When two powerful rock stars or bands get together, the result is usually pretty incredible. However, some musicians end up getting overshadowed on their own tracks by their guest performers. Let’s look at just four times famous rock stars were overshadowed by other musicians!
1. Linkin Park and Daron Malakian
The Hunting Party is a pretty incredible album. Linkin Park decided to strip down their sound a bit and get rid of the more electronic elements of their previous album. It’s one of their heaviest works, with the track “Rebellion” being particularly engaging. And that heaviness was provided by nu-metal guitarist Daron Malakian from System Of A Down.
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The Hunting Party features quite a few guest musicians, but none overshadowed Linkin Park quite like Malakian on “Rebellion”. His guitar track is a certified shred-fest.
2. The Rolling Stones and Merry Clayton
Out of all the examples of rock stars being overshadowed by guests, this example is probably the most well-known. Merry Clayton croons with incredible energy and cautions the listener of war and hardship. Mick Jagger’s vocals compete with hers but never quite overcome the energy she dishes out. We’d say “Gimme Shelter” is one of the best examples of how beautifully hard rock can blend with soul and gospel music.
3. Pink Floyd and Clare Torry
“The Great Gig In The Sky” is about as simple as Pink Floyd could get lyrically. There are technically only five lines in the whole song. But it’s not the lyrics that make this such an iconic Pink Floyd track. It’s Clare Torry’s vocalization shortly after the introduction of the song. No matter your age, you could probably hear it and know exactly where it’s from.
4. Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush
Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush go together like two peas in a pod, but one can’t deny that this is a classic example of rock stars who were overshadowed by their guest performers.
“Don’t Give Up” is one of the very best songs from So. And while its greatness comes from the sum of its parts, this track would not be nearly as amazing without Kate Bush’s vocals. That chorus? Absolutely jaw-dropping. It’s like Gabriel is barely there.
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