab in 2017, guitarist Zoltan Bathory referred to him on

05:10Facebook as a cancerous, painful, toxic, useless anchor. The Five FTP community has become more

05:16welcoming of Moody since he got sober. Of course, that community remains limited by his heavy style

05:22and even heavier past. 6. Fall Out Boy – Patrick Stump

05:32From the recesses of Chicago's hardcore scene, Fall Out Boy rose to stardom as a pop-rock act.

05:45Fans can thank the rich voice and showmanship of Patrick Stump. So too, can the critics.

05:50He became an independent brand who dragged his energetic bandmates out of their punk roots from

05:55the beginning, then kept dragging after their reunion in 2013. This came in the wake of Stump's

06:08mediocre and fast solo career, marked by online backlash and other multimedia enterprises. Many

06:15rock traditionalists have long dismissed Stump for his unconvincing swagger and shrill soul influences.

06:28The talent is there, earning Fall Out Boy mainstream popularity behind a contrived icon,

06:33but just as many listeners believe they've fallen from grace under Stump's ill-fitting leadership.

06:455. Puddle of Mud – Wes Scantlin Highlighting the post-grunge craze of

06:55the 2000s, Puddle of Mud was never a hit with critics. The heavy hooks were overpowered by

07:07Wes Scantlin's trashy, generic lyrics and vocals. As jarring as his register shifts are,

07:19his ability and energy in concert are even more inconsistent. Beyond that,

07:24a history of bizarre crimes, lip-syncing and domestic violence made him a pariah.

07:306. Puddle of Mud – Wes Scantlin This volatility has made it to the stage,

07:38with Scantlin barging out of a show in 2014 and his bandmates doing the same during a rant in

07:442016. This is just a taste of the embarrassing public image that devalued Puddle of Mud

07:50after a few early hits. Of course, Scantlin never won over particularly discerning listeners.

08:004. Creed – Scott Stapp Multi-platinum Grammy winners Creed

08:07have been very commercially successful. Critically, however, they're a popular

08:17punching bag through frontman Scott Stapp. His taste for ballads and religious overtones leave

08:23grunge purists baffled. Still, Stapp maintains the genre cliches in his exaggerated vocal style,

08:37complemented by a dull, self-aggrandized stage presence.

08:415. Alter Bridge – Miles Kennedy Finally, his struggles with mental health

08:50and substance use temporarily ended Creed in 2004. The instrumentalists would go on to form

08:56Alter Bridge, to great renown behind vocal virtuoso Miles Kennedy. Meanwhile,

09:02Stapp has had a middling solo career and been sued for underpromoting the group,

09:07part of anarchy. He surely deserves respect for his philanthropy and turning his life around,

09:12but Stapp may be beyond redemption with many rockers.

09:203. Razorlight – Johnny Burrell Critics felt that Johnny Burrell's

09:26vision was not as stylistically creative as it should have been in the heyday of British indie

09:32rock. Razorlight still earned a strong following, but Burrell himself is a different story. His

09:42boisterous, haphazard vocal style doesn't exactly hook. And for all his conventional bouncing around

09:55the microphone, he's a limited-life showman. Nonetheless, Burrell is infamous for an

10:00obnoxiously high opinion of himself. He never let down an NME interview in 2004,

10:09in which he referred to himself as the greatest songwriter of his generation. The reviews and

10:14sales for his 2013 solo album suggest otherwise. Burrell may have owned up to his ego over the

10:21years, but his many critics offer quite the humbling.

10:252. The Stone Roses – Ian Brown Co-founding the Manchester scene of the 80s and 90s,

10:38The Stone Roses achieved immortality with just two acclaimed albums.

10:43This was due to Ian Brown's songwriting, and in spite of his musicianship,

10:54he's practically legendary for contrasting the band's rich sound with flat vocals.

10:59No less bizarre is the tediously weak dancing when this dance-rock icon performs live.

11:17When The Stone Roses first disbanded over legal, personal, and performance issues,

11:22not even fans expected much from the frontman's solo career.

11:26He wound up being a commercial and critical success. Still criticized for how he performs

11:31his versatile material, Brown's resilience is nothing less than a phenomenon. His innovative

11:36vision has cultivated a loyal niche, but his much-maligned execution has limited wider appeal.

11:561. Limp Bizkit – Fred Durst If new metal haters single out Limp Bizkit,

12:10they're usually singling out Fred Durst. At the center of admittedly heavy grooves are

12:21crass lyrics that range from laughable to disturbing. Durst's smug, angry rapping

12:27hasn't appealed much to hip-hop fans either. All of this and an overwrought stage presence

12:37would be more forgivable if not for his public reputation. Durst allegedly escalated the infamous

12:43riots of Woodstock 99 and has certainly had a long history of feuds and violent behavior.

12:52Getting in on the right movement at the time, Limp Bizkit remains a cult force on the talents

12:57of the instrumentalists. But less nostalgic listeners have trouble getting past one of the

13:02most divisive frontmen of his day. What bands are a new singer short of being one of your favorites?

13:13Step up to the comments.

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