Would you take Messina instead of Loggins, Garfunkel over Simon, Oates before Hall, Sonny in the face of Cher, or Dave when offered Sam?It seems almost every time I seek out the less-successful half of a famous duo, hoping to be rewarded, I’m not.
There are a few exceptions. Like despite the fact that he was a wife-beating sack of shit, Ike Turner made some incredible music before he decided to showcase Tina. But for the most part, there’s a reason why one of them was better-known than the other. Hello, Andrew Ridgeley.
So, I decided to look at entire bands. The plan was to determine who the most popular and least popular members are in a variety of famous bands. To do this I will consider the following — their role in the group, their success outside the group, their social media followers, Spotify listeners and RateYourMusic.com’s Popularity Meter, which was calculated by asking the website’s members questions designed to gauge their familiarity with a particular musician or band. Before we begin, a reminder — this is an analysis of popularity. More emphasis is put on fame than on quality.
The Beatles
As one of two surviving Beatles, Ringo Starr’s popularity remains solid. But as their least-used vocalist and least-prolific songwriter, it shouldn’t shock anyone that he’s technically the least-popular member. For example, his 905K monthly listeners is only 26 million shy of what Paul McCartney (the most-popular member) gets. It goes like this: Paul, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo.
Led Zeppelin
This one is tougher. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are virtually tied when it comes to fans on social media. But Plant, as the more productive and active artist, has way more listeners on Spotify — like, well over a million more. Drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones don’t really compare to the other members. For starters, Bonham had no solo albums, and Jones only had a handful of projects, the most notable being Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme, or perhaps his time producing Butthole Surfers. Also, Bonham has been dead since 1980. So, I’d say Plant is the most popular and Bonham is the least, even though Jones scored slightly less than Bonham on RYM’s Popularity Meter (3.43 out of 5 for Jones and 3.79 out of 5 for Bonham).
The Who
Pete Townshend is the most popular member of The Who, with a very high RYM score of 4.15. He has a distinctive name, wrote practically all their songs and sang many of them as well. Plus, he smashed countless guitars. Roger Daltrey’s 3.44 RYM puts him second, followed by legendary drummer Keith Moon. Only Moony could edge out bassist John Entwistle — The Ox — who died at age 57 while snorting coke with a stripper in a Las Vegas hotel room. The least popular member of The Who is replacement drummer Kenney Jones — who was way better with The Small Faces and Faces, anyway.
The Doors
Jim Morrison has the distinction of being the most-popular musician on RateYourMusic’s Popularity Meter — a whopping 4.32 score. Ray Manzarek was there too, with a 3.19 score. I think that puts him second in the band, aided by the fact that he became their vocalist for two records after Morrison died. And then he made two astonishingly awful solo albums. But you can’t imagine Light My Fire without him. Guitarist Robbie Krieger technically has more fans on Facebook than Ray, so that means drummer John Densmore is the least popular. Sucks to be a drummer, I guess? Wait for it…
Rush
I was actually kind of surprised to discover frontman Geddy Lee is not the most popular member of Rush, despite the fact that he’s put out a bass guitar coffee table book and recently wrote a fantastic memoir. But, when you compare the number of fans on their respective “official” pages, late drummer Neil Peart is clearly the front-runner with 50K to Geddy’s 35K. Poor Lerxst — Alex Lifeson is a solid third in terms of popularity. I guess more people need to watch this episode of Trailer Park Boy:
AC/DC
Here’s another band where the lead singer is not the most well-known member. With AC/DC that’s because the band has had two popular vocalists, but just one lead guitarist throughout their five decades. Angus Young takes a lot of the spotlight, and that’s why he’s the group’s most-popular member. He’s not just the principal songwriter and guitarist, but he’s also basically their mascot. RYM members scoed him 3.45 out of 5. Original vocalist Bon Scott was just behind with 3.19. There are no scores for the others, including current vocalist Brian Johnson. I’m gonna assume he’s third. Then the late Malcolm Young — Angus’s brother who co-wrote the songs and whose rhythm guitar is the heart of the band’s sound. I’d guess drummer Phil Rudd’s legal entanglements put him ahead of bassist Cliff Williams.
Black Sabbath
By contrast, here’s an example where the lead singer is even more popular than the band. It doesn’t hurt that Ozzy Osbourne has not only had a tremendously successful solo career, but that he also was the star of a popular reality TV series for a while. There have been far too many members of Black Sabbath over the years to try and figure out their relative popularity, so I’ll stick with the original four members. After Ozzy, the only member to be in every iteration of the band — guitarist Tony Iommi — is next. A bonafide guitar god, his RYM score is 3.25. He has 1.4 million followers on Facebook. Next is bassist/lyricist Terry “Geezer” Butler, thanks to his own solo work and awesome memoir. That leaves drummer Bill Ward as No. 4 of 4. It’s alright, Bill.
Deep Purple
If it were me ranking the members of Deep Purple, drummer Ian Paice would be No. 1 without question. Of all the 16 dudes who have ever been in the band, he’s been the only drummer and the only original member left since 1968. Paicey isn’t the most popular, however — that honour goes to long-time lead guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (also of Rainbow). RYM gives him a 3.07 rating. Blackmore hasn’t even played in the band since 1993. Next up, with 2.89, is current and best-known vocalist Ian Gillan, followed by late keyboardist Jon Lord. David Coverdale sang in the group for three years in the mid-’70s before gaining more significant stardom as the frontman of Whitesnake. He hasn’t been in the band since 1976, but just slightly edges out Paice in popularity — 2.35 to 2.23. Like I said, there have been 16 people in Deep Purple, so I won’t give them all equal consideration. I’m not going to include original lead vocalist Rod Evans, who went on to form Captain Beyond, or original bassist Nick Simper, who went on to form Warhorse. I’ll even leave out bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes and lead guitarist Tommy Bolin (who were there during the Coverdale years) and Joe Lynn Turner (lead vocalist for three years in the early ’90s). Stints by Guitar Player magazine darlings Joe Satriani and Steve Morse also don’t count. I will, however, include bassist Roger Glover, who’s still with the band and was there through their most-popular periods. That said, with a 2.18 rating, he’s the least-popular comparable member.
Pink Floyd
None of the members of Pink Floyd is as popular as the band, which is basically done. Floyd stay relevant through the strength of their catalog, commemorative re-releases and the scads of vintage live material they quietly put up on streaming services every year. Pink Floyd’s two key members — Roger Waters and David Gilmour — have famously beenn at odds for more than 40 years. While the provocative and controversial Waters hasn’t been in the band since 1983, or part of their lucrative live act since 1981, he continues to perform their material — of which he was a principal songwriter. In fact, last year he even re-recorded the band’s most famous record, Dark Side Of The Moon. But he’s still not more popular than guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour, who has been the face of the band since its reboot in 1987. Both men have compelling, significant solo careers. But Gilmour has 3.3 million followers and 985K monthly listeners to Waters’ 2.7 million followers and 442K monthly listeners. That puts them firmly at No. 1 and No. 2. Next up is original frontman, songwriter and founder Syd Barrett, who left the group in 1968 and stopped making music altogether in 1971. He made two beautiful solo albums in 1970 as his drug-fuelled mental illness became more and more of a hindrance. His cult status continues to make him popular, with 533K followers and 112K monthly listeners on Spotify. As is often the case, the band’s drummer and and keyboardist are the least popular. Drummer Nick Mason is slightly ahead of keyboardist Richard Wright because A, he’s not dead. And B, he’s an affable gent who has an ongoing public presence as the spokesperson for all Floyd’s archival releases. He also put together a band that performs Pink Floyd’s early, psychedelic material.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones and their iconic lead vocalist Mick Jagger are household names all over the world. There’s no question as to who is the most popular person in the band. It’s the guy with “Sir” in front of his name. He has 5 million followers. His closest competitor in the band is guitarist Keith Richards, with 2.5 million followers. For actual fans, Keith is probably the favourite and just as key to the band’s success over the years, as evidenced by comparing Jagger’s solo records with those of Richards. Mick may be the voice of the Stones, but Keith is the sound. So they’re No. 1 and No. 2. Incidentally, Richards has the second-highest rating on RYM’s Popularity Meter — 4.29. Late drummer Charlie Watts has a 3.54 and guitarist Ronnie Wood has 2.81. If you consider the current group’s members, Woody is the least popular. If you consider the classic lineup, it’s bassist Bill Wyman, who doesn’t garner as much interest as late founding member Brian Jones.
Guns N’ Roses
I don’t even care about anyone other than Axl Rose and Slash. Bassist Duff McKagan is a distant third, but I was surprised to discover Axl is slightly more popular than Slash. This despite the fact that I haven’t heard anyone say anything positive about him in 30 years. Axl got a 3.53 RYM rating and his Facebook page has 19K followers. His primary fan page has 202K followers. By comparison, guitarist Slash scored 3.36 on RYM, and his Facebook page has 76K followers. The only thing Slash doesn’t do to raise his profile is sing or appear naked. He has an ongoing solo career, is a popular guest musician, has a bonafide iconic appearance, gets by on one name, appears in pretty much every music documentary ever made, and does endorsements.
Queen
Freddie Mercury is not just the most popular member of Queen, he’s one of the most popular musicians of all time. Guitarist Brian May still technically helms the band, together with fellow founder, drummer Roger Taylor. May’s RYM rating is even higher than that of Angus Young. A literal genius, his 3.80 RYM puts him 12th overall on that list — fifth among guitarists after Richards, Townshend, Gilmour and Eric Clapton. Raspy-voiced Taylor remains popular with fans, leaving retired bassist John Deacon as the least-popular member — even though he wrote You’re My Best Friend, Another One Bites The Dust, and I Want To Break Free, and co-wrote Under Pressure.
KISS
Here’s a band where the two most difficult-to-like members are the most popular by a landslide. We’re just going to focus on the original lineup, leaving out Tommy Thayer, Bruce Kulik, Eric Carr, Mark St. John, Vinnie Vincent and Eric Singer. Based on RYM only, bassist/vocalist/demon Gene Simmons is the most popular member of the band, with a score of 3.32 to guitarist/vocalist/starchild Paul Stanley’s 2.69. But it gets more complicated when you take in other aspects of their fame. Both men could be seen as vain, money-minded showboat cocksmen. Their music remains popular mostly due to nostalgia and irony. It is, however, beloved to me, evidenced by the fact that I typed their name in caps. Gene has 1.1 million followers on his page — exactly the same as Paul. Gene has 36K monthly listeners on Spotify and Paul has 96K. So now Paul is slightly ahead. He has 641K followers on Instagram, to Gene’s 743K. So now Gene’s ahead. His 1978 solo album charted higher than Paul’s — and even higher than lead guitarist/occasional vocalist/spaceman Ace Frehley’s, which was the best of the lot and the biggest seller. Gene is personally worth around $400 million, while Paul’s fortune is closer to $200 million. Gene wins. Paul is a close second, followed by Frehley and lastly, drummer/occasional vocalist/catman Peter Criss.
Van Halen
This one is probably a no-brainer, except for the matter of the two lead singers. Actually, it’s closer than I thought it would be. According to RateYourMusic, David Lee Roth has a popularity score of 2.74, compared to Sammy Hagar’s 2.30. Still, neither is as popular as band co-namesake, the late guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen. Ed’s No. 1, then Diamond Dave, followed by The Red Rocker, drummer Alex Van Halen (who recently published a memoir) and finally, original bassist Michael Anthony. I’m not considering Wolfgang Van Halen, their bassist during the later reunion years.
Genesis
It’s hard to say who/what is more famous — Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel or Genesis. It kind of depends on timing. These days, none of the individuals are more popular than the band’s brand. Every month, Genesis still get 6.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Former vocalist Gabriel comes second with 4.7 million monthly listeners. Collins only has 23K. At first blush it might seem like bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford is hardly worth a mention, with his measley 557 monthly listeners. But don’t forget to check his other band Mike & The Mechanics. I was shocked to discover they have 2.6 million monthly listeners. It puts Mike on par with Phil. The other two classic-era Genesis members are lead guitarist Steve Hackett (80K listeners) and keyboardist Tony Banks (35K). Clearly the most popular member is Gabriel, who quit the band in 1975. The least popular is one of two who have been there since the very beginning. There probably wouldn’t be a Genesis without Banks. Songs he wrote or co-wrote include Abacab, Dance On A Volcano, Behind The Lines, Follow You Follow Me, The Carpet Crawlers, The Cinema Show, Dancing With the Moonlit Knight, Dutchess, Firth of Fifth, Watcher of the Skies, Turn It On Again, I Can’t Dance, That’s All, Throwing It All Away, I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe), Tonight Tonight Tonight, Illegal Alien, Supper’s Ready, In The Cage, Paperlate, Invisible Touch, No Reply At All, The Musical Box, Me & Sarah Jane, Mama, Many Too Many, Keep It Dark, The Knife and Afterglow.
Metallica
OK, this one really surprised me. I would have sworn that lead vocalist James Hetfield would be the most popular, but according to RateYourMusic, it’s drummer Lars Ulrich. Not by much, mind you — 3.47 to 3.31. In terms of Facebook fans, Hetfield has 61K fans. Lars only seems to have around 10K. Hmmm. I hate to do this, but I don’t trust RYM’s result here. I’m not going to worry too much about bass players. The most popular one is dearly departed Cliff Burton, who was killed before the band got mega-famous. Their original guitarist Dave Mustaine gets a mention. He went on to form Megadeth of course, but he’s not quite as popular as his replacement Kirk Hammett. So No. 1 is Hetfield. Bringing up the rear: Hammett (of current members) and Mustaine (if you consider legacy members).
The Police
Yeah, yeah, I know. Sting is the most popular. It’s not even close. Ol’ Mr. Sumner has 6.9 million followers on just his Facebook page. Drummer Stewart Copeland has 505K, and guitarist Andy Summers has 80K. Maybe people need to read Andy’s book One Train Later. That might help. Perhaps Sting’s popularity would take a critical hit if anyone heard his baffling cover of Strange Fruit.
ABBA
With more than 400 millions albums sold in just 10 years, the Swedish foursome are among the most popular acts of all time. Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson are all rich beyond imagination. The one with the least amount of cash is Agnetha — $200 million — because she only has one writing credit. Björn and Benny wrote all the songs. While Agnetha put out a bunch of solo records after the band’s dissolution in 1982, she basically retired in 1989. She stayed away until 2004, when she mounted a comeback, and remains active. Bearded Benny is the next wealthiest, with $230 million. He and Björn kept writing together after ABBA. Anyone remember Chess? They were a one-hit wonder made up of Björn, Benny & Tim Rice, best known for One Night In Bangkok, sung by Murray Head. Anna-Frid is tied for being the richest member of ABBA, with a purse of $300 million. Frida’s got all this cash because she was married to Benny, and then later remarried a Swiss-born German prince who died and left his fortune to her. Ulvaeus also has a nest egg of $300 million. But does all this moola translate to their individual popularity? Not at all. It’s much as I expected. I found a nifty little Reddit poll where users were asked to vote on their favourite member. Agnetha, with her long blonde hair was the clear winner. She had nearly half the total votes cast — 45%. Next, was the other vocalist, Frida with 28%. Benny and Björn tied with just under 14% each.
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Area Resident is an Ottawa-based journalist, recording artist, music collector and re-seller. Hear (and buy) his music on Bandcamp, email him HERE, follow him on Instagram and check him out on Discogs.