In the theatre of rock and roll, the spotlight has a gravitational pull toward the flamboyant frontman and the guitar hero.
We are conditioned to watch the singer’s strut and the lead guitarist’s solo, often overlooking the subtle, structural genius happening just a few feet to the left or right. These underrated members are often the secret weapons of their respective bands: the musicians who provided the swing, the harmonic depth, or the stabilizing influence that allowed their more famous bandmates to shine.
Without them, Led Zeppelin lacks its bluesy groove, Pink Floyd loses its ethereal atmosphere, and the Rolling Stones lose the heartbeat that pulses under all that louche, swaggering energy. Being underrated is frequently a byproduct of a selfless musical philosophy; these artists chose to serve the song rather than their own egos. This ranking shines a light on the quiet powerhouses who were never just 'along for the ride', but were, in fact, the essential architects of the sounds we love.
1. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
While Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were the golden gods of the early 1970s, John Paul Jones was the band’s undisputed musical director. A seasoned session pro before Led Zeppelin even formed, Jones provided the 'glue' that held their heavy blues together. He wasn't just a bassist; he was a world-class keyboardist and arranger who brought recorders, mellotrons, and mandolins into the hard-rock fold.
Overshadowed by Plant's sexual charisma, Page's dark guitar wizardry and drummer John Bonham's mix of heft and brilliance, Jones was the quiet genius who ensured the band’s experimental detours actually worked. He was the anchor that allowed Page to wander, providing a melodic foundation that was far more complex than simple blues-rock.
Key Track: No Quarter. Jones' haunting Fender Rhodes and synth work define the band's atmospheric peak.
2. Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
In the war of egos between Roger Waters and David Gilmour, Rick Wright was the ultimate casualty. His jazz-inflected keyboard textures were the literal 'sound' of Pink Floyd, providing the cosmic, ambient beds that made Gilmour’s solos soar. Waters’ dominant songwriting, however, eventually pushed Wright to the periphery, notoriously leading to his firing during The Wall sessions.
However, without Wright’s understated vocal harmonies and his mastery of the Farfisa and Hammond organs, the band would have been just another blues-rock outfit. He provided the 'space' in space-rock, a gentle, melancholic soul that balanced the band’s often cold, conceptual leanings.
Key Track: Us and Them. Wright's lush Hammond organ and soulful piano chords are the heart of this masterpiece. Listen to Wright's trajectory through the song below.
3. Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones)
Charlie Watts was the anti-rock star. A jazz drummer at heart, he famously claimed he spent decades waiting around for the band rather than playing in it. While Keith Richards and Mick Jagger embodied rock decadence, Watts provided the essential, swinging pocket that separated the Stones from every other guitar band.
He didn't play 'heavy'; he played with a light, syncopated touch that allowed the guitars to breathe. His refusal to use a 'power' technique gave the Stones their signature 'loose-but-tight' feel. Without Charlie, the Stones lose their roll, leaving only the rock.
Key Track: Honky Tonk Women. The cowbell-led intro and his delayed snare hit are a masterclass in rhythmic tension).
4. Kim Deal (Pixies)
Black Francis wrote the songs, but Kim Deal gave the Pixies their heart and their 'cool'. Her simple, melodic bass lines provided a sturdy, grounding force against the band’s jagged, surrealist guitar assaults. More importantly, her breathy, girl-group backing vocals became the band’s secret weapon, creating a 'beauty vs. beast' dynamic that Kurt Cobain famously tried to replicate.
Despite her massive popularity with fans, internal friction with Francis led to Kim Deal's role being diminished over time. Her presence was the vital human element in an otherwise abrasive and eccentric sonic landscape.
Key Track: Gigantic. Her driving bassline and exuberant lead vocal prove she was a frontwoman in her own right).
5. George Harrison (The Beatles)
Yeah, OK, it's stretching things to call any Beatle 'underrated', yet arguably George Harrison spent a decade in the most suffocating creative shadow in history. Playing junior partner to the Lennon-McCartney juggernaut meant that his songwriting was often limited to one or two tracks per album.
However, Harrison was the band’s colourist; his melodic, economical guitar fills were perfectly served to the song, never wasting a note. As he matured into a world-class songwriter, he brought a spiritual and sonic depth – via the sitar and slide guitar – that propelled the band into their most experimental and sophisticated territory.
Key Track: Something. The moment George finally stepped out from the shadow. Not for nothing did Frank Sinatra call it the greatest love song of the last 50 years.
6. Mike Mills (R.E.M.)
In R.E.M., Michael Stipe was the voice and Peter Buck was the jangle, but Mike Mills was the band’s secret musical engine. A true multi-instrumentalist, Mills provided the complex, melodic bass lines that functioned as a second lead guitar. Even more vital were his soaring high-tenor backing vocals, which frequently carried the actual 'hook' of the song while Stipe mumbled enigmatically.
Mills was the primary composer of many of their biggest hits and the band’s most proficient musician, ensuring their college rock roots always had a sophisticated, pop-literate edge.
Key Track: Find the River. Mills's gorgeous vocal harmonies and piano work elevate this to a spiritual experience.
7. Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
While the world was mesmerized by the 'white witch' theatrics of Stevie Nicks or the frantic guitar virtuosity of Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie was Fleetwood Mac’s grounding force and most consistent hitmaker. As a classically trained musician with roots in British blues, she provided the melodic 'glue' that prevented the band’s internal soap opera from derailing their music.
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McVie wrote the band’s most enduring, optimistic anthems, delivering them with a smoky, soulful contralto that balanced the high-register tension of her bandmates. She was the architect of their sophisticated pop sensibility, an unassuming powerhouse who remained the calm at the centre of the storm for over four decades.
Key Track: You Make Loving Fun. (Her groovy clavinet playing and effortless vocal delivery define the Rumours sound).
8. Tony Banks (Genesis)
In the long-running debate between the Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins eras, Tony Banks is the essential constant who actually defined the Genesis sound. As the band's primary harmonic architect, Banks utilized banks of Mellotrons, organs, and synthesizers to create complex, symphonic structures. He avoided the bluesy clichés of his peers, opting instead for a distinctively English, pastoral harmonic language.
While Gabriel had the masks and Collins had the drums, Banks provided the actual musical landscape they inhabited. He was a master of the long game, weaving intricate keyboard textures that gave the band its intellectual and emotional weight.
Key Track: Firth of Fifth. The piano introduction and subsequent synth solo are widely considered the peak of prog rock keyboard playing.
9. Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode)
Depeche Mode is often viewed as the Martin Gore (songwriter) and Dave Gahan (voice) partnership, but Alan Wilder was the band's sonic engineer and studio wizard. During their creative peak in the late 80s and early 90s, Wilder was the member responsible for the band’s dark, industrial, and highly sophisticated production.
Wilder was the man who turned synth-pop into stadium-goth. He transformed Gore’s simple demos into cinematic masterpieces, obsessing over sampling, layering, and percussion. When he walked out in 1995, citing a lack of recognition for his monumental workload, the band’s sound lost a significant level of its textural depth.
Key Track: Enjoy the Silence. Wilder famously insisted on turning Gore's slow ballad into an up-tempo dance track, creating their biggest hit.
10. Chris Hillman (The Byrds)
In the early days of The Byrds, the spotlight was firmly on Roger McGuinn’s 12-string Rickenbacker and Gene Clark’s songwriting. However, Chris Hillman was the band's secret weapon. Originally a bluegrass mandolin prodigy, he switched to bass and provided a melodic, driving foundation that was far more sophisticated than standard folk-rock thumping.
As members left, Hillman’s role expanded, and he became instrumental in steering the band toward country-rock. He was the vital link between their psychedelic peak and the Sweetheart of the Rodeo era, an ego-free musician who stabilized one of the most volatile lineups in rock history.
Key Track: Have You Seen Her Face. A rare lead vocal for Hillman, showcasing his melodic bass playing and his burgeoning songwriting talent.
11. Izzy Stradlin (Guns N’ Roses)
Axl Rose was the fire and Slash was the lightning, but Izzy Stradlin was the cool that held Guns N’ Roses together. As the band’s primary songwriter during their Appetite for Destruction peak, Stradlin brought a Keith Richards-esque rhythmic grit and a punk-rock sensibility that kept the band grounded in the blues. When he walked out in 1991, the band lost its internal compass, spiralling into the over-bloated, orchestral excesses of the Use Your Illusion tour. Izzy was the soul of the band; without his understated rhythm playing and songwriting, G N' R became a circus.
Key Track: Dust N' Bones. His raspy lead vocal and bluesy swagger show the band's authentic heart).
12. Krist Novoselic (Nirvana)
In the monumental shadow of Kurt Cobain’s songwriting and Dave Grohl’s thunderous drumming, Krist Novoselic is often unfairly overlooked. However, in a three-piece band, the bass has to do heavy lifting, and Novoselic’s melodic, thick-toned lines were the glue that allowed Cobain to switch between quiet verses and abrasive choruses.
His bass parts were often the actual hooks of the songs, providing a distorted, walking-blues foundation that gave Nirvana their unique, grimy swing. He was the stabilizing force of the band, both musically and personally.
Key Track: Lounge Act. The bassline is the driving force of this Nevermind track, showcasing Novoselic's immense melodic agility).
13. Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
Tom Petty was the quintessential American songwriter, but Benmont Tench was the man who coloured in the lines. As the Heartbreakers’ keyboardist, Tench is a master of 'playing for the song', providing tasteful Hammond B3 swells or sparkling piano runs exactly where they are needed.
He is arguably the most respected sideman in rock history, a musician whose ego-free contributions made every Heartbreakers record sound like an instant classic. He never overplayed, but his absence would leave Petty’s songs feeling thin and skeletal.
Key Track: Breakdown. That iconic, sultry Fender Rhodes riff is the definition of 'less is more'.
14. Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads)
Talking Heads were often viewed as the 'David Byrne show', but the band’s danceable, art-funk identity was largely forged by Tina Weymouth. Her rubbery, syncopated bass lines – influenced by disco and dub – provided the essential groove that made Byrne’s nervous, twitchy energy palatable to the dancefloor. Alongside drummer (and husband) Chris Frantz, she created a rhythm section so potent it birthed the Tom Tom Club. Her ability to anchor complex, avant-garde arrangements with a simple, irresistible 'thump' was the band’s greatest secret.
Key Track: Psycho Killer. The opening bass riff is one of the most recognizable and menacing in rock history.
15. Alex Lifeson (Rush)
In a band featuring the world’s most famous drummer (Neil Peart) and a virtuoso bassist/vocalist (Geddy Lee), the guitarist is somehow the 'quiet one'. Alex Lifeson had the impossible task of filling the sonic space between Lee’s busy bass lines and Peart’s percussive onslaught. He did so by reinventing the role of the prog-rock guitarist, using lush suspended chords and textural effects to create a massive wall of sound.
Lifeson was Rush’s secret weapon of versatility, shifting effortlessly from classical acoustic passages to heavy, metallic riffs.
Key Track: La Villa Strangiato. A tour de force of his dynamic range, from delicate volume swells to shredding fury.
16. Mick Avory (The Kinks)
While the Davies brothers were busy fighting each other, Mick Avory was the calm, jazz-trained drummer who kept The Kinks on track for twenty years. Often overshadowed by the flamboyant drummers of the 60s like Keith Moon or Mitch Mitchell, Avory played with a restrained, crisp precision that suited Ray Davies’ observational, music-hall songwriting perfectly.
He was a 'pocket' drummer who understood that in a band built on wit and melody, the drums should support the story rather than scream for attention.
Key Track: You Really Got Me. His steady, driving beat provided the foundational thump for the birth of hard rock.
17. Bill Wyman (The Rolling Stones)
Often relegated to the background both physically and musically, bassist Bill Wyman was the essential, stoic anchor of the Stones for thirty years. While Keith Richards’ erratic rhythm guitar style was the band’s engine, Wyman’s 'lead bass' style – often playing high up the neck – provided a melodic counterpoint that filled the gaps.
He was a master of economy, knowing exactly when to stay silent to let the groove breathe. His departure in 1993 left a hole in the band's swing that session players, despite their technical brilliance, could never truly replicate.
Key Track: 19th Nervous Breakdown. His fuzz-drenched 'dive bomber' bass runs at the end are one of the coolest moments in 60s rock.
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