The biggest rock bands in the world often have one or two members that take up all the limelight. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either. However, a few rock bands through the years have boasted some seriously underrated members who still don’t get as much love as they deserve. Let’s look at just a few examples!
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1. Nick Mason
Out of all the underrated members of rock bands on this list, Nick Mason is probably the most noteworthy drummer and the very foundation of his band. The prog-rock outfit Pink Floyd would not enjoy the reverence they have today if it wasn’t for Mason’s contributions to songs like “Echoes” and “Time”.
Mason is a very talented musician, and he is a master of rhythm in a way that many drummers can only dream of. He also happens to be the only member of the band to appear on each one of their albums, and he’s still the only member to remain since the very beginning.
2. Charlie Watts
I’ve written about Charlie Watts’ underrated-ness before, but he’s worth mentioning again. The late Charlie Watts was an absolutely killer drummer for The Rolling Stones, one who took his jazz inspirations and turned that background into a drumming style that was unabashedly rock and roll.
Watts’ personality was also a welcome reprieve from the excess and hedonism of his bandmates. Watts rarely ever partook, and he was married to the same woman until his death. Sometimes, it’s the reserved member that has the bulk of the talent.
3. Moe Tucker
It might be controversial to say The Velvet Underground is underrated. As such, it might also be controversial to say that Moe Tucker was the most underrated musician in that group. I’ll say it anyway.
Moe Tucker was at the heart of The Velvet Underground. She was the only woman in the New York proto-punk outfit and one of few revered female drummers in rock and roll history. Her style of drumming was very minimalist but wholly calculated and careful. The Velvet Underground would not have been the same without her.
4. Alex Lifeson
Underrated members of rock bands often slip through the cracks of public attention because their talent is just not there. That could not be less of the case for Rush’s Alex Lifeson. Lifeson’s guitar-playing style is incredibly unique, and when one thinks of Rush, the sonic blueprint of his work in Rush’s music comes to mind before anything (or anyone) else.
Few instrumentalists could bridge the gap between indie rock and full-blown metal with ease, but Lifeson made it look easy. That solo from “Limelight” is still such a joy to listen to decades later.
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