- 4 hours ago
Some musicians don't just play in a band β they *become* the band. Join us as we count down our picks for the band members who rose above the rest to become the undeniable face of their group! Our countdown includes Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Tobias Forge of Ghost, Robert Smith of The Cure, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Paul McCartney of Wings, and more! Which musician do you think most defined their band's identity? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:00Know this exquisite little inconvenience by the name of⦠now watch this⦠stay foot!
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we'll be counting down our picks for those musicians
00:12who were considered to be leaders or primary songwriters within their respective bands.
00:17Prince will be saved for another day since Prince and the Revolution just sort of says
00:22it all, right?
00:26Number 10.
00:28Brendon Urie β Panic at the Disco It's a de facto position in which many lead
00:33singers find themselves while fronting a band.
00:42Brendon Urie isn't just a pretty face, however, and remains the only member of Panic at the
00:47Disco to serve in the band's ranks from first note to last.
00:51Urie definitely shared songwriting credits amongst his bandmates, with Panic at the Disco
00:55existing as a collaborative effort.
00:57Are there things on me?
00:59Can you feel me?
01:00Can you show me?
01:07Still, fans would be hard-pressed to deny Urie's place as the face of his band.
01:12A frontman whose distinctive voice and stage presence would earn him a long and impressive
01:17musical career.
01:21Number 9.
01:23Josh Homme β Queens of the Stone Age
01:29The desert denizens of Caius featured a lot of talent within their ranks, including singer,
01:35guitarist, and songwriter Josh Homme.
01:38The latter would go on to form Queens of the Stone Age after the members of Caius went
01:42their separate ways, pushing forward the stoner rock genre into new and more commercially
01:48viable territory.
01:53Queens of the Stone Age was similar to Caius in how it, too, employed strong collaborators
01:58like bassist Nick Oliveri and drummer Dave Grohl.
02:01It would be Homme's extensive songwriting resume that kept Queens creatively fertile,
02:06however, combined with the man's notable guitar skills and versatile vocals.
02:19Number 8.
02:20Tobias Forge β Ghost
02:23It's a true underground success story.
02:25Sweden's ghosts have risen from the metal underground to achieve global dominance as
02:30one of the most popular rock acts to embrace an undeniably dark creative streak.
02:34Feeling too loud, I'm gone
02:40Tobias Forge remains the band's main man and primary songwriter, guiding Ghost's path
02:45as more and more fans flock to the group's unique musical concoction.
02:49It isn't easy to blend together heavy rock, goth, and cinematic theatricality, yet Tobias'
02:54songwriting acumen seems to have led the charge.
03:04Oh, and there's also Forge's continually evolving style as Ghost's self-styled anti-pope, an unholy
03:11pontiff that seems to hold his flock in continual thrall.
03:15Your desolation led you into this final incarnation.
03:20Number 7.
03:21Ray Davies β The Kinks
03:23They're considered by many critics and fans as progenitors of punk, a snorling and aggressive
03:29institution of British rock.
03:31I'm so tired, tired of winning, tired of winning, free!
03:40The Kinks was their name, and they were led by the inimitable Ray Davies.
03:45The singer, guitarist, and composer collaborated with his brother Dave in The Kinks, while handling
03:50the lion's share of the group's songwriting.
04:03His creative lyrics and varied musical influences resulted in The Kinks employing a sound that
04:08could be nasty and heavy one minute and melodic the next.
04:12Meanwhile, Ray Davies' quirky and instantly-recognizable vocal style helped make him the man in The Kinks.
04:28I'd like to thank the people at the BBC for giving us a chance to do some of the things
04:32on television here that they would never let us do in the United States.
04:37The genius of Frank Zappa seemingly knew no bounds, and this was readily apparent right
04:42from his work with The Mothers of Invention.
04:44The group's early R&B roots were largely shed when Zappa joined up, and The Mothers would
04:49go on to employ everything from psych, heavy rock, and jazz fusion into their indescribable
04:55sound.
04:56Zappa always surrounded himself with ace musicians, and The Mothers were no exception.
05:01And this crazed musical maestro would eventually embark upon a solo career after dissolving not
05:06one, but two different iterations of his former band.
05:19To deep dive into the Frank Zappa discography may be to invite madness, but we highly recommend
05:25taking the trip, and yes, that pun is definitely intended.
05:37The members of these goth rock legends haven't historically all presented the same visual aesthetic
05:44as their primary songwriter, Robert Smith.
05:53The latter's decision to present with certain clothing and hairstyles certainly led to Smith's
05:59position as a fan focal point of The Cure.
06:11Yet, none of these aesthetic choices would have contributed to The Cure's longevity as a band,
06:16had not Smith also possessed the songwriting talent and musical skills to back it up.
06:22This is a musician whose ability to vacillate between writing some of the bleakest rock tunes
06:27and the catchiest pop hits has enabled The Cure to connect with multiple generations of fans
06:32over the years.
06:33It's no mean feat, and just one of the reasons why Robert Smith is so beloved.
06:46Number four, John Fogerty, Credence Clearwater Revival.
06:55A 2019 episode of YouTube Todd and the Shadows series, One Hit Wonderland, documented exactly
07:01what happened when Credence Clearwater Revival decided to go it alone without John Fogerty at the
07:07creative helm.
07:16Their Mardi Gras album displayed exactly what happens when a band like CCR loses their biggest
07:22creative voice, a face of the band whose talent guided the other members to their biggest chart
07:28successes.
07:28Fogerty, said quite simply, was the beating heart and the main songwriter for Credence's
07:34classic rock glory days, so it's really no wonder why he's basically the only member of that group
07:39recognized and considered for his talent today.
07:42Take me to the hotel back and gone, oh well, come on, come on, won't you get me to my
07:48room, I won't move.
07:49Number three, Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails.
07:52The membership of Nine Inch Nails has consisted of veteran touring musicians and creative
07:57songwriters over the years, including Richard Patrick from Filter and Josh Fries of punk rockers
08:03The Vandals.
08:09Yet there's no denying how the creative nucleus of Nine Inch Nails is and has always been Trent Reznor.
08:15He's composed, recorded, and performed so much by himself over the years that Nine Inch Nails basically
08:20feels like him and him alone.
08:30Granted, Reznor has also credited other collaborators like Atticus Ross at times, but fans have basically
08:36credited Nine Inch Nails as Trent's brainchild. And that doesn't seem to be leaving the public's
08:42perception anytime soon.
08:49Number two, Paul McCartney, Wings.
08:58This post-Beatles project from bassist and songwriter Paul McCartney was billed different ways over the
09:04years, sometimes adding in McCartney's name for credit. Wings was often credited on their
09:10established merit, however, and enjoyed a successful career of their own as McCartney
09:14collaborated with his wife Linda and former moody blues man Denny Lane.
09:26Albums like Band on the Run earned hits for Wings, but nobody really ever forgot Paul McCartney's
09:31pedigree. The man's career with the Beatles loomed large after all, effectively eclipsing
09:36all of the positive press and fandom gained during the Wings era.
09:45Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull,
09:52he of the extraordinary flute prowess. Kevin Parker, Tame Impala, a modern day prog rock maestro.
10:15Damon Albarn, Gorillaz. From a Britpop blur to Gorillaz's animated legacy.
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10:45Number 1. Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters. Music fans from all around the world were
10:51dying to know what sort of musical projects might emerge from the ashes of Nirvana.
11:06They didn't have to wait long, since drummer Dave Grohl would form Foo Fighters the same year as
11:11Nirvana's demise. The sound here felt removed from Nirvana's grunge past, embracing a modern
11:17rock approach while also embracing Grohl's own punk roots with Scream.
11:26The Foo's admittedly did enlist some notable members within their ranks, including ex-Germs
11:31guitarist Pat Smear and the much-missed drummer Taylor Hawkins. But it would be Grohl that would
11:37lead his new band into the future with a firm grip on their creative direction.
11:51What are some other musical brainchilds of famous musicians? Let us know your favorites in the comments.
11:57Let us know your weapons.
11:59Finally, first of all, take us into your formation.
12:01So, here are the efforts so that we need to assess the tΔtioneator snakes.
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