they may not receive all of the
attention or recognition but these are
the guys and gals who have no problem
holding down the musical fort
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
secret weapon band members
for this list we’re ranking musicians
whose talents often ensure the success
of their respective bands but may slip
under the radar when it comes to their
group’s image
so without further ado let’s shine a
light on some secret musical weapons
shall we
number ten Stewart Copeland the police
the name Stewart Copeland is one which
is mentioned often within the circles of
drum aficionados everywhere and with
good reason as Copeland has long been
considered to be one of the best to ever
sit behind a kit
but Copeland manages to achieve an
equally impactful status thanks to his
hard-hitting physical style and
incredibly energetic stage presence
the drummer has even branched out of
rock music into the world of film score
composition lending his creative talents
to such films as Highlander – the
quickening
number nine Kim deal Pixies
bass players sometimes get a bad rap
often hanging in the back of the stage
holding down the rhythm and not getting
super involved upfront with the audience
not so with Kim deal former bassist of
indie rock band Pixies not only enjoyed
a rabid fan following but also helped
co-write some of the band’s biggest hits
and live favorites
whereís deal also stepped up within the
pixies on both co-lead and backing
vocals issuing not only bass player
stereotypes but also strengthening the
role of women in rock not bad for
someone who didn’t even own a bass when
she joined the band
number eight Cliff Burton Metallica
speaking of basis to bug stereotypes the
legacy of Metallica’s cliff burton is
one which has not been diminished
despite the metal legends tragic death
while on tour in sweden in 1986
Burton was not a quiet bassist
preferring instead to amplify his sound
with an approach which was both melodic
and forward-thinking
one need only look to Burton’s work on
such Metallica classics as Orion and For
Whom the Bell Tolls to hear how this
bass player moved outside the box create
some of the band’s most memorable
musical moments
number seven john entwistle the hoop
as the third basis on our list and
spoiler alert there are more to come
John Entwistle attacked his chosen
instrument with a dizzying ferocity
throughout the 60s and 70s earning fans
and admirers along the way
I’m sure it may be tough to stand out
when you’re sharing a band with hardrock
heroes such as Pete Townsend Roger
Daltrey and Keith Moon
but Entwistle held his own even
branching out with his own group in
later years playing such high-profile
shows as Woodstock 99 songwriting and
musical chops John Entwistle was in no
shortage of either one
number six geezer butler Black Sabbath
Terrence geezer butler isn’t your
average bass player approaching his
instrument with the brash confident
sensibilities of a lead guitarist
this is exactly why the criminally
underrated Butler’s star shone so
brightly during his 10 year with the
mammoth heavy metal God’s Black Sabbath
the fact that Sabbath possessed a one
guitar lineup that of band founder Tony
Iommi made it possible for Butler to
spread his creative wings at both
songwriter and bassist often playing
against Iommi’s riffs with memorable
melodies of his own
add to this butler’s open mind for
modern musical influences and you have
one seriously effective secret weapon
number five Meg white the white stripes
a band is only as good as their drummer
this holds quite a bit of water when it
comes to the case of Meg white and the
White Stripes as this musician
simplistic and regressive drum work is
just what the doctor ordered when it
comes to her band straight-ahead branch
of rock and roll
Jack White’s garage rock riffing and
direct songwriting demands an equally
direct approach to the drums an approach
which Meg was only too happy to provide
to be honest it probably wouldn’t sound
quite right any other way with Meg’s
four-on-the-floor style driving home
white songwriting and allowing it
maximum impact
I can
number four
Izzy Stradlin guns and roses sometimes I
get some kids but I can’t speed up if
you were to look at a selection of Guns
and Roses classics from the band’s back
catalogue it’s highly likely that this
secret weapon was responsible for some
of the songwriting
Izzy Stradlin may not enjoy as big of a
rock star status as lead man slash but
spradlin x’ talent is without question
having penned or co-written the massive
hits 14 years
and patience
the guitar player even took lead vocals
on tracks like the memorable Dustin
bones
before embarking on a solo career of his
own with Izzy Stradlin and the juju
hounds after parting ways with guns
number three Alex Lifeson rush
what do you do when you’re in a power
trio alongside drummer Neil Peart and
bassist Geddy Lee you speak softly and
carry a big ax
it may seem strange that a guitar player
with a pedigree of the size of Alex
Lifeson might be considered to be a
secret weapon in a prog rock band but
for Lifeson it’s always been a careful
balancing act between the guitarist
frenetic fretwork skills and humble
unassuming personality
Rush’s muscular progressive rock relies
on the sum of its parts and it’s Alex
license reliably impressive ratio in
that equation which makes him the band’s
devastating secret weapon
number two Ringo Starr the Beatles
sure this beetle has always been the
brunt of good-natured jokes by the band
worldwide fanbase but the work of this
trailblazing drummer and songwriter
speaks for itself when it comes to
inhabiting a widely varied creative head
space
ringo starr has not only written and
recorded plenty of LPS on his own but
the former Beatles approach to drumming
while performing alongside John Lennon
Paul McCartney and George Harrison was
forward-thinking and bold for the time
embodying a progressive spirit which
helped craft numerous classics along the
way
before we reveal our strongest secret
musical weapon here are a few honorable
mentions
number one John Paul Jones Led Zeppelin
what can we say about John Paul Jones
standing just out of the limelight Jones
was a songwriter keyboardist and bass
player extraordinaire anchoring Led
Zeppelin during his tenure with the hard
rockers
Jones didn’t stop there however and
continue to be creative long after Led
Zeppelin called it a day
collaborating with artists as varied as
a Lenny Kravitz
diamanda galas
and even dave grohl with whom jones
formed the rock supergroup them crooked
vultures remaining relevant for over
four decades that’s what we call the
sign of a true musical secret weapon
so do you agree with our list which
unsung rocky row do you feel deserves a
little more respect for more heavy top
ten list published every day please
subscribe to watchmojo.com
attention or recognition but these are
the guys and gals who have no problem
holding down the musical fort
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
secret weapon band members
for this list we’re ranking musicians
whose talents often ensure the success
of their respective bands but may slip
under the radar when it comes to their
group’s image
so without further ado let’s shine a
light on some secret musical weapons
shall we
number ten Stewart Copeland the police
the name Stewart Copeland is one which
is mentioned often within the circles of
drum aficionados everywhere and with
good reason as Copeland has long been
considered to be one of the best to ever
sit behind a kit
but Copeland manages to achieve an
equally impactful status thanks to his
hard-hitting physical style and
incredibly energetic stage presence
the drummer has even branched out of
rock music into the world of film score
composition lending his creative talents
to such films as Highlander – the
quickening
number nine Kim deal Pixies
bass players sometimes get a bad rap
often hanging in the back of the stage
holding down the rhythm and not getting
super involved upfront with the audience
not so with Kim deal former bassist of
indie rock band Pixies not only enjoyed
a rabid fan following but also helped
co-write some of the band’s biggest hits
and live favorites
whereís deal also stepped up within the
pixies on both co-lead and backing
vocals issuing not only bass player
stereotypes but also strengthening the
role of women in rock not bad for
someone who didn’t even own a bass when
she joined the band
number eight Cliff Burton Metallica
speaking of basis to bug stereotypes the
legacy of Metallica’s cliff burton is
one which has not been diminished
despite the metal legends tragic death
while on tour in sweden in 1986
Burton was not a quiet bassist
preferring instead to amplify his sound
with an approach which was both melodic
and forward-thinking
one need only look to Burton’s work on
such Metallica classics as Orion and For
Whom the Bell Tolls to hear how this
bass player moved outside the box create
some of the band’s most memorable
musical moments
number seven john entwistle the hoop
as the third basis on our list and
spoiler alert there are more to come
John Entwistle attacked his chosen
instrument with a dizzying ferocity
throughout the 60s and 70s earning fans
and admirers along the way
I’m sure it may be tough to stand out
when you’re sharing a band with hardrock
heroes such as Pete Townsend Roger
Daltrey and Keith Moon
but Entwistle held his own even
branching out with his own group in
later years playing such high-profile
shows as Woodstock 99 songwriting and
musical chops John Entwistle was in no
shortage of either one
number six geezer butler Black Sabbath
Terrence geezer butler isn’t your
average bass player approaching his
instrument with the brash confident
sensibilities of a lead guitarist
this is exactly why the criminally
underrated Butler’s star shone so
brightly during his 10 year with the
mammoth heavy metal God’s Black Sabbath
the fact that Sabbath possessed a one
guitar lineup that of band founder Tony
Iommi made it possible for Butler to
spread his creative wings at both
songwriter and bassist often playing
against Iommi’s riffs with memorable
melodies of his own
add to this butler’s open mind for
modern musical influences and you have
one seriously effective secret weapon
number five Meg white the white stripes
a band is only as good as their drummer
this holds quite a bit of water when it
comes to the case of Meg white and the
White Stripes as this musician
simplistic and regressive drum work is
just what the doctor ordered when it
comes to her band straight-ahead branch
of rock and roll
Jack White’s garage rock riffing and
direct songwriting demands an equally
direct approach to the drums an approach
which Meg was only too happy to provide
to be honest it probably wouldn’t sound
quite right any other way with Meg’s
four-on-the-floor style driving home
white songwriting and allowing it
maximum impact
I can
number four
Izzy Stradlin guns and roses sometimes I
get some kids but I can’t speed up if
you were to look at a selection of Guns
and Roses classics from the band’s back
catalogue it’s highly likely that this
secret weapon was responsible for some
of the songwriting
Izzy Stradlin may not enjoy as big of a
rock star status as lead man slash but
spradlin x’ talent is without question
having penned or co-written the massive
hits 14 years
and patience
the guitar player even took lead vocals
on tracks like the memorable Dustin
bones
before embarking on a solo career of his
own with Izzy Stradlin and the juju
hounds after parting ways with guns
number three Alex Lifeson rush
what do you do when you’re in a power
trio alongside drummer Neil Peart and
bassist Geddy Lee you speak softly and
carry a big ax
it may seem strange that a guitar player
with a pedigree of the size of Alex
Lifeson might be considered to be a
secret weapon in a prog rock band but
for Lifeson it’s always been a careful
balancing act between the guitarist
frenetic fretwork skills and humble
unassuming personality
Rush’s muscular progressive rock relies
on the sum of its parts and it’s Alex
license reliably impressive ratio in
that equation which makes him the band’s
devastating secret weapon
number two Ringo Starr the Beatles
sure this beetle has always been the
brunt of good-natured jokes by the band
worldwide fanbase but the work of this
trailblazing drummer and songwriter
speaks for itself when it comes to
inhabiting a widely varied creative head
space
ringo starr has not only written and
recorded plenty of LPS on his own but
the former Beatles approach to drumming
while performing alongside John Lennon
Paul McCartney and George Harrison was
forward-thinking and bold for the time
embodying a progressive spirit which
helped craft numerous classics along the
way
before we reveal our strongest secret
musical weapon here are a few honorable
mentions
number one John Paul Jones Led Zeppelin
what can we say about John Paul Jones
standing just out of the limelight Jones
was a songwriter keyboardist and bass
player extraordinaire anchoring Led
Zeppelin during his tenure with the hard
rockers
Jones didn’t stop there however and
continue to be creative long after Led
Zeppelin called it a day
collaborating with artists as varied as
a Lenny Kravitz
diamanda galas
and even dave grohl with whom jones
formed the rock supergroup them crooked
vultures remaining relevant for over
four decades that’s what we call the
sign of a true musical secret weapon
so do you agree with our list which
unsung rocky row do you feel deserves a
little more respect for more heavy top
ten list published every day please
subscribe to watchmojo.com
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