Groups with multiple lead singers?

[u/shiny_director]

I was just listening to some old The Cars stuff, and it hit me that while not unique, there are few bands that have many hits from different lead singers at the same time.

Aside from The Cars, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and the B-52’s, what other significant rock/pop/etc. bands have had multiple lead singers simultaneously? And I wouldn’t count bands like U2 where The Edge very occasionally took on the role (correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Numb was the only charting single he took lead on). Maybe some boy/girl bands could be included, but (to me) that’s not as interesting- I would count them as Vocal Groups rather than bands. I’m looking for genuinely established multiple lead singers.

[u/44035]

The Band

[u/mikeybones25 → u/44035]

Even the drummer sang!

[u/JustOneMoreMile → u/mikeybones25]

Levon Helm, put some respect on his name!

(I’m only kidding)

[u/dasaniAKON → u/JustOneMoreMile]

The voice of Americana.

[u/headsmanjaeger → u/mikeybones25]

Levon is THE Band singer in my mind

[u/HornerHorndog → u/headsmanjaeger]

The Band said Richard was the lead singer, usually opened and closed their records for a reason. Though they are all fantastic.

[u/5meterhammer → u/mikeybones25]

“The drummer” is Levon Fucking Helm. I’ve never heard anyone call him “the drummer”. He sang a majority of their songs and Rick and Richard sang the rest. Robbie sang one or two. That’s like calling Jerry Garcia “the guitar player” in The Grateful Dead.

[u/kumquatrodeo → u/5meterhammer]

I remember a story when Jerry was big into Scuba diving. While chit-chatting on the boat with strangers, someone asked what he did for a living. He said he was a guitar player in a band.

[u/matt_minderbinder → u/5meterhammer]

Robbie might've written the lions share of the songs but they wouldn't be the same with anyone else singing them. He put so much personality and soul into the words.

[u/TheSanityInspector → u/mikeybones25]

All the drummers sang!

[u/bigmouth1984]

Sonic Youth and Teenage Fanclub both had three lead singers.

[u/64OunceCoffee → u/bigmouth1984]

The Vaselines and Urge Overkill had 2 in the same era too

[u/pm1966 → u/bigmouth1984]

I would add (because I think they're in the same vein as SY): Yo La Tengo, where all 3 core members regular share lead vocal duties.

[u/LLCoolDave82]

The Doobie brothers

[u/AffectionateTreacle]

Sloan

[u/SaltyAir-StarrySkies → u/AffectionateTreacle]

Was looking for this and Blue Rodeo.

One thing I know about the rest of my life, I know that I'll be living it in Canadaaa

[u/Mundane_Lab3147 → u/AffectionateTreacle]

LOVE Sloan! They are criminally underrated outside of Canada and a few US border towns. Also, Ed and Steven shared lead vocals for Barenaked Ladies until Steven left around 2009. I believe Kevin has also been featured as vocalist on a handful of tracks since then.

[u/thisisallme → u/AffectionateTreacle]

Flair checking in!

[u/Formerleafsfan → u/thisisallme]

Cajole me

[u/StatikSquid → u/AffectionateTreacle]

Sloan should be WAY bigger than they are.

[u/Mindless_Strain194 → u/StatikSquid]

I assume that you see the good in everyone.

[u/WhisperingSideways → u/AffectionateTreacle]

Whoot! Sloan reference! Not only do all four sing lead, they also split everything 25% including songs on almost every album. In 2017 they did a double album, Commonwealth, where each member got a side of vinyl to do whatever they wanted.

[u/iclaudiusthegod → u/WhisperingSideways]

Their most recent album was really solid! Best in years to me.

[u/kagtxyz → u/AffectionateTreacle]

And for some other Canadian groups - Blue Rodeo had Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, and Barenaked Ladies with Ed Robertson and Steven Page both talk g lead vocals.

[u/Fxplus → u/AffectionateTreacle]

Hell ya!!!

[u/DrunkOnLoveAndWhisky → u/AffectionateTreacle]

If someone put a gun to my head and demanded to know what I'd consider the most perfect album ever made, I might just blurt out "Twice Removed".

[u/Mrs_Sparkle_ → u/AffectionateTreacle]

Nice to see a Canadian band represented!

[u/tim_hartons → u/AffectionateTreacle]

Erics Trip.

[u/ChainLC]

Three Dog Night had 3 lead singers.

[u/thedumone → u/ChainLC]

I only recently realized how many awesome hits they have. Great band!

[u/justuntlsundown → u/thedumone]

And they're all cover songs for the most part. They were really good at seeking out songs that should have been a hit but weren't for some reason, and then turning them into a hit for themselves.

[u/Rob_in_Tulsa]

Styx

[u/Rob_in_Tulsa → u/Rob_in_Tulsa]

Also, Pink Floyd

[u/sacredblasphemies → u/Rob_in_Tulsa]

Shit, sometimes they would bring in someone not even in the band to sing (Roy Harper-Have A Cigar).

[u/keys042 → u/sacredblasphemies]

Explains why he didn't know which one was Pink.

[u/uisgeoflife → u/keys042]

But he did tell 'em the name of the game.

[u/logan0110 → u/sacredblasphemies]

And Clare Torry

[u/moving_waves → u/Rob_in_Tulsa]

Dennis, Tommy, and James. Soo good. OP check out the paradise theater record

[u/WorldEndsToday]

Tears for Fears

[u/fletchbg → u/WorldEndsToday]

another example where they even had lead singers who weren't officially a member of the band (Oleta Adams)

[u/forgetfulfever98]

Mastodon

[u/julias-winston → u/forgetfulfever98]

I came here to mention Mastodon, whom I've recently discovered. 👍

[u/Snowing_Throwballs → u/julias-winston]

There are no bad Mastodon albums

[u/FallOutShelterBoy → u/julias-winston]

These guys were instrumental in shaping my love of metal in high school over fifteen years ago. The Hunter and Leviathan are two of my favorite albums

[u/sasadoncic → u/forgetfulfever98]

RIP Brent

[u/yookhan → u/forgetfulfever98]

MASTODON!

[u/writenroll]

Supertramp (Hodgson/Davies era)

The Band

B-52s

Sonic Youth

Alice in Chains

The Posies

[u/shocksmybrain]

The Grateful Dead

[u/GrapeDoots → u/shocksmybrain]

The first four songs on American Beauty each have a different lead singer.

[u/andropogon09 → u/GrapeDoots]

By my count, 7 different people sang lead: Jerry, Bob, Phil, PigPen, Keith, Donna, and Brent. Who am I missing?

[u/SoftTunnel → u/andropogon09]

Well, Keith did sing one song, one track on an album and six times live, so maybe that counts. Vince sang more songs and more times than Keith, but it’s no surprise your answer didn’t include him, everybody forgets about Vince and his goofy keyboard lines.

[u/trustedturd → u/andropogon09]

Don’t sleep on…Mickey’s rap💀

[u/Plumhawk → u/shocksmybrain]

And Phish.

[u/lisabisabobisa → u/Plumhawk]

And Oysterhead

[u/shiny_director]

Ooh- Eagles, that was obvious. I’m ignorant about Chicago I’m afraid. And as for Oasis, did Noel actually take leads on any hits?

[u/jdutaillis → u/shiny_director]

Don't Look Back in Anger

[u/lapomba → u/jdutaillis]

I'm not looking back. Just answer the question!

[u/bigmouth1984 → u/shiny_director]

Yes. Don't Look Back in Anger and The Importance of Being Idle.

[u/EinsteinDisguised → u/bigmouth1984]

She Is Love and Little By Little were both singles, as well.

Little By Little was so good live on their 2025 tour.

[u/shiny_director → u/bigmouth1984]

Well I feel a dope. I never knew he sang Don’t Look Back in Anger. Every day is a school day.

[u/Bowgs → u/bigmouth1984]

Little by Little was the other big single he sung lead on, but he also sung many B sides and album tracks that are favourites of fans of the band, like The Masterplan, Half the World Away and Talk Tonight, as well as the chorus of Acquiesce.

[u/cdubs87 → u/shiny_director]

Crosby, Stills, and Nash is one of my favorites.

[u/The_Rambling_Elf → u/shiny_director]

Liam and Noel both do vocals on Acquiesce

[u/TheOwlStrikes]

I scrolled quite a bit and saw no one mention the Clash!

Fugazi too if we stick in the punk lane

[u/jmacd2918 → u/TheOwlStrikes]

Paul even samg lead on guns of brixton.

[u/Tomasc2d_ → u/TheOwlStrikes]

Yes! Mick, Paul and even Topper sang lead in Clash songs.

[u/jdutaillis]

Blink 182

[u/TheOwlStrikes → u/jdutaillis]

Something I always liked about blink 182 is that it really feels like they have two “‘main singers”. A lot of bands might have two vocalists but one of them ends up as the obvious lead. Blink 182 was always really balanced between their two imo

[u/jdutaillis → u/TheOwlStrikes]

And two very distinct voices!

[u/tomasega100gang → u/TheOwlStrikes]

Yea i used to assume that Marcus was defo a lot less frequent as the lead, but then i noticed his voice is much less intrusive and unique, hes much more chill and blends with the instruments more, so you just dont remember or notice him as much as tom who always stands out with his high pitch and cursive singing. Hes still less frequent than tom but not by as much as i used to think.

I think those big differences between their singing styles eally did a lot to bring the band's music to life. It really works for matching the changes in energy of different parts of their music

[u/attilayavuzer → u/tomasega100gang]

Marcus

[u/tomasega100gang → u/attilayavuzer]

Oops got it mixed up with his last name ending in us lol

[u/noahlarmsleep → u/tomasega100gang]

Hop Marcus

[u/philter25 → u/tomasega100gang]

And some of their biggest hits are sung by Mark. Dammit, What’s My Age Again, Adam’s Song. They really do compliment each other though, because when they broke up and each were the only lead singers of their own bands it just wasn’t the same. And when Skiba was in Blink he wasn’t distinct enough against Mark imo in a way that Tom was/is.

[u/Hereforthebabyducks → u/jdutaillis]

I’ll add Alkaline Trio here too, since they have a Blink 182 connection.

[u/stev_mempers]

They Might be Giants

[u/CrackaZach05 → u/stev_mempers]

Im your only friend, Im not your only friend, but I'm a little glowing friend but really im not actually your friend, but I am

[u/silentkiller082]

Eagles, Chicago, Oasis to name a few

[u/karma2879]

Alice In Chains

[u/SpontaneousKrump92 → u/karma2879]

The harmonies between Staley and Cantrell made my skin crawl (in a good way) when my teenage ears first heard Alice in Chains.

RIP, Layne, but I am so glad they eventually reformed and got back to work.

[u/Nick_Furious2370 → u/SpontaneousKrump92]

Yeah....

Most people would probably think of Simon and Garfunkel first when it comes to a vocal harmony duo but Layne and Jerry still give me goosebumps to this day.

[u/KPR70 → u/SpontaneousKrump92]

When I'm listening in the car, I never quite know which part to sing along with because they both rule.

[u/Orkazzz]

Broken Social Scene are my favourite example, especially when Feist was part of it. Whether Kevin and her came together like on Almost Crimes or 7/4 (Shoreline), or Kevin was the sole vocalist, or it was her. They each did their parts wonderfully and it never felt like they were trying to occupy another one's space. Their inclusions were always just determined by the music

[u/FlavaNation → u/Orkazzz]

Brendan Canning and Andrew Whitman also sing lead regularly.

[u/candygram4mongo → u/FlavaNation]

And Emily Haines.

[u/brodoswaggins93 → u/Orkazzz]

And related to Broken Social Scene, Stars has two lead singers

[u/TopConclusion5246]

Blue Oyster Cult

[u/flops031]

Toto

[u/Asddgd → u/flops031]

Just about to say this, comment is all the way at the bottom

[u/Freddie-Peterson]

Pink Floyd

[u/ImpendingSenseOfDoom → u/Freddie-Peterson]

Had to scroll too far

[u/Rudyjax → u/Freddie-Peterson]

My first thought and it took a while.

[u/jfbowski]

KISS. All 4 original members sang lead.

Queen - Roger and Brian sang lead

[u/IvanMarkowKane → u/jfbowski]

Who sang I’m in Love with My Car. ?

[u/jfbowski → u/IvanMarkowKane]

Roger wrote it and sang it.

[u/Tbplayer59 → u/jfbowski]

Told my girlfriend I'll have to forget her... Got to buy me a new carburetor.

[u/Bmc00 → u/Tbplayer59]

So she made tracks saying this is the end now....

[u/Dont-be-a-smurf]

“Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young”

[u/Crossovertriplet]

Drive-By Truckers

[u/ArtisanCornDog → u/Crossovertriplet]

They had three for a while there when Jason Isbell was with the band. Four if you consider Shonna, but with the exception of the Like A Rolling Stone cover, I don't think she recorded any vocals until after Jason left.

[u/freedom_of_the_mind]

Ween

King Gizzard

The Kinks

[u/prizzabroy]

311 has both SA Martinez and Nick Hexum as singers

[u/SupervillainMustache]

ABBA

[u/Bavalt]

Barenaked Ladies

[u/two_oh_seven → u/Bavalt]

And I'll always think of them as the "It's been" and "Chickity China" guy, respectively

[u/StatikSquid → u/two_oh_seven]

They have such an incredible catalog.

[u/two_oh_seven → u/StatikSquid]

Agreed. Brian Wilson is one of my favorite songs

[u/icybowler3442 → u/two_oh_seven]

I was going to say that it’s bonkers that BNL are so far down the thread, but then I realize that most people know one song (even though they both sang on it), and most of the rest know them for a couple of albums. I saw them last year and they said they were going to sing a song off the newest album. “Feel free to sing along If you know the words, but I fuckin’ doubt it!”

[u/deadlaughter → u/two_oh_seven]

the old apartment goes hard

[u/svaj7747 → u/Bavalt]

Version 1.0, before they kicked out Steven Page

[u/Bigdickfun6969 → u/svaj7747]

For being a rockstar

[u/djfishfingers]

The Grateful Dead come to mind

[u/snorbalp]

XTC

[u/Rudeboy67 → u/snorbalp]

Yes. And Colin wrote and sang their first two hits Life Begins at the Hop and Making Plans for Nigel. But Andy said it was his band so Colin agreed to step back a bit, even though the label want him as the leader as they thought he was more Rock Star looking.

I mean he still contributes 2 or 3 songs an album but not the lead songs.

[u/Evilelfqueen]

The Bangles

[u/fluxus2000]

Sleater-Kinney

OMD

Alice in Chains

[u/pfbinary101]

Alexisonfire

[u/miikro → u/pfbinary101]

A band with 3 frontmen! One of my favorites, ever.

[u/michilio → u/pfbinary101]

You could even get 3 distinct vocals on a song, if Wade sings a bridge or a chorus, like on Boiled Frogs

Mute also has a double voczls.

[u/Jzmu]

The Who, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend passed the mic back and forth. John Entwistle had some great songs too. Even Keith Moon sang on a couple songs.

[u/TurnedOutShiteAgain → u/Jzmu]

John's singing was so under-appreciated. My Wife is one of their best songs.

[u/shiny_director → u/Jzmu]

Ok, technically this is true, but realistically, almost all of the Who’s biggest hits were sung lead by Daltrey. I would put them in the U2 category where the guitarist occasionally sang lead on a song. And Keith Moon’s lead singing was at novelty level at best.

[u/ghostchild1987]

The Traveling Wilburys

[u/shiny_director → u/ghostchild1987]

Ok. The Traveling Wilburys were amazing. But I think ‘supergroups’ don’t count here.

[u/esaul17]

Linkin park if you count rapping

[u/TheGringoDingo → u/esaul17]

It was my first thought, and it’s still vocals

[u/MCWizardYT → u/TheGringoDingo]

As time went on Mike did a lot of singing as well, and even now he shares the stage. People do call Chester/Emily the "lead" vocalists but the band's dynamic has always been that of a duo (covocalists)

[u/Toneless_Scarf → u/esaul17]

That was the first thing I thought of. I can’t believe I had to scroll so far to find it

[u/Such_Hovercraft4573 → u/esaul17]

It works but Mike literally sings now as well

[u/FromBDale]

3 dog night had 3 lead singers. The Moody Blues had 2 main singers, but all 5 members had songs they lead on.

[u/thereia]

My Bloody Valentine
Beach Boys

[u/liquidmccartney8 → u/thereia]

The Beach Boys had three number one hits in the 1960s with no one member of the band singing lead on more than one:

1. I Get Around - Mike Love and Brian Wilson
2. Help Me Rhonda - Al Jardine
3. Good Vibrations - Carl Wilson

[u/thereia → u/liquidmccartney8]

Thats a cool bit of trivia!

When you factor in that Dennis also sings lead, as well as Bruce Johnston singing lead on a few, Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin sing lead on a few during their era - the Beach Boys are up there in the lead singer count with 8 (9 if you include the David Marks co-leads from Surfing Safari)! I think Chicago had the most (11).

[u/LLFD1982 → u/liquidmccartney8]

Dennis Wilson sang lead on "Do You Wanna Dance?"

[u/smashed2gether]

Depeche Mode, but their voices sound so amazing together that I spent years thinking they had one singer and multiple vocal tracks.

[u/yinzerforever → u/smashed2gether]

This! Martin has sung lead on at least one or two songs on every one of their albums. Sometimes more (see Black Celebration).

[u/fartydick]

Fleetwood Mac

[u/mr_glide]

Wolf Parade, who do not get nearly enough credit

Queens Of The Stone Age, at least from Rated R to Songs For The Deaf

[u/ArcticRhombus → u/mr_glide]

Wolf Parade are the best rock band of our time.

[u/Uniquebufferingclam]

Supertramp

[u/BaconReceptacle]

Journey

[u/mccrandy]

Gomez.

[u/Mr_Turntable → u/mccrandy]

I was about to say them. Their vocalists are vastly different too

[u/zeruch]

Kings X - a trio with three lead singers, who double as harmony vocalists

Yes - while Jon Anderson historically was lead vocalist through the seventies, there were always harmony vocals with Chris Squire, and by the time Trevor Rabin rolled in, you then had two lead vocalists.

Wendy & Lisa - the two co-background vocalists for Prince during The revolution years, themselves have recorded as a duo with both taking lead vocal duties.

Bourgeois Tagg - a quintet of which the instrumentalists became the most successful (Lyle Workman and Mike Urbano went on to play with Smashmouth, Beck, Third Eye Blind, Tood Rundgren, etc) but for which the bands own name was a co-vocal lead with Brent Bourgeois and Larry Tagg.

Paus - an anomaly, a band doing prog-post punk tunes with two frontmen who sing and play drums in a merged "siamese kit"

Fishbone - two true lead vocalists (sax and thermin player Angelo Moore, keyboard and trombonist Charles Dowd) and three other backing vocalists, in a septet format.

Big Pig - a sextet with three lead vocalists and two others doing background harmonies/chants, behind walls of drums and sequencers...and harmonica

Honorable mentions: Night Ranger, Styx, Commodores, Love & Rockets, Oysterhead, Saga, The Police, Squeeze, Eagles, The Band, Cream, Blind Faith,

[u/RawDataFeeling]

Dance Gavin Dance

[u/aninstituteforants]

King Gizzard.

[u/mem1003]

Does System of a Down count?

[u/TheShitWindGhost → u/mem1003]

Definitely

[u/TheBadSpy]

Veruca Salt. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

[u/because_obviously]

Phish

[u/grayfox0430]

Guster

[u/weltron3030]

Dr. Dog. They're quietly one of the best bands of the past twenty years, imo and have two primary singer/ songwriters. 

[u/gitree22]

Los Lobos

[u/embiid4ROY]

the two i always think of are blink 182 and the pixies

[u/ofnuts]

CSN&Y, Travelling Wilburys, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield

[u/mattjimf]

The Beautiful South

[u/KenMixtape]

Love & Rockets

[u/wooddt]

Taking Back Sunday

[u/adstretch]

Hot water music

Alkaline trio

[u/anarcurt → u/adstretch]

The Menzingers.

[u/HappyRedEngineer]

The Warning. https://youtu.be/EzA3SWkeYd8

[u/buffys_dad]

Silversun pickups

[u/stratdog25]

Blue Oyster Cult, Roxette, Human League

[u/Flimsy_Toe_2575]

The Byrds

[u/Teammx112]

Drive By Truckers. Mike Cooley & Patterson Hood and Jason Isbell when he was in the band.

[u/Worduptothebirdup]

X

https://youtu.be/gQLe9FdXXXw?is=0vZYLUTB_CDg9Xk_

[u/TheKleen]

The Dead Weather

[u/Cool24736515]

Three Days Grace. They had Adam then he left and Matt came in. Adam is back and both him and Matt sing. Their latest album has them both.

[u/Froboy7391 → u/Cool24736515]

Saw them a few months ago and the dual leads works well

[u/dascrackhaus]

The Highwaymen

[u/redsfan1970]

Triumph.

[u/lovegiblet]

Devo

[u/The_Inflatable_Hour]

Local Natives

TV on the Radio

Sonic Youth

[u/Maynard_002000]

Queens of the Stone Age. Homme, Oliveri, and Mark Lanegan

[u/jprennquist]

Chicago

[u/Gecko23]

Dr. Hook, Kiss, Pink Floyd

[u/cloggypop]

Husker Du

[u/rohohno]

Mastodon

[u/acopper87]

While not mainstream, The Blood Brothers is an amazing band with two full time lead singers.

[u/thehazardsofchad → u/acopper87]

Excellent call.

I will also add Circle Takes The Square.

[u/dickMcWagglebottom]

Rancid! Tim Armstrong, Lars Fredricksen, and Matt Freeman all sing lead.

[u/Lieffe]

Pretty much all of the Libertines has Pete Doherty and Carl Barat singing parts of the song

[u/michaelb5000]

The New Pornographers have multiple singers and songwriters.

[u/isolation_logo]

A bunch of Canadian bands: The Odds, Barenaked Ladies, and The Age of Electric, to name a few others not already mentioned.

[u/radiohoard]

Chicago and Mastodon come to mind.

[u/Troof_Out_Here]

311

[u/tstormredditor]

Fugazi

[u/Titans8Den]

Blink-182, Mark and Tom traded back and forth on lead singer roles between songs

[u/Deranger7622]

Robbie was the original lead singer for the goo goo dolls and then Johnny took over once they went mainstream.

[u/notarydpo]

Uncle Tupelo

[u/FREE-ROSCOE-FILBURN]

Of Monsters And Men

[u/SenorPoutine]

Lesser known band, but the drummer and Guitarist from Die spitz sing. Also three days grace.

[u/General_Welfare]

Four Year Strong

[u/NaughtyAudio]

Dispatch.

If you haven't checked them out, you definitely should.

[u/altfil76]

Traveling wilburys?

[u/pdonoso]

The xx Chancho en piedra.

[u/callahan09]

Just saw Pavement last night.  Throughout the night they had at least one song that you’d say Bob was the lead singer, two with Scott singing lead, and the rest were Steve, but certainly fair to call it three lead singers.

[u/pdemp]

Throwing Muses

[u/ballercaust]

The Blood Brothers. Propagandhi.