Top 5 Singers Currently in Multiple Bands

Sometimes, being in one band isn’t enough. You make a hit record, you start to build a steady career, you have drug and alcohol problems but you want more. Perhaps it’s the need to branch out and not sully your original band’s name. Or perhaps it is because you have met a lot of cool people through your travels who you want to play with. But nowadays, lead singers can be not only in one band, but two bands. This is similar to my fluffy kitten blog that I run, as I love both music AND fluffy kittens, and don’t want the 2 to mix (only when I listen to the Jingle Cats).

Below is the PeteHatesMusic list of Top 5 Singers Currently in Multiple Bands. Yes, there are a few adjectives to the list, with one of the key words being current. This is to illustrate that the list will not include lead singers who moved from one band to a new band when the first one went defunct (think Paul McCartney or Chris Cornell), or guys who left bands for solo careers or solo projects (Thom Yorke, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, etc.). Let us know who is on your list in the comments.

Honourable Mention: Alex Turner: Currently lead singer in Arctic Monkeys and has done one album with Last Shadow Puppets, with rumours of a second album.

5 – Josh Homme: Currently the singer of Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, and also a part of Eagles of Death Metal (drummer) and formerly Kyuss (guitarist)

4 – Dave Grohl: Currently lead singer in Foo Fighters and also in Them Crooked Vultures (backing vocals and drummer), plus Probot (guitarist/bassist/drums/backing vocals) and some band called Nirvana. Also a drummer for hirer, and has appeared on a ton of songs.

3 – Maynard James Keenan: Lead singer of 3 bands currently, which gives him the nod over Dave Grohl. He somehow juggles albums and tours for his original band, Tool, plus A Perfect Circle (3 albums) and Puscifer (2 albums). Maynard also tours with all 3 bands.

2 – Jack White: Mr. Everywhere – Jack White. He founded the now defunct The White Stripes. He went on to also sing in the Raconteurs. He then formed The Dead Weather with the Kills lead singer, Alison Mosshart (Jack primarily played drums but also sung). He will now have a solo album to his name in the next little while. Jack has also collaborated with a lot of artists, including Danger Mouse / Daniele Luppi on their Rome project, singing with Alicia Keys on a James Bond theme song, doing some songs for the Cold Mountain Soundtrack, plus new collaborations for this Third Man Records label, such as his work with Insane Clown Posse, Tom Jones, Conan O’Brien, and Stephen Colbert.

1 – Damon Albarn: Lead singer of Britpop heroes Blur, as well as highly (even more?) successful Gorillaz, and so far one-off albums as The Good, The Bad & The Queen, plus DRC Music (a charity project for Congo) and his new band with Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, called Rocketjuice and the Moon. Like Jack White, the man does not sleep. Damon also has dabbled in opera work, with Journey to the West, It Felt Like a Kiss, and upcoming drama this summer, Doctor Dee: An English Opera, which will be released as a studio album, too.

Gorillaz – Dare