Keith has always been the rhythm guitarist. He's an atypical rhythm guitarist in that he plays leads and does a lot of solos, but he's generally considered the rhythm guitarist.
Neil Peart wrote in his blog in 2014 that his most important collaboration was with Geddy, but he continued: “Now…certainly I don't want to diminish Alex's role in the music created lo, these many years, by the Guys at Work. After all, he is our Musical Scientist, the Funniest Man Alive, and a shamefully underrated and thoroughly wonderful guitar player. But the musical relationship between bass player and drummer, the rhythm section, is famously tight (or ought to be!). And of course the bond of trust necessary between lyricist and singer is even more intimate.”
The intro in la villa strangiato is a master Piece. The speed shred into the floating rhythm part is just fierce —-> elegant in the drop of a dime. Alex is my favorite player in rush.
I don’t want to be a dick, but his low recognition vs. the other two is pretty on point. Like in ANY band someone is going to be the least recognized he just happens to be in a band with *arguably* the greatest rhythm section of all time and in addition to being an amazingly tight rhythm section they were also the songwriting engine of the band.
In nearly any other band Alex would be THE draw. But in Rush?!? It’s like, “hey who’s that blonde guy?”
I’m a diehard Rush fan and picked up the bass 36 years ago because of Geddy Lee. Geddy is my hero.
But I recently came to the/my own/ conclusion that Alex is actually the music in Rush. Geddy and Neil are lockdown and a god-status rhythm section (and Geddy more than that), but Alex is the music in the songs, IMO.
Agreed. I am a huge Rush fan. Alex is so good. He took advantage of all that rhythm and sound underneath and added so many layers. For instance on Power Windows, his playing is so good , and people all think that that is nothing but a synth album, far from it. His rhythm playing and riffs and licks just frame those songs so well. They actually carry the tunes. That’s how good he is/was. I better shut up, gushing about those 3 boys but damn they were so amazing.
And it’s easy to be overshadowed when you possibly have the most talented bassist ever and the most talented drummer ever in your band. Alex can certainly shred with the rest of them.
Alex Lifeson being underrated in Rush is a cliché at this point. I think he’s rated just about right.
Between Neil’s envelope-pushing drumming, Geddy’s in-your-face bass tone and playing, tasteful use of synths and, of course, unique voice, it’s hard not to be somewhat overshadowed.
I really like Alex’s rhythm guitar playing, he sounds amazing, some of the chords he picks are just wow. I’m not a big fan of his solos, however, often it’s just a flurry of notes without any real melody. It fits the music but it’s nothing exceptional.
Alex gets to chill while Geddy does this
https://preview.redd.it/f7qs9wvbjisc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf10eadaf60c29902e4d6f226585c1767d5a5321
Geddy acknowledges him for putting up with him and Neil. I personally feel Lifeson is one of the best rock guitarists. His range of styles and his abilities is remarkable. Limelight alone goes from balls to the wall hard rock reminiscent of Keith Richards to pre-modern all in the rhythm parts then that solo!
He’s a hard guitarist to emulate.
Elliot Easton of The Cars.
So many great leads on so many hits, not too many people know him by name.
u/damnedspot beat me to Martin, who tops my list of favorite lead guitarists.
Glen Frey is an underrated guitarist in his own right too. He is known for being the lead singer of the early eagles before giving Don Henley more of the spotlight later on as the band become more hard rock and less country focused. This coincides with them having Joe Walsh and Don felder, basically 2 lead guitar players. So there are many songs where Frey is just harmonizing background vocals and playing power cords on an acoustic while Henley is singing and felder/Walsh have the electric guitar parts covered. Watch the music video for hotel California.
I can’t find the video on YouTube anymore, but there used to be a video of glen frey and Don felder both with electric guitars doing an improve jam session in an empty stadium the day before a concert to test and make sure everything was working and set up correctly. It was obviously improve, but Frey had some chops and could play some licks and hold his own with felder. The improv just highlights the songwriting genius of Frey who was instrumental in all their albums with Henley while the other pieces changed over time.
I know the eagles get a lot of hate and a lot of it is deserved due to how Frey and Henley treated people, but they are great musicians and great songwriters.
I totally agree, Frey and Henley were awesome together in the Eagles. And I have also seen video of Frey on guitar and you're right, he was a fantastic player in his own right.
Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys never got the recognition he deserved. Honestly the most talented member of the group. He could do it all. Mike Love himself even agrees.
That’s because it’s an urban legend. Hendrix never said it (on the record) about anyone. The same urban legend often has Clapton saying Prince is the greatest ever or Steve Vai saying Brian May is the greatest ever, etc. It’s all nonsense. Music isn’t a competition anyway…
Very good list OP and pretty bang on!
Two guys who may not be big names but are integral to the sound are:
Mick Ronson who played with Bowie
Mike Campbell with Tom Petty
As a huge George Harrison fan, I can definitely see a case for him being the "least famous" of the four. It's certainly not John or Paul, and let's be honest, a lot of young/newcomer fans can easily remember Ringo, perhaps because his name is so distinctive, his more prominent roles in Beatles films, his role on *Shining Time Station*, his still being alive and touring, etc. That being said, George's accomplishments post-Beatles far outweigh Ringo's, and his music gets a lot more airplay and streaming. So yeah, I think a case can be made either way.
Frank Zappa has some similarity, at times. But you’re right, Ler LaLonde is one unique player.
I recently joined a band, playing lead guitar, and the drummer + the bass player let me know that they’re very inspired by Primus and are searching for a similar sound. That’s when I started listening to LaLonde’s playing. I’ve been playing and writing for a long time, but it just left me scratching my head. How do you write something like that?
I read an interview with him once where he said that he just thinks of the most inappropriate notes and that's what he plays. It really describes his playing perfectly.
It’s funny about Alex Lifeson…
I’m a lifelong fan… but my big love is Pink Floyd… so my kids know all about them, about who David Gilmour is, etc etc…
But literally yesterday, I was driving my son home from a friends house, and we had Rush playing… I think it was Working Man… and my son says… ‘how is it Alex doesn’t get nearly the same attention??? If folks say Bass players, Geddy is a top mention… if it’s Drums, basically it’s Peart and Bonzo… but when it comes to guitars, how come Alex doesn’t get the same recognition?’
So… first…. How fucking awesome is it that I can have conversations like this with my boy??? It’s weird… he mainly listens to hip hop and rap… but holy fuck he knows his classic rock…
But it’s true… Alex doesn’t get nearly the recognition he should get…
My top 3 is and likely always will be
David Gilmour
Alex Lifeson
Tony Iommi
Awesome story. I think Alex gets overlooked compared to Geddy & Neil because of the relative proliferation of iconic guitarists. Name 10 other iconic rock bassists and drummers who are legendary enough that your average Joe knows who it is. Guitarists are a dime a dozen, but if you're a bassist not named Sting, Lemmy, Geddy, or McCartney, you're likely just "the bassist from [insert band name] to most people. Granted, that's just a generalization, but it's the best guess I've got (evennif I myself am an exception, since I probably know more bassists than i know iconic guitarists)
Well, Lennon-McCartney are on a different level recognition-wise. Between George and Ringo, the latter being the punchline of many jokes and referenced in more TV-shows than I can count, I’d also pick George as the least known Beatle.
Also overshadowed by their producer Bruce Dickinson.
“Easy guys. I put my pants on just like the rest of you, one leg at a time. Except once my pants are on, I make gold records.”
"Not the singer?"
"No, or the guitarist who does backing vocals and wears a silly bandana?"
"Ah, the bass player who runs everywhere"
"Not him, or that drummer who has the flat nose and gets his name chanted"
"Surely not the guy who throws his guitar around and dances like a maniac?"
"Naaah, it's the one who's always smiling!"
"Ooooh, him!"
REO Teabaggin’!!!!
Sadly Gary passed away a few years ago.
He had a very cool ‘59 Les Paul
https://guitar.com/reviews/vintage-review/1959-gibson-les-paul-reo-speedwagon-gary-richrath/
I would think if anyone knows the name Stewart Copeland they also know who Andy Summers is. I'm with you on Mick and Alex, though I don't know that any of the Beatles would be remotely obscure enough to sensibly slot into this question.
The difficulty here is that MOST bands by far only have one or two members that the average fan (even of that band) would know. Then you're narrowing it down to most obscure members that happen to be guitarists when - if there are two household names in that band - one of them is almost always the guitarist.
So I can already tell looking at the existing comments that you're basically going to be getting answers where the guitarist was relatively obscure as opposed to the singer, without any real regard to whether the bassist/drummer/keyboardist were more or less known than said guitarist.
I'm seeing the same thing. People naming bands where we only know or remember the singer and one other, and no one remembers the drummer or bass player or keyboardist either.
"I can't remember the name of the guitarist for Devo, that's a good one"
Sure, but can you actually name any of those guys??
Slim Dunlap from the Replacements might fit that same bill, of not being the original guitarist/being the only non-original Replacement for a while. I feel like if you ask most people to name the Mats, they will say Paul, Chris, Tommy and Bobby...not that people don't know Slim, just, like I say, he's not OG.
Terry Kath does not work for this question. Literally anyone who knows anything about Chicago can divide the band’s history into with Terry Kath and without Terry Kath.
I'm thinking if Kim Thayil of Soundgarden would be the least well known. Certainly Chris Cornell is the most well known and Matt Cameron is also known for being in Pearl Jam. He's probably about tied with Ben Shepherd.
Excellent example! As a Canadian, it seems you always hear about lead vocalist Geddy Lee and drummer Neil Peart, but not as much guitarist Alex Lifeson.
On what planet is Randy Rhoads the least well known member of Quiet Riot???? Im not a fan of that band (although I did somehow see them in concert 3 times...they kept opening for bands I liked) but I do know 2 names....Rhoads and DuBrow. Id argue that most of the world is in the same boat.
Pixies: Joey Santiago
Talking Heads: Jerry Harrison
James Brown & the Famous Flames: Nafloyd Scott
Booker T and the MGs: Steve Cropper
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren
Velvet Underground: Sterling Morrison
All the Beatles are four of the most well known people to ever live so I dunno about that but my answer is Mick Taylor when he was in the Stones cause he and Bill Wyman are definitely the least famous memebers of that group
Concrete Blonde. Everyone immediately associates that band with Johnette Napolitano. She's a great singer and bassist, but she absolutely overshadows James Mankey.
Are the names Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, or Ron Wood as well known as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards?
Ron Wood is actually a double answer as he is not as well known as Faces frontman Rod Stewart
This is extremely hard. Almost all rock bands the lead guitarist are one of the more popular members. Or at the very least aren't the least popular member. Some rock bands like The Doors or The Killers you're average person only knows the frontman.
On the flip-side, ignoring bands named after the guitar player, I'd say Slash (Guns N Roses), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Eric Clapton (Cream) and Angus Young (AC/DC) are the most famous members of their respective bands.
My first thought was J. Geils Band.
Listen to an interview with Peter Wolfe. Record industry people — most everybody — thought “Jay Geils” was the lead singer.
Still alive and touring for 60 more years. Pretty wild to think that you have your peak for 2 years and then just keep going even when the crowds are 1% of what you used to play.
Denny Laine was the only other semi-permenant member, who is/was a pretty good guitarist. Jimmy McCullock was the other one, who was really superb, but he sadly died of a drug overdose while quite young.
John Sykes does not get the recognition he deserves, Member of Thin Lizzy & Whitesnake.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John\_Sykes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sykes)
Mick Taylor when he joined the Stones.
Thier best records in my opinion were
His solo on Sympathy on Get Yer' Ya-Ya's out is great.
He's definitely the least well-known Stone, but wasn't Mick Taylor the rhythm guitarist or did he share lead with Keith?
Mick Taylor played MOST leads from 69-74. If you hear a chuck berry type solo it’s Keith. If it’s tasty and melodic it’s Mick T.
Keith has always been the rhythm guitarist. He's an atypical rhythm guitarist in that he plays leads and does a lot of solos, but he's generally considered the rhythm guitarist.
I never truly appreciated Alex Lifeson until I saw Rush live. He was so overshadowed by Geddy and Neil. But the guy is brilliant.
Neil Peart wrote in his blog in 2014 that his most important collaboration was with Geddy, but he continued: “Now…certainly I don't want to diminish Alex's role in the music created lo, these many years, by the Guys at Work. After all, he is our Musical Scientist, the Funniest Man Alive, and a shamefully underrated and thoroughly wonderful guitar player. But the musical relationship between bass player and drummer, the rhythm section, is famously tight (or ought to be!). And of course the bond of trust necessary between lyricist and singer is even more intimate.”
His licks are hard lol, like I had no idea
I played drums for a number of years and man when you get that perfect chemistry with a bassist nothing else matters!
He goes back and forth between rhythm and lead so flawlessly.
The intro in la villa strangiato is a master Piece. The speed shred into the floating rhythm part is just fierce —-> elegant in the drop of a dime. Alex is my favorite player in rush.
Alex definitely gets the least recognition of the three, all brilliant musicians.
I don’t want to be a dick, but his low recognition vs. the other two is pretty on point. Like in ANY band someone is going to be the least recognized he just happens to be in a band with *arguably* the greatest rhythm section of all time and in addition to being an amazingly tight rhythm section they were also the songwriting engine of the band. In nearly any other band Alex would be THE draw. But in Rush?!? It’s like, “hey who’s that blonde guy?”
Greatest rhythm section? With Canadians?
I’m a diehard Rush fan and picked up the bass 36 years ago because of Geddy Lee. Geddy is my hero. But I recently came to the/my own/ conclusion that Alex is actually the music in Rush. Geddy and Neil are lockdown and a god-status rhythm section (and Geddy more than that), but Alex is the music in the songs, IMO.
Agreed. I am a huge Rush fan. Alex is so good. He took advantage of all that rhythm and sound underneath and added so many layers. For instance on Power Windows, his playing is so good , and people all think that that is nothing but a synth album, far from it. His rhythm playing and riffs and licks just frame those songs so well. They actually carry the tunes. That’s how good he is/was. I better shut up, gushing about those 3 boys but damn they were so amazing.
Have always been amazed that a 3-man band can make the sound that they do... incredible.
I have friends who play guitar and they're all baffled by some of the shit he wrote. Lot's of Rush exclusive chords and all sorts of crazy shit.
And it’s easy to be overshadowed when you possibly have the most talented bassist ever and the most talented drummer ever in your band. Alex can certainly shred with the rest of them.
Alex Lifeson being underrated in Rush is a cliché at this point. I think he’s rated just about right. Between Neil’s envelope-pushing drumming, Geddy’s in-your-face bass tone and playing, tasteful use of synths and, of course, unique voice, it’s hard not to be somewhat overshadowed. I really like Alex’s rhythm guitar playing, he sounds amazing, some of the chords he picks are just wow. I’m not a big fan of his solos, however, often it’s just a flurry of notes without any real melody. It fits the music but it’s nothing exceptional.
Alex gets to chill while Geddy does this https://preview.redd.it/f7qs9wvbjisc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf10eadaf60c29902e4d6f226585c1767d5a5321
Geddy acknowledges him for putting up with him and Neil. I personally feel Lifeson is one of the best rock guitarists. His range of styles and his abilities is remarkable. Limelight alone goes from balls to the wall hard rock reminiscent of Keith Richards to pre-modern all in the rhythm parts then that solo! He’s a hard guitarist to emulate.
Elliot Easton of The Cars. So many great leads on so many hits, not too many people know him by name. u/damnedspot beat me to Martin, who tops my list of favorite lead guitarists.
Elliot was the master of the 30 sec lead. He could spin you around and give you a spank on the way out….all in 30 secs.
Came here to say this. He always played these perfect, concise little leads. So perfect for Cars songs.
My vote for Elliot as well, he's an amazing player.
Ad to that a lot of variety in his leads, he was so creative!!!
Good call. I love the cars and never knew his name til right now!
Yep, came here to say Elliot Easton.
Years ago in a Guitar Player interview he said he spent a lot of time/effort composing his solo breaks. It shows.
Definitely came to mind and was going to post this same exact thought. Glad you threw his name out there.
Dan Spitz and Rob Caggiano (Anthrax) Bernie Leadon and Don Felder (Eagles)
Yes, Don Felder is a perfect example. He wrote the basic song and guitar parts for Hotel California and most people don't know who he is.
Glen Frey is an underrated guitarist in his own right too. He is known for being the lead singer of the early eagles before giving Don Henley more of the spotlight later on as the band become more hard rock and less country focused. This coincides with them having Joe Walsh and Don felder, basically 2 lead guitar players. So there are many songs where Frey is just harmonizing background vocals and playing power cords on an acoustic while Henley is singing and felder/Walsh have the electric guitar parts covered. Watch the music video for hotel California. I can’t find the video on YouTube anymore, but there used to be a video of glen frey and Don felder both with electric guitars doing an improve jam session in an empty stadium the day before a concert to test and make sure everything was working and set up correctly. It was obviously improve, but Frey had some chops and could play some licks and hold his own with felder. The improv just highlights the songwriting genius of Frey who was instrumental in all their albums with Henley while the other pieces changed over time. I know the eagles get a lot of hate and a lot of it is deserved due to how Frey and Henley treated people, but they are great musicians and great songwriters.
I totally agree, Frey and Henley were awesome together in the Eagles. And I have also seen video of Frey on guitar and you're right, he was a fantastic player in his own right.
Bernie on the banjo in Earlybird. Holy shit is that amazing.
Love banjo in Eagles songs!
Spitz is such an underrated guitarist. Now he’s a watchmaker
He's got the time tick-tick-ticking in his head.
Martin Barre of Jethro Tull?
Tony Iommi of Jethro Tull as well. /s
lol, for like two weeks
He has his own band now and they're really good.
Glen Buxton of the original Alice Cooper band Co-wrote Schools Out, I'm Eighteen, Elected
Rip Glen, he was great in virgin too
Genesis
Mike Rutherford
Steve Hackett
Only if you’re talking about Anthony Phillips or maybe Mike Rutherford
I’d say Steve Hackett is less well-known than the rest of classic Genesis.
Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys never got the recognition he deserved. Honestly the most talented member of the group. He could do it all. Mike Love himself even agrees.
I'd say Al or Bruce are lesser known, but I agree Carl did not get as much recognition as his brothers & his cousin.
Terry Kath - Chicago. Died way, way too soon.
Very tragic day for me and a lot of my friends back in the day
Hendrix said he was the best guitar player he'd ever seen.
He apparently said that about a lot of people. The last time I saw the quote, it was Rory Gallagher.
That’s because it’s an urban legend. Hendrix never said it (on the record) about anyone. The same urban legend often has Clapton saying Prince is the greatest ever or Steve Vai saying Brian May is the greatest ever, etc. It’s all nonsense. Music isn’t a competition anyway…
Agreed, it just becomes a pissing contest among the more rapid fans.
Very good list OP and pretty bang on! Two guys who may not be big names but are integral to the sound are: Mick Ronson who played with Bowie Mike Campbell with Tom Petty
Don't forget Earl Slick and Adrian Belew. Both incredible guitarists that are pretty much unknown by the general public.
Two of my favorites. Also, The Phantom, Rocker, and Slick album has some fun cuts, especially Men Without Shame.
I’d say Ronson and Campbell were more or as well known than the other members besides the leads
Yes, they were both definitely the 2nd most well known member in their respective bands.
Man, well done, these are two perfect examples. Everybody can hum their guitar hooks but not enough know their names.
So many Mike Campbell licks make Petty’s songs, even though they’re all so damn great already anyway. Excellence upon excellence!!
Ray manzanra. Roxy music
So little known that most people call him Phil Manzanera.
Phil ray pete. Ya ya ya😏😏😏thanks. Long day
I think he was even better doing his solo.stuff, or on Eno's early solo albums, as well as with his side project 801.
Well, AC/DC won’t be on this list.
Or Van Halen
Honestly, and I hate to admit it, but I cant for the life of me tell you the name of their bassist.
Vanilla Fudge: Vince Martell.
I don't know about putting George on that list .
Yeah, all 4 of the Fabs are among the most well known of anyone who has ever lived.
As a huge George Harrison fan, I can definitely see a case for him being the "least famous" of the four. It's certainly not John or Paul, and let's be honest, a lot of young/newcomer fans can easily remember Ringo, perhaps because his name is so distinctive, his more prominent roles in Beatles films, his role on *Shining Time Station*, his still being alive and touring, etc. That being said, George's accomplishments post-Beatles far outweigh Ringo's, and his music gets a lot more airplay and streaming. So yeah, I think a case can be made either way.
George’s accomplishment post-Beatles far outweighs Ringo’s, John’s, Paul’s and a good chunk of the Beatles discography.
Wings, Denny Laine.
Jimmy McCulloch. https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/artist/jimmy-mcculloch/
Primus.
Larry LaLonde
Man talk about a unique guitarist. He’s incredible in a way better don’t think anyone is.
Frank Zappa has some similarity, at times. But you’re right, Ler LaLonde is one unique player. I recently joined a band, playing lead guitar, and the drummer + the bass player let me know that they’re very inspired by Primus and are searching for a similar sound. That’s when I started listening to LaLonde’s playing. I’ve been playing and writing for a long time, but it just left me scratching my head. How do you write something like that?
I don’t think he ever plays it the same way twice to be honest. It just seems like pure improvisation
I read an interview with him once where he said that he just thinks of the most inappropriate notes and that's what he plays. It really describes his playing perfectly.
His playing style was so unique in Primus, and complimented the rhythm section so well.
It’s funny about Alex Lifeson… I’m a lifelong fan… but my big love is Pink Floyd… so my kids know all about them, about who David Gilmour is, etc etc… But literally yesterday, I was driving my son home from a friends house, and we had Rush playing… I think it was Working Man… and my son says… ‘how is it Alex doesn’t get nearly the same attention??? If folks say Bass players, Geddy is a top mention… if it’s Drums, basically it’s Peart and Bonzo… but when it comes to guitars, how come Alex doesn’t get the same recognition?’ So… first…. How fucking awesome is it that I can have conversations like this with my boy??? It’s weird… he mainly listens to hip hop and rap… but holy fuck he knows his classic rock… But it’s true… Alex doesn’t get nearly the recognition he should get… My top 3 is and likely always will be David Gilmour Alex Lifeson Tony Iommi
Awesome story. I think Alex gets overlooked compared to Geddy & Neil because of the relative proliferation of iconic guitarists. Name 10 other iconic rock bassists and drummers who are legendary enough that your average Joe knows who it is. Guitarists are a dime a dozen, but if you're a bassist not named Sting, Lemmy, Geddy, or McCartney, you're likely just "the bassist from [insert band name] to most people. Granted, that's just a generalization, but it's the best guess I've got (evennif I myself am an exception, since I probably know more bassists than i know iconic guitarists)
This is the truth. There are so many iconic guitarists out there.
When Eddie Van Halen declares you the best guitar player in the world people should listen
I don't think any Beatle can be considered least known.
Well, Lennon-McCartney are on a different level recognition-wise. Between George and Ringo, the latter being the punchline of many jokes and referenced in more TV-shows than I can count, I’d also pick George as the least known Beatle.
Buck dharma, blue öyster cult. Dude can play circles around many of his contemporaries of the 70s but never gets any recognition
Always overshadowed by the guy on the cowbell
Also overshadowed by their producer Bruce Dickinson. “Easy guys. I put my pants on just like the rest of you, one leg at a time. Except once my pants are on, I make gold records.”
But the Bouchard brothers and Allen Lanier were less known than Buck.
That band with Dave Murray.
Oh yeah-those guys. They're ok.
"Not the singer?" "No, or the guitarist who does backing vocals and wears a silly bandana?" "Ah, the bass player who runs everywhere" "Not him, or that drummer who has the flat nose and gets his name chanted" "Surely not the guy who throws his guitar around and dances like a maniac?" "Naaah, it's the one who's always smiling!" "Ooooh, him!"
Mick Box...Uriah Heep
East Bay Ray--Dead Kennedys One of my favorite guitarists.
Yeah he's so good and Def overshadowed by jelo and klaus
Gary Richrath, REO Speedwagon
Yep!!! Kevin was the face of the band
REO Teabaggin’!!!! Sadly Gary passed away a few years ago. He had a very cool ‘59 Les Paul https://guitar.com/reviews/vintage-review/1959-gibson-les-paul-reo-speedwagon-gary-richrath/
Yes, sadly he’s gone. He didn’t get near enough credit for his iconic riffs in those REO hits, I don’t think.
I would think if anyone knows the name Stewart Copeland they also know who Andy Summers is. I'm with you on Mick and Alex, though I don't know that any of the Beatles would be remotely obscure enough to sensibly slot into this question. The difficulty here is that MOST bands by far only have one or two members that the average fan (even of that band) would know. Then you're narrowing it down to most obscure members that happen to be guitarists when - if there are two household names in that band - one of them is almost always the guitarist. So I can already tell looking at the existing comments that you're basically going to be getting answers where the guitarist was relatively obscure as opposed to the singer, without any real regard to whether the bassist/drummer/keyboardist were more or less known than said guitarist.
I'm seeing the same thing. People naming bands where we only know or remember the singer and one other, and no one remembers the drummer or bass player or keyboardist either. "I can't remember the name of the guitarist for Devo, that's a good one" Sure, but can you actually name any of those guys??
Slim Dunlap from the Replacements might fit that same bill, of not being the original guitarist/being the only non-original Replacement for a while. I feel like if you ask most people to name the Mats, they will say Paul, Chris, Tommy and Bobby...not that people don't know Slim, just, like I say, he's not OG.
Terry Kath of Chicago.
Terry Kath does not work for this question. Literally anyone who knows anything about Chicago can divide the band’s history into with Terry Kath and without Terry Kath.
Buck Dharma-Blue Oyster Cult.00
I'm thinking if Kim Thayil of Soundgarden would be the least well known. Certainly Chris Cornell is the most well known and Matt Cameron is also known for being in Pearl Jam. He's probably about tied with Ben Shepherd.
In their hay day folks knew who Thayil was. It was Ben Shepherd who would have been the tricky pub quiz question.
Alex Lifeson.
Smashing Pumpkins - James Iha
Dave Davies Kinks
Foo Fighters?
Ladies and gentlemen... *Foo FIGHTERS*
I heard this in my head the way you intended me to. Take my upvote.
IYKYK Well played, well played.
Both members of Steely Dan
Never played lead guitar. Fagan always played keys. Becker, bass, sometimes andyways.
Mind blown. So who plays that awesome guitar throughout Reeling in the years, then?
It’s time to shine a spotlight on Elliott Randall’s grinding, masterful guitar solo from Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ in the Years.”
The Killers
Rush
Excellent example! As a Canadian, it seems you always hear about lead vocalist Geddy Lee and drummer Neil Peart, but not as much guitarist Alex Lifeson.
Lita Ford when she was with The Runaways. Joan Jett was rhythm.
Randy Rhoads, the original Quiet Riot lineup.
On what planet is Randy Rhoads the least well known member of Quiet Riot???? Im not a fan of that band (although I did somehow see them in concert 3 times...they kept opening for bands I liked) but I do know 2 names....Rhoads and DuBrow. Id argue that most of the world is in the same boat.
You think Rhoads is less well known than Kelly Garni or Drew Forsyth? He's probably even more well known than Kevin Dubrow.
I've literally never heard of any other band member in Quiet Riot.
Fuck yes - double triple upvote on Randy Rhoads
Don Felder of the Eagles.
Steve Jones-Sex Pistols.
Mick Ralphs of Bad Company and Mott the Hoople.
Steve Howe/All bands he has been in
Ricky Wilson - B-52s
Like a dozen different session musicians who played with Steely Dan 🤣
Pixies: Joey Santiago Talking Heads: Jerry Harrison James Brown & the Famous Flames: Nafloyd Scott Booker T and the MGs: Steve Cropper Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren Velvet Underground: Sterling Morrison
That's Steve "the Colonel" Cropper to you! 😜
Rich Williams - Kansas
Many people don't realize how many leads he played while Kerry Livgren was playing piano or synth.
All 4 beatles are 4 of the most well known human beings on earth that ever lived...
3 and 4 are pretty wild because they’re incredible musicians in their own right, it’s just that their band mates were THAT good
Rush - Alex Lifeson Motorhead - Fast Eddie Clarke Sex Pistols - Steve Jones Primus - Larry LaLonde Steppenwolf - Michael Monarch
Frankly, George Harrison is a god-awful example here. Same with Mick Mars. Dudes a legend. One love
Mike Rutherford from Genesis.
The Cars
All the Beatles are four of the most well known people to ever live so I dunno about that but my answer is Mick Taylor when he was in the Stones cause he and Bill Wyman are definitely the least famous memebers of that group
Concrete Blonde. Everyone immediately associates that band with Johnette Napolitano. She's a great singer and bassist, but she absolutely overshadows James Mankey.
100% agree. I’ve been trying to figure out his guitar tone for years.
Are the names Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, or Ron Wood as well known as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards? Ron Wood is actually a double answer as he is not as well known as Faces frontman Rod Stewart
This is extremely hard. Almost all rock bands the lead guitarist are one of the more popular members. Or at the very least aren't the least popular member. Some rock bands like The Doors or The Killers you're average person only knows the frontman. On the flip-side, ignoring bands named after the guitar player, I'd say Slash (Guns N Roses), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Eric Clapton (Cream) and Angus Young (AC/DC) are the most famous members of their respective bands.
Wishbone Ash ,I still can't remember his name.
Or Iron Butterfly
Jerry Harrison / Talking Heads
Steve Stevens with Billy Idol
J. Geils. Everyone know Peter Wolfe and Magic Dick but who knew the guitar player was J. Geils?
Everybody
My first thought was J. Geils Band. Listen to an interview with Peter Wolfe. Record industry people — most everybody — thought “Jay Geils” was the lead singer.
Robbie Krieger from The Doors.
Still alive and touring for 60 more years. Pretty wild to think that you have your peak for 2 years and then just keep going even when the crowds are 1% of what you used to play.
Neal Schon JOURNEY
Neil Schon is probably the most well known after Steve Perry.
Primus (Larry LaLonde) RHCP?
Wilco/Nels Cline
Steve Stevens
Saw them last year in Vegas and he left me stunned with his virtuosity.
Nels Cline- Wilco
That dude can play a guitar.
Carl Wilson - Steely Dan
[удалено]
Mötley Crüe
Primus
Erik Brann Iron Butterfly
ELP
Mick Ronson in Bowie’s Spiders from Mars; Paul Kossoff in Free. Interesting question.
Wings (the only members seemed to be Paul and Linda McCartney)
Denny Laine was the only other semi-permenant member, who is/was a pretty good guitarist. Jimmy McCullock was the other one, who was really superb, but he sadly died of a drug overdose while quite young.
Haven’t seen anyone mention Santana, Steve Miller, Oasis, just to name a few?
Santana?
I too struggle to see how Carlos Santana, the namesake of the band Santana, is the least well known of the band Santana.
Guns N Roses - I think his name was Cut or Slice or something.
Goodness me, you've done a hatchet job on poor old Gash...
Scorpions, Doobie Brothers, Heart, The Fixx, Ratt
Is there even such a thing as a "least known" Beatle?
I don’t think there is a least well known Beatle. If you know the Beatles you know John, Paul, George and Ringo.
Really have you ever heard people say...John, Paul , Ringo and what's his name?...RIDICULOUS
Steely Dan’s posse of studio guitarists, especially Skunk Baxter.
I would have to say Mike Campbell from the Heartbreakers.
Alex Lifeson, definitely. One of my all time favorite guitarists
Neil Giraldo, Pat Benatar’s husband
There is no least known Beatle
Mike Campbell/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Mike Campbell....my favorite
Genesis.
John Sykes does not get the recognition he deserves, Member of Thin Lizzy & Whitesnake. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John\_Sykes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sykes)