3 Classic Rock Songs You Forgot Had Amazing Backing Vocals

When we think about the best singers ever in popular music, of course, we think of lead vocalists. People like James Brown, Kurt Cobain, Grace Slick, and Whitney Houston. But not everyone who sings in front of a microphone does so center stage with the main lyric.

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Here below, we wanted to highlight three classic rock songs where the backing vocals were as interesting as the ones up front—perhaps at times even more so. Indeed, these are three classic rock songs you forgot had amazing backing vocals.

“Under The Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers from ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ (1992)

Sometimes great backing vocals can come out of nowhere. And that’s just what happened here on this iconic RHCP song. It was the band’s guitarist, John Frusciante, who invited his mother and her friend to sing backup on this song about drug use under a bridge. Surprised? Who wouldn’t be! The former choir singers understood the assignment and knocked it out of the park.

“The Great Gig In The Sky” by Pink Floyd from ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ (1973)

Sometimes even the most incredible vocal performances go uncredited. That’s what happened to Clare Torry, who sang those incredible, swelling, and sweeping vocals on “The Great Gig In The Sky”. Torry was 25 years old when she recorded the singing for Pink Floyd’s seminal LP, but she was only paid a small flat fee for the work. In 2005, after fighting for her recognition, she earned vocal composition credit. But all that aside for a moment, it’s just a simply incredible, inspired performance.

“Respect” by Aretha Franklin from ‘I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You’ (1967)

You can’t fake family. And that’s exactly what music fans hear when they put on Aretha Franklin’s all-time song, “Respect”. While it was originally an Otis Redding tune, Franklin made it her own–with the help of her sisters, Carolyn and Erma Franklin. They sang backup on the track, providing those fun and super sticky choruses. Indeed, when families come together to sing, magic can happen.

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