History Main / StepUpToTheMicrophone

* David Foster generally sticks to producing and lets other artists sing his compositions, or he just makes instruments. However, he picks up the mic in a duet with Music/OliviaNewtonJohn "The Best of Me" and he sounds absolutely lovely.

* Music/{{Squeeze}}'s songs are normally song by Glenn Tilbrook, but primary lyricist Chris Difford does lead vocals on the minor song "Love Circles" and the much better known "Cool for Cats".

** During their 1993 reunion tour, John Cale handled vocals on songs where Nico originally sang lead.

* Music/{{Madness}}. Suggs sings most songs, but Cathal Smyth and Lee Thompson also take the lead on occasion; the latter's usual live Song In The Limelight is ''Razor Blade Alley'' from ''Music/OneStepBeyond''.

* Music/JimmyEatWorld's lead vocalist was originally Tom Linton. Between their first and third albums, Linton's vocal duties were diminished from all but one song on their debut to roughly half the songs on *Static Prevails* to one song ("Blister") on *Clarity*. Jim Adkins thereafter completely took over lead vocals except for the song "Action Needs An Audience", released over 11 years later.

* British PunkRock pioneers Music/TheClash usually had Joe Strummer do the vocals, however, guitarist Mick Jones occasionally sang lead (usually once for every four or five songs each album). While Strummer was the FaceOfTheBand, Jones sang lead on some of their most recognizable tunes (most notably "Train in Vain" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"). When Jones was fired from the band along with Topper Headon, they released ''Cut the Crap'', which [[FanonDiscontinuity has been disowned by the listeners]] [[CanonDiscontinuity and the band]]. Also, on occasion they both shared lead vocals, namely "Remote Control", "Hate & War", "Rudie Can't Fail", "Spanish Bombs", "Clampdown", "Something About England", "Charlie Don't Surf", "Atom Tan", and "Death is a Star".
** ''Music/{{Sandinista}}'' gave one song to two of the other members each; "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" sung by Topper Headon and "The Crooked Beat" sung by Paul Simonon. Simonon also sang lead in a duet with Kosmo Vinyl in "Red Angel Dragnet".

* Music/FallOutBoy bassist Pete Wentz usually only provides backing vocals and the occasional metal screams, but in certain songs, most notably [[OverlyLongTitle "Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows)"]] and "20 Dollar Nosebleed", he recites his own poetry as interludes.

** Two CoverVersions also qualify: a version of [[Music/TheBand "The Weight"]] included as a ''[[Music/WeezerTheRedAlbum Red Album]]'' bonus track has everyone in the band take a verse. Meanwhile, [[Music/BlackSabbath "Paranoid"]] from ''[[Music/WeezerTheTealAlbum The Teal Album]]'' has Brian Bell on lead vocals again - apparently it was down to which member could do the best Music/OzzyOsbourne impression.

** Also, songs on various albums not sung by any member of the band; they're usually done by John Flansburgh's wife Robin Goldwasser, but others take turns, including the aforementioned Hannah Levine on "One Dozen Monkeys", Margaret Seiler on "Boat of Car", several of the "Fingertips" segments are sung by others, "O, Do Not Forsake Me" by the band Hudson Shad, and "Mr. [[XtremeKoolLetterz Xcitement]]" and "Your Mom's Alright" by Mike Doughty. And that's just [[http://tmbw.net/wiki/Non-John_Vocals the tip of the iceberg]]...

* Music/RiloKiley's first album ''Take Offs and Landings'' had guitarist Blake Sennett sing four of its fifteen songs (including a HiddenTrack). After this, he'd only get one or two lead vocals per album.

* Music/{{Nirvana}}'s "Marigold", written and sung by Music/DaveGrohl -- it's also the only officially released Nirvana song that Music/KurtCobain had no participation in (Krist Novoselic played bass and Dave Grohl played everything else). Despite the fact that it was an obscure B-side, the song even started getting some radio airplay once Music/FooFighters were growing in popularity.

* Music/{{Cream}} - "Blue Condition" and "Pressed Rat and Warthog", sung and spoken by Ginger Baker. Additionally, "Outside Woman Blues", "Strange Brew" and "Crossroads" were sung by Music/EricClapton.

* Likewise, once Dave Grohl got [[Music/FooFighters his own band]], drummer Taylor Hawkins got to sing "Cold Day in the Sun" on the second disc of ''In Your Honor''. He also sings it, while drumming, on several live [=DVDs=] and [=CDs=] the Foo Fighters have put out, and outside of the drum kit he performed "[[Music/LedZeppelin Whole Lotta Love]]" with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones on the Wembley Stadium DVD (Grohl took his place at the drum kit). Guitarist Chris Shiflett sang covers of Jawbreaker's "Kiss the Bottle" and Music/TheRamones' "Danny Says", both of which were used as b-sides to various singles.

* Nick Oliveri of ''Music/QueensOfTheStoneAge'' got his song in the limelight in his hilariously creepy rendition of "Quick and to the Pointless" off ''Rated R''. He later sang on "Auto Pilot" and "Tension Head" on the same album, and "Six Shooter", "Gonna Leave You", and "Another Love Song" on ''Music/SongsForTheDeaf''.

* Fictional example: In ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'', when Peter left Studz due to his drug addiction, Sav became the lead singer.

* A particularly successful example: after Music/PeterGabriel left {{Music/Genesis|Band}} in 1974, the role of lead singer was filled by the band's drummer Music/PhilCollins (who had previously provided backing vocals and sung lead on a handful of Genesis songs). Collins stuck as lead vocalist and would go on to become one of pop music's most successful solo artists.