When a lead singer becomes more of a liability than an asset, bands can quickly lose their musical magic. We're diving into the groups whose frontmen transformed their potential greatness into a cringe-worthy spectacle of musical disappointment.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at bands whose musical quality and popularity
00:10were undermined by the lead vocalist's relatively poor ability, stage presence, or public image.
00:17That's not counting frontmen who destroyed the group with serious scandal.
00:27The Murder Junkies – G.G. Allen Amidst the subversive politics and showmanship
00:33of New York's hardcore punk scene, G.G. Allen definitely stood out.
00:41The prolific frontman's twisted act claimed infamy with the Murder Junkies. Their dynamic
00:46musicianship was overshadowed by Allen's guttural raving of the most morbid lyrics.
00:57On stage, he terrified audiences with mad antics, disgusting stunts, and self-harm. Offstage,
01:05he was known for extreme views and substance use, leading to his death at the age of 36.
01:11The Murder Junkies carried on, but with less attention. Still, Allen's deliberately divisive
01:17aesthetic had narrowed the band's following while revolting critics and audiences. Even some punks
01:24feel he cheapened their confrontational culture. Whatever one thinks of Allen,
01:28he's considered one of the most shocking rockers to ever defile the stage.
01:39The Smashing Pumpkins – Billy Corgan There's no denying The Smashing Pumpkins
01:44frontman's versatile talent as a songwriter and guitarist. As a singer, though, Billy Corgan has
01:50always divided audiences with his weak voice and brash delivery. It never fully fit the band's
02:02otherwise tight sound, despite Corgan's insistence that he is the band. His notorious ego is evidence
02:16in live performances of more swagger than actual energy or charisma. Never mind the
02:21offstage drama behind regular band turnover through the years. In the meantime, Corgan
02:32has had polarizing vanity projects, a scandalous love life, pretentious interviews, and more.
02:39The Smashing Pumpkins remain a beloved staple of 90s alt-rock. Still, even fans say they could
02:45have been more if Corgan had the leaderly chops to back up his reputation.
02:568. The Strokes – Julian Casablancas The Strokes' infectious artistry was
03:02indispensable to the rise of garage rock revival in the 2000s. But is Julian Casablancas
03:09really so indispensable? Though he's a talented songwriter, his bombastic and
03:21seldom melodic vocals have divided listeners. The same goes for his slumping about and
03:33preoccupation with crowd work during concerts. It may drag down the flashy musicianship for
03:39some. One thing people can agree on is that Casablancas' brazen public image and conflicts
03:44with his bandmates are distracting. That he's given so much attention to his mixed-reviewed
03:54side project, The Voids, is also an outrage to some fans. Certainly, The Strokes deserve
04:00the underground renown. It's just that if they've lost a wide audience, consistently over time,
04:07Casablancas stands at the center. 7. Five Finger Death Punch – Ivan Moody
04:19Five Finger Death Punch exemplifies inflammatory mainstream metal,
04:23with a frontman to at least match that brand.
04:27Ivan Moody's harsh songwriting, vocals, and stage presence are definitely not for everyone.
04:47But even the band's niche has been disheartened by his volatility.
04:51This has compromised live performances and led to serious conflict within the band.
04:56Even more disturbing is a history of violence against women.
05:03When Moody finally went to rehab in 2017, guitarist Zoltan Bathory referred to him on
05:10Facebook as a cancerous, painful, toxic, useless anchor. The Five FTP community has become more
05:16welcoming of Moody since he got sober. Of course, that community remains limited by his heavy style
05:22and even heavier past. 6. Fall Out Boy – Patrick Stump
05:32From the recesses of Chicago's hardcore scene, Fall Out Boy rose to stardom as a pop-rock act.
05:45Fans can thank the rich voice and showmanship of Patrick Stump. So too, can the critics.
05:50He became an independent brand who dragged his energetic bandmates out of their punk roots from
05:55the beginning, then kept dragging after their reunion in 2013. This came in the wake of Stump's
06:08mediocre and fast solo career, marked by online backlash and other multimedia enterprises. Many
06:15rock traditionalists have long dismissed Stump for his unconvincing swagger and shrill soul influences.
06:28The talent is there, earning Fall Out Boy mainstream popularity behind a contrived icon,
06:33but just as many listeners believe they've fallen from grace under Stump's ill-fitting leadership.
06:455. Puddle of Mud – Wes Scantlin Highlighting the post-grunge craze of
06:55the 2000s, Puddle of Mud was never a hit with critics. The heavy hooks were overpowered by
07:07Wes Scantlin's trashy, generic lyrics and vocals. As jarring as his register shifts are,
07:19his ability and energy in concert are even more inconsistent. Beyond that,
07:24a history of bizarre crimes, lip-syncing and domestic violence made him a pariah.
07:306. Puddle of Mud – Wes Scantlin This volatility has made it to the stage,
07:38with Scantlin barging out of a show in 2014 and his bandmates doing the same during a rant in
07:442016. This is just a taste of the embarrassing public image that devalued Puddle of Mud
07:50after a few early hits. Of course, Scantlin never won over particularly discerning listeners.
08:004. Creed – Scott Stapp Multi-platinum Grammy winners Creed
08:07have been very commercially successful. Critically, however, they're a popular
08:17punching bag through frontman Scott Stapp. His taste for ballads and religious overtones leave
08:23grunge purists baffled. Still, Stapp maintains the genre cliches in his exaggerated vocal style,
08:37complemented by a dull, self-aggrandized stage presence.
08:415. Alter Bridge – Miles Kennedy Finally, his struggles with mental health
08:50and substance use temporarily ended Creed in 2004. The instrumentalists would go on to form
08:56Alter Bridge, to great renown behind vocal virtuoso Miles Kennedy. Meanwhile,
09:02Stapp has had a middling solo career and been sued for underpromoting the group,
09:07part of anarchy. He surely deserves respect for his philanthropy and turning his life around,
09:12but Stapp may be beyond redemption with many rockers.
09:203. Razorlight – Johnny Burrell Critics felt that Johnny Burrell's
09:26vision was not as stylistically creative as it should have been in the heyday of British indie
09:32rock. Razorlight still earned a strong following, but Burrell himself is a different story. His
09:42boisterous, haphazard vocal style doesn't exactly hook. And for all his conventional bouncing around
09:55the microphone, he's a limited-life showman. Nonetheless, Burrell is infamous for an
10:00obnoxiously high opinion of himself. He never let down an NME interview in 2004,
10:09in which he referred to himself as the greatest songwriter of his generation. The reviews and
10:14sales for his 2013 solo album suggest otherwise. Burrell may have owned up to his ego over the
10:21years, but his many critics offer quite the humbling.
10:252. The Stone Roses – Ian Brown Co-founding the Manchester scene of the 80s and 90s,
10:38The Stone Roses achieved immortality with just two acclaimed albums.
10:43This was due to Ian Brown's songwriting, and in spite of his musicianship,
10:54he's practically legendary for contrasting the band's rich sound with flat vocals.
10:59No less bizarre is the tediously weak dancing when this dance-rock icon performs live.
11:17When The Stone Roses first disbanded over legal, personal, and performance issues,
11:22not even fans expected much from the frontman's solo career.
11:26He wound up being a commercial and critical success. Still criticized for how he performs
11:31his versatile material, Brown's resilience is nothing less than a phenomenon. His innovative
11:36vision has cultivated a loyal niche, but his much-maligned execution has limited wider appeal.
11:561. Limp Bizkit – Fred Durst If new metal haters single out Limp Bizkit,
12:10they're usually singling out Fred Durst. At the center of admittedly heavy grooves are
12:21crass lyrics that range from laughable to disturbing. Durst's smug, angry rapping
12:27hasn't appealed much to hip-hop fans either. All of this and an overwrought stage presence
12:37would be more forgivable if not for his public reputation. Durst allegedly escalated the infamous
12:43riots of Woodstock 99 and has certainly had a long history of feuds and violent behavior.
12:52Getting in on the right movement at the time, Limp Bizkit remains a cult force on the talents
12:57of the instrumentalists. But less nostalgic listeners have trouble getting past one of the
13:02most divisive frontmen of his day. What bands are a new singer short of being one of your favorites?
13:13Step up to the comments.