History Main / LeadDrummer

* Mick Harris of Music/NapalmDeath is one of the better known members of the band's early days, not least for coining the terms "blast beat" and "{{grindcore}}", though his erstwhile bandmates Justin Broadrick, Bill Steer, and Lee Dorrian may have eclipsed him in public exposure for founding Music/{{Godflesh}} and Music/{{Jesu}} (Broadrick), Music/{{Carcass}} (Steer) and Music/{{Cathedral}} (Dorrian), respectively. (To be clear, Harris didn't ''invent'' the blast beat; {{jazz}} drummer Tony Williams is sometimes considered its first practitioner, and it had also been used in HardcorePunk before its usage in metal, but Harris certainly helped to popularise its usage in metal.)

* Lera Kozlova and later Nyuta Baidavletova of the Russian pop-rock band Ranetki as both the lead singer and the drummer. Slightly downplayed in that the role of lead singer was shared with Anya Rudneva, the lead guitarist. Though Lera was initially the most notable member, after she left, this role fell to Anya rather than new member Nyuta.

* Lera Kozlova and later Nyuta Baidavletova of the Russian pop-rock band Ranetki as both the lead singer and the drummer. Slightly downplayed in that the role of lead singer was shared with Anya Rudneva, the lead guitarist. Though Lera was initially the most recognizable member, after she left, this role fell to Anya rather than new member Nyuta.

* Alina Olesheva of the Russian pop-punk band Kis-Kis is the drummer and is the most notable member besides lead singer Sonya Somuseva. Though only Sonya sings in most of their songs, Alina can sing too and sings a duet with Sonya on the band's song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5tyXvN_KVE "Padik"]].
* Lera Kozlova and later Nyuta Baidavletova of the Russian pop-rock band Ranetki as both the lead singer and the drummer. Slightly downplayed in that the role of lead singer was shared with Anya Rudneva, the lead guitarist. Though Lera was initially the frontwoman, after she left, Anya became the new frontwoman rather than new member Nyuta.

* Lera Kozlova and later Nyuta Baidavletova of the Russian pop-rock band Ranetki as both the lead singer and the drummer. Slightly downplayed in that the role of lead singer was shared with Anya Rudneva, the lead guitarist. Though Lera was initially the front woman, after she left, Anya became the new face rather than new member Nyuta.

Drummers in a band, as a rule, are usually forced to be in the background while the FaceOfTheBand takes the center stage.

However, there are a select few bands whose drummer is known to sing lead on some or all of the band's songs or otherwise being a lead or the FaceOfTheBand in it.

* Stephen Drozd of Music/FlamingLips was originally recruited as just a drummer, but soon took over most of the instrumental duties on record, and switched to guitar and keyboards on stage. Also, he has a huge hand in songwriting, and despite not being as visible as his bandmate [[TheFaceOfTheBand Wayne Coyne]], [[EnsembleDarkhorse has quite a following]].

* The page image is Don Henley of Music/{{Eagles}}, who was the FaceOfTheBand along with Glenn Frey, and who sang lead on more of their songs than any other member (as well as co-writing the better portion of the band's songs with Frey). He then had the most successful BreakupBreakout of the band.

* Herwig Mitteregger was both the drummer, the primary lead singer and the FaceOfTheBand for Spliff. And yes, he also sang while drumming live. To make matters worse for the sound technicians, he didn't always bring his Simmons SDS V electronic kit that didn't bleed into his vocal mic.

* Atsuo is considered the FaceOfTheBand for Japanese band Music/{{Boris}} because he's the only member who speaks English.

* Alina Olesheva of the Russian pop-punk band Kis-Kis is the drummer and is the FaceOfTheBand along with lead singer Sonya Somuseva. Though only Sonya sings in most of their songs, Alina can sing too and sings a duet with Sonya on the band's song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5tyXvN_KVE "Padik"]].
* Lera Kozlova and later Nyuta Baidavletova of the Russian pop-rock band Ranetki as both the lead singer and the drummer. Slightly downplayed in that the role of lead singer was shared with Anya Rudneva, the lead guitarist. Though Lera was initially the FaceOfTheBand, after she left, Anya became the new face rather than new member Nyuta.

* Alina Olesheva of the Russian pop-punk band Kis-Kis is the drummer and is the FaceOfTheBand along with lead singer Sonya Somuseva. Though only Sonya sings in most of their songs, Alina can sing too and sings a duet with Sonya on the band's song "Padik".

* Lera Kozlova and later Nyuta Baidavletova of the Russian pop-rock band Ranetki as both the lead singer and the drummer. Slightly downplayed in that the role of lead singer was shared with Anya Rudneva, the lead guitarist. Though Lera was initially the FaceOfTheBand, after she left, Anya became the new FaceOfTheBand rather than new member Nyuta.

SisterTrope to LeadBassist. Contrast AllDrummersAreAnimals and DumbAndDrummer.

* Music/DaveGrohl began his career as a drummer, most notably of Music/{{Nirvana}}, then became the (largely non-drumming) frontman of the Music/FooFighters. He still returns to the drums whenever possible, whether as a guest or in his own band (where the actual drummer, Taylor Hawkins, serves as TheLancer and earns the most spotlight outside of Dave's).

* Levon Helm of Music/TheBand

* Music/BillBruford is quite possibly the most famous ProgressiveRock drummer after Music/PhilCollins and maybe Music/{{Rush}}'s Neil Peart (the fact that he has a page on this wiki may be a tell here). Unlike Phil, he doesn't sing, but his work with bands such as Music/KingCrimson, Music/{{Yes}}, and for that matter Collins' own Music/{{Genesis|Band}} is renowned enough that he doesn't have to. Ironically, he's been mostly retired since 2009.

* Neil Peart of {{Music/Rush}} is arguably the most well-known member of the band for his drumming virtuosity and lyrics. (Ironically, since bassist Geddy Lee is the lead vocalist, guitarist Alex Lifeson is the member of the band who's probably the least known to the public.) Original drummer John Rutsey served as master of ceremonies in live shows.

* Charlie Watts from [[Music/TheRollingStonesBand The Rolling Stones]] may have qualified as a downplayed example; he was nowhere near as well-known as Music/MickJagger or Music/KeithRichards, but apart from those two, he's the only Rolling Stone to appear on every record until his death in 2021. Both rock critics and fellow drummers also regarded him as one of the greatest rock drummers of all time (for an example of each, critic Robert Christgau called him ''the'' greatest, and Music/PhilCollins named him as one of his five favourite drummers in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AvB0KR_PFo 2020 interview]][[note]]alongside Music/RingoStarr, [[Music/TheWho Keith Moon]], [[Music/LedZeppelin John Bonham]], and Buddy Rich.[[/note]]), and after his death, tributes unanimously poured out that noted how important he was to the Stones' sound.

* Music/PhilCollins of Music/{{Genesis|Band}} occasionally sang lead during the Music/PeterGabriel years, and [[StepUpToTheMicrophone succeeded him as lead singer]]. After that, Chester Thompson (Music/FrankZappa, Music/WeatherReport) usually replaced him as drummer in most songs onstage (though Music/BillBruford of Music/{{Yes}} and Music/KingCrimson also had a stint in the drummer's seat before Thompson), but Collins continued to either play or program all the drums in the studio until he left the band in the mid-90s. Even during concerts, as long as Collins was physically capable of drumming, a second, left-handed drumkit would be set up for him to act as a second drummer when performing "Los Endos".

* Music/PhilCollins of Music/{{Genesis|Band}} occasionally sang lead during the Music/PeterGabriel years, and [[StepUpToTheMicrophone succeeded him as lead singer]]. After that, Chester Thompson (Music/FrankZappa, Music/WeatherReport) usually replaced him as drummer in most songs onstage (though Music/BillBruford of Music/{{Yes}} and Music/KingCrimson also had a stint in the drummer's seat before Thompson), but Collins continued to either play or program all the drums in the studio until he left the band in the mid-90s.

* Comicbook/SpiderGwen drums for The Mary Janes, a band who's name makes it clear [[ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson who]] the frontwoman is... in the comics. On ''Franchise/MarvelRising'', the microphone is on Gwen's drum kit, and at least one of the songs by her voice actress Creator/DoveCameron appears in-universe.

* Music/BillBruford is quite possibly the most famous ProgressiveRock drummer after Music/PhilCollins and maybe Music/{{Rush}}'s Neil Peart (the fact that he has a page on this wiki may be a tell here). Unlike Phil, he doesn't sing, but his work with bands such as Music/KingCrimson, Music/{{Yes}}, and for that matter Collins' own Music/{{Genesis}} is renowned enough that he doesn't have to. Ironically, he's been mostly retired since 2009.

* Music/PhilCollins of Music/{{Genesis}} occasionally sang lead during the Music/PeterGabriel years, and [[StepUpToTheMicrophone succeeded him as lead singer]]. After that, Chester Thompson (Music/FrankZappa, Music/WeatherReport) usually replaced him as drummer in most songs onstage (though Music/BillBruford of Music/{{Yes}} and Music/KingCrimson also had a stint in the drummer's seat before Thompson), but Collins continued to either play or program all the drums in the studio until he left the band in the mid-90s.

* Comicbook/SpiderGwen drums for The Mary Janes, which for the name makes it clear [[ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson who]] the frontwoman is... in the comics. On ''Franchise/MarvelRising'', the microphone is on Gwen's drum kit, and at least one of the songs by her voice actress Creator/DoveCameron appears in-universe.